From the Flathead Beacon in Kalispell, Montana:
In 1979, when Diane Boyd arrived on the doorstep of Glacier National Park to study wolves, the species’ erasure from the landscape provided the young researcher with something of an ecological blank slate, as well as a cultural one — wolves represented a mere blip in the biota of Northwest Montana, and hadn’t yet become the easy-to-loathe avatar of government-mandated wildlife management policies.
At the time, the 24-year-old University of Montana researcher had no inkling that the species she was about to dedicate her entire career to studying would eventually become the most successful recovery story of an endangered species in the United States’ history of wildlife management, nor did she realize it would become one of the most reviled, figuring prominently into a political debate that has never been more strained.
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Bill to kill up to 90% of Idaho wolves heads to governor
From KTVB.com:
BOISE, Idaho — Legislation that could lead to killing up to 90% of the wolves in Idaho continued its speedy trip through the Statehouse on Tuesday.
The bill introduced just a week ago, passed the Idaho House 58-11 after already sailing through the Senate. It now heads to the governor’s desk.
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Montana governor signs bill allowing payment to wolf hunters
From localnews8.com and the Associated Press:
HELENA, Mont. (AP) – Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte signed a bill allowing the use of private funds to reimburse wolf hunters or trappers for their expenses – reminiscent of bounties that widely exterminated the species in the last century.
Hunting and livestock groups say there aren’t enough wolves being hunted in Montana to limit their impact on big game outfitters and cattle and sheep producers.
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2 Montana men cited over helicopter poaching of wolves
From The Wilton Bulletin in Montana:
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Two Montana men have been cited over illegally poaching two wolves from a helicopter in the Big Hole Valley.
The Billings Gazette reports that Dalton Thomas Tamcke, 30, and Justin Samuel Peterson, 22, told wildlife authorities they were hunting coyotes for predatory control action on March 3 and mistakenly took the wolves for coyotes. The men later recovered the carcasses by snowmobile.
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Report: Washington wolf population continued to grow in 2020
From KIRO7.com:
OLYMPIA, Wash. — (AP) – A new report from state officials says the wolf population in Washington state increased by an estimated 33 animals in 2020.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife released its annual wolf report Friday, saying the estimated wolf population grew to 178 wolves in 29 packs.
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Oregon has at least 173 wolves, a 9.5% increase over last year
From the Argus Observer in Oregon:
State wildlife biologists counted 173 wolves in Oregon this past winter, a 9.5% increase over last year’s count of 158, according to the Oregon Wolf Conservation and Management 2020 Annual Report released April 21 at odfw.com/wolves.
This annual count is based on verified wolf evidence (such as visual observations, tracks, and remote camera photographs) and is considered the minimum known wolf count, not an estimate of how many wolves are in Oregon. The actual number of wolves in Oregon is likely higher, as not all individuals present in the state are located during the winter count.
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Minister signs decree enacting year-round protection for the grey wolf in Slovakia
From The Slovak Spectator:
Environment Minister Ján Budaj (OĽaNO) has signed a decree enacting the year-round protection of the grey wolf in Slovakia.
He did so at a press conference marking Earth Day. The grey wolf will thus be put on the list of protected animals and the hunting of these animals will end on June 1. It will be prohibited to capture, injure or kill, breed, sell or exchange wolves and the social value of the wolf will be €3,000.
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Oregon counts more gray wolves in 2020, but concerns for their safety abound
From OPB.org in Oregon:
The total population of gray wolves in Oregon increased again in 2020, continuing the species’ slow but steady rebound.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Wednesday it counted a total of 173 wolves this past winter — up 9.5% from the previous year. That is likely an undercount of the entire wolf population in the state, but serves as a minimum estimate.
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Montana: 40 years of wolf recovery
From the Flathead Beacon in Kalispell, Montana:
In 1979, when Diane Boyd arrived on the doorstep of Glacier National Park to study wolves, the species’ erasure from the landscape provided the young researcher with something of an ecological blank slate, as well as a cultural one — wolves represented a mere blip in the biota of Northwest Montana, and hadn’t yet become the easy-to-loathe avatar of government-mandated wildlife management policies.
At the time, the 24-year-old University of Montana researcher had no inkling that the species she was about to dedicate her entire career to studying would eventually become the most successful recovery story of an endangered species in the United States’ history of wildlife management, nor did she realize it would become one of the most reviled, figuring prominently into a political debate that has never been more strained.
Click here for the full story.
Legislation aims to kill 90% of wolves roaming Idaho
From the Associated Press:
BOISE (AP) — A Republican-dominated state Senate committee on Tuesday approved legislation allowing the state to hire private contractors to kill about 90% of the wolves roaming Idaho.
The Senate Resources and Environment Committee voted 6-2 with no Democratic support to approve the agriculture industry-backed bill that includes substantial other changes intended to cut the wolf population from about 1,500 to 150.
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Yellowstone hazes its habituated wolves, and it works
From the Jackson Hole News & Guide in Wyoming:
Colleen Marzluff whistled to her ornithologist husband, John, as he was looking for a raven nest in a string of trees on the low southern flank of Yellowstone’s Bison Peak.
Since Colleen had taken on the “sentinel” role, John knew that something furry and large was probably entering the area.
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