Idaho 2003 wolf den and other wolf news

5-4-2003, addition 5-5, more on 5-8

As in Wyoming and Montana, wolves have been denning in Idaho. Here is the first news for 2003.

The following packs have denned, or are believed to have denned.

Big Hole (a long-standing pack near the Idaho/Montana border in the Bitterroot Mountains)

Buffalo Ridge (second year pack in the tributary canyons of the Salmon River between Sunbeam and Clayton, central Idaho)

Scott Mountain (a 3 year old pack on the Middle Fork of the Payette in Western Idaho)

B107F (first litter)- SNRA

B2M and uncollared mate- SNRA

Wolf manager Carter Niemeyer thinks the Jureano Mountain Pack did not have pups this spring because they have moved about 20 miles south of where they usually have their pups. Last year the pack's alpha female, B46f, was "controlled" (legally killed). A sub-adult member of the pack who was thought would fill in for her was later illegally killed. Nevertheless, the pack gained some new adult members, but with the change in its structure mating might not have taken place (but then perhaps the new structure resulted in a new den area).

There are many more packs requiring investigation. Data from Idaho always comes in slowly.

The details are interesting.

B107F and her uncollared mate actually didn't den, she had her pups at the base of a tree on public land in the Sawtooth National Recreation area. The pups were discovered accidentally by a horse rider. These pups are the hope for a new wolf pack in the SNRA after the government killed all the past wolves. The Stanley, Whitehawk, and White Clouds wolf packs were all killed or dispersed after they sporadically killed livestock in the area. Since then Idaho federal district judge Linn Winmill has put a total ban on government killing of wolves in the SNRA because by Act of Congress wildlife is supposed to come first in the SNRA not livestock. The pup area is being monitored electronically. It is not clear if B107F has finally dug a den. This is very unusual behavior, although folks will recall that famous wolf R9F did the same thing on Mount Maurice above Red Lodge, Montana back 1995 after Chad McKittrick had poached her mate R10M. Niemeyer suspects the Jureano Mountain Pack too may have never actually dug a den despite its many litters of pups because he and his colleagues have never found a den even though they have seen the pack and its pups year after year in the same place, and at any early age.

B2M, founder of the now extinct Wildhorse Pack, and perhaps 13 years old has had a "companion" all winter. B2 has also been localized in the SNRA for about two weeks, indicating his companion may be a female with pups. Folks should not confuse B2 with the late Yellowstone wolf R2M, who founded the Leopold Pack in 1996 and was killed by the Geode Pack on New Years Eve 2002.

The Buffalo Ridge Pack was new in 2002. They had seven pups and most, or all of them, survived the year. Last winter they had a tendency to hang out near the Thompson Peak moly mine. Jim Holyan and Rick Williamson instructed frightened miners on the use of cracker shells to scare them away. Lately,the wolf pack has been killing elk near the Salmon River, playing with irrigation tarps, howling, and giving folks quite a thrill. Unfortunately they might have killed 3 cow calves from a nearby livestock operation. So far there is not enough evidence to support control of the pack. There was also a spill of steelhead smolts from a nearby Idaho Fish and Game steelhead pond. The smolts made their way down into a farmer's field where they were stranded. Folks have seen the wolves eating the dead smolts.

More accurate information on the wolves near Stanley. There was just one wolf. An observer wrote: "May 1st, on the Jay Neider place (Arrow A which has bridge across Salmon River just upstream of Hwy 75-21 jct). The "huskie-like" (meaning color I suppose) wolf, had an elk by the throat and the elk was dragging it. It let go. Then the wolf was nipping at its legs. This lone wolf has been seen around - distinctive by rather short legs for a wolf! A Stanleyite told me he almost ran over it at the Little Boulder trailhead a few weeks ago in the EFK [East Fork] Salmon River - it darted across the road in front of him." I want add that short legs on a wolf can indicate that it is not a wolf! If there are any hybrids loose the area, they need to be eliminated.

I have heard that elk seem to be super abundant in the Stanley Basin and Sawtooth Valley area this spring. They must have been resurrected, given all the reports by anti-wolf folks of their almost total demise!

Some interesting wolf migration news . . . several wolves from just north of Yellowstone Park, from the Sheep Mountain Pack, have migrated to the mountains near Boise and seem to be part of a new wolf pack. The USFWS writes: "On Sun. the 27th [of April], [Curt] Mack thought he detected wolf R241, and possibly R242 (both Sheep Mountain dispersers from north of YNP), near Idaho City, ID. A later flight confirmed that R241 was by itself near Idaho City but close to 4 other wolves that were verified by Niemeyer. Volunteer Jon Tapp had investigated reports to the north and northeast of this same area and observed tracks of at least 3 wolves. This appears to be a newly establishing pack.

And more wolves  . . . last fall and winter a group of 10-11 wolves was seen by many people in the Morgan Creek area northwest of Challis. None were collared. Recently Carter Niemeyer and Rick Williamson spent two days hard work trying to find them, but the wolves were not located. Since then there is evidence they have moved to a roadless area where perhaps a thousand elk are gathered.

Wolf depredations on livestock in Idaho have been very low so far this year -- one confirmed dead cow calf and 3 "probables." You have to go back to the first couple years of the reintroduction to see such low figures.

Note: while the "R's" and "Bs" in front of the wolf numbers are usually dropped, an "R" wolf means Greater Yellowstone area, and a "B" wolf means central Idaho recovery zone. This story has an unusual mixing of the two area's wolves, and so the use of the prefixes.

May 8. "Wolves are frequenting Squaw Creek neighborhood". By Anna Means. Challis Messenger. This is the Challis paper's story on the Buffalo Ridge Pack.

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