Idaho Wolf Update for December 1995

12/11/95.

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Here is the latest update on the status of the wolves that were
reintroduced to central Idaho eleven months ago -- January 1995.

Fifteen wolves were released and unlike the Yellowstone wolves
which were kept in enclosures to try and accustom them to their
new homes, the Idaho wolves were immediately set free in or near
the Frank Church/River of No Return Wilderness in central Idaho.

Unlike the Yellowstone wolves, none of the Idaho wolves had pups,
in part because they were sub-adults, but there are now three
pairs of Idaho wolves and maybe a fourth pair.

Wolf B2 has spent quite a lot of time near the town of Salmon, on
Salmon River Mountain which rises abruptly to the west of the
town. B2 is in a heavily roaded area (dirt roads) where there is
a large population of deer and elk. During hunting season there
were reports of as many as 3 wolves in the area. It is possible
that additional wolves are present, i.e., migrants, not part of
the reintroduction. B11 (see below) may have also been one of the
other wolves observed.

Wolf B11 was lost to trackers from July 25, when she was in west
central Idaho, until mid-October when she showed up on the
Continental Divide, the Idaho/Montana border, many miles to the
east of her previous location. Since then she has crossed the
Salmon River Valley a number of times and has been seen by
motorists along Idaho highway 28 and US highway 93. She was
observed swimming the Salmon River and also tracked in the rural
sub-divisions just south of town.

Some local residents are worried about the presence of the wolf in
the valley, although she has harmed no livestock or pets. Since
she has learned that crossing the Salmon River Valley is a lot
quicker route from the Continental Divide westward to the Salmon
River Mountains than following the state line in a semi-circle
around to the Salmon River Mountains, her danger-prone route may
well continue to be used.

Since the last update, Wolf B12 has traveled from near the
southern boundary of the Frank Church Wilderness, northward to
the middle of the Selway/Bitterroot Wilderness (about 100 miles).

Wolf B15 has been in the Kelly Creek drainage north of the
Selway/Bitterroot Wilderness for some time. She may be with wolf
#9013, which is dispersed from Glacier National Park. If they
are paired, this would be the first such observed pairing of a
reintroduced with a non-reintroduced wolf.

Wolf B14 has not been located since July 15. B14 was last
located in the Lochsa River drainage near US Highway 12. The
Lochsa River is just north of the Selway/Bitteroot Wilderness.
Highway 12 is presently closed at Noseeum Creek due to a rain-
caused landslide.

Wolves B6 and B8 remain paired near the SW boundary of the Frank
Church Wilderness.

Wolves B9 and B 16 remain paired in the Chamberlain Basin country
- in the most remote part of the Frank Church Wilderness.

B4 remains in Rock Creek (in Montana over the hill from
Missoula). B4 has been there all summer.

B5 and B10 (paired?) have been the Blue Joint Meadows area of
Montana (just over the Idaho line) for the last several months.
This is an undeveloped roadless area adjacent to the Frank Church
Wilderness.

B7 was last located in the Payette National Forest (western Idaho)
on July 15. B3 was last located March 8 in the Bitterroot
Mountains west of Darby and Hamilton, Montana. B13 was killed
near Salmon last Jan. 29.

It is probable that none of the reintroduced wolves were killed
during the recent hunting season.

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Note: this information is based on "Idaho Wolf Update", vol 1,
no. 1, Nov. 1995, and news stories in Idaho papers, plus my
knowledge of the area.