Sen. Felzkowski: Casts votes on special session, government waste and wolves

From WisPolitics:

Madison, WI – On Tuesday, the Wisconsin State Senate convened for Regular Session and the Governor’s Special Session on Workforce Development.

During the Governor’s Special Session, Republicans in the Legislature – the lawmaking body of government – took up an amended version of the Governor’s proposal. This bill, as passed, includes investments in childcare, occupational licensing reforms, welfare reform, worker training grants, and a $2 billion low- and middle-class income tax cut for individuals making more than $27,630.

 

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As U.S. Wolf Populations Slowly Rebound, A Conservation Expert Reflects on Her Decades of Research

From National Academies:

onservation efforts over the past several decades in the U.S. have enabled many species of wolf to begin to recover from near total extinction — including the gray wolf of the Northern Rockies and western Great Lakes region, the red wolf in the southeastern part of the country, and the Mexican gray wolf of the American Southwest. 

To mark National Wolf Awareness Week — which takes place Oct. 15-21 — we sat down with Diane K. Boyd, a renowned wolf and carnivore specialist at Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and an affiliate faculty member at the University of Montana, Missoula. Boyd served on a National Academies study committee that produced a 2019 report on the taxonomy of the red wolf and Mexican gray wolf.  

 

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New Research: How wild wolves may be key in improving domestic dogs’ health

From Curry Costal Pilot:

Gut microbes found in wild wolves may be the key to alleviating a debilitating gastrointestinal condition common to domestic dogs, according to a study led by researchers at Oregon State University – Cascades.

The authors report a novel strain of Paenibacillus bacteria with characteristics of a probiotic – an organism that conveys a health benefit to the host.

 

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Wolf population increased 4% over last year in Wisconsin and farm conflicts declined

From Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

The population of gray wolves in Wisconsin was estimated at 1,007 last winter, a year-over-year increase of 4%, according to the Department of Natural Resources.

The number of wolf packs was down slightly, from 288 in 2021-22 to 283 in 2022-23.

The number of Wisconsin farms with confirmed wolf conflicts also declined. The agency noted 18 farms had wolf conflicts with livestock during the reporting period, the lowest number in 15 years.

 

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Ipswich wolf sanctuary pushes back against ‘devastating’ new hunting laws

From 10Boston:

If you’re ever in Ipswich, Massachusetts, you might hear wolves howling, but it’s nothing to fret about.

They are the North American grey wolves at Wolf Hollow, and according to the sanctuary’s operations manager Kevin Kenny, sometimes the animals change the tone of their voice to hide their numbers.

 

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Minnesota DNR investigating after timber wolf shot, dozens of ducks dumped in central Minnesota

From KARE:

ST PAUL, Minn. — A conservation officer is investigating after a timber wolf was recently found dead and more than dozen ducks were found dumped along the road about 30 miles apart in central Minnesota.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said the timber wolf was found shot to death in Buckman, Minnesota. According to state law, it’s illegal for anyone to hunt or trap wolves in the state. The ducks were found dumped near the side of a road in Little Falls, Minnesota. It’s unclear if the two incidents are related.

 

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Wolf protection in Europe has become deeply political – Spain’s experience tells us why

From The Conversation:

Wolves are staging a comeback in many areas of Europe after centuries of persecution. Over the past decade alone, they have expanded their range on the continent by more than 25%.

This resurgence was brought into sharp focus in September 2023 following a controversial statement by Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission. She said: “The concentration of wolf packs in some European regions has become a real danger for livestock and potentially also for humans. I urge local and national authorities to take action where necessary.”

 

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Could these be wolf pups in northern Maine?

From Bangor Daily News:

There has long been debate about whether Maine has any resident wolves. People have reported a few sightings over the last few decades, but the state remains skeptical.

The Maine Wolf Coalition has submitted photographic evidence of individual animals that could be wolves, but biologists consistently say there are no breeding wolf populations in the state.

 

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Researcher paints broad picture of wolf-prey interactions with Jackson Hole study

From The Spokesman-Review:

BILLINGS – Since wolves were reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park in 1995, Kristin Barker jokingly estimated there have been “12.75 bajillion studies” conducted to answer: How a recovering population of predators would affect their prey populations as well as other aspects of the ecosystem?

“So after several decades of good, concerted study, what have we learned?” she asked a crowd gathered at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming, on Thursday.

Barker is the research coordinator for the Beyond Yellowstone Program, a new group supporting local conservation efforts with best available science. Her presentation was based on her most recent research into wolf avoidance of humans using collared wolves and cow elk in the Jackson Hole area.

 

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Nature Notes: Random wolf facts

From Elko Daily:

Lamar Valley is the northeast corner of Yellowstone National Park (YNP). It is the best spot in the world to observe gray wolves, largely due to its open nature. When Cindy and I visited there recently, lines of wolf watchers decorated hillsides with their spotting scopes, watching wolves across the valley. Paths are worn into the hillside to favorite watching spots. The roadsides are beat down by all the cars parked there. People walk hundreds of yards from parking spots to viewing areas.

 

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