From the ID Fish & Game Dept.:

Wolf Report: Wolves Spreading?

Another Idaho wolf has wandered into eastern Oregon – this one a radio-collared female wolf from the Timberline Pack.

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists just found the two- to three-year-old wolf in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest near the Eagle Cap Wilderness Area. The biologists had received reports of wolf activity in that area and were searching for missing wolf radio-collars from Idaho.

Idaho Fish and Game biologists had put a radio-collar on the wolf – identified as B-300 – northeast of Boise in August 2006.

Oregon biologists observed only a single wolf. But it was the fifth confirmed wolf to be found in Oregon.

In March 1999, a radio-collared female was captured near John Day and returned to Idaho. In 2000, a collared wolf was found dead along Interstate 84 south of Baker City, and a wolf without a radio collar was found shot between Ukiah and Pendleton. In July 2007, a mature female wolf was found dead from a gunshot wound in Union County.

All four wolves were from Idaho.

Wolves in the Eagle Cap Wilderness and other parts of eastern Oregon and Washington are included in the northern Rocky Mountain wolf population. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced its intention to remove this population from the endangered species list. A final rule is expected on February 29 and would take effect March 29.

Wolves would remain on the list in the rest of the two states.

In Idaho, four wolves from a pack that has killed at least two calves have been shot. This pack has been implicated in several depredations on cattle over the last few months.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services confirmed the Buffalo Ridge pack killed two calves in December on private land near Clayton. Aircrews killed three gray wolves in December. In January, they shot a fourth wolf from the pack along the East Fork of the Salmon River near Clayton.

Wolf biologists estimate the wolf population at the end of 2007 is about 730 wolves in 82 packs with 43 breeding pairs. Federal agents confirmed wolves killed 52 cattle, 170 sheep and six dogs. A total of 76 wolves were confirmed dead – 43 killed by federal predator control actions, seven by ranchers, and 26 died of other causes.

Meanwhile, research in Yellowstone National Park shows that early winter wolf predation fell back into its typical pattern of nearly all elk. Kills were about 40 percent calves, 40 percent bulls, and 20 percent old cows. The composition of prey varies from year-to-year and is probably related to relative vulnerability because of environmental variables, such as drought, forage quality, snow depth and time of year.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service considers the wolf recovered in the northern Rocky Mountains and has started the process to remove the wolf from the federal endangered species list. The Fish and Wildlife Service's weekly wolf reports as well as annual reports, can be viewed at http://westerngraywolf.fws.gov/.

I would like to see them all move to other states. Ron

They had still photos of this wolf on the news here over the weekend. Taken from an aircraft. Personally I think that they're probably already here and established in small numbers.

Last I heard that they are currently so protected here in Oregon that a rancher, even is he sees wolves in the process of killing his stock, he can't do anything and there is no compensation. This may have changed, as there was a lot of discussion going on about it.

Our deer and elk herds are in such bad shape. Once wolves are here in numbers, it might just put the deer/elk over the edge.

There have been credible reports of wolves as far west as the Strawberry Mountains in Grant County.
So, Oregon transplants sheep to Hells Canyon, which then swim the Snake river to Idaho.
Then Idaho's wolves swim the Snake to come into Oregon.

Seems to me that you Idahoans need to be coyote hunting more.

I like Nevada's thinking. There are no wolves in Nevada.
Ron

I wonder if they pay extra for those BIG coyote pelts? JMO, Dutch.

Not completely on topic here Tony but being a fellow Glendale resident I was wondering what you've heard on the Mexican wolves released in Eastern Arizona?? Anything we should be concerned with yet??

Ken....

About five years ago, a wolf tagged in Michigan was shot by a bowhunter near Trenton, Missouri. Obviously they do wander out from Idaho, Yellowstone Park, etc. Here is a story about it. I happen to know the fellow who shot it. http://www.wolf.org/wolves/news/iwmag/2002/spring/world.pdf

Wis wolves have ended up in IN. Iowa and SD.

Once the pack becomes to large they well spread into any area they are not shot and can find some thing to eat.

The myth that wolves need wilderness to survive has been disproven by the facts of were wolves live now.

They only needed wilderness because they were not shot there.

I would love to know where you got that info on wolves in Iowa. I've been waiting for them to show up and have a little wager going on this. They are running about 3 yrs late.

So, if you have a creditable source, I would love to hear of it.

Brent

Iowa DNR
Mountain lion, black bear, wolf, elk, moose, and armadillo have made appearances in the state. They probably have been wandering individuals, which is the first indicator of a species range expansion. Neighboring states have confirmed sightings of all these species.

http://www.iowadnr.com/education/wldresbs.html


Can Predators Threaten Iowa’s Deer Herd?
Believe it or not, wolves, bears and even cougars have been reported in Iowa! Could they, or coyotes, ever pose a threat to our deer?

http://www.iowagameandfish.com/hunting/whitetail-deer-hunting/ia_aa011905a/

No, the first is just speculation at best. I'm looking for the where, when, and who saw said wolf. The second article says nothing about wolves having returned to the state yet.

If there is a specific event behind the first article's speculation, that is what I'm looking for.

The cases made for lion, moose, bear, and elk are well known and extremely well documented. Wolves? I haven't seen it.