The Stanley Pack seems to have Disappeared 
Radio collared wolves go their separate ways

1-17-2001

Last spring, summer, and fall there were many stories about the large Stanley Pack, one of Idaho's oldest and most visible wolf packs.

Great efforts were made by private citizens and wolf managers to try and keep them and livestock apart. I won't recount the details, but there is an archive below.

In the end, one wolf was dispatched and the alpha male was relocated. Now the four radio collared wolves in the pack, including the alpha female, B23F, seem to have dispersed. The fate of the pack's uncollared wolves is not known, but most of them probably dispersed too, joined other packs and so forth.

In addition all, or most, of the Whitehawk Pack, which had taken over some of the former northern territory of the Stanley Pack, recently passed through the White Cloud Mountains, the upper East Fork of the Salmon River, the Herd Peak Highlands, and was last located near Slate Creek on the northern end of the White Cloud Mountains.

In summary, the Stanley Pack is no more, but there are still wolves in the general area,  and one or more new packs will probably form.

More specifically, Stanley Pack alpha female B23F moved south to the Big Wood River Valley, then she moved back north and was last located near Bayhorse in company with at least her sibling, radio-collared B95F. 

Former pack member B100F moved into the East Fork of the Salmon but then went over the top into the Big Lost River Drainage to the east. Former pack member B97M moved to Salmon River Mountain above the town of Salmon. That would put him on the edge or in the territory of the Jureano Mountain Pack.

At least five members of the Whitehawk Pack which had summered mostly in the Bear Valley Creek area moved across the former territory of the Stanley Pack and also the defunct White Clouds Pack, and were visually located in the top of the East Fork of the Salmon drainage. Two members of this new pack are radio-collared, B40M and B47M, but it is not known if either one is the alpha male.. Next, the pack moved east into the Herd Creek highlands and went northward almost to Spar Canyon (where there is a herd of wild horses). Then they must have recrossed the East Fork of the Salmon to move west, and were located near Slate Creek (a tributary to the main Salmon River) about 20 miles downstream from the town of Stanley.

This information with provided by the Nez Perce Tribal wolf team. Hope I got the details of all the movements correct.

Here is the archive of Stanley Pack stories:

• Wolf B55M of Idaho's Stanley Pack is dispatched for depredations. July 16, 1999

• Controversy Brews over the Sole Remaining Wolf Pack in South Central Idaho May 25, 2000

• Stanley Pack being trapped because they killed 3 sheep. August 4, 2000.

• Peril to Stanley Wolf pack Continues: Activists Block Road.  August 7, 2000

• Stanley Wolf Pack Threatened by Sheep Again. Sept. 2, 2000

• Lethal Control to Begin on Idaho's Stanley Pack.  Forest Service Says it Can't Move Brailsford's Sheep. September 7, 2000.

• Lethal Control Action on Stanley Pack Still On-going. September 21, 2000.

• Stanley alpha male moved to north Idaho, sub-adult dispatched. Stanley Pack control ends Sept. 22, 2000.

• Trappers after the Stanley Pack Again. October 7, 2000. Trapping terminated No wolves taken. October 13