From the Wildlife Society:
Wolf recolonization curtails mescocarnivore numbers on an island in the Great Lakes—but the effect doesn’t last.
“The return of wolves created this really strong effect initially,” said Mauriel Rodriguez Curras, now a postdoctoral researcher in environmental science at the University of California-Berkeley.
The small population of wolves (Canis lupus) on Isle Royale in Michigan may be among the most studied canids in North America. Researchers’ interest is partly due to the unique conditions the island presents—it’s a relatively closed system, with only the occasional animal coming across the lake during years when it completely freezes over. Since this doesn’t happen often, Isle Royale acts like a natural laboratory for a closed ecosystem, where researchers can track the large animals that they reintroduce or that occasionally cross over naturally.
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FWP Releases 2023 Wolf Report; Population Strong After Increased Harvest
From Whitehall Ledger:
According to the 2023 Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Wolf Report, Montana’s wolf population remains healthy. Increased harvest during the 2023 wolf season has not yet resulted in an estimated decline in the statewide total. However, FWP biologists expect a moderate decline in wolf numbers next year, resulting from the increased harvest in early 2024.
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State wildlife officials make big announcement about wolves in Colorado: ‘This pup’s arrival is a huge conservation milestone’
From The Cool Down:
In 2020, Coloradans voted to reintroduce gray wolves into the wild, 80 years after the species disappeared from the state. In 2023, five gray wolves were captured in Oregon and released on Colorado’s Western Slope. Now, one of those gray wolves has given birth to at least one new pup, Colorado Politics reported.
With the birth of the pup, the group of wolves is now officially considered a pack, Colorado Parks and Wildlife said. Although the agency has only been able to confirm one pup, wolf pups are typically born in packs of four to six. The agency named the pack the Copper Creek Pack.
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Wolf kill in Woodruff leaves family demanding action
From Vila County News-Review:
A wolf killed a domestic dog at a family’s home in Woodruff last week, leaving many in the North Woods, including Denise Coron, calling for action.
The kill was confirmed after officials with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services team reviewed evidence last week at the home of Coron, who lives with her children and dogs near the DNR Service Center in Woodruff along Highway J.
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Wolf influx on Isle Royale only temporarily affects mesocarnivores
From the Wildlife Society:
Wolf recolonization curtails mescocarnivore numbers on an island in the Great Lakes—but the effect doesn’t last.
“The return of wolves created this really strong effect initially,” said Mauriel Rodriguez Curras, now a postdoctoral researcher in environmental science at the University of California-Berkeley.
The small population of wolves (Canis lupus) on Isle Royale in Michigan may be among the most studied canids in North America. Researchers’ interest is partly due to the unique conditions the island presents—it’s a relatively closed system, with only the occasional animal coming across the lake during years when it completely freezes over. Since this doesn’t happen often, Isle Royale acts like a natural laboratory for a closed ecosystem, where researchers can track the large animals that they reintroduce or that occasionally cross over naturally.
Click here for the full story.
Montana Wolf Population Strong Despite Increased Harvest Limits
From Flathead Beacon:
The wolf population in Montana remains steady despite increased harvest during the 2023 hunting and trapping season, according to a July 31 report by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP).
The statewide wolf population in 2023 was estimated at 1,096 animals, just one fewer than the 2022 population estimates and slightly lower than the 10-year average of 1,140 wolves. However, biologists with FWP say they expect to see a moderate decline in wolf numbers beginning next year following further increases in harvest limits under consideration.
Click here for the full story.
New genetics model to estimate wolf numbers in Idaho, shows 13% population decline
From Boise State Public Radio:
The Idaho Department of Fish and Game is rolling out a new way to estimate the number of wolves in the state using a genetics-based statistical model.
The Department estimates there were 1,150 wolves in the state in the summer of 2023, or a 13% decline in population from the previous year.
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Don’t call it a comeback. These animals have been here for years
From Rocky Mountain PBS:
Colorado Seeks New Wolf Source After Colville Tribe Rescinds Offer to Help with Reintroduction
From Outdoor Life:
Colorado Parks and Wildlife must go back to the drawing board to find a new source of gray wolves for the second phase of the state’s voter-led reintroduction efforts. The move comes after their original source, the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation in Washington State, rescinded its offer to provide Colorado with wolves.
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Largest wolf attack in Grand County reported by CPW
From KKCO 11 News:
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) – Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is investigating a report of another wolf attack on livestock.
Wolf depredations occurred slowly and infrequently since the gray wolf reintroduction in 2023, but in July more instances occurred:
The most recent attack was reported, occurring on July 28th, when 8 sheep were killed by at least one wolf in Grand County. No claim has been submitted by a rancher or livestock producer.
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Colorado Parks and Wildlife to search for another source of gray wolves after Washington tribe rescinds offer
From KOAA News 5:
COLORADO — Colorado Parks and Wildlife has hit a snag in the roadmap to reintroduce gray wolves to Colorado.
Currently, there are a total of 10 wolves in Colorado. CPW had entered an agreement with the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation to capture and help send up to 15 wolves.
Click here for the full story.