Where are the wolves?

by Cat Urbigkit

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reported last week that the Teton wolf pack, consisting of nine adult wolves, has denned in its usual location in Grand Teton National Park. Nine pups have been seen at the den site. According to the FWS weekly wolf report, cattle are being grazed in the park now, but they will not be near the den for another month or so. If wolves or grizzly bears kill cattle, the cattle will be moved, FWS reported.

On May 16, members of the Teton pack killed a calf on private property next to Grand Teton National Park. U.S.D.A. Wildlife Services was authorized to remove up to two wolves on that private property, but no wolves have been captured yet.

A Big Piney cattle producer had a wolf problem last month as well, according to FWS. Around May 20, a calf was killed on private land near Big Piney. Wildlife Services investigated the kill and confirmed it was wolf depredation. There are no known radio wolves or packs in that area, FWS reported. The wolf had not returned to the carcass, so no traps were set and no control effort is taking place.

Mike Jimenez of FWS said in an interview Tuesday that Sublette County doesn't have many wolves wearing radio-collars at the moment, so it's difficult to know where the wolves are. The Daniel Pack, which grew to large numbers last summer and fall, disappeared. Jimenez said his agency still hasn't located this pack, although it did pick up the carcasses of two pack members found dead in the Greys River area earlier this spring.

In other wolf news, the Denver Post reported this week that a Yellowstone National Park wolf was found dead long Interstate 70 near Idaho Springs (near Denver), Colo., last Saturday. The wolf was a yearling female and was reportedly wearing a radio collar during her nearly 500-mile journey. She was reportedly confirmed at Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park in mid-January.

One female wolf is known to be wandering the mountains from Green River Lakes into the Gros Ventre, Jimenez said. The Green River female, as she is known, is believed to be alone and no den site has been discovered, he said.

Wolves also killed two calves on private property near Dubois in the last few weeks. The Washakie wolf pack denned adjacent to this ranch, FWS reported, but other uncollared wolves have also been reported in the area. The ranch has had repeated wolf depredations in the past and is also extensively used by grizzly bears, making wolf trapping difficult. Agency control is being conducted, and the producer was given a shoot-on-sight permit, FWS stated.

FWS hired four seasonal biologists for this field season, two of which will be stationed in Wyoming. Liz Bradley and Jon Trapp will be stationed in Lander and will help monitor the wolf population.