My comments have been added. Where it is a direct quote from the Nez Perce Tribal wolf recovery team, I have put it in quotes.

Monitoring
"Nez Perce Tribe biologists continue to monitor 29 gray wolves distributed across Idaho. Four of 35 wolves released in Idaho in 1995 and 1996 are dead. Two wolves missing for more than 10 months may have been located in Idaho due to their collars being painted prior to their release. Two wolves are captive and being held until their release in July." This date may change because the Boulder Pack Pups may be put in the Running Creek enclosure with the two -- nos. B11F and B7M.

"Twenty-three of twenty-nine wolves have paired and all wolves being monitored via radio-telemetry remain within the experimental area, most on national forest lands. One pair is a threesome, and not all wolf pairs represent breeding pairs. Three [emphasis mine] wolf pairs being monitored include wolves that either were not part of the translocated experimental population, or, are wolves with failed radios. Six lone wolves including 5 males and a female distributed across the Central Idaho Experimental area are also being monitored. 

"Gray wolves identified in updates are referenced as B-XX-Y. The B identifies the wolf as a central Idaho animal, numbers identify individuals and Y (M or F) indicates male or female."

"Nez Perce Tribe Field biologists have been working since June, and will focus their efforts on reproductive pairs. Information on prey selection, summer/fall food habits, litter size, and wolf-livestock relationships are being collected. Crews are also working with livestock permittees across the state. Crew members are Isaac Babcock, Jim Holyan, Kent Laudon, TC Peltier, Russ Richards, and intern Marci Steiger, University of Idaho Ph.D. candidate Rob Jensen is also providing field and flying assistance. "

North of the Salmon River
"Up to nine radio-collared wolves remain north of the Salmon River. Three wolf pairs occur in this area; the Selway pack produced 2 pups in 1996 but did not produce pups this year, 1997. "

"The Kelly Creek pack denned in Montana near the Idaho border, produced pups and has moved them to a rendezvous site." This is a new pack. Wolf B15F has been paired with a non-reintroduced wolf for two years now in the general area of Kelly Creek near the Idaho/Montana border. This wolf has usually been called B15's "associate."  So they finally have pups -- a reintroduced wolf and a native wolf!

"The two adults we are holding in a facility located in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness in cooperation with the Hornocker Wildlife Institute did not den nor produce pups this year." This reference is to B7F and B11F.  "At least one lone female and one lone male wolf are distributed north of the Salmon River."

Bitterroot National Forest
"Wolf B-11-F and Wolf B-07-M remain inside the pen at the Hornocker Wildlife Institute facility at Running Creek. Three pups captured near Deerlodge were transported to the pen at Running Creek on Friday, 17 June. We are assessing the adults acclimation to the pups this week." This reference is to the three of the five Boulder Pack pups that were caught by a net gun after being chased into position by a helicopter.

Nez Perce National Forest (NW Central Idaho)
"The Selway pack wolves including adults B-5-M and B-10-F were located in near a small group of meadows in the upper reach of Meadow Creek." I guess B10 did not whelp this year. This is believed to be a pack of 4 wolves B5, B10 and two pups from 1996.

Clearwater National Forest, Idaho (and Lolo National Forest, Montana)
"Wolf B-15-F and her male associate and pups returned to the den area in the Granite Creek drainage."

"A wolf we believe to be Wolf B-02-M wearing a red and black collar has been seen repeatedly northeast of Orofino with two additional wolves. Flights and field efforts continue in this area on a limited basis to look for evidence of wolves in the area. "

"Wolf B-14-M and Wolf B-20-F were not located during this monitoring period. Wolf B-20-F radio has likely failed. "

South of the Salmon River
 "Up to twenty-two radio-collared wolves remain south of the Salmon River."

"Nine wolf pairs occur in this area including two that produced pups in 1996."

"Two wolves formerly alone have paired with male wolves that were either not part of the experimental population wolves, or, wolves with failed radio collars. Four lone male wolves remain south of the Salmon River."

Payette National Forest (west central Idaho)
"The Chamberlain Basin pack adult Wolf B-16-F and Wolf B-9-M were located in Disappointment Creek." This is in the middle of the most remote place in the central Idaho wilderness. Do they have pups? The report doesn't mention any.  It is believed they had 4 pups in 1996.

Wolf B-22-F and her associate were located in the Monumental Creek drainage. A more accurate location was not possible due to thundershowers in the area. Wolf B-31-M was located northwest of Granite Lake." The Granite Lake to the NW of McCall, Idaho?

Boise National Forest (SW Central Idaho)
"Wolves B-28-M, B-30-F were located in the upper reaches of the Deadwood River along Tyndall Meadows. Landmark pack female Wolf B-06-F, Wolf B-08-M, 4 subadults and 4 pups were located in the Elk Creek drainage." So, a pack of ten wolves for Idaho!

I saw a wolf without a radio collar in this area in mid-June, near the headwaters of Bear Valley Creek (Elk Creek is its tributary). It was probably one of the sub-adults.

"Wolf B-33-M was located north of Bull Trout Lakes [sic]. Wolf B-12-M was [also] located near Elk Meadow."

Salmon-Challis National Forest (East Central Idaho).
Note: these two forests were combined administratively about two years ago They enclose over 4-million acres.
"Wolf B-23-F and Wolf B-27-M were located with their pups west of Basin Butte Lookout." Number of pups? This area is just to NW of famed (for its scenery) Stanley Basin.

"Wolves B-25-F and B-32-M were located with 6 pups near Pony Lake." Although Jackie and I wrote the Hiking Idaho, and I have almost all the topo maps, I don't know where Pony Lake is. Can anyone out there help me?

"Wolves B-29-M and B-37-F were located in the Woodtick Creek Drainage." This is in the Frank Church Wilderness . Despite its name, Woodtick Creek is a very scenic area.

"Wolf B-35-F and her associate Wolf B-18-M were not located due to thunderstorm activity. We were able to detect a weak signal from Wolf B-24-M in the Big Creek drainage suggesting the radio collar he is wearing is not functioning properly." Big Creek is a large stream, the major tributary of the Middle Fork of the Salmon River.  Most of the creek is deep in the Frank Church Wilderness.

Sawtooth National Forest (south central Idaho)
"Wolf B-36-F was not located due to thunderstorm activity. We believe that she and her associate remain east of the White Cloud Mountains."  In the Herd Peak area?
 
Targhee National Forest (eastern Idaho)
"A wolf we believe to be Wolf B-03-F wearing a blue and white radio collar has been observed on several occasions north of Kilgore, Idaho in the Centennial Range. Efforts are being considered to trap and re-radio her." This is very near the Montana border. I was so pleased Akiata has been rediscovered after two years. If she is trapped, I hope she is left where she is. Eastern Idaho needs wolves!

Reproduction
"Seven females denned in Idaho in 1997, and 6 whelped pups. Field work to determine productivity are in progress. Four dens have been located, and all litters of pups have been moved from densites to rendezvous sites. Prey remains in the vicinity of dens include calf and adult elk and mule deer. Litter sizes determined thus far include 6 pups at Jureano Mtn., 4 and possibly 5 pups at Moyer Basin, and 4 pups with the Landmark pack."

Research
"The first research meeting sponsored by the Nez Perce Tribe was held 26, 26, and 28 June in Missoula. The second meeting designed to extend the discussions on predator-prey interactions and focus on wolf -livestock and human dimensions of wolf restoration will be held in Moscow, Idaho on September 3-5, 1997."

Outreach
"Evening programs to share information with Idaho residents in rural communities surrounding the recovery area continue in west-central and east central Idaho during the summer months."

Control
"One pack without pups, a lone male, and four wolf packs with pups now overlap areas of permitted livestock. Most livestock were turned out on allotments where wolves were present in early July. We are aware of no depredations at this time. Three wolf pups were captured on 17 July and flown to the Hornocker Wildlife Institute facility at Running Creek. We are assessing the adults acclimation to the pups this week."