Idaho Wolf update for early January 1998

1-21-98

Here is the latest Idaho wolf update from Timm Kaminski, Idaho Gray Wolf Project Leader, Nez Perce Tribal Wolf Recovery Team. I have distilled his report so that it fits into my earlier Idaho updates web pages.

The interpretations and opinions expressed are my own, not those of the wolf team.

The team has announced that beginning with this report, monitoring of Idaho wolves will be done up to three times a month. The timing of the flights will depend on the weather. I want to add that flying over central Idaho takes skill and is dangerous. There entire area is mountainous. Flat spots are few.

The report that follows is based on flights south of the Salmon River on Jan. 10-12. Weather conditions north of the Salmon were bad at this time. The most recent data from the north is for flights on Jan. 2-4.

The team reports:

"All wolves being monitored via radio-telemetry remain within the experimental area, most on national forest land. Twenty-three radio collared wolves being monitored are paired or packmates. Six of 8
Idaho wolf packs produced pups in 1997. Four additional wolf pairs
have established home ranges in Idaho and may produce pups in 1998. Three of these wolf pairs include wolves that either were not part of
the translocated experimental population, or are wolves with failed
radios. "

The experimental area mentioned is the area where Judge Downes wants the reintroduced wolves removed. The known native wolf population in this area is ONE wolf, and five pups which are the product of the union of this wolf with reintroduced wolf no. 15F. It is possible that a couple more native wolves exist in the area. I hope this gives some perspective on the argument the Farm Bureau is presently advancing about Canadian wolves being "dumped" on top of a native wolf population.

"Five lone wolves including five males distributed across the Central Idaho Experimental area are being monitored. There are no known females for pairing with these adult males at the present time.They continue to move widely and in unpredictable fashion throughout the Recovery area and beyond."

North of the Salmon River

Bitterroot National Forest

The Selway pack wolves (B-5-M and B-10-F and two pups from 1996, now almost two years old) were located in Surprise Creek in the headwaters of the Selway River drainage. This is within their usual range.

Boulder Pack Pups.
The two wolf pups from the native Boulder Pack in Montana are still being held at the Hornocker Institute facility in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. They are reported to continue to eat regularly and are doing well. They will be released in the Selway River drainage at the Hornocker pen with radio transmitters during early spring, 1998.

I need to elaborate on this. These two pups are from a native pack slated for elimination due to past episodes of livestock-killing. Last spring all of the pack was shot except for three pups that were captured and the alpha female and two pups who made an escape. The alpha female, who has been named "Opal," and her two remaining free pups have been living in the general area since.

I have heard all kinds of speculation about what to do with these two Boulder Pack pups in captivity, especially in view of the utter confusion sown by Judge Downes. I have heard that Opal is about to be killed and the two wild pups moved into the pen with their two captive siblings and then released. Presumably the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service doesn't want to repeat the failed experiment of raising the orphaned Sawtooth pups who were released as yearlings and apparantely got into trouble because they did not know how to hunt.

However, what is the status of native wolves brought into an experimental area (central Idaho) and released?

I have heard the two pups who have been in the pen will be brought to near Deer Lodge, Montana and released near their mother and siblings. Hopefully they will be accepted and taught to hunt. Following this, Opal will be killed.

This latest report of just releasing the two naive pups into the wild upper Selway country does not sound good to me.

Clearwater National Forest (and Lolo National Forest, Montana)-

The Kelly Creek Pack was located in Cache Creek with the pups. The wolf report only mentions B15F, possibly because she is paired with the only proven native wolf in the experimental area of Idaho.

The Running Creek Pair, wolf B-11-F and wolf B-7-M were located approximately 6 miles southeast of Lolo Hot Springs near Moose Lake. They were previously located in the Sand Creek drainage near Hidden Lake. This just inside Montana in the rugged Bitterroot Mountains of the Selway-Bitterroot wilderness. Let's hope the wolves have better luck than the snowmobilers who being killed by the handful in this extreme avalanche year in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Utah.

Idaho Panhandle National Forest-

Wolf B-20-F was not located. She was last found near the Montana-Idaho border east of Vanderbilt Creek.

South of the Salmon River

Payette National Forest-

The Chamberlain Basin pack including adults wolf B-16-F, Wolf B-9-M, and 1996 and 1997 pups, were located near the confluence of Disappointment Creek and the Salmon River. This is in winter range, deep in the wilderness

Wolf B-22-F and her associate were not located due to weather. They were last located in the Middle Fork Salmon River near the confluence of Smith Creek. Note: is this "associate," a native wolf? These two wolves are sometimes called "the Monumental Creek pair."

Wolf B-33-M was located at the mouth of Arctic Creek and the Salmon River. This is also winter range, deep in the wilderness.

Boise National Forest-

Bear Valley Pack.
Wolves B-30-F, B-28-M and wolf B-19-M were located just south of Warm Lake. This is on the South Fork of the Salmon River, and is a spot where wolves have shown up from time-to-time for years. They were last located in the Middle Fork Payette River drainage.

Landmark Pack
Wolves B-06-F, Wolf B-08-M, and pups were located and observed in Sulphur
Creek near the confluence of the "Middle Fork Payette River." They were previously located in the Pistol Creek drainage near the confluence with the Middle Fork Salmon River. This is out of their range. I need to check if they really mean "Middle Fork of the Payette."

Salmon-Challis National Forest

The Jureano Mountain pack (called the "Town Pack" in Salmon) including wolves B-25-F and B-32-M was not anywhere near town. They were located in lower Panther Creek near the confluence of Little Deer Creek.

The wolf team reports that "wolf B-24-M appears to be loosely following the Jureano Mountain pack. Our most recent, information on him indicates he has again moved to the Salmon River and is likely pursuing white-tailed deer in the river bottoms. We will make attempt to recapture and re-radio him this winter, 1998." Quite a few people have seen no. 24. He apparently has caused no trouble.

Moyer Basin Pack
Wolves B-29-M and B-37-F and their pups were located just west of Furnace Creek at the confluence of Camas Creek. They were previously located in the Panther Creek drainage near Opal Creek. This pack occupies the Salmon River Mountains immediately south of the Jureano Mountain Pack. Their present location is deep wilderness.

Long time pair, wolf B-35-F and wolf B-18-M were located again in the headwaters of Warm Springs Creek. This is in the Frank Church/River of No Return Wilderness. If they have pups this spring, the pack will probably occupy the mountains south of the Moyer Basin Pack.

Sawtooth National Forest

The Stanley Pack
Wolf B-23-F and wolf B-27-M and pups were located south of Elk Meadows at approximately 9500 feet elevation in the Sawtooth Mountains -- a scenic, but unusual place for wintertime.

Wolf B-36-F was not located due to turbulence above the White Clouds Mountains. She was last found at the head of Warm Springs Creek at nearly 11,000 feet. I received email speculating that she may have been feeding on elk wounded in the archery hunt.

Research

"The second meeting designed to extend the discussions on predator-prey interactions and focus on wolf-livestock and human dimensions of wolf restoration was delayed until a 1998 budget was available. With the budget now in place we will attempt to identify dates to reconvene this effort."

Outreach

"Updates are scheduled or have taken place in January for the Challis Experimental Area Stewardship Group, Lemhi County Commissioners and Idaho Legislature. Evening programs to share information on the results of monitoring efforts across the State with Idaho residents in rural and urban communities will commence in Salmon, Idaho on January 20.

Efforts to work with houndsmen continue so that conflicts between hounds used for pursuit of mountain lions and wolves are reduced to the extent possible. Four hounds have been killed by wolves in two separate incidents and areas during the past 6 weeks.

Calving will begin in the Salmon area during the week of 12 January. Tribe personnel will attempt to work closely with area residents on the location of wolves in that vicinity."

Control

"Wildlife Services, IDFG, and Tribe personnel worked throughout the Holiday period responding to reported conflicts with wolves in the Salmon and Challis areas. A second wolf-hound incident north of the Salmon River resulted in a dead hound being used to pursue lions. Three additional reports were investigated involving 2 horses (separate incidents) and domestic sheep near Howe. None of the latter 3 incidents, after investigation, were determined to involve wolves. Wildlife Services, IDFG, and Nez Perce Tribe personnel continue to share information and cooperate on depredation reports."

Note: I earlier posted a story indicating that one of the horses was killed by domestic dogs near Salmon. . . Ralph Maughan

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