Feb 07 2010
Now, here’s an interesting idea: Introducing wolves into national parks to control elk and deer herds and prevent overgrazing. Dunno if this would ever be feasible in the real world — managing a pack of neutered, collared wolves seems a bit (ahem) over-engineered compared to more straightforward alternatives — but the underlying science is plausible. [...]
Jan 29 2010
Here’s a wolf population status overview from an AP article appearing on today’s Flathead Beacon web site . . .
A new tally of gray wolves in the Northern Rockies shows the population held steady across the region in 2009, ending more than a decade of expansion by the predators but also underscoring their resilience in [...]
Dec 29 2009
The Missoulian has a good year-end review of Montana’s first wolf hunt.
Here are a few tidbits culled from the article…
The wolf hunt accounted for just over a third of the wolves killed during the past year. Poaching, “control actions” and other events accounted for the rest.
Eleven wolves were taken in Flathead County, the highest single-county [...]
Dec 10 2009
From an AP article posted to today’s Flathead Beacon . . .
An examination of Montana’s first public gray wolf hunt showed at least nine of the animals were killed in an area prone to livestock attacks — a finding that could blunt criticism that the hunt was ineffective.
Confident state wildlife officials said they could increase [...]
Dec 03 2009
From today’s Missoulian . . .
The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks claims wolves are recovered sufficiently to be delisted from the federal Endangered Species Act.
“The delisting of this population in Montana is a well-deserved victory for the ESA,” attorneys for FWP wrote in a brief filed in a federal lawsuit filed earlier this [...]
Nov 19 2009
From this week’s Hungry Horse News . . .
Contrary to rumors, a wolf killed up the North Fork by a hunter was not the alpha female of a Glacier Park pack.
Kent Laudon, wolf management specialist for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks said the wolf was a 2-year-old and was wearing a radio collar, but it [...]
Nov 16 2009
That’s it for Montana’s wolf hunt this year . . .
Montana is shutting down its first public hunt for gray wolves since their removal from the endangered species list after state officials said they expected to meet the season’s quota of 75 by Monday evening.
The quota was met two weeks before the season’s scheduled close. [...]
Nov 11 2009
Today’s Missoulian has an article on the increased number of poachers this year who seem to be killing game just to get a little ego boost . . .
The poacher who pulled the trigger on Maximus — one of Montana’s greatest grizzlies — left the big bear to waste.
So did the poacher who shot two [...]
Nov 09 2009
That’s it for wolf hunting on the North Fork this year. Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks announced it is closing the hunt officially a half-hour past sunset tomorrow, November 10th, after the shooting of the allowed two wolves in the “North Fork Sub-unit.” An AP article posted to the Flathead Beacon has some additional background.
Nov 01 2009
The October 25th Missoulian had a fascinating article — with photos — on Cristina Eisenberg’s study of the surprisingly broad impact wolves have on the general forest ecosystem. Thanks to Oliver Meister for pointing this one out . . .
A clinging mist quieted the morning meadow, the icy hem of its robes brushing silent against [...]
