How big are those wolves anyway?

I will leave to the anti-wolf folks to explain how a separate sub-species of wolf could evolve north of the ruler-straight-American/Canadian boundary to which the ranges of the Rocky Mountains run perpendicular, especially given the fact that wolf dispersions of as much as 500 miles have been tracked in the area since the 1980s.

There is the second assertion that these Canadian wolves are oversized. A example comes from Pennsylvania outdoors radio talker named Jim Slinsky. In a recent article he said that "Canadian" timber wolves weighed 150-160 pounds. Then he provided information that these wolves actually hunted "in packs." Folks will be astonished by that revelation! One can hardly argue. See "Yellowstone Wolf Debate Rages On" 12-6-02 by Jim Slinsky on the Outdoor Talk Network. However, what is the true size of the wolves in the Greater Yellowstone and central Idaho? Yellowstone Park wolf team head Dr. Doug Smith, who has weighed scores of the reintroduced wolves and their offspring told me the average size is about 110 - 115 pounds for an adult male and 90 - 100 for the female. The most recent figures for this winter are in my previous article "2003 collaring data." Also see "2001 collaring data."

The biggest wolf ever captured in Idaho, Montana or Wyoming was wolf 6M, the alpha male of the Crystal Creek Pack. One winter he was recollared by Dr. David Mech and Carter Niemeyer. He weighed 141 pounds. He had just eaten, and probably had 10 or more pounds of meat in his stomach. Despite his size, he was later killed by an elk which punctured his femoral artery (Niemeyer, 2003, telephone conversation). Both Niemeyer and Doug Smith said 3 or 4 males in the 135 pound range had been weighed over the years.

Niemeyer told me the Idaho wolves tended to be a little smaller than those in the Greater Yellowstone. They are, "more greyhound-like," he said.

Slinsky's article is not an isolated instance, although the anti-wolf folks tend to quote from each other. I was recently directed to what might be one of the seminal articles, apparently a public document: "Yellowstone is Dying: An Affidavit/Article to Secretary of Interior Gail Norton presented on our behalf by United States Senator Conrad Burns." June 1, 2002. By Robert Fanning, Jr. Fanning is on the board of a group called "Friends of the Northern Range Elk." They used to have a web site, but it seems to have disappeared. Many of the articles seem to be based on Fanning.

Not being able to make their case on the facts, they seem to make up things that will. On the other hand, perhaps they don't know how to acquire accurate information about these matters. Fanning, however, seems more interested in pushing an anti-environmental ideology than giving or refuting facts.

If you want to present some facts, who should you contact?

Unfortunately too many people contact Ed Bangs, Carter Niemeyer, and others who make the field decisions and handle the wolves.

Slinsky, on the other hand, suggests that believers in the "160 pound critters" concept should contact:
Assistant Secretary of Interior for Fish Wildlife and Parks
Craig Manson
US Dept. of Interior
1849 C Street NW
Washington DC 20240
(202) 208-5347
Craig_Manson@ios.doi.gov

Manson is a political appointee in an administration with an aversion to science. Unfortunately, people like Manson write, and change the rules and regulations governing wildlife.

Not to be reprinted, archived, redistributed, etc., without permission.
Ralph Maughan PO Box 8264, Pocatello, ID 83209