Timm Kaminski, Idaho Gray Wolf Project Leader, Nez Perce Tribal Wolf Recovery Team has released a late August report on the Idaho wolves.  Below is my distillation of the information.  I have tried to put it in context with earlier reports . . .  Ralph Maughan

Wolves B7M and B11F, released north of US Highway 12 on the North Fork of the Clearwater River have begun to move southeastward.  They were shuttled about during the winter and held for months at the Running Creek Pen in the Selway/Bittteroot Wilderness before release far to the north on the N. Fk. Clearwater.  This was to prevent them from moving to the southeastward back to the Big Hole Valley of SW Montana.

The pair is moving along the Bitterroot Mountains.  On August 19 they were on Lolo Peak. By late August they had moved south to Roaring Lion Creek.

This was the pair that also killed two of the Boulder Pack Pups that were put in the Running Creek pen with them.  Below is the Idaho Gray Wolf Team's description of what happened.

"Three pups captured near Deerlodge [Boulder Pack pups] were transported to the pen at Running Creek on Thursday 17 July.

We systematically monitored the acclimation of adult wolves B-07-M and B-11-F to the Boulder Creek wolf pups from 20 through 28 July.  We concluded on 29 July that the penned adults were not bonding to the pups.  Upon entering the pen on 1 August we discovered two dead pups, one a male and the other a female.  I speculate by their location relative to 2 deer carcasses and the severity of their injuries, that at least one and perhaps neither adult tolerated the pups feeding from these carcasses as would have been permissible with their maternal adults.

Of the 3 pups relocated to the pen initially, one pup, a female, survived.

On 4 August we captured another male pup at Boulder Creek and on 5 August released him with the female pup remaining in the pen, his sister.  Both pups continue to eat regularly and are doing well.  We plan to join these two pups with their remaining 2 siblings from the Boulder pack and release them during winter 1998."

 The Selway Pack was located in late August at Painted Rocks Reservoir. This is just over the Idaho state line in Montana in the West Fork of the Bitterroot River.

The Chamberlain Pack was most recently located with their yearling offspring near an elk calf kill in Lodgepole Creek in the Frank Church Wilderness. Prior to that observation they were located at rendezvous site in Moosejaw Meadows. Lone wolf B33M was recently observed to approach the pack and remain for several days. He howled, but got no closer than a quarter mile.  They apparently did not accept him, and most recently he was located at Hand Meadows in the Frank Church Wilderness.

Wolf B20F, with her radio collar now working, was also located deep in the Frank
Church Wilderness near Chamberlain Mountain.

No name pack, composed of wolves B-28-M, B-30-F and Wolf B-19-M has been consistently located near Tyndall Meadows, but on August 27 they had moved to the North Fork of Elk Creek and were observed by field biologists. Nearby the big Landmark Pack was located near the West Fork of Elk Creek. This country is all in or near the southwestern boundary of the Frank Church Wilderness -- beautiful meadowy country with low mountains.

The Stanley Pack with their five pups was located in the Valley Creek drainage north of the small town of Stanley in or near the northern boundary of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area.

The Jureano Mountain Pack, wolves B-25-F and B-32-M and their 6 pups were again located in Moose Creek. They were on an elk kill. Later they moved to the Sawpit drainage. This country is in the Salmon River Mountains about 15-20 miles northwest of the town of Salmon, Idaho.

The Moyer Creek Pack, wolves B-29-M and B-37-F and their 4-5 pups returned to near their den site in Moyer Creek.

Wolves B-35-F and Wolf B-18-M were located again in the Warm Springs Creek drainage of  the Frank Church Wilderness. This is a long and deep tributary of Loon Creek, itself a major tributary of the famed Middle Fork of the Salmon River. In the last update I mistakenly put them in the Warm Springs Creek of the White Cloud Mountains.

Wolf B12-M had not been located for a while.  He was finally located near Grandjean on the west edge of the Sawtooth Mountains.  Since then he has moved about 40 miles north to the Chamberlain Basin area of the Frank Church to near Black Lake.

B22-F and another wolf were again located in Monumental Creek. B31-M was also located again in Monumental Creek.  This is near the western edge of the Frank Church.

Wolf B-36-F who had last been observed climbing over Castle Peak in the White Clouds Mountains and descending into Warm Springs Creek (the other Warm Springs Creek) had not been located for a while, but has showed up recently consistently in the Three Cabins drainage.

Wolf B31-M has apparently been involved with the killing of some livestock near Warren Summit north of McCall, Idaho. According to the wolf team, "We believe that Wolf B-31 has been involved in at least one of two recent depredations on sheep north of McCall.  Seven sheep including 4 lambs and 3 ewes were wounded in the first incident during 11-14 August.  Traps were set but we were not successful in capturing the offending animal.

On 27 or early 28 August two sheep, a lamb and a ewe were found dead again north of McCall.  The lamb was fed upon and eighteen sheep were wounded.  Traps have again been set following confirmation that a wolf was involved in the incident." No. 31M was most recently located on the Payette National Forest near War Eagle Lookout.

Outreach
The wolf team reports: "Evening programs to share information with Idaho residents in rural communities.  The next scheduled presentation will be in Garden Valley on 10 September.  Recent presentations have been made in McCall, Idaho at Ponderosa State Park, Winchester State Park, and to the Idaho Society of Range Management Chapter in Grangeville."