Wolf Weekly Wrap-up

OR7 enters California – The Oregon wolf known as OR7 must have heard about all those “California girls.” After wandering hundreds of miles from his home in northeast Oregon, the lone male wolf has now crossed the border into northern California in search of a mate. Unfortunately, chances are he’ll be ringing in the New Year all by himself. But his remarkable journey into the Golden State marks a historic moment in the recovery of wolves across the West. Read a statement from Defenders President Jamie Rappaport Clark here.

Year in review – It’s hard to sum it up quicker than the Missoulian: “The year in wolves started and ended in Congress.” At least 2011 ended much better than it started. Just before leaving for holiday recess, Congress yanked a controversial wolf rider from the FY2012 budget bill. The provision would have prevented American citizens from challenging Wyoming’s ill-conceived plan to declare “open season” on wolves across most of the state, including in our national forests. Still, the budget rider approved in April removing federal protections for wolves in the Northern Rockies was a bitter pill to swallow.

Defenders on Aljazeera – Our field conservation director Nancy Gloman appeared on Aljazeera English last week to share our concerns about plans to kill up to 75 wolves in Idaho in order to boost elk numbers. As Nancy points out, not only is the aerial gunning of wolves an inappropriate step for Wildlife Services to be taking, it’s unlikely to have the desired effect without addressing other causes of elk decline in  the area. Watch the full segment below:

What makes a wolf? – An interesting story from Scientific American takes a look at a difficult question: what is the difference between wolves and coyotes? As it turns out, the picture gets very complicated since there are several subspecies of wolf and a number of wolf-coyote hybrids, all of which share many of the same genes. The difference isn’t a trivial matter, since genetic distinctions are used to direct conservation efforts. Only distinct species or subspecies that are at risk of extinction can be protected under the Endangered Species Act. So if a particular wolf-coyote hybrid is considered to be the same as another, it is less likely to warrant federal protections. Further work by scientists will help determine which species have distinct genes that need to be preserved.

Speaking truth to power – Wolf mythology still reigns in much of the West where anti-wolf extremists try to blame wolves for every cow that goes missing and every failed elk outing. So it’s a good thing that there are people like Garrick Dutcher to set the record straight. Garrick and his wife started Living with Wolves, a nonprofit dedicated to educating those who live in wolf country about their new neighbors. This week he wrote a column for the Idaho Mountain Express to correct misinformation from Frank Priestley, president of the Idaho Farm Bureau. Dutcher points out, contrary to Priestley’s misstatements, that:

• Many more wolf tags were sold this year than in 2009 (31,645 in 2011 vs. 26,428 in 2009)
• More wolves have been harvested so far this year than in 2009 (196 in 2011 vs. 135 in 2009)
• The overall estimated wolf population in Idaho has actually decreased in recent years (from 846 in 2008 to 705 in 2010)
• Typically, only one female in a pack breeds in a year (only twice in 7 years has Fish and Game recorded more than one female breeding in a single pack)

These numbers show that Idaho’s aggressive wolf management is indeed taking a toll on the wolf population.