Wolf Weekly Wrap-up

Idaho proposes no-limit wolf hunt – Idaho Fish and Game officially released today their proposal for the fall wolf hunt, which includes no-limit quotas across most hunting zones and will allow widespread trapping to drastically reduce numbers. Here’s the Idaho Statesman’s take on why this is such a bad idea:

No quotas? That’s one way to drum up business.

But it’s no way to manage the wolf — perhaps the most closely scrutinized predator in the West. It is incumbent upon Idaho officials to show that they can make judicious decisions that ensure a balance between wolf and big-game populations.

That’s good science and good politics. Two things we’d like to see more of.

Read our press release here.

Poor plan for Wyoming’s wolves – Since it became clear in April that wolves would be delisted across most of the Northern Rockies, Wyoming has been pushing hard to cut a deal with the federal government that would allow the state to manage wolves as well. It looks like they will be getting their wish. Yesterday, Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead and Interior Sec. Ken Salazar announced that they “agree in principle” to a Wyoming wolf management plan that will allow wolves to be shot on sight across most of the state for most of the year. Wolves in Yellowstone National Park will remain under federal control, but it appears wolves everywhere else in the state will be treated as unwanted predators and could be killed without a permit. The only exception will be a “flex zone” during winter months to allow limited migration outside of the park and into Idaho. But wolves will still have to run the gauntlet in the flex zone where they will have trophy game status and thus could still be legally hunted.

Read our full press release and blog post. More than 6,000 Defenders supporters have already called the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service protesting Wyoming’s proposed plan. Thanks for your support! Click here to find out how to add your voice of opposition.

House bill would block legal challenge to wolf delistings – A subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives released its funding proposal for the Interior Department on Wednesday which included a veritable treasure trove of horrible anti-environmental provisions. Among them was a moratorium on protecting imperiled wildlife that has yet to be listed under the Endangered Species Act. Another provision would prevent any future legal challenge to final delisting rules for wolves in Wyoming and the western Great Lakes. So much for the public’s right to hold their government accountable for its bad decisions! Stay tuned as the bill makes its way through the House and over to the Senate. Read our press release on the bill.

Wood River crew discovers new wolf pack – For the fourth summer in a row, Defenders is sending an intrepid crew into the wilderness of central Idaho to help track wolf movements and keep them from snacking on the 10,000+ sheep that move through the area. The field crew arrived just last week, and within 48 hours on the job had already discovered a new pack! Crew leader Patrick Graham, a native Idahoan, was interviewed for Public News Service and reported in his field log that at least two adults and several pups responded with howls when he was out tracking them.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Look for ongoing field updates as the crew spends the summer safeguarding wolves and sheep.

Wolves (and Defenders) expand farther in Washington – Wolves are turning up in some surprising places these days, including not far from Seattle. The wolf pictured here was photographed in the Cascade Mountains just 90 miles east of the city. Defenders immediately leapt into action to lay the groundwork for promoting tolerance in the area by sending fladry to a rancher looking to protect his cattle. This is the first time Defenders has deployed proactive tools in the state to help livestock and wolves exist. Washington is now the fifth state (we’re already busy in Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Wyoming) in the Northern Rockies where Defenders has wolf coexistence projects on the ground. Way to go team!