!Annual Wolf Working Group Meeting in Chico Hot Springs April 28- 30!

Capture and Handling Course

Dr. Mark Johnson will be conducting a 3 day capture and handling course for gray wolves in Winchester, Idaho from May 19-21. We will be sending the 3 new seasonal wildlife biologists to the course. For additional information or to register please contact the Wolf Education Research Center at (208) 343-2248.

Monitoring

Females have started denning. Last week at least 3 females in the Yellowstone area were in dens. The Chief Joseph pack has denned near last year's den site in Daily Creek. The Soda Butte pack has denned in Yellowstone Park, near the Thorofare. All wolf packs in the Yellowstone, central Idaho, and NW Montana areas appear to be in the normal home ranges.

The Service has 3 seasonal field biologists on board (Doug, Colleen, and John returned) and will hire the remaining 3 biologists week. We continue to BEG, PLEAD, WHINE, and REQUEST wolf sightings in NW Montana. Call Joe Fontaine (406)449-5225 x 206. There will be a major effort to locate and radio-collar wolf packs this summer.

Control

A yearling female wolf was caught by Wildlife Services in the Ninemile Valley near where a new-born calf disappeared last week. Wolf scat containing calf hair was also found near the site. The wolf was released on site and will be monitored to see if any other depredations occur.

A young unmarked black female wolf accidentally pulled a M-44 device south of Alder, MT on about the 15th. Law enforcement was contacted and her DNA will be examined to determine her origin. This is the second wolf accidentally killed by an M-44 that was set for coyotes in that area in the past 2 years.

Research

Nothing new to report.

I & E

The Annual Wolf Working Group Meeting is scheduled for April 28- 30th at Chico Hot Springs, Emigrant, MT. Looks like a great agenda with representatives coming from throughout North America. For information, call Suzanne Laverty (208)321-0751 at the Wolf Recovery Foundation, who is coordinating the meeting.

The weekly wolf report can now be viewed at the Service's Region 6 web site at http://www.r6.fws.gov/wolf Contact: Ed Bangs (406)449-5225 or Internet-ED_BANGS@FWS.GOV