This is the first Idaho wolf update I have received since late May. Readers may want to consult that report (5/23) plus those dated 8-19-96, 12-6-96 , 2-24-97, and 4-22-97 for background. Most of this information is from the Idaho Gray Wolf Project of the Nez Perce Tribe. That which is quote directly from their report is in quotes.

     Locations are not given for all the wolves present because radio transmitters have failed on some, some are not located due to topography, and none of pups from this year or last year (yearlings now) have transmitters.

     As is the usual practice I will follow the format of the Idaho Gray Wolf Project and report the particulars by national forest (almost all of central Idaho is national forest).

     "Nez Perce Tribe biologists continue to monitor 29 gray wolves distributed across Idaho. Four wolves are [known] dead."  This compares with 22 dead wolves in the Greater Yellowstone restoration area. "Two wolves missing for more than ten months may have been located in Idaho due to their collars being painted prior to their release."  It should be noted that there are considerable more than 29 wolves.

     Let me say more about this. Wolves no. B2M and B3F appear to have been relocated. These are two of the first four wolves released in Idaho (at Corn Creek on the main Salmon River in January 1995). Wolf B3 had not been located since March 1995!. The March 95 location was in the Bitterroot Mountains west of Hamilton, Montana. Many believed she had gone home to Alberta or was dead. It appears she has been observed several times, wearing her blue and white radio collar, in the Centennial Mountains near Kilgore, Idaho. This is on the Targhee National Forest near the Montana border about sixty miles north of Idaho Falls (on the edge of the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem). Idaho school children named no. 3, Akiata.

     Wolf B2 Chat-Chaaht ("older brother" in Nez Perce) has disappeared for long periods from the beginning only to be relocated months later. He was most recently observed in the company of two other wolves NE of Orofino, Idaho (north central Idaho) on the Clearwater National Forest. He was first relocated in June near Squaw Creek west of Elk River. No. 2 has a red and black collar. He was last located in April 1996 in the Frank Church/River of No Return Wilderness of central Idaho.
 
     Pups
     There appear to be six litters of pups, but I have no more details than that.

Wolves North of the Salmon River

Nez Perce National Forest (west north central Idaho)
     The Selway Pack (alphas are B5M and B10F) was located in Bargamin Creek in the Frank Church/River of No Return wilderness.

Clearwater National Forest (north central Idaho)
     As mentioned, B2M and two additional wolves (numbers?) were located NE of Orofino.  "Wolf B15F and her male associate remained on the Lolo National Forest in the upper reach of the Granite Creek drainage." B15F is put under the Clearwater because she and her probably mate wander back and forth across the state line into Idaho. They have done so for about two years.

Wolves south of the Salmon River

Payette National Forest (western Idaho)
     "The Chamberlain Basin Pack adults wolf B16F and wolf B9M were located in Whimstick Creek." This is deep in the Frank Church/River of No Return Wilderness. This pack is thought to be the largest wolf pack in Idaho.
     "Wolf B22F and her associate were located and observed on the Thunder Mountain road." This is a road to a mine in a protrusion into the Frank Church wilderness. They were in this same general area in my last report (late May).
     "Wolf B31M was located in French Creek near the confluence with the [main] Salmon River." This is a great distance west from his May location which was in Montana near Horse Prairie Creek on the Beaverhead National Forest.

Boise National Forest (southwest central Idaho)
     "Wolves B28M, and B30F were located in Whitehawk Basin. Wolf B19M was not located with them ; the first time since March."
     [The] "Landmark Pack female, Wolf B8F, was located in Sulphur Creek and Wolf B8M [was] north of Elk Meadow." These areas are in the southern part of the Frank Church Wilderness (lovely meadows) a few miles apart.

See my photo of Ayers Meadow below. It is similar to Elk Meadow, but 3 miles to the SE. © Ralph Maughan, mid-June 1997.  
Salmon-Challis National Forest (east and south central Idaho)
     B23F and B27M were located near the head of Beaver Creek. They have been in this area for several months.  I think they have pups.
     B25F and B32M were located in Pony Creek.  Pups?
     B29M and B37F were located in the South Fork of Moyer Creek.  Pups?
     B35F and B18M were located "at the head of Mill Creek". There are lots of Mill Creeks on the Salmon-Challis NF, but if it is the Mill Creek I am thinking of, then they probably have pups.  In fact a heard two wolves howl in this general area in mid-June when I was hiking to Bayhorse Lake.
     Wolf B24M has not been located since February when he was in Pistol Creek (Frank Church Wilderness).

Sawtooth National Forest (south central Idaho)
     "Wolf B33M was located east of the South Fork Boise River." Sawtooth Mountains?
     "Wolf B36F was last located south of Warm Springs Creek, White Cloud Mountains".
     Wolf B12M, which had been located for some time in the Casino and Little Casino Creek areas at the northern end of the White Cloud Mountains was not located this time.