Idaho Wolf Update October 2001

Dec. 17, 2001

[Oct. 18,2001]. This report is produced by the Central Idaho Gray Wolf Recovery Project; a cooperative effort between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Nez Perce Tribe, Wildlife Services, and many other federal, state, county, and private partners. This report provides the latest information on gray wolf recovery in Idaho and attempts to keep interested and affected publics informed on current activities of wolves and the Wolf Recovery Project across the state. For more information about wolves or the Wolf Recovery Project, please contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at (208) 378-5243; the Nez Perce Tribe by phone at (208) 634-1061, or Wildlife Services at (208) 378-5077.

MONITORING

The project concluded another busy field season at the end of September. Tribal field crews were out on the ground again this year documenting reproductive success of documented packs and newly suspected mated pairs. Reproductive status was determined for the 14 existing collared packs and 6 suspected wolf pairs. Field crews also spent time attempting to document the presence of suspected uncollared groups of wolves across the state.

To date 17 wolf packs and pairs are confirmed to have denned and produced pups. Twelve of the 13 established, documented packs produced litters: Big Hole, Chamberlain Basin, Jureano Mountain, Landmark, Marble Mountain, Moyer Basin, Orphan, Selway, Thunder Mountain, Whitehawk Mountain, Wildhorse, and Wolf Fang. The reproductive status of the Kelly Creek pack was not ascertained.

In addition 4 of 6 suspected wolf pairs; Gold Fork (B117M), Gospel Hump (B50F), Scott Mountain (B78F and B115M), and Twin Peaks (B59M), produced pups, forming first year packs. In addition, the Idaho Wolf Recovery Project documented 2 new packs established by Idaho wolves in the northwestern Montana recovery area (Fish Creek and Lupine Creek packs).

MONITORING - North of the Salmon River:
 
Panhandle, Clearwater, and Lolo National Forests-

Marble Mountain. Three pups were seen this summer, though more are likely based upon howling surveys. This pack was last located in the North Fork of the Clearwater River drainage, somewhat south of their typical home range area.
  
Kelly Creek. B42 was last located in the Cedar Logs Lakes area. She was not found on the most recent monitoring flight. This pack's reproductive status could not be determined.

Big Hole. The Big Hole pack was most recently located within the upper Lolo Creek drainage within their usual home range. The Big Hole pack had a litter of 6 pups in 2001.

Lone/Paired Wolves. Wolf B64M, one of 6 suspected pairs, was spotted with another uncollared wolf in February. In mid-May B64's radio signal went on mortality and his carcass was recovered. His skull was crushed, apparently by an ungulate's hoof. Not long after B64's death B79, a Kelly Creek disperser, began frequenting this area with at least 2 other wolves. A minimum of 2 pups was observed with this group. They are known as the Lupine Creek pack and will contribute to NW Montana's recovering population. B79 was most recently located in upper Fish Creek drainage of Montana.

B81, also a suspected pair for this year, relocated from the Jureano Mountain home range in March 2000, has paired with a wolf of unknown origin in the Fish Creek drainage of Montana as well. One pup was seen this summer. This new pack (Fish Creek pack) will also add to the NW Montana population.
 
Nez Perce National Forest-

Gospel Hump. B50F was one of 6 suspected paired wolves and potential new packs for 2001. She and her mate (of unknown origin) have produced 7 pups this year in the SE portion of the Gospel Hump Wilderness. B50F was most recently located just outside the eastern boundary of the Wilderness area.

Selway. This pack has not been located since late August. Neither radio-collared wolf could be found on the latest monitoring flight. Three pups were documented this year.

 
MONITORING - South of the Salmon River

Payette National Forest-
            
Chamberlain Basin. These wolves continue to utilize their usual home range areas within the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness. Four gray pups were counted this spring.

Wolf Fang. This pack is still frequenting the areas within the upper East Fork of the South Fork of the Salmon River. This pack produced 8-9 pups. A yearling female was radio collared early this spring. [Note: don't confuse this location with the East Fork of the Salmon River 150 miles to its SE -- RM].

Thunder Mountain. Alpha female, B22F, had a litter consisting of 7 gray and 2 black pups. They were last located in the Blackmare Creek drainage, north of the Needles.

Gold Fork. This pack was last located near Green Mountain. Ground monitoring this summer indicated a minimum of 7 wolves, including at least 2 yearlings and 2 pups born this spring. This pack's existence was suspected in 2000 (from 2 confirmed depredations and reports received from the public in this area), but was verified in August 2001. The presence of yearlings in this pack this summer is evidence of reproduction last year. With this discovery the overall recovery goal of 30 breeding pairs was reached for 2000, marking the first year of the 3-year countdown to delisting.
 
Lone/Paired Wolves. B45F continues to use areas within her usual range just north of McCall, Idaho. She was most recently located in the French Creek drainage. B45 was one of 6 suspected paired wolves and potential new packs for 2001. We suspect B45 has been paired for the past two years, though she did not produce pups last year, and did not show any signs of denning this spring. [Note B45F was the wolf who went to Oregon, only to be retrieved 2 years ago -- RM]. B105M, a dispersing male from the Stanley Basin pack, has been observed with up to 2 other wolves. B105 continues to use the Long and Round Valley area as he has for most of the summer.

Boise National Forest-

Orphan. Like last year, this pack has only 1 pup and will not count as a breeding pair for 2001. This pack continues to use the headwater reaches of the South Fork of the Salmon River.

Scott Mountain. B78, a 3-year-old female Kelly Creek pack dispersing wolf, produced at least 4 pups. Both adults, B78 and newly collared B115, were captured this summer. They have been using area nears within the Deadwood River drainage. This first year pair is known as the Scott Mountain pack.

Salmon-Challis National Forest-

Landmark. B91F (alpha female) was located north of Stanley during the last monitoring flight. Sheep occupying this general area for most of the summer have left for their winter grazing grounds. This pack was not involved in depredations this summer. The pack produced 6 pups this year.

Jureano Mountain. The Jureano Mountain pack remains within their usual home range, west of Salmon, Idaho. Three pups were confirmed this summer. Three additional wolves were radio collared, and alpha female B46F, was re-collared this summer. A subadult female wolf was euthanized, and a pup (B118F) was collared and released, during an agency control action conducted in late September in response to a depredation on livestock. B118 was not with the other radio-collared pack members during the latest monitoring flight, though she was less than 5 miles away.

Moyer Basin. Five pups were produced this year by this pack. They were most recently located east of the Cobalt town site.
  
Twin Peaks. The Twin Peaks pack was revived this year, when a female wolf suspected to be an offspring of the original Twin Peaks pack, denned and produced a litter of seven pups this summer. This pack has used areas within their traditional home range inside the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness.

Wildhorse. The Wildhorse pack produced five pups this spring. All radio-collared wolves were last located in the Little Wood River drainage. No additional depredations were reported following the relocation of subadult female wolf B103F this summer. She was last located in early September, in the upper Lolo Creek drainage of Montana.

Lone/Paired Wolves. Dispersing Thunder Mountain wolf, B58M, has been sporadically located in the Copper Basin Area, though he has been missing since April. B93M (Moyer Basin dispersing male) and B95F (Stanley Basin dispersing female) have potentially paired, and were located in the head of the Squaw Creek drainage during the last monitoring flight.

Sawtooth National Forest [Sawtooth National Recreation Area]-
  
Whitehawk. This pack continues to use areas within the Sawtooth Valley near Stanley, Idaho. They produced 9 pups this year. Two wolves were lethally controlled from this pack earlier this summer due to livestock depredations. No further depredations took place following implementation of the cooperative Tribal and Defenders of Wildlife volunteer program. See Control and Management section.

Bitterroot and Beaverhead National Forests-

Lone/Paired Wolves. B80 (female) and B114 (male), a suspected pair, were recently located together in the Big Hole area, about 12 miles north of Jackson, MT. Both returned after being relocated in August. They did not produce pups this year. They will be closely monitored over the upcoming months because this region consists of privately owned land where livestock are wintered. White Cloud pack wolf, B63M was relocated a second time along with his suspected mate B100F [from the old Stanley Pack -- RM], from the Big Hole Valley, Montana. He was most recently located near Lost Trail Pass on the Idaho side of the Continental Divide. It is not known if he is still with B100, as she has not been located on the past 2 monitoring flights. [Note: the Big Hole Valley is good wolf summer range, but has mostly livestock in the winter, the deer and elk move out to winter range in Idaho -- RM]. Dispersing wolf B67M was located in the West Fork of the Bitterrroot River drainage. He was seen with another wolf early this summer. There is no indication of pups associated with these wolves.

Report Wolf Sightings

As the wolf population continues to expand, an increased number of wolves will be uncollared compounding the difficult task of documenting formation of new packs. The Wolf Recovery Program relies on wolf sighting reports from the public to identify potential areas to survey for new wolf pack activity. Past reports of wolf activity that we have received have led to the documentation of the Wildhorse and Gold Fork packs. We would like to thank all those who have taken the time to report observed wolf activity and are hopeful that continued help from the public will result in confirmation of additional wolf packs. The Recovery Program encourages the public to report all sightings of wolves or their sign. Sightings can be reported to Curt Mack by mail at Nez Perce Tribe, P.O. Box 1922, McCall, ID 83638, or by phone at (208) 634-1061, or by email at nptwolf@cyberhighway.net; or Carter Niemeyer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1387 S. Vinnell Way, Rm 368, Boise, ID 83709, (208) 378-5347.

RESEARCH
    
Nothing new to report.

OUTREACH, INFORMATION and EDUCATION, and COORDINATION

National Public Radio interviewed project personnel for a segment of the Earth and Sky program. The topic was the use of relocation as a tool for managing wolves.

Nez Perce Tribe personnel met with the state of Idaho's Office of Species Conservation to discuss Tribal and state roles in post-delisting wolf management. Further discussions will take place in the future.

MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL

Most livestock have been removed from public allotments, hopefully bringing an end to wolf-livestock encounters for the year. Eight wolves were killed, 1 was relocated, and 6 radio-collared and released in connection with control actions during 2001. Wildlife Service's Wolf Specialist Rick Williamson has done a remarkable job spending much time and attention to monitoring wolves, working with affected livestock producers, and maintaining RAG boxes throughout the state.

The Jureano Mountain pack was involved in a confirmed depredation on a domestic calf on September 21. Jeff Ashmead of Wildlife Services set traps the following day. A subadult female was captured and euthanized. A female pup was radio-collared and released on site.

The Gold Fork pack committed a second depredation within 10 days of their discovery. Wildlife Services and Nez Perce Tribe biologists conducted a trapping operation. No wolves were captured, and no further depredations were reported.

Volunteers from around the country were involved in efforts to keep the Whitehawk, Landmark, and Wildhorse packs from interacting with livestock this summer. Defenders of Wildlife, in cooperation with the Tribe and Wildlife Services, were instrumental in recruiting, coordinating, and working with people to minimize wolf-livestock interactions. These folks monitored radio signals from collared wolves and took the appropriate actions to deter the wolves from approaching livestock. Thanks to all of those who found time to devote to this proactive effort, especially S. Laverty, C. Beno, A. Gall, as well as B. Braden, E. and K. Byington, J. Cronheim, S. Michell, J. Palmquest, P. Parins, T. Paul, W. Spenser-Armestar, L. Williamson, and the livestock owners that willingly participated.