From Science.org:
Since 2015, a slaughter has unfolded in the mountains of British Columbia, all in the name of saving southern mountain caribous, classified as threatened in Canada. Each winter, sharpshooters hired by the provincial government kill hundreds of wolves from low-flying helicopters, sometimes using a tracking collar attached to a “Judas wolf” that leads them to other pack members. Nearly 2200 of the predators had been killed, including 248 in the most recent winter.
The policy has provoked lawsuits and protests from conservation groups and dueling papers in scientific journals about whether the carnage benefits caribou herds. This week, in Ecological Applications, a research team looking at 51 years of population trends and conservation actions offers the most complete analysis yet of the divisive issue. Even critics of the culling say it offers compelling data that, at least in the short term, killing wolves is one of the few actions that aids ailing caribou populations.
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Fate of Wyoming wolf policy reform in Legislature’s hands
From Jackson Hole News & Guide:
RIVERTON — Keith Nelson pulled no punches.
In his mind, an alleged incident of wolf abuse at a Daniel bar had blown a hole in Wyoming wolf policy. A rather large hole.
“This guy drove a snow machine through the state statute,” Nelson told the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission on Wednesday.
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Colorado’s reintroduced wolves have killed four more cattle in Grand County
From CPR News:
It appears wolves have killed four cattle in Grand County over the last week, marking the largest cluster of livestock losses since Colorado reintroduced the species in the area last December.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife confirmed the attacks in a statement on Thursday and a spokesperson said the predators likely came from a group of wolves released by the agency in December as part of a voter-approved reintroduction plan. The attack comes just weeks after the first confirmed cattle death linked to the reintroduced wolves.
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Controversial wolf killing appears to help caribou, but concerns persist
From Science.org:
Since 2015, a slaughter has unfolded in the mountains of British Columbia, all in the name of saving southern mountain caribous, classified as threatened in Canada. Each winter, sharpshooters hired by the provincial government kill hundreds of wolves from low-flying helicopters, sometimes using a tracking collar attached to a “Judas wolf” that leads them to other pack members. Nearly 2200 of the predators had been killed, including 248 in the most recent winter.
The policy has provoked lawsuits and protests from conservation groups and dueling papers in scientific journals about whether the carnage benefits caribou herds. This week, in Ecological Applications, a research team looking at 51 years of population trends and conservation actions offers the most complete analysis yet of the divisive issue. Even critics of the culling say it offers compelling data that, at least in the short term, killing wolves is one of the few actions that aids ailing caribou populations.
Click here for the full story.
Oregon’s Troubling 2023 Wolf Report
From Oregon Wild:
Late last Friday afternoon, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) released its 2023 Wolf Report. The report, which was not directly linked to in the agency’s press release, update page, or email reveals a series of disturbing trends.
ODFW attempted to present its data in the most positive light. This is a trend we’ve discussed before. We even named our first deep-dive “Friday Trash” after the agency’s pattern of releasing embarrassing news on Friday afternoons to avoid scrutiny. For more analysis, check out our 2018 edition called “Spring Cleaning.”
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Poaching, suspicious deaths raise concern for Oregon gray wolf population
From Yahoo News:
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is showing concern over the number of confirmed poaching incidents and suspicious deaths of gray wolves in the state within the last year.
A new report released Thursday from the Oregon Wolf Conservation and Management shows the state’s wolf population did not grow at all in 2023, remaining at 178 at the end of the year. This is first year of zero annual growth in 16 years, according to ODFW. The growth from 175 to 178 between 2021 and 2022 was also not much of an improvement, with the Center for Biological Diversity calling the stunted growth “a tragedy.”
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World-record coyote turns out to be protected gray wolf
From News Nation:
CALHOUN COUNTY, Mich. (WJW) – Michigan wildlife officials are investigating the killing of a rare gray wolf.
According to a press release from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, a hunter reported that he killed a large coyote. Coyotes typically weigh up to 40 pounds. This creature was 84 pounds. Genetic tests by the department showed the large animal was a gray wolf.
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Oregon wolf population holds at 178, ODFW says; livestock depredation falls; poaching, poisonings prompt concern
From KTVZ:
PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The minimum known count of wolves in Oregon at the end of 2023 was 178 wolves, according to the Oregon Wolf Conservation and Management annual report released Friday. That’s the same number documented in 2022 and does not include 10 wolves translocated to Colorado in 2023 to help establish a wolf population there.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said the annual count is based on verified wolf evidence (like visual observations, tracks, and remote camera photographs). The actual number of wolves in Oregon is higher, as not all individuals present in the state are located during the winter count.
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1228F part of first wolf pair to establish new YNP pack in 20 years
From Buckrail:
JACKSON, Wyo. — Despite all the challenges that Wolf 1228F has faced in Yellowstone National Park (YNP), she’s the first alpha female in nearly 20 years to successfully establish a new pack with just a mate.
Kira Cassidy, research associate with the Yellowstone Wolf Project, tells Buckrail that every other new wolf pack in the last two decades had at least three founding wolf members.
“Yellowstone is a competitive environment and pairs are usually squeezed out by larger packs,” Cassidy says.
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COLORADO CALF KILLED BY WOLF
From The Wildlife Society:
A wolf in Colorado has killed a calf, marking the first livestock kill after the predators were reintroduced to the state in December. Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials confirmed the kill after examining the wolves and nearby tracks.
“The field investigation found multiple tooth rake marks on the calf’s hindquarters and neck, and hemorrhaging under the hide, consistent with wolf depredation,” Jeromy Huntington, one of the agencies wildlife managers, said in a statement.
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As Wolf Management Debate Reaches a Fever Pitch, the Interior Department Hires a National Mediator
From Outdoor Life:
America’s heated conversation over wolf management has turned into a screaming match in recent weeks. Death threats from wildlife activists poured into Wyoming last week after news broke that a resident captured a live wolf in February and paraded it around a bar before dispatching it. In Colorado, pissed-off landowners are withdrawing their cooperation with Parks and Wildlife after a second calf was killed by recently reintroduced wolves. The latest round of virtual discussions is today and tomorrow.
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