From Politico:
The Fish and Wildlife Service’s scientific assessments of the gray wolf should take into account the tricky science of politics, some wolf experts believe.
Diane Boyd, a prominent researcher who peer-reviewed the agency’s most recently released study of how Western wolves are faring, pinpointed what she called a major shortcoming.
“My concern is that not enough emphasis was put on discussing the states’ plans,” Boyd said in an interview. “I just wish that in that assessment, they would have discussed that more thoroughly and perhaps even put it in their findings.”
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Politics, science collide as feds map gray wolf’s future
From Politico:
The Fish and Wildlife Service’s scientific assessments of the gray wolf should take into account the tricky science of politics, some wolf experts believe.
Diane Boyd, a prominent researcher who peer-reviewed the agency’s most recently released study of how Western wolves are faring, pinpointed what she called a major shortcoming.
“My concern is that not enough emphasis was put on discussing the states’ plans,” Boyd said in an interview. “I just wish that in that assessment, they would have discussed that more thoroughly and perhaps even put it in their findings.”
Click here for the full story.
Face-to-fang with an endangered Mexican wolf
From KLCC:
One of the most iconic and reviled predators in the United States is having a moment.
In December, 10 gray wolves were released into the mountains of Colorado as part of a voter-approved effort to reintroduce the animals to the state. And further south, in Arizona and New Mexico, the smaller subspecies of Mexican gray wolf is thriving, too.
“In the last four to five years, the population has really started to take off and basically boom,” said Brady McGee, the Mexican wolf recovery coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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Video of wolf killing northern Minnesota deer becomes political fodder
From Phys.org:
A lone gray wolf bolted past a logger last week, on the edge of a clear cut forest in northern St. Louis County. The wolf ran past a giant industrial saw and leaped over felled trees in pursuit of what was either a young doe or an antlerless buck. Seconds later, the wolf killed the deer on the other side of a neatly stacked pile of freshly cut logs, oblivious to the logger, who captured the chase on video.
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California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to Evaluate Wolf-Livestock Compensation Pilot Program, Post Outstanding Depredation Investigations
From Sierra Sun Times:
February 13, 2024 – As part of its evaluation of the Wolf-Livestock Compensation Pilot Program, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) on Monday posted outstanding wolf depredation reports dating back to August 2023.
The depredation reports confirm 16 wolf depredations totaling a loss of 18 livestock. With this posting, CDFW can now finalize review of existing program applications and eligibility of livestock producers to receive payments for direct losses.
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Stauber leading effort to strip protections from the gray wolf
From MinnPost:
WASHINGTON — On a hunting trip for deer with his bow and arrows, Levi Bock was in the woods north of Crosslake in central Minnesota when he spotted three gray wolves about 40 yards away.
Bock, 35, had come across gray wolves before and they usually avoided close contact with humans. But this trio was behaving in an odd and threatening manner.
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Retired Game Warden Under Investigation After Shooting a Collared Wolf in Wisconsin. He Claims Self Defense
From Outdoor Life:
A retired Wisconsin conservation warden and prominent figure in state wildlife issues is under investigation for shooting a collared wolf, allegedly in self-defense. Pat Quaintance, who served on the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Wolf Management Committee, self-reported the shooting which took place around 1 a.m. on Dec. 25, 2023.
“Patrick Quaintance called us reporting that he killed a collared wolf that was at their back door,” Bayfield County Sheriff Chief Deputy Andy Runice, told the Ashland Daily Press. “Two of our deputies responded to the scene at 2:43 a.m. and took possession of the wolf. He said he shot the wolf because it had been hanging around his yard.”
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From ‘Wolf-sized’ to ‘Hi, puppy’: Suspected wolf reports in Colorado are hard to verify
From The Aspen Times:
Since wolves were re-introduced to the Western Slope back in December, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) has seen an uptick in suspected sightings reported on its website, with some of the descriptions proving to be more helpful than others.
How big was the animal?
“Wolf-sized,” one observer in Routt County wrote on a CPW form. “Large” wrote another in Jackson County.
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Wildlife Science Center aims to repopulate endangered wolves
From Country News Review:
The Wildlife Science Center located in Stacy is staying busy hosting Mexican gray wolves for research and education.
What were once declared ecologically extinct in 1979, Mexican gray wolves are now slowly increasing in population. Over 40 years ago, only seven were left in the entire world. Now, there are about 245 throughout Arizona and New Mexico, the wolves’ native land.
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Italian city council appeals for help as wolves invade urban areas
From Yahoo News:
Its symbol is the she-wolf of Roman legend, but an Italian town renowned for its art and gastronomy is being menaced by real-life wolves.
There has been an increasing number of sightings on the outskirts of Siena, some 135 miles (220 kilometres) north of Rome, as the creatures nonchalantly pad along suburban streets.
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Gray wolf conservation classification open for public comment
From Washington Policy Center:
Gray wolves returned to our landscape in 2007. Since then, they have settled into the Northeast portion of the state with 30 of the 37 recognized packs in Washington residing there.
This week the Washington State Department of Fish & Wildlife announced the opening of a rulemaking regarding gray wolves. The department is asking for public input on changing the state’s conservation status of gray wolves from “endangered” to “sensitive.”
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