Give Thanks For Wolves

Despite continued conflict, wolves are expanding to new areas across the Rockies. A wolf in Oregon known as OR-7 has dispersed from the northeast corner of the state, over the Cascades, and within 50 miles of California.

While the news this last year regarding wolves has often been worrisome, it has also been a year of important achievements and good transitions.  Top among those is the westward expansion of wolves in Oregon and Washington.

A single pioneering wolf has made his way through the Cascades and is within potential range of the northern Californian border.  If he reaches the state, he’ll be the first documented wild wolf in California since 1924, when the last known native California wolf was trapped and killed.

In Washington state, wolves have been dispersing westward as well. The Teanaway wolf pack is the state’s fourth documented wolf pack that lives less than 100 miles southeast of Seattle.  Only a month after this pack was found, a fifth pack was documented in the northeastern corner of the state and named the Smack Out pack after a nearby mountain.

Even in the heart of wolf country there is plenty to be thankful for. Our Wood River Wolf Project in central Idaho keeps picking up steam and gaining crucial support from local stakeholders. In a recent feature story that ran in the ag-friendly Capital Press, ranchers and county officials alike spoke favorably about the effectiveness of nonlethal deterrents:

Commissioner Larry Schoen believes such demonstrations help in understanding the economics of nonlethal options. He said lethal controls can never be taken off the table but should be the option of last resort.

“The goal here is to avoid the losses up front and not wait until livestock are killed and try to find the offending animal,” Schoen said.

Lava Lake ranch supports expansion of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game’s wolf radio collaring program to better track packs. They’ve found that nonlethal deterrents work best in combination.

“The nonlethal program has been very effective, and we’ve learned a lot working with all of the partners involved,” said Lava Lake official Tess O’Sullivan. “We intend to continue using nonlethal methods to protect our sheep.”

Participant John Faulkner found the turbo fladry worked better for neighbors with flat land than on his steep terrain. He’ll continue using spotlights to ward off wolves.

“They’ve done us some good, there’s no question about that,” Faulkner said. “The main thing that helped was (Defenders) had people out there who stayed up there all night.”

Hopefully, the idea of “coexistence” will continue to catch on across the region and help reduce the animosity that has stifled wolf recovery for far too long. Thanks to all our partners who have helped transform this idealistic dream into a practical reality.