Wolf population grows by a third

By KARIN RONNOW Chronicle Staff Writer

Montana’s wolf population increased 34 percent over the past year, to an estimated 422 wolves in 73 packs, the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks reported Thursday.

The wolves are nearly equally distributed between northern and southern Montana, according to the agency’s annual wolf report, although the bulk of the population growth was in northwestern and far western Montana, where it increased by about 92 wolves, to 213.

In the Greater Yellowstone area, the population increased by 14 wolves, to 209.

Some of the growth can be chalked up to the birth of at least 163 wolf pups last year, the FWP report noted. But there were other reasons, too.

“Our monitoring is getting better and we have hunters, landowners and many others taking the time to tell us where and when they see wolves or wolf sign,” Carolyn Sime, the FWP’s wolf management coordinator in Helena, said in a written statement.

Wolves are still listed under the Endangered Species Act. Delisting was set for late March, but lawsuits are expected to delay that.

While the numbers are growing, 102 wolf deaths were recorded last year, according to FWP. Seventy-three of those followed livestock killings; seven were killed illegally; and six were hit by vehicles or trains. The others died from a variety of causes common in the wild n from poor health to old age.

“Despite the loss of 102 wolves, the Montana wolf population is still very secure,” according to the written statement on the report.

As for conflicts with ranchers, the FWP reported an increase in the number of confirmed cattle deaths due to wolves, from 32 to 75, and an increase in the number of sheep deaths, from four to 27.

Two llamas and three dogs also were confirmed killed by wolves, according to the report.

“We know Montana’s wolves inhabit places where people live, work and recreate,” Sime said. “We expect and try to anticipate conflicts and gear much of our wolf-management work toward helping landowners reduce the risk of livestock depredations.”

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service planned to delist the gray wolves in the Northern Rockies n Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and parts of Washington and Utah n on March 28. The recovery goal, at least 300 wolves for three consecutive years, was reached in 2002 and has been exceeded every year since, according to FWP.

Federal law requires annual reports on the recovery effort.

This year’s update also noted that Montana’s wolf population included 39 breeding pairs, 23 pairs in northwestern Montana and 16 in southern Montana, the report noted.

And it estimated the total number of wolves in Wyoming and Idaho at 359 and 732 respectively.

The annual wolf conservation and management report is online at fwp.mt.gov, click on “Montana Wolves.” People can also report wolf sightings online, which helps wildlife management officials verify “the activity, distribution, and pack sizes of Montana’s recovered wolf population,” according to FWP.

For a regional perspective, annual reports from Idaho and Wyoming, along with information about wolves in Yellowstone National Park and the Northern Rockies as a whole are available online at http://westerngraywolf.fws.gov.

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