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Wyoming news reporter Cat Urbigkit lives in the heart of wolf country, near Big Piney, Wyoming, a few hundred miles south of Yellowstone National Park. As a news reporter, rancher, researcher and Wyoming resident, she has followed the wolf issue for many years and written many articles on the topic, as well as an upcoming book on the history of wolves in Wyoming.
   The goal of this website is to present up-to-date, accurate information about what is happening with wolves, focusing on wolves in the Rocky Mountains, but referring to wolf happenings outside our region when there is some local relevance. Rather than an agenda-driven advocacy site, this is the place to be for the facts about wolves, with a strong focus on what’s happening on the ground.
   We invite those living in areas inhabited by wolves to contact Cat with news tips, photographs, or other information. We also invite those who want to support this endeavor to sign on as sponsors, and for our re aders to support those sponsors.

2011 Wolf Watch Story Archive

12/29/11: Montana wolf update
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A northwestern Montana resident reportedly had a close encounter with a pack of wolves in a residential area, according to an article in TheWesternNews.com. In other wolf news, the quota has been reached for wolf harvest in Montana's northwestern hunt area, so the area has been closed. With 122 wolves taken so far in the 220-wolf statewide quota, there are still plenty of opportunities for hunters in other open hunt areas of the state..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/29/11: Wolf in Finland
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A wolf was recently spotted in a national park in Finland, reportedly following a woman walking with a child and a dog..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/29/11: Oregon freezes wolf fund
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The budget crunch has led Oregon's governor to freeze use of the state's wolf compensation fund. In other Oregon wolf news, it appears that all four of that state's wolf packs produced pups this year.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/25/11: Montana hound hunter talks about wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Flathead Beacon has an article about houndsman Terry Zink and the problems he's encountered with wolves in pursuing his sport of hunting mountain lions with hounds in Montana.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/21/11: Great Lakes wolf delisted - at last
(By U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service) Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced that gray wolf populations in the Great Lakes region have recovered and no longer require the protection of the Endangered Species Act. Wolves total more than 4,000 animals in the three core recovery states in the western Great Lakes area and have exceeded recovery goals. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is publishing a final rule in the Federal Register removing wolves in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin, and in portions of adjoining states, from the list of endangered and threatened wildlife and plants. "Once again, the Endangered Species Act has proved to be an effective tool for bringing species back from the brink of extinction," Secretary Salazar said. The rule removing ESA protection for gray wolves in the western Great Lakes becomes effective 30 days after publication in the Federal Register..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/21/11: Idaho wolf editorial
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Idaho Farm Bureau President Frank Priestley has written an editorial seeking recognition that "wolves must be managed in a manner that allows ranching, big game hunting, and other forms of commerce to exist.".... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/18/11: Wolves stalking Idaho cattle
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) One Idaho rancher has a unique view of the impact of wolves on his cattle herd - 10 of his cows, and two wolves, have been fitted with monitoring collars, and the results are showing just how close, and how often, the wolves are with the cattle, and near his house.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/18/11: Lummis statement on wolf rider defeat
(By U.S. Representative Cynthia Lummis) U.S. Representative Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) issued the following statement regarding the removal of the Lummis wolf rider language in the fiscal year 2012 Appropriations legislation that mirrored a no-sue clause passed in the Spring that delisted wolves in five other Western states: "The decision to pull the wolf language was based on politics, not policy. Radical environmentalists have the ear of many in Washington and their considerable sway in the White House is the reason for the removal of this important language. When the deal that gives Wyoming the ability to manage wolves is complete, environmental groups will resume their relentless lawsuits. Governor Mead's successful negotiations with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will ensure that wolf management in our state is returned to the most capable managers: Wyoming's on the ground experts. I will fight tooth and nail to protect Wyoming's right to manage wolves and all wildlife within our borders.".... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/16/11: Idaho updates wolf harvest data
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Sportsmen in Idaho have harvested 157 wolves in this fall's hunting season, and 5 in the recently opened trapping season..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/16/11: Wyoming delisting rider rejected
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Congress has rejected a legislative rider that would have prohibited legal challenges to a federal decision delisting wolves in Wyoming..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/14/11: Exaggerating claims for money
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Center for Biological Diversity has issued a fundraising plea because "the wolf killers are out of control." The plea uses words like "slaughter," "mowed down," and "wolf-killing frenzy" to describe legal wolf hunting seasons in western states. The solicitation also claims that "Wyoming just got the go-ahead to begin killing more than 200 wolves." But that's not actually true. The status of wolves has not changed at all in Wyoming. CBD is trying to raise $150,000 by the end of the year, which it claims will be matched "dollar-for-dollar by one of our board members.".. (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/13/11: Yellowstone wolf population up, elk are down
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The annual winter wildlife count in Yellowstone National Park is reported to reveal that while wolf numbers are up, the elk population continues to decline.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/10/11: Montana extends wolf hunting season
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Although Montana's wolf hunting season was set to end later this month, in response to a harvest level well under the established quota, state officials have extended the season to Feb. 15.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/10/11: FWS proposes new listing rule
(By U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) A new federal policy proposed Friday will help clarify which species or populations of species are eligible for protection under the Endangered Species Act and will provide for earlier and more effective opportunities to conserve declining species. The public is invited to comment on the policy, proposed by the Interior Department’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries), the two federal agencies responsible for administering the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Comments will be accepted for the next 60 days..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/8/11: Mead budgets $800K for wolf management
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wyoming Governor Matt Mead's proposed budget includes $800,000 for wolf management, including $300,000 for compensation, $300,000 for state wildlife officials to manage the animals within the state's trophy game areas, and $200,000 for control where the predators are classified as predators..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/8/11: Lone wolves in Illinois
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A large canine shot in Illinois in November is expected to be confirmed as a wolf, according to press reports. This is the latest in series of incidents in recent years in which hunters mistakenly shot what they believed were coyotes, but in fact the animals were wolves. Other single wolves have been killed by vehicles in Illinois as well..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/8/11: Alaska confirms 2010 wolf attack fatality
(By Alaska Department of Fish and Game) The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) released a report presenting findings related to the March 8, 2010, wolf attack that killed 32-year-old Candice Berner near the village of Chignik Lake on the Alaska Peninsula. The report summarizes agency response and subsequent investigation...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/6/11: Montana may extend wolf hunt
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) With only half the hoped for number of wolves harvested in the fall 2011 wolf hunt, Montana wildlife officials are considering extending the wolf hunt. Wolf quotas have been reached in the Missoula area, but most wolf hunt zones remain open. So far, 105 wolves have been killed, of the 220-wolf quota for the state..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/6/11: Washington approves wolf plan
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission voted to approve a wolf management plan for the state, in reaction to an expanding wolf population in recent years..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/2/11: Wyoming wolf update
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports as of November 28, 2011, wolves killed > 68 livestock (38 cattle and 30 sheep) in Wyoming. Two packs [Green River (15 cattle) and Dog Creek (17 sheep) and 1 wolf in the Big Horn Mountains (10 sheep) were responsible for 42 depredations (62% of the total number of depredations). Sixteen packs (50% of WY packs in 2011) were involved in > 1 depredation; 9 packs (28%) were involved in > 2 depredations; and 5 packs (16%) were involved in > 3 depredations in 2011. FWS reports that Wyoming has at least 32 breeding wolf packs, including 20 breeding pairs, outside of Yellowstone National Park. Wolf mortality in Wyoming (outside of Yellowstone National Park) totals 46 animals in 2011.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/2/11: Wolf killed in southeastern Montana
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A female wolf from a known pack of livestock-killing wolves has been killed by a hunter in Idaho's fall hunt. Press accounts note the yearling female had eluded kill orders at least three times in the past.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/2/11: Elusive ID wolf shot by hunter
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A female wolf from a known pack of livestock-killing wolves has been killed by a hunter in Idaho's fall hunt. Press accounts note the yearling female had eluded kill orders at least three times in the past.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

11/27/11: Sheriff tries to keep out wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) An Oregon sheriff is actively pursing what he hopes is a legal way to keep gray wolves out of his county, and to convince wildlife officials to remove any wolves already existing there.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

11/27/11: The art of wolf trapping
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Boise State Public Radio has a story on the art of wolf trapping in Idaho, featuring people who are now involved in this old hunting tradition that has been nearly lost.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

11/27/11: Montana & Idaho wolf hunt success update
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Idaho wildlife officials report that 138 wolves have been killed in the fall hunting season thus far, with all wolf zones open for harvest. Montana officials report that 98 wolves have been harvested in that state, with only two hunting units reaching their quotas so far... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

11/15/11: Canadian Tribe orders wolf hunt continuance
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Leaders of the Tsilhqot’in Nation have expressed concern that the local wolf population is threatening wild horse and endangered mountain caribou herds. The British Columbian government has ordered that the wolf season remain open in hopes to reduce the population.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

11/15/11: Idaho Wolf Management update
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wolf advocates appeared before a federal appeals panel to protest the wolf hunts taking place in Idaho and Montana this fall. From January 1 – October 31, 2011, Idaho USDA Wildlife Services personnel confirmed wolves killed or injured 68 cattle, 83 sheep, and 6 dogs... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

11/15/11: Idaho’s wolf trapping season
(By Idaho Fish & Game) Idaho, Fish and Game reminds hound hunters, hunters with bird dogs, and people with pets that trappers have an increased interest to be in the woods because of the wolf trapping season. The wolf trapping seasons open November 15,and run through March 31 in the Lolo zone; Selway zone; Middle Fork zone; Dworshak-Elk City zone, except Unit 10A; and the Panhandle zone, except for units 2 and 3. All other zones are closed to trapping, subject to commission review in January. Trappers must complete a required wolf trapping class before they can buy wolf trapping tags, valid only in zones with an open wolf trapping season. Licensed trappers may buy three tags per trapping season. Wolf tags cost $11.50 for resident hunters, and $31.75 for nonresidents. Trappers also may buy an additional two hunting tags per calendar year. Trapping regulations prohibit traps from the center and within 5 feet of center line of all maintained designated public trails and from the surface of all maintained designated public roads. Ground traps are prohibited within 300 feet of any designated public campground, picnic area and trailhead....(Click on the link above for the complete story.)

11/15/11: Wyoming committee backs changes to wolf plan
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wolf advocates appeared before a federal appeals panel to protest the wolf hunts taking place in Idaho and Montana this fall....(Click on the link above for the complete story.)

11/15/11: Appeals panel hears wolf hunt case
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wolf advocates appeared before a federal appeals panel to protest the wolf hunts taking place in Idaho and Montana this fall....(Click on the link above for the complete story.)

11/6/11: Montana hunters take 44 wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The fall wolf hunt in Montana has resulted in the harvest of 44 wolves so far, according to press reports. Meanwhile, state officials are considering extending the hunting season so that quotas can be filled, according to the Helena Independent Record.....(Click on the link above for the complete story.)

11/6/11: Oregon counties weigh in on wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Elected officials in eight eastern Oregon counties have joined together to file a court brief that advocates the killing of problem wolves in that state. The brief was filed in response to a court-issued stay that prohibited the killing of two wolves that have repeatedly killed livestock. In other Northwestern wolf news, Colville Indian Tribes worry that Washington state’s plan to recover wolves in that state may harm the Tribes’ ability to subsistence hunt....(Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/28/11: Thirty Wyoming wolf packs
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service reports that preliminary estimates show there are greater than 30 wolf packs in Wyoming outside of Yellowstone National Park, including more than 20 breeding pairs. The wolf population average increase from 2002 to 2010 has been approximately 17% per year outside of Yellowstone Park.....(Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/28/11: Coywolves common
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Discovery News reports that research in the eastern portion of the United States indicates that interbreeding between coyotes and wolves has resulted in coywolves in that region – specifically in the Northern Virginia region.....(Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/28/11: New Oregon wolf pack
(By Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife) A new wolf pack is using the Snake River wildlife management unit of northeast Oregon, which borders Idaho and includes the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area and Wilderness. The confirmation of the Snake River pack marks the fourth wolf pack confirmed in Oregon since the mid-2000s, when wolves began returning to the state from Idaho. The current minimum known number of wolves ODFW can account for in Oregon is 23: the Imnaha pack (four), Walla Walla pack (six), Snake River pack (five), Wenaha pack (four), northern Umatilla County wolves (two) plus two dispersers from the Imnaha pack that remain in Oregon. This count represents the minimum number of wolves that can be confirmed due to track evidence, visual observations or collar data. It is very likely that more than 23 wolves exist in Oregon.....(Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/28/11: Night herding and wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) OPB News has an article by Jessica Robinson about how the use of Peruvian sheep herders is changing the dynamics of wolf conflicts in Idaho.....(Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/28/11: Great Lakes wolf delisting update
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plans to delist gray wolves in the Great Lakes area by the end of this year.....(Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/19/11: Court rejects wolf hunt stay
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A federal court has rejected pleas from animal advocacy groups to stop the wolf hunts in Montana and Idaho.....(Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/18/11: Examining Yellowstone wolf skeletons
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A paleopathologist with the Denver Museum is examining the skeletons of wolves from Yellowstone National Park to reveal clues to their lives....(Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/18/11: Wolf hunt update
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Hunters have taken 53 wolves in Idaho and 11 wolves in Montana so far in the 2011 fall hunting season. Wolf advocates aren’t happy about the situation and are seeking an emergency injunction to stop hunts in both states.....(Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/18/11: Wolf rally, call for boycott
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wolf advocates rallied in Montana last week, calling for an economic boycott of Idaho, Wyoming and Montana because of the wolf hunts currently being held in our neighboring states. The rally was backed by international animal rights groups, and was attended by about 30 people....(Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/13/11: Woman bowhunter kills wolf with .44 mag
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) An Idaho woman who was bowhunting for elk put down her bow and used her .44 mag to take out a wolf that approached her in response to her elk bugling.....(Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/13/11: Bold Yellowstone wolf killed
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Yellowstone National Park officials report that a habituated gray wolf believed to be conditioned to human foods was killed by Yellowstone National Park staff on Saturday, October 8th. Since July, the 110-pound male wolf had approached staff and visitors at close range at least seven times and had been unsuccessfully hazed each time from the Fishing Bridge developed areas. The wolf was a member of Mollie's Pack from the Pelican Valley area, and was estimated to be between 2 and 4 years old. The decision to remove the wolf came following a history of fearless behavior in the presence of humans, repeated visitation to developed areas within the park and numerous unsuccessful hazing attempts. Each of these factors was indicative of the wolf's potential habituation to human food, which posed an increased risk to park visitors and staff.....(Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/7/11: Oregon wolf control halted
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Alaska wildlife officials will meet next month to decide what form of wolf control will occur on the Kenai Peninsula, in an effort to help local moose populations.....(Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/7/11: Alaska looks to control wolves for moose
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Alaska wildlife officials will meet next month to decide what form of wolf control will occur on the Kenai Peninsula, in an effort to help local moose populations.....(Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/7/11: Wyoming wolf information
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service routinely provides information about wolf packs, breeding pairs, livestock depredations, and wolf control in Wyoming.....(Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/4/11: FWS proposes Wyoming wolf delisting
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Research on wolves in Yellowstone National Park indicates that larger packs of wolves seem to have diminished amounts of success in hunting prey.....(Click on the link above for the complete story.)

9/30/11: Larger wolf packs less successful on hunt
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Research on wolves in Yellowstone National Park indicates that larger packs of wolves seem to have diminished amounts of success in hunting prey.....(Click on the link above for the complete story.)

9/16/11: Island farmers want wolves eliminated
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Farmers on Estonia’s Saaremaa island (in the Baltic Sea) are seeking to have all the wolves on the island killed. In the last three months, wolves have killed 70 sheep and injured dozens more on the island.....(Click on the link above for the complete story.)

9/16/11: Mexico plans wolf release
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wildlife officials in Mexico plan to release rare Mexican wolves in that country, but close enough that the animals may cross into the United States. Wildlife officials in the southwest are scrambling to address the questions raised by the issue.....(Click on the link above for the complete story.)

9/16/11: WG&F Commission approves wolf plan
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission has approved the new wolf management plan in compliance with the deal Wyoming Governor Matt Mead has made with federal officials.....(Click on the link above for the complete story.)

9/4/11: Wyoming wolf depredations continue
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports wolf kills on calves, lambs, and heifers around Wyoming. Data on wolf kills in Wyoming for 2011: 26 cattle, 30 sheep, 1 dog, and 1 horse that had to be euthanized after being chased by wolves in a pasture on private property. 25 wolves were controlled in 2011, the lowest number since 2004.....(Click on the link above for the complete story.)

9/4/11: Yukon wolf travels 1,500 miles
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A radio-collared wolf in Canada's Yukon has been documented to have traveled 1,500 miles in a four-month period....(Click on the link above for the complete story.)

9/4/11: Wolf hunt update
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Montana and Idaho are currently in the first days of their fall 2011 wolf hunting season. As of Sunday, Sept. 4, there has been one wolf harvested in Montana, and three in Idaho. Wolf advocates, are protesting the wolf hunting seasons by calling for a boycott of Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. The groups repeatedly and incorrectly claim that Wyoming is holding a wolf hunt. In reality, wolves in Wyoming are still under federal management and protection....(Click on the link above for the complete story.)

9/1/11: Special WG&F Commission wolf meeting set for Sept. 14
(By Wyoming Game & Fish Commission) TA public meeting of the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission will be held on September 14, 2011, 11:00 a.m. at the Parkway Plaza Hotel, 123 West East Street, Casper, Wyoming. As authorized by W.S. § 23-1-301-303, W.S. § 23-1-401, the Commission will discuss and may vote to take action on the Revised Gray Wolf Management Plan. The Commission will be asked to vote to approve the revised gray wolf management plan. On August 3rd, Governor Mead announced the State of Wyoming and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service had finalized points of agreement to manage for a stable population of wolves in Wyoming. The Department hosted nine public meetings around the state to present the revised plan and to collect public comments. The revised plan, results from the public information gathering meetings, and written comments will be discussed. The public will also have an opportunity to address the Commission. ...(Click on the link above for the complete story.)

8/30/11: Wolves hit horses
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports recent depredation by wolves on a cow near Togwotee Pass, injury of 6 horses south of LaBarge, and a cow and calf kill in the Upper Green. The agency reports the following livestock kills due to wolves this year in Wyoming:
20 confirmed cattle kills, 28 confirmed sheep kills, one confirmed dog kill. Nineteen wolves were controlled in response to depredations...(Click on the link above for the complete story.)

8/29/11: Court denies wolf hunt injunction
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has denied a request to enjoin wolf hunting in Idaho and Montana while the court considers an appeal by wolf advocates challenging congressional action that removed the wolves from the federal threatened and endangered species list earlier this year. Alliance for the Wild Rockies, Friends of the Clearwater, and WildEarth Guardians appealed the decision to the Ninth Circuit. The fall hunting season will begin in Idaho on August 30, and in Montana on September 3. Although it denied plaintiffs’ current motion to enjoin hunting, the Circuit Court’s order did set an expedited schedule to hear the case. All briefs and replies are due to the court by October 24, 2011...(Click on the link above for the complete story.)

8/20/11: Groups seek to halt wolf hunts
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The LA Times reports that wolf advocates have requested a California court grant an emergency injunction to halt scheduled wolf hunts in Montana and Idaho this fall... (Click on the link above for the complete story).

8/20/11: WWF backs wolf plan (sort of)
(By Wyoming Wildlife Federation press release) The Wyoming Wildlife Federation Board of Directors voted to support Governor Mead’s Wolf Plan that he has negotiated with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. A caveat to accepting the plan is that the flex area be a permanent trophy game area. According to the Wyoming and U.S. Department of Interior Wolf Management Agreement, the flex area was established to protect wolf dispersers during peak dispersal periods. WWF Field Director, Joy Bannon, says, "biologically speaking it is more sensible to make the flex line permanent to protect the connectivity between Idaho and Wyoming throughout the year rather than only to protect the wolf dispersal part of the year."... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

8/20/11: Sweden halts wolf hunt
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Caving to pressure from the European Union, Sweden cancelled its planned wolf hunt... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

8/20/11: Nineteen WY wolf packs (outside parks)
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports as of mid August, at least 19 packs are confirmed or suspected to have produced pups in 2011 in Wyoming outside of Yellowstone National Park... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

8/19/11: Wyoming wolf depredations
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports on wolf predation in Wyoming. On July 20, wolves from the Green River pack killed 1 calf on a USFS grazing allotment. On 8/3/11, wolves injured 3 calves in the same allotment. The calves had to be euthanized. Control efforts were completed on 8/10/11 when Wyoming Wildlife Services removed 2 wolves... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

8/13/11: Idaho wolf tag sales lag
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Although the wolf hunting season is slated to begin in just a few weeks, sales of wolf hunt tags are lagging behind previous seasons, with about 5,000 tags sold thus far. State officials expect that as hunters set off after elk and deer, sales will pick up. The wolf season is set to run through March.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

8/13/11: Groups appeal wolf decision (again)
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wolf advocates have filed an appeal in the federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in attempt to have protections for wolves reinstated in the western states where such protections were recently removed. The groups contest an earlier court decision allowing a Congressional rider exempting the wolf delisting to be exempt from legal challenge... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

8/13/11: New wolf plan out for comment
(By Wyoming Game and Fish Department) Public meeting on revised Gray Wolf Management Plan The Wyoming Game & Fish is hosting eight public meetings around the state to present the revised plan and to collect public comments. The meeting in Pinedale will be at the Pinedale Sublette County Library on August 23rd from 7-9 pm... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

8/5/11: Judge upholds Congressional wolf rider
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy of Montana upheld the Congressional rider prohibiting a legal challenge to the removal of federal protections for wolves in Idaho, Montana and other parts of the west... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

8/5/11: Five wolves killed near Elk City, Idaho
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) An effort to keep wolves from having close encounters with the residents of Elk CIty Idaho has resulted in the killing of five wolves near the town, reports the Idaho Standard-Examiner.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

8/5/11: Idaho sets wolf hunting seasons
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Idaho Fish and Game Commission has set wolf hunting and trapping seasons based on Idaho Fish and Game proposals and public input. The primary objective is to use hunting and trapping as a means to reduce the statewide wolf population to a level that is sustainable, meets federal recovery goals, and reduces conflicts statewide. Idaho's Clearwater Basin will have a 10-month wolf hunting season.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

8/5/11: Wyoming, feds make wolf deal
(By Wyoming Governor Matt Mead press release) Governor Matt Mead and representatives from the US Fish and Wildlife Service have finalized the elements of a proposed plan that will ensure a stable and sustainable population of wolves in Wyoming. This plan is the culmination of many years of work between Wyoming stakeholders and federal officials... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

7/31/11: No–sue clause on Wyoming wolf deal survives
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The U.S. House of Representatives voted 250 to 174 to keep a rider in the 2012 Interior appropriations bill that would exempt any Wyoming wolf delisting deal from legal challenge. .. (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

7/31/11: Washington has five wolf packs
(By Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife) Washington’s fifth gray wolf pack has been confirmed in northeast Stevens County. Earlier this month, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) biologists caught, marked with an ear tag and released a 2-month-old wolf pup from the pack. Biologists have since been trying to capture one of the pack’s breeding adult wolves to radio-collar it for monitoring."Wolves are re-establishing here on their own," said Nate Pamplin, who heads WDFW’s Wildlife Program. "The confirmation of additional breeding wolf packs moves us closer to achieving a sustainable population, and also highlights the need to finalize a state wolf plan that sets recovery targets and management tools to address livestock and ungulate conflicts."... (Click on the link above for the complete story).

7/31/11: Wolves killing sheep in France
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) An expanding population of fully protected gray wolves in France is growing increasingly bold, and farmers have little legal recourse. The situation became dire enough, with more than 70 sheep dead, that government authorities have issued a rare wolf-hunting license.... (Click on the link above for the complete story)

7/25/11: Congressional rider challenged
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The congressional rider removing wolves from Endangered Species Act protection in Montana and Idaho will be heard by federal court judge Don Molloy this week... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

7/25/11: Two wolves killed in Wyoming
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports that so far this year, 10 head of cattle, one sheep, and one dog were confirmed as killed by wolves. In response to these depredations, seven wolves were killed..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

7/19/11: Wyoming wolf deal faces hurdles
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Jeremy Pelzer with the Casper Star-Tribune has written an article about hurdles to a final deal between state and federal officials over wolf delisting in Wyoming..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

7/19/11: Montana sets 220-wolf quota
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Montana wildlife officials have set a statewide quota of 220 wolves for the upcoming wolf hunt. As state officials deliberated in an open public meeting, they learned that Yellowstone National Park officials have been dumping animal carcasses just inside the park’s northern boundary, serving as a predator attractant to the Mammoth region.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

7/19/11: Washington has four wolf packs
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) State officials have confirmed that at least four packs of wolves are roaming in Washington state..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

7/12/11: Idaho wolf hunt without quotas
(By Idaho Fish and Game press release) Wisconsin’s Fort McCoy military post is experiencing a boom in the wolf population .... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

7/12/11: Wolf boom at military post
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wisconsin’s Fort McCoy military post is experiencing a boom in the wolf population..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

7/12/11: Lummis tweaks Interior & Environment bills
(By U.S. Representative Cynthia Lummis press release) TOn July 6, U.S. Representative Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) announced the inclusion of key language into the 2012 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill which will amount to important victories for Wyoming. Lummis, a member of the House Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, successfully included provisions that will immediately transfer the control of wolves to the State of Wyoming once the Department of the Interior (DOI) and Wyoming officials reach a successful conclusion in the ongoing wolf delisting negotiations. Importantly, the language will protect any agreement reached between the State of Wyoming and the DOI from judicial review. In addition, the legislation zeroes out funding for new listings for endangered species and critical habitat designations and includes an Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA) tracking and reporting requirement.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

7/12/11: Wyoming wolf deal
(By Wyoming Governor's office press release) Governor Matt Mead met with Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, and the Director of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Dan Ashe, in Cheyenne. The Governor discussed wolf management with the two federal officials. Afterward Governor Mead said the meeting was a move towards a solution that works for Wyoming. Since taking office, Governor Mead has actively worked on a plan to return management of wolves to Wyoming and remove the species from the Endangered Species List. Any accepted plan would need approval of the State Legislature. Governor Mead firmly advocates that any deal also must have Congressional consent as well. "I feel we are much closer to an agreement than we have been since I took office," Governor Mead said. Secretary Salazar said that because of the great leadership of Governor Mead and his staff that Wyoming will soon have a plan he will approve.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

7/12/11: Lummis offers wolf clause
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) U.S. Representative Cynthia Lummis has offered a rider to a spending bill that would protect Wyoming’s eventual wolf delisting bill from legal challenges. Lummis (R-Wyo.) announced the inclusion of key language into the 2012 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill which will immediately transfer the control of wolves to the State of Wyoming once the Department of the Interior (DOI) and Wyoming officials reach a successful conclusion in the ongoing wolf delisting negotiations. Importantly, the language will protect any agreement reached between the State of Wyoming and the DOI from judicial review. In total, the bill includes $27.5 billion in spending – a reduction of $2.1 billion below last year’s level and $3.8 billion below the President’s budget request. Overall, this funding level is $106 million below fiscal year 2009 spending levels.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

7/12/11: Two wolf subspecies for Wisconsin?
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources isn’t buying the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s claim that the state harbors two distinct wolf populations – a glitch that may hamper delisting efforts in that region..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/28/11: Idaho wolf kill doesn't pan out
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The program to reduce wolf numbers in Idaho's Lolo elk hunting area hasn't panned out as state wildlife officials had hoped..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/28/11: Second Montana wolf killed
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A second wolf has been killed in the same area of Montana where a horse was killed a few weeks ago.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/28/11: FWS back to Wyoming negotiating table
(By U.S. Senator John Barrasso press release) U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) announced that Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service official Daniel Ashe will soon travel to Wyoming. The Interior Department leaders will meet with Governor Matt Mead and other Wyoming officials within the next thirty days regarding ongoing wolf delisting negotiations..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/21/11: Wolf conflicts in Pacific Northwest
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The most recent hotspot for the battle over wolf recovery is in the Pacific Northwest.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/21/11: UP wolf depredation program cut
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Budget cuts will soon result in the end of wolf depredation control work by federal officials in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/21/11: Living with Mexican wolves and liberal media
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Catron County, New Mexico county commissioner Glyn Griffin has authored an opinion piece about living with Mexican wolves. The editorial was printed not long after the state wildlife commission voted to stop assisting federal officials in wolf restoration in the Southwest.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/21/11: Barrasso blocks vote over wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyoming) is blocking a congressional vote on the nominee for director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service because FWS has stalled on negotiations with Wyoming Governor Matt Mead’s administration over wolf management in the state...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/8/11: Mapping future wolf conflict areas
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wisconsin wildlife officials are mapping previous wolf/human conflict locations for use as a tool in predicting where conflicts may occur in the future...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/8/11: Oregon sends text messages of wolf locations
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Oregon wildlife officials have been sending text messages to local ranchers in areas inhabited by wolves in order to notify the livestock producers of the presence of the predator. It’s part of a concerted effort to keep producers informed...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/8/11: Wisconsin’s elk face uphill battle
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel’s outdoor editor, Paul Smith, has written an interesting piece about the state’s elk population in light of the state’s growing wolf population. Wolves are the leading cause of mortality on elk in Wisconsin, according to Smith..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/8/11: Big Game Forever wants in wolf lawsuit
(By Big Game Forever press release) Big Game Forever (BGF) announced it has filed a motion in federal court to defend the recent Congressional Action to remove wolves from the Endangered Species List. The joint motion filed by attorneys for Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Mule Deer Foundation, Wild Sheep Foundation, Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife (SFW), Montana SFW, Idaho SFW, Arizona SFW and Big Game Forever is in response to challenges to the constitutionality of the recent congressional action to allow for wolf management in Idaho and Montana. With recovery of wolf populations, procedural impediments have been consistently applied in an attempt to prevent state management of wolves. "It is time for state wildlife agencies to be able to manage wolves, along with other species, in balance and with responsibility," explains Roger Blackner of Idaho SFW. "Montanans strongly feel that a return to common sense conservation is the best way to protect the future of all wildlife species," indicates Bill Merrill of Montana SFW.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/8/11: Elk Foundation in wolf lawsuit
(By Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation press release) Animal rights groups are challenging in federal court the constitutionality of Congress’ recent delisting of wolves in parts of the West. Judge Donald Molloy in Missoula, Mont., will consider the challenge, and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation has filed a motion to intervene in support of the delisting. RMEF is arguing that individual states, not the federal government, are best qualified to manage recovered species. "This latest in a long line of frivolous lawsuits over wolves could delay science-based wolf management again in 2011 and cause further conservation problems into the future. Elk, deer and moose herds in some areas are in serious trouble right now,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. Research shows elk calf survival rates in some areas of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming are now too low to sustain herds for the future. At the same time, Allen added, wolf populations across the northern Rockies are likely higher than commonly reported estimates. "Animal rights groups and some media are still using the 2008 wolf population estimate of 1,700 for the northern Rockies as if no population growth is occurring. But wolves reproduce by as much as 25 percent each year. Simple math shows it’s possible there could be more than 3,000 wolves in the northern Rockies by the end of 2011–almost double the number we usually see in the news," Allen said...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/8/11: Washington wants 15 wolf packs
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Seattle Times reports that Washington state’s wolf plan calls for 15 wolf packs..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/6/11: Livestock risks from wolves assessed
(By University of Wisconsin) Wherever humans and big predators — wolves, bears, lions — coexist, there are usually conflicts. Large carnivores damage crops, they kill livestock and pets, and they threaten people’s safety says University of Wisconsin-Madison professor Adrian Treves. Even as Wisconsin’s wolf population grows, intensifying the potential for conflicts with people, Treves’ research is revealing that one of the most visible types of conflict — attacks on livestock — is highly localized and may be predictable. Research on the topic has now yielded a risk map of wolf attacks on livestock in Wisconsin, which identifies areas of high and low risk throughout the state..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/6/11: Wolves switch to beef
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A Canadian research project focused on how wolf diets changed seasonally when livestock are on the landscape.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/6/11: Co-existing in the West
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Christian Science Monitor reporter Todd Wilkinson has an article in the current online issue, with much of the article based on an interview with Jon and Debbie Robinett of Dubois..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/20/11: Mitigating carnivore conflicts
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A new paper in the journal Oryx discusses mitigating carnivore-livestock conflicts in Europe, with special focus on wolf depredation. Conflicts with human interests have reappeared following recovery of large carnivores in Europe. Damage, mitigation measures and public opinion were assessed using compensation records, analysis of farm conditions, questionnaire surveys, semi-structured interviews, diet analysis and on-farm trials of livestock-guarding dogs. Grey wolves Canis lupus were held responsible for four to six times more damage than brown bears. Appropriate use of livestock-guarding dogs was associated with fewer losses: Researchers concluded that identifying vulnerable farms and targeting them for mitigation could reduce damage, although lack of motivation and awareness are obstacles...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/20/11: Idaho authorizes deputies to kill wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wolves that are suspected to be the culprits involved in conflicts with livestock and dogs will soon be under the gun from Idaho County, Idaho deputies. The Idaho Fish and Game Department has authorized deputies to kill a pack of seven wolves..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/20/11: Idaho wolf management framework
(By Idaho Fish and Game press release) On May 19th, the Idaho Fish and Game Commission directed the Fish and Game Department to manage wolves in a manner that will ensure wolves remain under responsible state management in conjunction with the rest of Idaho's wildlife. Wolves will be managed as big game animals, and will be controlled where they depredate on livestock and other domestic animals or threaten human safety. The state will develop a wolf hunting season and trapping recommendations..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/18/11: Wyoming works on wolf deal
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Governor Matt Mead hopes to hammer out a deal for wolf delisting in Wyoming by summer.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/18/11: Wolves remain protected in Washington state
(By Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife) Although wolves have been removed from federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) protection in the eastern third of Washington state, they remain protected as a state endangered species throughout Washington. Under Congressional direction that prevents any judicial review, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has removed the northern Rocky Mountain population of gray wolves from federal endangered status. The action affects wolves in Montana, Idaho, the eastern third of Oregon and Washington and a small area of north central Utah. Wolves are still state-listed as endangered in Washington because their numbers are low and they do not inhabit most of their historic range, according to Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) biologists. The state population is estimated at two dozen wolves, with only a couple of successful breeding pairs or packs with pups documented to date. Wolves remain federally listed as an endangered species in the western two-thirds of the state..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/18/11: Wolves take toll on deer
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wildlife researchers in Minnesota are learning about the impact gray wolves are having on white-tailed deer populations. The study got off to a bad start when wolves killed six of the 16 deer fitted with GPS collars.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/18/11: Five wolves killed in Idaho
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wildlife officials killed five wolves in north-central Idaho last week in attempt to protect elk herds. The aerial gunning program was soon halted, however, because it was determined to be inefficient and expensive because the wolves are staying in thick timber... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/10/11: Idaho wolf tags on sale
(By Idaho Fish & Game press release) Idaho Fish and Game has started selling wolf tags. Cost is $11.50 for resident hunters and $186 for nonresidents, vendor fees included. Tags are available at license vendors and Fish and Game offices. A valid 2011 Idaho hunting license is required to buy a tag. On May 5th, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published the rule that removed wolves in Idaho from the endangered species list. The rule took effect upon publishing. Gray wolves are now under state management and considered a big game animal. The Idaho Fish and Game Commission will set seasons, rules and limits later in the summer.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/10/11: North Dakota caught in lobo limbo
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wolves in North Dakota fall between wolf populations in the Northern Rockies and Great Lakes, both of which were subject to delisting.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/7/11: Montana proposes 220-wolf quota
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Center for Biological Diversity today (May 5) filed a challenge in federal district court in Missoula, Montana, arguing that a congressional rider requiring removal of Endangered Species Act protections for wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains is unlawful because it violated the separation of powers in the U.S. Constitution. The rider was attached to last month’s must-pass federal budget bill by Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) and marked the first time an animal or plant has been removed from the endangered species list by Congress.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/7/11: Lawsuit Challenges Constitutionality of Anti-wolf Rider
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials are proposing a wolf hunting season with a quota of 220 wolves statewide. ... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/7/11: Delisting official
(By U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service press release) The Department of the Interior’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced May 4, 2011 that it is proposing to delist biologically recovered gray wolf populations in the Western Great Lakes, and – in accordance with recently enacted legislation – reinstating the Service’s 2009 decision to delist biologically recovered gray wolf populations in the Northern Rocky Mountains.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/7/11: Wyoming continues to work toward delisting
(By Wyoming Governor's office press release) Governor Matt Mead said he was pleased with the announcement that wolves would come off of the Endangered Species List in several other Western states and looks forward to the time when Wyoming has control over wolves in this state..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/3/11: Idaho prepares for wolf management
(By Idaho Fish & Game) Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter recently directed Idaho Fish and Game to prepare to resume wolf management. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is expected to publish a delisting rule soon, as directed by Congress. Idaho Fish and Game is getting ready to assume management when the rule is released. Already biologists are updating wolf population and distribution estimates provided by U.S. Fish and Wildlife and the Nez Perce Tribe. That information shows an estimated minimum of 705 wolves in Idaho at the end of 2010 in about 87 packs, at least 46 of which were documented as breeding pairs..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/3/11: Gone wolf crazy
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) High Country News has an interesting editorial from Jess Tigner of Alberta, Canada in response to all the teeth-gnashing over wolves in the United States..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/3/11: Idaho governor signs wolf emergency bill
(By Idaho Governor’s Office) Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter signed a bill declaring the federal government's introduction of wolves to Idaho a State disaster, despite last week's congressional action to take wolves off the endangered species list and concerns about undermining his own statutory authority to declare such disasters...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/3/11: Eastern Wyoming wolves chase pronghorn
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A report of a dog chasing pronghorn antelope near a Campbell County coal mine eventually resulted in the revelation that it was actually a radio-collared wolf..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/3/11: Rancher injured hazing wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) An 18-year old Montana rancher was injured while hazing wolves away from his cattle.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/20/11: FWS proposes Great Lakes wolf delisting
(By U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service press release) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a proposal to remove gray wolves in the Western Great Lakes area – which includes Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin – from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife because wolves have recovered in this area and no longer require the protection of the Endangered Species Act..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/20/11: Obama signs budget bill, sets stage to delist wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Associates Press reported that President Barack Obama formally signed the budget bill Friday, and that the bill included a provision that will result in the loss of federal protection for gray wolves in five western states. In as soon as 60 days, state managers will be responsible for wolves in Montana, Idaho, Utah, Washington and Oregon. Wolves will remain under federal jurisdiction in Wyoming for now.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/20/11: Wolf defenders in hysterics
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Ed Bangs, who headed the wolf reintroduction environmental impact statement process and has been the leader for wolf recovery in the Northern Rockies since then, is set to retire.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/20/11: Ed Bangs to retire
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Ed Bangs, who headed the wolf reintroduction environmental impact statement process and has been the leader for wolf recovery in the Northern Rockies since then, is set to retire.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/20/11: Wisconsin wolf population hits 800
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel reports that Wisconsin’s wolf population now numbers about 800. Wolf depredations are up as well. Includes a great map of wolf pack territories.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/17/11: Congressional wolf delisting pondered
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The final Congressional budget bill pending before Congress includes provisions that would delist wolves in Montana and Idaho by reinstating a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rule from 2009, and would allow Wyoming to continue to work with FWS on delisting in Wyoming, allowing a Wyoming federal court judge’s order to stand..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/17/11: Mead administration works on wolf deal
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wyoming Governor Matt Mead’s administration has been having a series of meetings with stakeholders in western Wyoming to discuss a possible compromise with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that could result in state management of wolves..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/12/11: Wyoming wolf update
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports that in March 2011, wolves in Wyoming killed one calf on private property. Two wolves were removed. "On 3/22/11, a horse broke its leg and had to be euthanized after being chased by wolves in a pasture on private property. A Shoot-on-Sight permit was issued to the owner. During the next 2 evenings, the wolves returned to the ranch and continued to chase horses. One wolf was killed in the horse pasture on 3/25/11.".... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/12/11: Wolf advocates scrambling
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Associated Press reports that wolf advocates are scrambling in their efforts to ensure that wolves remain protected under the Endangered Species Act.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/12/11: Grand Teton wolves feasting
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Members of the Idaho Legislature approved passage of an emergency wolf bill. House Bill 343 states, “The Idaho legislature finds and declares that the state's citizens, businesses, hunting, tourism and agricultural industries, private property and wildlife, are immediately and continuously threatened and harmed by the sustained presence and growing population of Canadian gray wolves in the state of Idaho.”..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/12/11: Idaho lawmakers pass emergency wolf bill
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Members of the Idaho Legislature approved passage of an emergency wolf bill. House Bill 343 states, “The Idaho legislature finds and declares that the state's citizens, businesses, hunting, tourism and agricultural industries, private property and wildlife, are immediately and continuously threatened and harmed by the sustained presence and growing population of Canadian gray wolves in the state of Idaho.”..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/12/11: Molloy rejects wolf deal
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A federal judge in Montana has ruled that his court cannot approve the wolf delisting settlement agreement that environmental groups had proposed..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/31/11: Female wolves wanted
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wolves in Isle Royale National Park may go extinct because there aren’t enough females to continue the population, which also has inbreeding problems...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/31/11: Enviros lose lawsuit over RMNP wolf release
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wild Earth Guardians lost its lawsuit that sought to have wolves released into Rocky Mountain National Park. Instead of using wolves to control the elk population, federal managers decided to use sharpshooters...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/31/11: Feds recommend killing wolves to help elk
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has released an environmental assessment on a proposal by Montana officials to cull a local wolf population to help an ailing elk population. A similar proposal from Idaho officials is also under consideration, with the public comment period recently closing..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/31/11: Swedish wolf hunt update
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Licensed wolf hunting is necessary in order to gain public support for wolf recovery in Sweden, according to wildlife officials in that country.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/31/11: Judge hears wolf settlement
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Last week, a federal judge in Montana held oral arguments about whether wolves in the northern Rockies still qualify as non-essential, experimental, and also heard details of a proposed settlement agreement over wolf delisting..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/31/11: Ten wolves killed on Alaska base
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Ten wolves have been killed on Alaska’s Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in order to reduce the number of wolves considered dangerous to humans and pets, according to wildlife officials in that state..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/31/11: Canadian wolves eating cattle
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wolves are eating more cattle in Alberta, Canada than previously known. Wild ungulates are the primary prey for wolves in North America, but livestock predation is a concern in areas where wolves and livestock overlap. Using clusters of global positioning system telemetry relocations and scat analysis, researchers investigated wolf diets year-round in southwestern Alberta, where seasonal cattle grazing is the predominant land use and wolf–cattle conflicts have increased in recent years. Researchers recommend the sanitary disposal of dead livestock to prevent wolves from becoming accustomed to feeding on livestock, and the development of management plans aimed at reducing predation on cattle.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/19/11: Mead skeptical about wolf deal
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and ten of the 14 plaintiffs in a lawsuit over wolf management announced a proposed settlement Friday, March 18, 2011. Their suit is in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and involves the decision made by U.S District Judge Donald Molloy of Montana. On Saturday, Wyoming Governor Matt Mead said, "I am extremely skeptical about the chances that this proposal will lead to an acceptable solution for Wyoming. I will continue a dialogue with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service because I think it is urgent that wolf management is put in Wyoming’s hands. I am not holding my breath that this announcement gets us closer to that goal."..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/18/11: Earthjustice steps out of wolf lawsuit
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The environmental law firm handling the federal wolf lawsuit in Montana has stepped aside because of disagreements among the groups waging the war to keep wolves federally protected..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/18/11: Wolf delisting settlement agreement reached
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Associated Press reports that environmental groups and the federal government have reached a settlement agreement that will allow wolves to be delisted in Montana and Idaho, but keep federal protection for wolves in the remainder of the West. A scientific panel would be created to review wolf recovery goals for a six-state region (Wyoming, Utah, Oregon, Washington, Montana and Idaho).... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/16/11: Feds drop appeal of WY wolf ruling
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports that the Wyoming wolf population (outside Yellowstone National park) increased in 2010 approximately 10 percent from >224 wolves in 2009 to >246 wolves in 2010. Average increase from 2002-2010 has been approximately 17 percent per year..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/16/11: Wyoming wolf population up
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports that the Wyoming wolf population (outside Yellowstone National park) increased in 2010 approximately 10 percent from >224 wolves in 2009 to >246 wolves in 2010. Average increase from 2002-2010 has been approximately 17 percent per year..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/16/11: North Dakota wolf kill
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wildlife officials have confirmed that an animal shot near Hillsboro, North Dakota was a gray wolf..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/16/11: Return of wolves in China
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Pastoralists using the northern grasslands in China’s Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region are trying to get used to the return of wolves to the region. Wolves are killing livestock, but cannot be killed by herders because they are a protected species.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/9/11: Largest wolf pack ever spotted in Wisconsin
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) WAOW.com, the news station for North Central Wisconsin has posted a video of 13 wolves, reported to be the largest pack ever spotted in that state..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/9/11: California man threatens to kill senator over wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The San Francisco Chronicle reports this morning that a man has been charged in federal court with threatening to kill a United States Senator if she didn’t oppose legislation ending federal protection for gray wolves..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/9/11: FWS decides no wolf kill for caribou
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Alaska Public Radio reports that the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has decided not to conduct a wolf kill to benefit the ailing caribou herd on Unimak Island..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/8/11: What are Grand Teton wolves eating?
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service reports that during January and February 2011, 2 field crews from the USFWS and Grand Teton collected 26 carcasses of ungulates killed by wolves in the north end of Grand Teton National Park and the surrounding national forest. Prey species included Elk (14=54%), Moose (10=38%) and Deer (2=8%).... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/8/11: Arguing wolf impacts on elk
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Seems that both sides of the wolf-impact-on-elk issue have a study to back up their argument. Wolves have caused severe declines in some western elk populations, while having little impact on others. An article in the Wildlife Society Bulletin, entitled "Generalizing wolf effects across the Greater Yellowstone Area: a cautionary note" is a good read, and provides a few examples of the varied effect wolves can have on local elk herds. The paper noted, "These results suggest that the effects of wolf predation on elk populations differ substantially over relatively small spatial scales, depending on a complex suite of interacting factors.".... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/2/11: Judge ponders 10(j) wolf question
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Federal Judge Donald Molloy issued an "Order to Show Cause" to parties involved in wolf litigation over the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 10(j) non-essential experimental rules, ordering all parties to file briefs ""showing cause why this case should not be dismissed as moot due to the absence of a population meeting the statutory requirements for 10(j) status." Last week the court was busy with the filing of those briefs .... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/2/11: Earthjustice scolds MT governor
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Environmental attorneys representing environmental and animal rights groups sent a letter to Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer last week, taking him to task for his recent statements regarding wolf management. Schweitzer has suggested that Montana would no longer cooperate with federal officials in terms of wolf management. Earthjustice finds his statements "troubling" and noted they may "incite Montanans to violate the Endangered Species Act.".... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/20/11: Armenia plans wolf bounty program
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The government of Armenia has put plans in place for a bounty on wolves. The wolf hunting season runs from August through February, and both shooting and trapping are allowed. The bounty will be $275 per wolf.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/20/11: House rejects Lummis wolf provision
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The U.S. House of Representatives has rejected Representative Cynthia Lummis's proposal for wolf delisting.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/17/11: Montana gov asserts wolf authority
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer sent a letter to U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar asserting that Montana would no longer cooperate with federal officials in terms of wolf management. He said, "While almost everyone acknowledges that the Northern Rocky Mountain gray wolf population is fully recovered, as the Governor of Montana I am profoundly frustrated by the lack of any actual results that recognize Montana’s rights and responsibilities to manage its wildlife. Montana has for years done everything that has been asked: adopting a model wolf management plan; enacting enabling legislation; and adopting the necessary implementing rules. Our exemplary efforts have been ignored. I cannot continue to ignore the crying need for workable wolf management while Montana waits, and waits, and waits. Therefore, I am now going to take additional necessary steps to protect the interests of Montana’s livestock producers and hunters to the extent that I can within my authorities as governor. “.. (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/17/11: New wolf lawsuit seeks status review
(By Pacific Legal Foundation) TOn Thursday, Feb. 17th, attorneys with Pacific Legal Foundation filed a federal lawsuit to force the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to conduct the legally mandated five-year status review of the gray wolf, to determine whether the species continues to warrant listing as "endangered." Donor-supported PLF is the leading legal watchdog that litigates, pro bono, for limited government, property rights, and a balanced approach to environmental regulations. In this lawsuit, PLF attorneys represent the Washington Cattlemen’s Association.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/16/11: Wisconsin wolf woes
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Duluth News Tribune reports that conflicts between wolves and livestock and dogs are on the increase.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/16/11: Wyoming left behind on wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Some of the proposals before Congress that seek wolf delisting exclude wolves in Wyoming. For example, Idaho Representative Mike Simpson's proposal would reinstate the delisting rule from 2009, but only Montana and Idaho were included in that rule. ... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/16/11: Idaho wolf reduction considered
(By U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced the availability of a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) of Idaho Department of Fish and Game’s request to manage gray wolves in the Lolo Elk Management Zone in north central Idaho in response to impacts of wolf predation on elk. ... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/16/11: Dealing with bold wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) An Alaskan writer has an interesting column about bold wolves that are roaming a military base in Alaska. While wolf aggression to humans is rare, locals say these wolves are different. Wildlife managers agree, and the wolves are now being targeted for removal.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/5/11: Lummis sponsors wolf delisting bill
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) U.S. Representative Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), along with a bipartisan group of House colleagues have joined together to introduce legislation that removes protections the gray wolf receives under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). "The ESA should be based on sound science, not a political agenda; but it is clear that Washington has caved to environmentalists determined to prevent the gray wolf’s delisting. It’s been eight years since wolves in Wyoming have met the federal government’s recovery goals, yet Washington has yet to hold up its end of the deal. Meanwhile, wolf populations are thriving in the West while ranchers and big game herds suffer. We need a balanced and reasonable approach to wolf management that is carried out by the proper officials: Wyoming’s on the ground experts. As long as wolves continue to hurt Wyoming’s livestock owners and attack large game herds, I will continue to fight for this predator’s delisting.".... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/5/11: Court reconsiders wolf status – is 10j rule valid?
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) U.S. District Court Judge Donald Molloy has issued a "motion to show cause" to parties involved in the wolf delisting lawsuit in his court, giving parties until Feb. 22 to brief him on a legal question he is pondering. The plaintiffs’ claims in this case presupposes the existence of a population meeting the requirements of section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act. “If there is no such population due to the genetic and geographical connectivity cited by the United States of America in Defenders of Wildlife v. Salazar, CV-09-77-M-DWM, the court’s resolution of the issues raised in the plaintiffs’ complaint would be nothing more than an advisory opinion. If the population at issue does not meet the statutory requirements for 10(j) status, there would be serious questions about whether this case presents a live controversy. Therefore, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that each party shall file a brief showing cause why this case should not be dismissed as moot due to the absence of a population meeting the statutory requirements for 10(j) status.”
.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/5/11: Wolves living in eastern Oregon
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) State wildlife officials have confirmed wolves are now living in northeastern Oregon. It appears there are at least three wolves in the Walla Walla River/Mill Creek region.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/5/11: CBD: Tell senators to back off
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Center for Biological Diversity sent out an email this week suggesting that readers "Tell your senators to back off anti-wolf legislation." The email states: "Under the mistaken belief that wolves have recovered and can be turned over to state management, some in Congress are vocally supporting legislation to remove protections for wolves under the Endangered Species Act... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/31/11: EU tries to stop wolf hunt in Sweden
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The first few bills promoting Congressional delisting of gray wolves have now been filed in Congress.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/31/11: Wolf delisting bills filed
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The first few bills promoting Congressional delisting of gray wolves have now been filed in Congress.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/31/11: WWP lawsuit dismissed
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Idaho federal judge Lynn Winmill issued an order declaring that the Western Watersheds Project and Wolf Recovery Foundation lack standing to sue USDA Wildlife Services over the agency’s killing of wolves in Idaho without conducting analysis under federal law..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/19/11: Wolves to control wild boars?
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Japanese farmers hope to use wolves imported from Russia to guard their crops from deer and wild boars. Wolves brought in from Russia could help to control the deer population that gets into rice fields, and to keep wild boars from digging up "shiitake" mushrooms.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/19/11: Oregon wolves: what to call them?
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Oregon Live.com has an interesting editorial pondering whether to call Oregon’s wolves gray wolves or Canadian gray wolves..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/19/11: Alaska wolf killed for safety reasons
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) An Alaska Fish and Game employee killed a wolf on the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson as a safety precaution. The wolves have been behaving aggressively on the base and in the Eagle River area, killing dogs and threatening humans.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/19/11: Feds appeal Johnson’s wolf ruling
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Justice Department has notified federal court officials that the Obama Administration will appeal federal judge Alan Johnson’s wolf decision to the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver. In November 2010, Johnson ruled that the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service must take another look at Wyoming’s wolf management plan and reassess its decision not to delist wolves in Wyoming. Johnson ruled FWS was arbitrary and capricious in requiring that wolves in all of Wyoming be included in a trophy game classification rather than just "a portion of northwestern Wyoming.".... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/19/11: Dead wolf found in central Wyoming
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A wolf was found dead by a ranch hand in central Wyoming. The wolf was found dead about 45 miles southeast of Casper..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/14/11: Oregon wolf pack grows
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A northeastern Oregon wolf pack is larger than earlier believed. State officials now report the pack has 16 wolves..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/14/11: Swedish wolf activists threaten hunt
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Swedish wolf activists are threatening to sabotage that country's wolf hunt, which is set to begin this weekend. Nearly 7,000 hunters are signed up to go after the 20-wolf quota.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/13/11: Wyoming has at least 350 wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service estimates there was an approximate 9% increase in the total number of wolves in Wyoming in 2010. Outside of Yellowstone National Park, they counted more than 247 wolves in more than 34 packs, including more than 19 breeding packs. Yellowstone Park had 11 packs with 101 wolves, in at least 8 breeding packs. FWS will have their official year-end population estimates for Wyoming when they publish their 2010 Annual Report. ... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/13/11: Wolf killed by poison
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A wolf found dead in Colorado in 2009 was killed by 1080 poison, according to a recently released report. The wolf, which had originated in a Montana wolf pack, had traveled through several states before being discovered dead in Colorado..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/6/11: Congressional wolf delisting dead, for now
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Congressional action to delist wolves appears to be dead, for now.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/6/11: Group tries to force national wolf recovery
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Center for Biological Diversity filed its notice of intent to file a lawsuit seeking to have the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service protect wolves across the United States.The CBD is asking for donations for their efforts..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/5/11: Wolf weight depends on last meal
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Fairbanks Daily News Miner has a very interesting article about the largest wolves ever weighed in Alaska history, and reflected on the weight variation between wolves that had recently gorged on food, and those that had been several days from their last meals.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/5/11: Wolf hunting is viable management tool
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The current issue of a magazine published by the International Wolf Center includes several articles about wolf hunting and its role in wolf management.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/5/11: Living with wolves with no right of protection
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Oregon Catalyst.com includes an editorial by Karla Kay Edwards about the frustrating scenario faced by northwestern livestock producers under the current wolf management regime. It’s called "Living with wolves and no right of protection."... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/5/11: Saudi housewife stabs wolf to death
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Arab News reports that a Saudi housewife stabbed a wolf to death in order to save her husband.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

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