Tag Archives: wolf population

Oregon ‘wolf safe’ zone gets mixed reviews

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

Oregon has had a ban on killing wolves since September 2011 . . .

As long as wolves have been making their comeback, biologists and ranchers have had a decidedly Old West option for dealing with those that develop a taste for beef: Shoot to kill. But for the past year, Oregon has been a “wolf-safe” zone, with ranchers turning to more modern, nonlethal ways to protect livestock.

While the number of wolves roaming the state has gone up, livestock kills haven’t — and now conservation groups are hoping Oregon can serve as a model for other Western states working to return the predator to the wild.

Continue reading . . .

Big moms, large packs help wolf pup survival

Environmental Issues, News, , , ,

This is worth a read. The Missoulian has a write-up on a recently completed study on wolf reproductive success in Yellowstone Park. The findings should be applicable to other wolf populations . . .

A wolf pup growing up in Yellowstone National Park has a better chance of surviving if it has a big mama that lives in a big pack.

Those were the findings of a recent study published in the Journal of Animal Ecology that utilized 14 years of data collected on Yellowstone wolves.

“This is one of the few studies of large carnivores in the world to tease out what drives reproduction,” said Dan Stahler, lead author of the study and a biologist for Yellowstone’s Wolf Project team. “What’s fascinating is that, despite decades of research, we really didn’t know much about reproductive success and what are the triggers for failure.”

Continue reading . . .

Montana FWP hears from both sides of the wolf hunt debate

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

Here’s the Flathead Beacon’s take on last Wednesday’s Montana FWP “listening session” on the upcoming wolf hunt. It’s a good summary of issues and attitudes . . .

For once the wolf debate played out respectfully. Somewhat.

More than 90 people came together last week to discuss proposed changes to the controversial wolf hunt at a Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks public gathering at Flathead Valley Community College.

The June 13 meeting was the final one in the state before the FWP commission votes to adopt the latest wolf hunt adjustments on July 12. Public comment remains open until June 25.

Continue reading . . .

Montana FWP hears wide range of wolf comments

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

The reports are coming in on last Wednesday’s Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks “listening session” concerning plans for this year’s wolf hunt. There’s some interesting stuff here . . .

More than 90 people turned out for a meeting in Kalispell on Wednesday to chime in on proposed hunting and trapping regulations for wolves in Montana.

Those who attended the meeting at Flathead Valley Community College were broken up into 10 work groups to share their views.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials heard a full range of comments — from ending the regulated hunt to having a year-round, wide-open season on wolves.

Continue reading . . .

Montana FWP gives tentative OK to wolf trapping

Environmental Issues, News, , , ,

The FWP commissioners voted tentative approval for wolf trapping this hunting season, as well as elimination of quotas . . .

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks commissioners have given their initial approval to the 2012 wolf-hunt proposal that would allow trapping and eliminate quotas.

After a nearly four-hour hearing Thursday in which more than 60 people spoke, the commissioners voted to put the proposal out to public comment until June 25.

Continue reading . . .

US appeals court allows wolf hunts

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

From today’s Missoulian . . .

A federal appeals court on Wednesday rejected a lawsuit from conservation groups that want to block wolf hunting and trapping that have killed more than 500 of the predators across the Northern Rockies in recent months.

The ruling from a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Congress had the right to intervene when it stripped protections from wolves last spring.

Continue reading . . .

Yellowstone wolf population remains stable

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

The wolf population has remained stable at that “other” park the last couple of years . . .

Yellowstone National Park officials say the park’s wolf population has stabilized at about 100 wolves over the last two years.

Officials tell the Billings Gazette that represents about a 60 percent reduction from 2007 wolf numbers as elk populations have also declined.

Continue reading . . .

Despite hunt, Montana wolf population rose 15 percent in 2011

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

Posted yesterday evening to the Missoulian . . .

The number of wolves in Montana increased by 15 percent to at least 653 animals despite the state’s efforts to reduce the population with an extended hunting season, state wildlife officials said Wednesday.

Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks officials said 87 more wolves were counted at the end of 2011 than were in the state a year before. There were 130 verified packs and 39 breeding pairs counted, also increases from 2010 numbers.

Continue reading . . .

Lone wolf visits Kalispell Saturday morning

News,

It seems a wolf made a post-hunting season visit to Kalispell Saturday morning . . .

Three generations of the Grande family shared a bonding experience Saturday morning when they followed a wolf through northwest Kalispell . . .

The Grandes weren’t the only people to report seeing the wolf, according to the Kalispell Police Department dispatch log.

The Kalispell wolf saga started at 10:30 a.m., when a woman reported seeing the wolf running along Windward Way, near the Kalispell Regional Medical Center. Just before 11 a.m., another woman said she saw it running along the back of the Flathead County Fairgrounds.

Shortly after 11 a.m., the Grandes made their reports. The wolf was then spotted in a field between Northridge Drive and Four Mile Drive. As it exited town, deputies with the Flathead County Sheriff’s Department took up the chase and managed to film it on their dashboard cameras.

It was at that point that officers contacted Fish, Wildlife and Parks, which sent out three people with equipment to try and read the collar’s signal . . .

Continue reading . . .

Extended Montana wolf hunting season ends with 163 killed

Environmental Issues, News,

The wolf hunting season wrapped up with about 74% of the quota taken . . .

Hunters in Montana have shot about 160 wolves as the season comes to a close, falling short of the state’s 220-animal quota.

State wildlife commissioners are considering extending the season in the Bitterroot Valley near the Idaho border in response to complaints about declining elk numbers.

But for most of Montana the season ends after sunset Wednesday. The 163 wolves killed through Tuesday equals almost 75 percent of the statewide quota.

Continue reading . . .