Kim's Wolves
Wolf Report Yellowstone
This report was submitted by Gray wolf recovery program. I have just copied what was necessary to give everyone an idea of how in depth they go to make the wolf recovery program work.Link Below is for the weekly reports.
Gray Wolf Recovery
Weekly Progress Report
6 web site at http://www.r6.fws.gov/wolf
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GRAY WOLF RECOVERY WEEKLY PROGRESS REPORT
Status of Gray Wolf Recovery, Week of 6/16-6/22, 2001Monitoring
The seasonal field crew started on June 18th and employee
orientation was held that day. The new employees are Paul
Frame, Paul Hansen, and Andreas Chavez. All three have extensive
wolf trapping and handling experience and we are lucky to have
hired such a skilled field team. Trapping and collaring efforts
will continue throughout the summer. On the 21st, Frame caught
a wolf in the Thompson Pack area but it pulled out of the
rubber-jawed trap. This is the second time this has happened
this summer. Anyone else having this happen?? Asher and Bradley
observed 4 pups in the Freezeout pack. This is the pack near the
West Fork of the Madison River consisting of female #155 and her
brother #161.Idaho tribal biologists have been amazingly successful. They
only had funding for 2 field crews this summer but already their
crews have confirmed at least 44 pups born in 9 packs. The tribe
will be investigating 23-26 potential wolf dens this summer.A Wyoming field crew is trapping on the Diamond G ranch near
Dubois, Wyoming The Washakie pack has about 5-7 adults and 4-5
pups. About half of the pack members as well as this year's pups
are black. The crew has also been monitoring the wolves at night
to see if they are among the 400 cow/calf pairs and yearlings on
the ranch and Forest Service allotments. During the day the crews
have been helping the ranch hands ride cattle looking at fences,
or dead or wounded livestock. This year the Defenders of Wildlife
bought $3,000 worth of hay to keep cattle and calves on the winter
pasture near Riverton, WY longer so elk calves could be born before
the bovine calves were placed among the grizzly bears and wolves on
the Diamond G. In addition, the Defenders bought $1,500 worth of
hay to keep the ranches horses nearer the barn when the wolves
first starting denning on the ranch in late April. The ranch
manager has been very cooperative and has provided housing on
the ranch for Service field crews.Please report wolf sightings but especially reports in localized
areas or reports of wolves "barking" when people are near to help
us locate any new wolf dens and rendezvous sites. Thanks to those
who have been forwarding us reports it has helped located several
potential new packs.
Control
WS investigated the death of 2 calves laying close to each other
near Darby, MT. One calf was intact with a few light bite marks
and the back half of the other calf was missing. A wolf track was
located within 100 yards of the site but the evidence is inconclusive
as to the cause of death. The situation is being monitored. WS also
investigated a possible bite to a horse in the Fortine area. It
turned out to be a cut from some unknown object.A lone black uncollared wolf killed 10 sheep near Cokeville, WY this
week on a public grazing allotment. WS confirmed the depredations
were wolf-kills and the Service authorized WS to lethally take the
animal at first opportunity.The lone wolf that began attacking sheep near Humprey, ID several
weeks ago has continued to attack sheep and has now killed 31 buck
sheep. The Service authorized WS to lethally take one wolf ASAP.Wolf #196, was very close to the site of a calf depredation on
Pine Creek in the Paradise Valley, just north of Yellowstone National
Park, on the 17th. WS confirmed the calf was killed by wolves and
possibly more than one wolf was involved, maybe 3. The cow had the
end of her tail bitten off but was otherwise not injured. By the
next morning a grizzly bear had taken over the carcass. Wolf #196
was one of three male wolves from the Sheep Mountain Pack previously
involved in cattle depredations and the initial subjects in a WS-led
cooperative research program on aversive conditioning. WS trapped
in an attempt to catch and radio-collar any other wolves in the area
but the effort was unsuccessful. Wolf #196 will be killed ASAP and
efforts to place a collar on other wolves, hopefully members of the
Mill Creek pack, will continue.The Whitehawk pack control action near Stanley, Idaho continues.
Efforts are being made to capture a couple of adult pack members
and relocate them. Lone adult wolves can successfully raise pups,
despite some false claims being made that removal of even 2 adults
may cause the pups to starve. Right now the pups are too large to
be run to ground and it is very unlikely they can all be captured.
It is likely that pups younger than 6 months couldn't survive without
at least one adult to care for them or supplemental feeding. The
wolves moved into heavy timber where trapping is the main tool. If
those actions fail and/or depredations continue wolves will be lethally
removed. The pack consists of 4 adults and 9 pups. The pack killed
sheep on a public grazing allotment but an electric fence was put up
to temporarily discourage further depredations. The pack then killed
a calf on a nearby private ranch. This control action is being closely
monitored by both strong wolf proponents and opponents and appears to
be very contentious.
Research
A new less-than-lethal munitions source was tested by LE agents.
The new 12 gauge rubber/foam rounds are very accurate at more than
100 yards, nearly twice the distance as the bean bag rounds currently
being used. A thousand rounds have been ordered and they will be issued
in the future.
Information and education and law enforcement
On the 21st, Fontaine gave a talk to about a dozen local landowners,
Forest Service and Wildlife Services representatives in the new #155
pack territory, Freezeout pack, in the West Fork of the Madison River
(SW of Ennis, MT). She has at least 4 pups and a former pack mate (both
from the Rose Creek pack in Yellowstone) is helping her raise them.
Rubber bullet training will be given in July.Doug Smith gave a presentation at the Society of Mammalogists annual
meeting in Missoula, MT this week. Smith's talk was on "Estimating wolf
kill rates".The Service's weekly wolf report can now be viewed at the
Service's Region 6 web site at http://www.r6.fws.gov/wolf
in addition to the regular distribution.Contact: Ed Bangs (406)449-5225 x204 or Internet - ED_BANGS@FWS.GOV
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Margo Johnson - WebMistress
Wolf Recovery Foundation
(208)363-0203
P.O. Box 44236
Boise, ID 83711-0236
http://www.forwolves.org
webmistress@forwolves.org
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Yellowstone Tracker-Info about the Yellowstone Wolfs
Gray Wolf snow dusted.
The next page is Graphic Pictures that I have used on this Wolves site.
All credits are on Page 4.
