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A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER FALL 2002

Living with Wolf–Sheep Conflict, page 4

Wolf Research: The Electronic Revolution, page 8

Grazing Permit Retirement, page 11 Cover.fall 02 7/22/02 11:15 AM Page 2

Due to the generosity of two of WE HAVE BEEN our longtime members, we will receive $5,000 to fund our new CHALLENGED! Wolf Outreach Education Program. Our Wolf But there is a catch. Education Program For every dollar that they give us, needs your help. we need to raise one of our own. Your support will help our Outreach Education Program teach many more people about the essential role the wolf plays in keeping our wilderness wild. Please give generously! We can double the impact of every dollar that you give.

Thank you. Lori Schmidt

Please send your checks or credit card contributions to: International Wolf Center Challenge 1396 Highway 169 • Ely, MN USA 55731-8129 Call 1-800-ELY WOLF or visit our Web site at: www.wolf.org All contributions are tax-deductible.

TM JOIN THE PACK FOR WOLF WEEK at the Minnesota Zoo October 17–20, 2002 • 9am–4pm Join the Minnesota Zoo and the International Wolf Center to learn more about wolves during Wolf Week, 2002. Learn about the Zoo’s conservation efforts with the Mexican Wolf Program. Talk to the Zoo keepers who care for the wolves. Visit booth displays representing various wolf organizations. Costumed characters from the International Wolf Center and kids’ “wolf-centered” activities make this a fun and educational event for all ages. Register to win prizes each day. Call 952.431.9200 for more information about Family Zoo adventure classes and event SPECIAL schedules or visit our Web site: GUEST MIKE SPEAKER PHILLIPS www.mnzoo.org Executive Director of the Turner Endangered Species Fund Thursday, October 17 • 7:30pm Zoo Theater • Call 952.431.9200 IntWolf.fall 02 7/22/02 12:04 PM Page 1

THE QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER VOLUME 12, NO. 3 FALL 2002 Features Departments 4 2 As a Matter of Fact Living in Wolf Country 3 From the Executive Director Many sheep producers in northern Minnesota’s wolf range have left the sheep business because International Wolf Center of depredation by wolves. Can guard dogs solve 14 Notes From Home the wolf–livestock conflict? Janet McNally 17 Tracking the Pack ynn & Donna Rogers/www.bearstudy.org L 8 18 Wolves of the World A Brief History of Wolf 22 Personal Encounter Research: Part II Much early science on wolves was based on 25 News and Notes indirect evidence of behavior. An electronic revo-

Luke Eidenschink lution has given scientists a way of monitoring Wild Kids an animal that is difficult to find and watch. 26 11 Steve Grooms 28 A Look Beyond Permit Retirement and Wolves On The Cover Livestock production on public lands remains a key barrier to the Photo by Tom Brakefield widespread restoration of wolves in the West. The National Public Lands Grazing Campaign has launched a drive to implement a potential solution: the voluntary permit retirement program. George Wuerthner Janet McNally IntWolf.fall 02 7/22/02 12:04 PM Page 2

Publications Director Mary Ortiz Magazine Coordinator Carissa L.W. Knaack Consulting Editor Mary Keirstead Technical Editor L. David Mech Graphic Designer Tricia Hull

International Wolf (1089-683X) is published quarterly and copyrighted, 2002, by the International Wolf Center, 3300 Bass Lake Rd, Minneapolis, MN 55429, USA. e-mail: [email protected]. All rights reserved. Publications agreement no. 1536338 Membership in the International Wolf Center includes a subscription to International Wolf magazine, free admission to the Center, and discounts on programs and merchandise. • Lone Wolf member- ships are U.S. $30 • Wolf Pack $50 • Wolf Associate $100 • Wolf Sponsor $500 • Alpha Wolf $1000. Canada and other countries, add U.S. $15 per year for airmail postage, $7 for surface postage.

Contact the International Wolf Center, ynn & Donna Rogers/www.bearstudy.org L 1396 Highway 169, Ely, MN 55731-8129, USA; e-mail: [email protected]; phone: 1-800-ELY-WOLF What are the jaw pressure and number of International Wolf is a forum for airing facts, ideas and attitudes about wolf- teeth of a wolf compared to a human’s? related issues. Articles and materials printed in International Wolf do not he biting capacity of a wolf is 1,500 pounds of pressure per square inch. necessarily reflect the viewpoint of the TA human has a much lower biting pressure of 300 pounds per square inch. International Wolf Center or its board The massive molars and powerful jaws of a wolf are used to crush the bones of directors. of its prey. The strength of a wolf’s jaws enables it to bite through a moose International Wolf welcomes submissions ■ of personal adventures with wolves and femur in six to eight bites. Wolves have 42 teeth, whereas humans have 32. wolf photographs (especially black and white). Prior to submission of other In the most recent assessment, types of manuscripts, address queries New Question what is the number of gray to Mary Ortiz, publications director. wolf subspecies populating International Wolf is printed entirely North America? with soy ink on recycled and recyclable paper (text pages contain 20% post- consumer waste, cover paper contains 10% post-consumer waste). We encourage CORRECTION you to recycle this magazine. The photo on page 16 of the Spring 2002 issue of International Wolf was mistakenly credited to the International Wolf PHOTOS: Unless otherwise noted, or obvious from the caption or article text, Center. The photo was taken by Dan Groebner. photos are of captive wolves.

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INTERNATIONAL From the Chair of the Board WOLF CENTER

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Nancy jo Tubbs Chair A New Vision Dr. L. David Mech Vice Chair hat will the world look like if we at the International Wolf Center do our Dr. Rolf O. Peterson Secretary job well? Here is our answer: Paul B. Anderson The International Wolf Center envisions a world in which populations W Treasurer of wolves thrive well distributed in many more parts of their native range. A global system of designated wildlands supports abundant habitat and prey for wolves and Dr. Larry D. Anderson other large carnivores. The Center provides useful scientific information and learning Thomas T. Dwight opportunities to diverse individuals and groups, and supports well-informed dialogue Nancy Gibson Hélène Grimaud about management of wolf–human conflict. As a result, more humans Cornelia Hutt adopt an attitude of respect toward wolves. As informed participants, Dr. Robert Laud humans create policy and act in support of ecological sustainability, Mike Phillips which includes the survival of wolf populations. In day-to-day life, Dr. Robert Ream more humans accept coexistence with wolves. Paul Schurke That vision set the tone two years ago for the work of the Center’s Teri Williams new Strategic Planning Committee, Board of Directors and staff. Using a self-assessment tool designed by renowned business strategist Peter EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Drucker, we also defined “changing the lives of populations of wolves” Walter M. Medwid Nancy jo Tubbs as the organization’s bottom-line goal. Education is still our tool, to be sharpened and to serve audiences who can make measurable differences to wolves. MISSION Our members, donors and other educators remain the heart link in this work, telling The International Wolf the wolf’s story in schools and to friends, legislators and media. We asked ourselves Center advances the survival and the wolf biologists who work in wolf recovery who else the Center needs to reach. of wolf populations by teaching about wolves, their Our new audiences, one said, should include people in love or in conflict with wolves. relationship to wild lands and We need to talk and listen to rural people who own guns and live among wolves, thehuman role in their future. and whose livestock, pets and hunting interests are affected by wolves. We also need Educational services and to listen and talk to urban people whose view of the wolf may be more romantic than informational resources realistic. Offering information that points audiences toward coexistence with the are available at: real wolf is a continuing challenge for the Center. 1396 Highway 169 International Wolf and our Web site (www.wolf.org) are windows through which we Ely, MN 55731-8129, USA share many views of the wolf’s world. Here you will read about the trials of ranchers 1-800-ELY-WOLF 1-218-365-4695 working in wolf country as well as the spiritual meaning that comes to some people’s e-mail address: lives from meeting a wolf in the wild. If we are to attain coexistence with the wolf, we [email protected] need to draw on compassion for each other and courage to listen to each other’s stories. Web site: http://www.wolf.org Thank you for joining us at the window. ■

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LLIVINGIVING ININ WWOLFOLF classic wolf howl, of a large portion of the answered by innu- Great Lakes region, much of Amerable squabbling our grazing land interfaces puppy voices in the tama- COUNCOUNTRYTRY intimately with wildlife rack bog, signaled the arrival habitat. This benefits some of our first wolves in 1991. Text and photos by wildlife species, but conflicts I contemplated the news J ANET McNALLY can arise with predators. with mixed emotions. Awed Throughout the 1980s though I was to have just we successfully prevented witnessed a wolf pack rendezvous, I was uneasy. It depredation from coyotes, dogs, foxes and bears by using was too close to home for comfort. We live in east-central one or two livestock guarding dogs. Livestock guarding Minnesota, an area once thought to be uninhabitable dogs are specially bred dogs that have been used in the by wolves because of the high density of people, farms mountainous parts of Europe and Central Asia for nearly as and roads. long as man has tended sheep. When properly reared, these My farm consists of many small (10- to 40-acre) unique dogs develop social bonds with the livestock they pastures interspersed by swamps, woodlands and neigh- are bred to protect. The dogs display aggressive behavior boring farms. Most of the land is leased from neighbors that keeps the intruder out of the flock, or they gather the desiring to maintain a green firebreak around their sheep together and move them away from danger. If more homesteads, or is not suitable for cropping. While not than one dog is available, both strategies may be used. All productive under the plow, most of this land produces guarding dog breeds are large (90 to 150 pounds), and outstanding clover pastures. I make my living harvesting many have a distinctive heavy white coat. Most people are this clover with grazing animals. Our flock consists of familiar with the Great Pyrenees from France and Spain, 200 to 300 breeding sheep and 10 to 30 beef cows. Typical but there are many other breeds. An outstanding feature of

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these dogs is their willingness to stay experts to determine the cause of neighborhood. The wolves displaced with and protect the livestock they death. Without physical evidence, the the local coyote population. Our are raised with. producer cannot prove anything. I am farm was essentially wedged between My previous success with deterring not alone. Surveys of sheep producers a population of wolves and coyotes. coyotes left me somewhat confident suggest that only 1 in 10 sheep killed Our losses to both wolves and that we could handle wolves. But by wolves is found. With no proof and coyotes totaled 75 newborn lambs I was naive. My learning curve no compensation, most producers see in just a few weeks. Our dogs were commenced quickly, however, and I only one solution: to exit the business simply overwhelmed and overworked, soon discovered the wolf is not a large before they lose everything. Close to and despite our best efforts, our coyote. As of today, my predator losses 60 percent of the sheep producers in fences proved to be ineffective at total 93 sheep, a loss of over $12,000, parts of northern Minnesota’s wolf deterring the predators. despite having invested in several zone have left the sheep business Fencing is problematic. Even a experienced guard dogs and electric during a decade of rapid wolf fortress of a fence can be heaved up fencing. Of the 93 sheep, very few expansion. This is double the average by frost, drifted over by snow, or dug were ever found. There simply was attrition of 30 percent outside the wolf under by a wolf. With over eight nothing to find. Most were young zone for the same period. miles of fence, much of it along lambs. Unlike coyotes and foxes, a As my encounters with wolves rough land, wolf-proof fencing wolf eats everything, leaving only increased, I added more electrified proved unaffordable and physically “crumbs” scarcely bigger than a pinkie fencing and guard dogs. In 1999, unmanageable for a commercial-sized fingernail, when it eats a small lamb. with most of the sheep inside a high- livestock operation such as ours. Because I had no carcass as tensile, five-strand electrified fence The frightened and plaintive barks evidence, I was not eligible for touted at the time as predator-proof, of the dogs led me to another compensation through the Minnesota four adult guard dogs and floodlights discovery. The dogs need backup. Department of Agriculture (MDA) in four of the pastures, I experienced While dogs find it sporting to chase program designed to compensate the greatest losses yet. The timing coyotes with confidence, the same producers for wolf-killed livestock. was bad. Just months before lambing dogs behave differently with wolves. To receive compensation, producers began, a wolf pack moved into the When alone in the presence of must present carcass remains to wolves, the dogs seek refuge in the

Livestock guard dogs protect sheep in a variety of ways. Here Jack and Jake follow the trail of a coyote. They will follow the trail to just outside the pasture and then leave scent marks on the trail and around the perimeter of the pasture.

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flock or sometimes abandon the sector). Unable to penetrate the now can be trained only 1 or 2 at a time, sheep and seek out another guard fortified dog pack, the wolves moved it may take years to go from owning dog for security. Perhaps the dogs on just before lambing began. 3 dogs to 10 dogs. With no reserve even need to outnumber the wolf Rotational grazing is perhaps the of trained dogs available in the pack to be truly effective. I have best substitute for tending a flock United States, it is impossible to noted that in parts of Europe, where with a herder, as the herder’s primary respond quickly to a sudden increase sheep have existed in mountainous job is to keep the sheep together and in the predator population such as regions inhabited by wolves for to move them to fresh grass. With might happen when a pack colonizes thousands of years, some flocks rotational grazing, the fencing and new territory. Some method of crisis are guarded by as many as eight or sheep are moved frequently. Instead intervention is needed to protect more dogs. It is also more common of allowing livestock access to the farms when they are caught un- in Europe for guard dogs to be entire farm at once, they are given prepared with a sudden change in unneutered. If using more dogs is just a small fresh portion each day. the predator population. the key, U.S. sheep producers need The relatively small pasture size used My biggest worry is the most to hear the word, as it has been with rotational grazing keeps the vulnerable point in the year: lambing. customary to run just one dog with sheep within the protective custody While rotational grazing with a pack a flock to prevent depredation from of the dogs. Rotational grazing also of dogs has been an effective strategy coyotes and domestic dogs. A dog benefits soil and water in addition after lambing is complete, it is not a to helping guard suitable strategy during lambing. dogs protect Baby lambs will not travel very far their charges. from their birth spot and become Wolves seem lost when moved. Recommended Canada to be fascinated solutions to depredation include MINNESOTA by sheep and lambing indoors and sheepherders. will persistently The cost of these methods must be Hinckley check back every pitted against the harsh economic night, sometimes realities of the sheep business in a St. Paul WISCONSIN hanging out for global market, which often leaves hours. If the little room for environmental MICHIGAN sheep are heavily concerns. Lambing indoors means United States guarded, after a added costs – feed, bedding, labor number of visits, and manure removal – often totaling the wolves leave $16 extra per ewe. A sheepherder for an extended costs $28 per ewe for a season for Current wolf range in the northern Great Lakes region. time, maybe for 200 ewes, while six guard dogs cost several months. $11 per ewe. A depredation rate of Since we have 12 percent will cost the producer $15 alone is in serious jeopardy when increased our dog numbers, the per ewe. With the net returns per confronted by wolves, and most last few wolf visits have lasted only ewe often only $15 to $25, guard guard dogs are smart enough to a few days. dogs provide the most affordable, the know that. Perhaps being outnumbered by most flexible and the most effective In 2001, wolves returned. This guard dogs is the key to convincing method, although they are not always time, a pack of three took up resi- wolves to leave sheep alone, or a foolproof solution. dence nearby and came to check out perhaps using unneutered dogs Will guard dogs solve the wolf– the sheep every night for a month. somehow sends a stronger message livestock conflict? For producers who A repeat of the 1999 fiasco seemed to a wolf pack. But I am still cautious are committed to making it work, probable. But by this time, I had about depending on dogs as the they provide a viable option that can six dogs, and lambing had not begun. sole tool in the box. One reason is minimize depredation. While no I was able to place all of the dogs and that wolf populations can quickly solution is 100 percent wolf-proof, sheep together into one group, fluctuate. One year a producer may dogs can prevent losses from becoming moving them frequently (known as have just a pair of wolves; the next devastating. Sheep producers who rotational grazing in the farming year he may be facing 10. Since dogs use livestock guard dogs seem to be

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Left: Fencing out predators has its downfalls. The fence shown here was installed by a professional three years ago with the bottom wire 6 inches off the ground, and posts driven 6 feet deep. The forces of freezing and thawing have pushed it out far enough to permit a wolf to easily enter the pasture.

Above: This electrified netting will baffle predators for a while, but as Jack demonstrates, can easily be jumped. Fencing alone is not sufficient to deter wolves.

Livestock guard dogs have been selected and trained for centuries to protect livestock from wolves.

less fearful and more tolerant of who find themselves listening to a Janet McNally is a sheep and beef predators. But for guard dogs to new chorus in the tamaracks. ■ producer living in Minnesota just provide the kind of resolution people south of the designated “wolf zone.” She has been raising sheep for are looking for, a great deal of 28 years and is a public speaker/ knowledge and support needs to be consultant on pastoral methods made available to farmers and ranchers of sheep production.

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A Brief History of Wolf Research PART II by STEVE GROOMS

Illustrations by Luke Eidenschink olf research has come a long way in a short time. By the middle of the 20th century, decades of ferocious persecution had radically reduced W wolf numbers and shrunk wolf range to a fraction of its former size. The wary survivors were ghostlike inhabitants of North America’s densest wilderness. That situation plus the wolf’s tendency to wander a broad range made it difficult to find and observe wolves. Much early science on wolves was based on indirect evidence of behavior such as tracks, scats and kill sites. What was needed was a way of keeping track of an animal that was difficult to find and watch. What was needed was an electronic revolution that would give scientists a way of monitoring an intelligent and wary animal that had learned to avoid humans at all costs. Radio Telemetry Collars

HISTORY: The radio collar is a rugged collar fitted Forest in the late 1960s, L. David Mech was one of the with a device that emits a beeping radio signal for up earliest researchers to use radio collars to study wolves. to six years. Researchers waving what looks like a small television antenna can pinpoint the location ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES: Radio collars of an animal wearing a radio collar. Ground-based give researchers an effective way to locate individual researchers can detect these signals a mile away, wolves. Telemetry collars yield data on the movements whereas airborne researchers can pick up the signals of a particular wolf over time. Radio collars enable from distances as great as 15 miles. researchers to follow wolves at all times of year, not Illinois engineer William Cochran pioneered radio mainly in winter. Even when a collared wolf cannot telemetry with wildlife when he attached a radio trans- be seen with the eye, researchers gain valuable data mitter to a rabbit in when they pinpoint the wolf’s location. Modern radio 1960. Working in collars can also indicate whether a wolf is moving, the Superior inactive or dead. National The main limitation of telemetry collars is the need for a human to collect the data. Wolves can travel out of the range of a receiver and become lost from a study. Because it is difficult to monitor radio collars at night on the ground (and impossible with an airplane), radio collars mainly disclose wolves’ continued on next page

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Satellite Collars HISTORY: During the mid-1990s, Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) technology was HISTORY: Satellite collars have been used for 30 incorporated into collars. GPS collars receive years to track large mammals but only became light signals from a special set of 24 satellites, calcu- enough for wolves in the past decade. These collars late the location of the wolf, the time and the are basically telemetry collars that transmit signals date, and store the data in the collar. to Argos satellites. The satellites calculate the Some GPS collars drop off after they acquire a approximate location of the animal and send the full set of data so a researcher can retrieve the data to the researcher’s computer. collar and access the stored information. Some ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES: Satellite-based locations are models store data that can be accessed remotely only accurate to about half a mile, so the main use of satellite collars is by a researcher in the field. Other models send to track long-distance movements of wolves wherever they go. Besides data directly to satellites, which pass the data the advantage of being able to automatically follow wolves wherever back to the researcher’s computer. they go, day and night, regardless of weather, satellite collars also minimize the biologist’s field time. Once a wolf is outfitted with a ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES: GPS collar, field time is over; the data are analyzed as they come into a collars track wolf movements with great desktop computer. One disadvantage, however, is that satellite collars precision (within a few feet) and offer a great usually last only 6 to 18 months, depending on how frequently they many more data points so that a wolf’s move- locate the wolf. ments can be analyzed virtually continuously. GPS collars make it possible to map the RESEARCH ISSUES: Because of the above advantages and disad- travels of wolves in difficult terrain (such as vantages, satellite collars are usually used for two main purposes: (1) in nearly roadless Alaska) where researchers to monitor seasonally migrating wolves such as those in Canada that on the ground lack the mobility to follow may follow migrating caribou for hundreds of miles north and south, wolf movements. and (2) to follow long-distance dispersing wolves. The two key disadvantages are high cost ($3,000, 12 times the cost of a simple telemetry collar) and a short usable lifespan (3 to 12 months) due to the many data collections. continued from page 8 Some of that initial cost is recaptured because it costs less to monitor these collars. Typical daylight behavior. Before a wolf can be collared, data capacity for a GPS collar is 2,000 locations. it must usually be trapped, a step that requires expensive fieldwork and sometimes a bit of luck. RESEARCH ISSUES: The precision and The telemetry collar revolutionized wolf research and frequency of data collection by GPS collars still probably gives more “bang for the buck” than any allow researchers to study how wolves use other single research aid. various portions of their range, such as the way they choose specific routes. Additionally, RESEARCH ISSUES: Telemetry collars show GPS collars tell researchers much about wolf researchers where wolves go and how they spend activity patterns. time. That breaks down into many smaller issues. Radio collars gave the first solid information about the dramatic movements of dispersing wolves. Radio- collared wolves continue to show researchers a great deal about wolf territory: its size, its relation to the territories of other packs, the variables that affect it and so on. Using telemetry, researchers can locate packs from airplanes in winter and study pack size (and thus population size) and such complex behavior as hunting techniques.

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DNA Analysis

HISTORY: Basic science by Watson and Crick allowed scientists to create the new field of DNA sequence analysis. The analysis of wolf DNA began in the 1980s.

ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES: The analysis of wolf DNA opens vast new areas of research, allowing researchers to find answers to questions that previously were unknowable. The work can be slow and painstaking, but it Visual Observation: Yellowstone offers great potential. HISTORY: When wolves were reintroduced into Yellowstone RESEARCH ISSUES: Using DNA sequencing, National Park in 1995, most biologists predicted wolves might be researchers are answering critical questions heard but rarely seen by park visitors. They were wrong. The open about the uniqueness and developmental history vistas of Yellowstone favor long-distance wildlife observation. For of the red wolf. DNA analyses allow researchers reasons not understood, many of the park’s wolves quickly became to determine the genetic relatedness of members comfortable with the presence of humans and made no special effort of a single pack or even genetic relatedness to keep out of sight. This has resulted in an unanticipated and excep- between members of different but nearby packs. tionally exciting opportunity for researchers to observe wolf behavior. DNA research offers insights into the past and likely future of isolated wolf populations, such ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES:The obvious advantage of the as the one on Isle Royale. Genetic research may spectacular wolf observation opportunities in Yellowstone is be an important way of estimating the that virtually the whole range of wolf behavior can now be size and long-term health of wolf monitored and filmed. In just a few years Yellowstone wolf populations. observations have produced stunning discoveries and surprises. The single disadvantage is that it is difficult to know how representative this behavior might be. That is, researchers cannot be sure the behavior of reintroduced wolves in this one park is typical of the behavior of wolves in other settings, where humans are dangerous and prey are harder to locate.

RESEARCH ISSUES: Park observations have produced especially rich observations of wolf hunting and killing behavior, but the park has also made it possible for researchers to observe and film the whole range of wolf behavior except life underground in dens. Amazingly enough, the oldest wolf research technology— just watching wolves—is now producing some of the most exciting scientific results. ■

Steve Grooms has been writing about wolf management since 1976. He is the author of the book The Return of the Wolf, and serves on International Wolf magazine’s advisory committee.

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PePermitrmit RetRetirementirement andand WWolvesolves by GEORGE WUERTHNER

quick review of the western wolf recovery The Problem program demonstrates that we can restore A wolves to the landscape. In places like Yellowstone National Park and the Central Idaho Wilderness, wolves are thriving. But if you go beyond these few special areas, there is another disturbing trend: nearly all of the wolf packs whose territories significantly overlap areas with domestic livestock eventually wind up dead or removed. The recent killing by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of the Whitehawk pack in Idaho, and the Dome Mountain, Gravelly Range and Nine Mile wolves in Montana, all in the name of livestock protection, merely highlights this problem. While wolves in livestock-free zones like Yellowstone are thriving, the real goal of restoring the ecological and evolutionary influences of a large predator across the landscape is not being realized. A few token populations in Yellowstone or the Central Idaho Wilderness— as wonderful as that may be—do not really contribute to the long- term biodiversity goal of restoring wolves as the top predator on ynn & Donna Rogers/www.bearstudy.org the public lands of the West. L Though the sheep and cow losses to wolves are greatly exaggerated by the livestock industry (domestic dogs killed 10 times as many domestic animals in Montana last year as wolves did), the restoration of wolves is nearly universally opposed by livestock interests. And it is the presence of livestock that more than any factor determines the fate of wolf restoration goals in the West.

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often with little direct super- These issues loom large in western BLM State Jurisdiction vision from ranchers, what wolf recovery efforts because livestock BLM Administered Lands some call the “Columbus” are found nearly everywhere except method of animal husbandry. for the few livestock-free parks and They put their cows out on the preserves. Nearly 90 percent of all range in the spring and come BLM lands are leased for livestock back in the fall and “discover” production, 69 percent of all U.S. how many are left alive. Such Forest Service lands, and even a signif- lax animal husbandry gives icant number of western livestock wolves and other predators refuges and national parks. Indeed, many opportunities to snatch overall more than 300 million acres of a cow or sheep. the West including state and federal Even so-called “predator- lands are leased for livestock produc- friendly” livestock operations tion. That is an area as large as the can have a negative effect on eastern seaboard states from Maine to Nearly 90 percent of all BLM lands are leased for livestock production. overall wolf recovery in Florida with Missouri thrown in— several ways. First, there is a sizable tract of land by anyone’s Western ranchers have successfully no free lunch. Currently the majority standards. There are few large tracts of externalized one of their costs of of forage is allotted to livestock, public land outside of Yellowstone and production, namely, protecting their leaving less to support native herbi- the Central Idaho Wilderness where animals from predators by simply vores. This can and often does signif- there are no livestock; thus livestock eliminating the predators. Rather than icantly reduce the overall number of production remains a key barrier to spend money on animal husbandry prey animals available to wolves. the widespread restoration of wolves practices that could reduce or Second, the mere presence of in the West. eliminate most predator–livestock domestic livestock displaces many conflicts, such as use of shepherds, ungulate species, including mule guard animals, lambing and calving deer, elk and antelope. Displacement The Solution sheds, night penning animals to can sometimes push native reduce predator opportunities, and herbivores into habitat that is less emoving livestock from public rapid removal and disposal of animal desirable, making them more vulner- Rlands would significantly reduce carcasses to avoid attracting predators able to weather, low forage quality conflicts between livestock and to the area, western livestock and other impacts that may reduce wolves (there would still be some on producers have simply extirpated the their overall numbers. private lands), plus would benefit wolf from the landscape. But this Third, dead animals that are left other native species, from trout to “solution” comes at the expense of lying in the landscape act as attrac- bison. Although the courts and wolf supporters and the land, which tants for wolves. Wolves often get federal agencies for years have needs a top predator to maintain its their first taste of beef or lamb asserted that livestock grazing evolutionary influences. through consumption of dead permits are a privilege, not a right, Due to the aridity that characterizes animals, and then later turn to killing federal agencies seldom reduce live- the West, livestock must roam widely live animals. By creating the condi- stock numbers or close an allotment, to find sufficient forage. That means tions that can turn a wolf into a even when there is clear evidence animal are spaced over vast acreage, livestock killer, even a predator- of ecological abuse or conflicts friendly producer can contribute to with other public values — such as the death of wolves if they wind up wolf restoration. killing livestock elsewhere.

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In response to these realities, the A permit retirement program few large areas without livestock. National Public Lands Grazing could be especially useful in resolving In the end everyone wins. The Campaign (NPLGC) has launched western livestock–wolf conflicts. In ranchers get a tidy windfall profit. a drive to implement a potential solu- many cases, conflicts occur in the same The taxpayers ultimately save money. tion: the voluntary permit retirement places over and over because some And wolf supporters can see the program. Under this proposal, if places are just better habitat for day when wolves are free to roam approved by Congress, any rancher wolves. If ranchers in these areas unfettered not only in Yellowstone or who volunteers to relinquish his or elected to terminate their grazing the Central Idaho Wilderness but her public lands grazing permit would allotments, the major source of conflict perhaps on hundreds of millions of be paid $175 for each AUM (an AUM would be removed, creating the acres of the West. is a measure of the forage consumed potential for greater wolf recovery For more information on the by one cow and calf per month) they throughout the West, not just in permit retirement program see grazed on public lands. For instance, the few presently livestock-free zones. NPLGC’s Web site at www.public a rancher grazing 200 cows for 12 A permit retirement program may landsranching.org. ■ months of the year would receive be essential if we are ever to recover a one-time payment of $420,000. the Mexican wolf in the Southwest George Wuerthner is an ecologist, The payment would be awarded once or reestablish wolves in places like writer, and photographer based in Eugene, Oregon. He has written 28 the federal agency permanently closed Oregon or Colorado, which have books on natural history topics. the allotment to all future commercial plenty of potential wolf habitat but livestock grazing. Ranchers would be free to use the money any way they chose. They could invest the money and retire. They could pay off the bank. They could buy more private land to expand their ranching operations. If all 23,000 permittees opted to close out their grazing allotments, the overall cost of this program could exceed $3 billion dollars. Despite this cost, terminating grazing permits would still be a saving to taxpayers. Administration of the public lands livestock program is estimated to cost a minimum of $500 million annually. And this cost does not include any of the many ecological costs associated with livestock production, such as destruction of riparian areas, degradation of water quality, the spread of weeds, loss of wildlife habitat and so forth. Given the current annual expenditures of the public, the permit retirement would have a payback in less than six years.

While wolves in livestock-free zones like Yellowstone are thriving, the real goal of restoring the ecological and evolutionary influences of a large predator across the ynn & Donna Rogers/www.bearstudy.org landscape is not being realized. L

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INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER Notes From Home

Concert Celebrated Wolves and Wolf Center Grimaud performed the Center member Kathy concert on Valentine’s Day Davies exclaimed, “It was at the Belford, home of one of the most exhilarating Elinor Watson Bell. She and soul-satisfying musical and Dr. and Mrs. Ford Bell experiences I’ve ever had.” hosted this extraordinary Others called it “euphoric.” event. Center founder The Center benefit was Dr. David Mech introduced a success. The education Grimaud, revealing his program was greatly intense interest in music. enhanced with the funds Ever eager to learn more raised from the event. In about music, Mech jokingly addition, members met a told the guests that he stellar piano soloist who and Grimaud frequently devotes her endless energy have question-and-answer to music and wolves. sessions, trading between Grimaud began her music music and wolves. Grimaud career at the age of 13 at reminded the guests “that the Paris Conservatory, the International Wolf performing her first concert Center has been the leader the following year. At age for dispelling myths about 15, she recorded her first t was not a wolves and that good CD, and nine more have Inormal night information and wild followed. Holding a degree for wolves: city places are critical for their in animal behavior,

International Wolf Center International Wolf lights lingered, survival.” Grimaud joined the and no howls Within the first minute International Wolf Center echoed off of Beethoven’s Piano Sonata, board in 2000. With famed granite rocks. opus 109, it was evident photographer J. Henry Fair, But it was a night why every prestigious she co-founded the Wolf to remember. This orchestra in the world has Conservation Center night belonged to sought Grimaud’s talent. (www.nywolf.org) in South world-renowned concert All eyes were on her hands Salem, New York, where pianist and International moving effortlessly up and three wolves reside in a Top: World-renowned concert Wolf Center board member down the piano keys. large enclosure. While it is pianist and International Wolf Hélène Grimaud. At a Taking advantage of two obvious that wolves capti- Center board member Hélène Grimaud with Elinor Watson Bell concert to benefit the Center, grand pianos, Grimaud vate her, the young visitors the audience was privileged paused between each piece grab her attention as well. Bottom: Hélène Grimaud to hear her intimate piano to explain her selection of Whether for music or wolf performances of works music and piano. The education, Hélène Grimaud by Beethoven and Brahms, crowd rose to its feet at the will be a talented resource and the thunderous Bach- conclusion, and long-time for years to come. Busoni “Chaconne.”

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Cooperation Fuels Idaho Wolf Recovery ooperation among diverse bedfellows is resulting in Ca successful wolf recovery project in central Idaho, according to Jaime Pinkham. He spoke during the Sigurd Olson Lecture Series at the International Wolf Center and Vermilion Community College in Ely, Minnesota, on March 13. Pinkham credited many groups with the achievement:

state and federal agencies, the Nez Perce Tribe of Idaho, live- Center International Wolf stock and timber industries, hunting guides, a supportive media Rolf Peterson, speaking to the Midwest Wolf Stewards about the Isle Royale wolves and conservative legislators who allocated essential funding. Pinkham is the resource and fisheries manager for the Nez Perce Tribe, which managed the wolf population as Midwest Wolf Stewards Meet it grew from the original 35 gray wolves translocated wo Harbors, in northern Montana,Washington,D.C., Minnesota, welcomed 76 and New Jersey. from Canada to central Idaho in 1995 and 1996. The tribe T people on April 3 and 4 for The first day focused on promised livestock owners, outfitters and guides that the the Midwest Wolf Stewards the status of Midwest wolf wolves would be closely watched, and removed if they Meeting, sponsored by the populations, federal wolf re- caused problems. As wolves recolonized Idaho, faster than International Wolf Center and classification, depredation the University of Minnesota- and stakeholders’ attitudes. expected, wolf biologists Curt Mack and Mike Jimenez Duluth Continuing Education. The day concluded with a worked closely and sensitively with all the interested Attendees included people presentation by Ed Bangs, U.S. parties, Pinkham said. from federal and state gov- Fish and Wildlife Service Gray Now the Idaho wolf population numbers about 170. As ernment agencies, colleges Wolf Recovery Coordinator and universities, law offices, for the northwestern United the wolf nears proposed removal from the endangered ranching industries, and States. Bangs spoke about the species list, and a state wolf management plan is undergoing various environmental, edu- western wolf reintroduction public review, the tribe is negotiating with state and federal cational and wolf advocacy and what it can teach us about agencies to continue in a key role in the management of organizations. future wolf management. The meeting agenda was The second day focused Idaho’s wolves. developed to provide the latest primarily on educational news on a variety curricula, scientific studies Jaime Pinkham, resource and fisheries of important wolf and public policy. The manager for the Nez Perce Tribe, speaking about wolf issues. Invited meeting ended with a recovery in Idaho speakers came presentation by Rolf Peterson primarily from on the wolves of Isle Royale. Minnesota, There was also a post- Michigan and meeting discussion on the Wisconsin, but future of a proposed Midwest some traveled Carnivore Committee. Parti- from as far as cipants left the event feeling it had a good balance between biological and social topics and a great mix of people, topics and discus- sions. Next year’s meeting will be held in Michigan. ■ International Wolf Center International Wolf

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INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER Contributors nk Yo Tha u! Major Donors Royalties International Wolf Center Catherine Brown MBNA America Student Board Seat Available Robert Carlson Rykodisc Inc. The Board of Directors of the International Wolf Center is Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Voyageur Press seeking candidates for the student seat on the board. This volunteer Henry Crosby Jr.-Terra et will serve as a full partner with other members in addressing the Educare Foundation Memorials range of issues facing an active board of directors. This is a unique opportunity to be on the “inside,” gaining experience in GMAC-RFC & Susan In Memory of Angie Brunner: Anderson leadership of an environmental not-for-profit organization. Lawrence and Sylvia Stoehr Carol Hodges Requirements for the position include the following: enrollment in a four- Dorothy Kanehl In Memory of Jim Prewett: year college or university with preference for a sophomore or junior, Mary Lou Aurell & allowing for a two-year term; the ability to attend meetings held in Dave Mech Patty Jo Erven Minneapolis, Duluth and Ely; a major in environmental studies or rele- Park High School Jack Berry & Peggy Benedum vant field; and recommendation by a college advisor. If you are inter- Linda Pirtle ested, please submit a letter of application describing your interests, Doug & Lil Foster Richard & Bonnie Robbins experiences and contact information to: Tom Dwight, Chair, Nominating Leron Hill Committee, 1200 Hallam Avenue North, Mahtomedi, MN 55115. Helen Tyson Joyce & Dennis Kowalski Christopher Verdi The Moffitt Family 2001 Annual Report John Virr Harold & Evelyn Oliver Now Available Online! Christine Pernetti Matching Gifts The 2001 overview of International Wolf Center activities Rosemary Fedt Hughes & Beth Prewett & and accomplishments will be available in September. The annual Jenny Wettersten American Express Foundation report also includes a summary of significant 2001 developments Brian Ogren & American Rosemary Prewett in wolf conservation, commentary from our director and board Express Foundation chair and recognition of our generous supporters and benefactors. James Schmitz & American To download your free copy, please go to www.wolf.org. Express Foundation William Rideg, Kishenehn Wildlife Works

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Tracking the Pack

Canine Cousins Students enrolled in the ■ Social pack behavior college’s wolf behavior class ■ Territorial defense and by Lori Schmidt, Wolf Curator, served as the dog handlers marking behavior International Wolf Center for the program, which ■ Predatory behavior and featured visiting dogs to hunting techniques f you are a dog owner, you ancestors. Recent genetic demonstrate behaviors. ■ Ihave probably observed studies reveal strong Both puppies and adult dogs Communication your pet demonstrating evidence linking the were included to compare through body language behaviors that make you domestic dog to its likely dog and wolf behaviors at and vocalization question whether you live ancestor, the wolf. various ages. While the ■ Specialized behaviors with a beloved pet or share To acknowledge this dogs and the students were associated with specific your house with something close relationship, a 1993 demonstrating behaviors dog breeds from Wild Kingdom. These review of the taxonomic inside the building, the By learning more about behaviors may be as enter- classifications of wolves led ambassador wolf pack the behavior of wolves and taining as watching your to a scientific name change. looked on through the dogs, Center visitors devel- dog howl to sirens or as The dog had been called large observation windows, oped a better understanding distressing as finding the Canis familiaris and was curious about the visiting of dogs and the motivations cushions of the living-room considered to be a separate dogs. At times, the wolves behind their behavior. ■ sofa shredded like a deer species from the wolf. demonstrated territorial carcass. Many of your dog’s Since 1993, the scientific behavioral traits, pawing behavioral traits, even its name of the dog has been at the windows. habit of completing smaller Canis lupus familiaris, a Some of the behaviors and smaller circles until subspecies of the wolf. featured in the Canine finally lying down, have a Does this mean you have Cousins program included: genetic link to wolves. a wolf in your living For years, biologists have room? No. Your dog is theorized that the domesti- still believed to be a cation of dogs began about domesticated version of 10,000 to 15,000 years ago. its wild relative, but the Recently, DNA analyses close relationship means have suggested that this you can expect your process may have begun as dog’s behavior to be long as 100,000 years ago. motivated by instincts In either case, domestica- from its ancestors. tion was a long process of During summer selective breeding to keep 2002, the International the traits beneficial to Wolf Center, in coopera- humans and eliminate the tion with Vermilion negative traits. Over time, Community College’s domestication changes the Natural Resource Depart- genetic makeup of an ment in Ely, Minnesota,

animal, but genetic evidence conducted daily educa- Center International Wolf can tie a domesticated tional programs titled Top right: Members of the ambassador pack at play animal to the DNA of its “Canine Cousins.” Bottom: Lori Schmidt with Jake, a visiting Canine Cousin, and members of the ambassador pack

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WOLVES OF THE UNITED STATES facing dispersing wolves is that winter ranges of Dispersing Dicey for prey outside the park are Yellowstone Wolves mostly in privately owned valley bottoms or in rolling by Norman A. Bishop country containing both wintering wildlife and ispersal of wolves those documents also domestic livestock. Doutside Yellowstone recognized that outside the Since wolves occasion- National Park was antici- park, life would be perilous ally kill sheep or cattle, the pated in the 1994 for dispersing wolves. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Environmental Impact Projections were accu- Service (USFWS) is trying Statement (EIS) and Federal rate. New packs have to ameliorate the situation Rules for the experimental formed in various locations by aversive conditioning. population of wolves rein- outside the 2.2-million-acre Methods include using tools troduced to Yellowstone in park, both on private land such as shotgun-propelled

Norm Bishop 1995 and 1996. Preparers of and on parts of the 10.6 bean bags, flares, strobe million acres of federal lands lights, electric fences and surrounding Yellowstone guarding dogs. Finally, (see map). One problem wolves may be moved or killed. The Turner

When elk leave the north entrance of Yellowstone National Park, they become fair game for regulated hunting. When wolves leave the park, they are confronted by livestock.

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Endangered Species Fund newly formed from young, (TESF) and two other con- inexperienced dispersers servation groups, Defenders from within the park. of Wildlife (DOW) and Second, more opportunities MONTANA the Predator Conservation exist for conflict with Alliance (PCA), help in livestock, and many those efforts. They compen- dispersers are killed either sate livestock owners for in control actions or ille- animals killed by wolves gally. Of known mortalities and compile maps of live- in 2001, 2 wolves died from stock density, land owner- vehicle strikes, 6 in control ship and elk winter range actions, 1 f ro m illegal IDAHO to determine where wolves shooting, 1 from a handling can live with fewest accident, and 3 from natural conflicts. causes. North of the park, Yellowstone National By the end of 2001, the illegal mortality has delayed Park WYOMING 31 original wolves translo- potential delisting of wolves cated from Canada to from full protection under Yellowstone had generated a the Endangered Species Act population of 216 wolves. because key individuals— Within the park, 132 wolves breeding animals — have lived in 10 packs, and been killed. Since 1995, 53 outside the park, another 14 percent of wolf deaths have packs contained 84 to 93 been caused by humans. wolves. Pack size is highly In the greater Yellowstone variable, but packs outside area during 2001, wolves

the park boundary tend to killed 21 cattle, 71 sheep Restoration Project Gray Wolf Adapted from map produced by the Yellowstone be smaller than those within and 3 dogs. Seven wolves Territories of collared wolf packs (polygons) and sightings of non-collared the park perimeter. were killed in control wolves (circles) in the greater Yellowstone area in 2001. The difference in pack size reflects contrasting conditions within and outside the park. Inside the park, where mortality is low, the complex social fabric of the packs is preserved, and larger packs contain more than one generation of wolves. Eight packs live entirely in the park, and two packs den within the park but also roam outside. Outside the park, smaller pack size appears to result from several factors. First, most of the wolf packs are

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WOLVES IN ETHIOPIA Endangered Means There Norm Bishop Is Still Time actions, and 8 were trans- surviving pups at year’s munitions (rubber bullets located. Remarkably, the end. This rule must be used and cracker shells) and by Neil Hutt question in summer, when in counting toward the training ranchers to haze livestock are vulnerable to goal of 30 packs breeding wolves out of cattle or away ime may be running wolves on pastures remote for three successive years from ranch houses. Such out for one of the from home ranches, is not, distributed throughout proactive measures may Tworld’s rarest and Why do wolves prey on Montana, Idaho and help minimize conflicts so most endangered canids. livestock? but rather, Why Wyoming. that as more and more Ethiopian wolves (aka do they prey so infrequently Meanwhile organizations wolves disperse from Ethiopian jackals), numbering on livestock? The answer is such as TESF are responding Yellowstone, a higher fewer than 400, face in- perhaps that they are afraid to ranchers’ concerns. number may be able to creasing threats to their of animals unfamiliar to Methods include flagging survive outside the park. survival. The recent popula- them as prey, and are more around calving pastures, tion decline of this highly comfortable killing deer and RAG (radio-activated guard) Norman A. Bishop is the specialized carnivore is due elk, which they learned boxes, removal of carcasses International Wolf Center mainly to habitat loss from from their parents to hunt. from calving grounds, field representative for the subsistence agriculture and greater Yellowstone region. To qualify wolves for limited use of nonlethal livestock grazing. Ethiopian reclassification under the wolves are also threatened 1994 Federal Rules, a by direct persecution, hybrid- stringent definition of wolf For more information about the potential reclassification of wolves in ization with domestic dogs packs must be used. The the Northern Rockies under the 1994 Federal Rules, see and exposure to infectious definition stipulates that “Reclassification Controversy,” International Wolf, Summer 2001; diseases such as rabies and a pack must consist of a and the reclassification section of the International Wolf Center’s Web distemper. breeding pair with 2 site at http://www.wolf.org/learn/mgt/delist/delist.shtml. An article in the Spring 2001 issue of International Wolf (“On the Edge of Catch this “ ne” on the LAKE! Extinction: Saving the Imperiled Ethiopian Wolves”) alerted readers to the neces- sity for swift intervention from the international community. The Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Program (EWCP) considers such an 61 DELUXE LAKEVIEW ROOMS initiative essential to dimin- Indoor Pool, Whirlpool and Sauna ishing the possibility that Evergreen Restaurant • Antler’s Lounge • Bear Cub Club for Kids this unique predator will MARINA become the next mammal DELUXE Fishing and Pontoon Boat RENTALS candidate for extinction. Free Boat Dockage & Lake Maps The EWCP, established NEW For Summer – Starting 5/24 – Outdoor Creative Playground in 1995, is acting to save – Swimming Beach – Kids Eat FREE – Ask for Details. Africa’s only possible wolf FREE Family Fun – Paddleboats, Canoes, Kayaks, Bikes, species. (Authorities still Horseshoes, Croquet, Tetherball and Much More! disagree on whether this 400 No. Pioneer Road • ELY, MN 55731 animal is a true wolf or a 1-218-365-6565 • 1-877-GRANDELY www.grandelylodge.com • email: [email protected] jackal.) Using the Ethiopian Nightly - Weekly Rates • Up North 4 hours from Minneapolis wolf as a flagship species,

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ERITREA YEMEN

DJIBOUTI SUDAN

Addis Ababa SOMALIA Ethiopia

UGANDA KENYA

RWANDA

BURUNDI

TANZANIAAfrica

Ethiopia Martin Harvey Martin Harvey Ethiopian wolves (aka Ethiopian jackals), numbering fewer than 400, face increasing threats to their survival.

the organization is working raise conservation aware- EWCP and a complete bibli- Neil Hutt is an educator and to consolidate the manage- ness among the Ethiopian ography. Also on the Web International Wolf Center ment of protected areas and people. A captive-breeding site is a section detailing board member who lives in Purcellville, Virginia. to monitor and manage the program is planned to the ways in which the remaining wolf populations. promote Ethiopian wolf public can help the EWCP Strategies include reducing genetic variability. safeguard the future of the the impact of domestic The work of the EWCP Ethiopian wolf and the dogs in wolf range through is receiving international Afro-alpine ecosystem where vaccination and control attention through its official it lives. programs. Additionally, the Web site. The site contains EWCP Web site: http:// EWCP is carrying out extensive information on www.wildcru.org/endangered community education cam- the biology and status of the species/ethiopianwolf/ewcp/ paigns to promote respon- Ethiopian wolf, photographs, ewolf.htm ■ sible dog ownership and to the annual report of the

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Wild About Yellowstone

by Pete Nettrour

ortheast of Old Faithful with Due to the small size of the its tourists and motor homes wilderness trip groups, reservations Nis Yellowstone National Park tend to fill quickly. Ordinarily, the as few people have experienced it. It trip would have been filled by the is also Yellowstone as President time we learned about it, but one that are often on their own search for Theodore Roosevelt meant it to be— member canceled and left an opening prey. We were out in the Lamar Valley unbridled nature preserved for the for me. A few short weeks after in the northeast corner of the park by benefit and enjoyment of future making the necessary arrangements, dawn each morning after a hearty generations. I was on a plane heading to Bozeman, breakfast followed by a radio check- Nearly 3 million tourists visit Montana, to rendezvous with the rest in with Rick McIntyre, one of the Yellowstone annually, most of them of the group. wolf project naturalists. We set up flocking to the well-known sight- The mild Pittsburgh winter did scopes and waited patiently beside seeing spots between June and not prepare me for winter in the technicians monitoring the activ- September. Even though Yellowstone Yellowstone. In March the weather ities of the wolves. Our goal was to is open year-round, only 140,000 can vary from extreme cold to almost position ourselves where the wolves visitors witness the grandeur of the springlike. During our trip, we were most visible. Though the wolves park in winter. I was fortunate to be experienced the former. Near-zero we observed were typically seen from among this minority when I joined a morning temperatures were our a distance of 150 yards to 2 miles, wolf wilderness trip to the Yellowstone wake-up call, and pushing our 15- they were dramatically magnified area in March 2002, sponsored by the passenger van through deep snow- through spotting scopes (45–60x), International Wolf Center. drifts added to the adventure. and we could clearly view the wolves My wife, a biology professor, March is a busy time for wolves in their natural habitat. stumbled upon information about and wolf researchers in the By 6:30 a.m. on our first day in the the trip on the Internet while Yellowstone area. During this time, field, we had watched a variety of researching an upcoming lesson. She park biologists and technicians wildlife foraging through the snow, logged onto the International Wolf monitor wolves daily from both air including bison, elk, mountain sheep Center’s Web site (www.wolf.org), and ground. Their objective is to and a rare cow moose. Within minutes and news of the upcoming adventure determine the maximum kill rate of these observations, our scopes and caught her attention. The Center during the period when prey is most cameras were focused on four wolves: hosts several ecotourism wilderness vulnerable. the alpha male, alpha female and two trips a year to various locations, such Up before sunrise, our group yearlings of the Druid pack, the as Yellowstone and the central Arctic spent each day the way the park’s largest pack of wolves in Yellowstone. in Canada’s Northwest Territories. biologists do—searching for wolves They passed within yards of two bison before bedding down in a snowpack. Bison, especially Up before sunrise, the group spent each day the healthy bulls, are rare targets of wolf predation, which explains way the park’s biologists do—searching for the wolves’ apparent lack of interest as they passed by. wolves that are often on their own search for prey. Distinguished wolf biologist and International Wolf Center

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Left to right: a wolf, an elk on a ridge, and a bison in the Lamar Valley. Photos left to right: Christopher and Miranda Bly, Center International Wolf Pete Nettrour,

founder Dave Mech was one of the We continued to watch the wolves been nicknamed the Serengeti of trip leaders, and he discussed the as they bedded down for most of the North America. In 1907, long before wolves’ hunting behaviors. Because it day. They rose just before sunset and the establishment of the present is difficult and dangerous for wolves passed within 200 yards of our party Yellowstone Association Institute (YAI), to attack and kill large prey, they before disappearing into the twilight. this beautiful valley was chosen to be select animals compromised by age Our group was pleased with the the home of Buffalo Ranch, a federal or physical weakness. How wolves day’s activities, and we returned to effort to turn around the drastic determine such weakness is a subject our lodgings for dinner and discus- decline of the West’s bison population of current investigation by biologists sions with the experts about the day’s that took place toward the end of the in Yellowstone. With its abun- observations and about the 19th century. Today, the old bunk- dant prey and thriving wolf ecology of Yellowstone. house building that remains from the population, the park is a The area’s herds of wild- original structure houses the YAI’s living laboratory for this life are so abundant in the education facility: classrooms, a large type of research. Lamar Valley that kitchen and bath facilities. This year this region has Pete Nettrour

Left to right: Dave Mech, Jerry Sanders and George Knotek use spotting scopes and binoculars to observe wolves and other wildlife in the Lamar Valley.

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youngsters nearly a week before our arrival, and the young wolves seemed to be developing their hunting skills by trial and error. Later in the week, these yearlings took down a cow elk only to have a herd of bison force them off the elk. The bison continued to protect the wounded elk from the wolves and ravens for several hours as it strug- gled to get back on its feet. The Located in the northeast section of Yellowstone National Park, the Yellowstone researchers had never Christopher and Miranda Bly Lamar Valley has been nicknamed the Serengeti of North America seen such behavior. The elk eventu- because of its abundant herds of wildlife. ally died, and the bison gradually lost interest. The wolves and bison singu- the institute will offer over 125 alerting us to the whereabouts of larly or in groups charged each other diverse courses, and more than 60 the Druid pack’s alpha pair along on many occasions. The patient and instructors will share their expertise the Lamar Valley Road in an area hungry wolves soon won the contest. with over 1,000 students. called Little America. The wolves’ long As the young wolves finally began The institute’s facility at the moaning howls greeted us as we set up to eat, Dave Mech explained that some- Buffalo Ranch, where our group spotting scopes and scanned the snow- times a wolf consumes as much as 22 stayed, creates a comfortable, covered hillside with binoculars. pounds of meat at a feeding. Because retreat-like learning atmosphere. Soon, several members of the digestion is rapid, the wolves return The International Wolf Center made Druid pack, including the alpha male repeatedly to the carcass to eat. arrangements with a Bozeman, and female, emerged from a cluster of Meanwhile, smaller carnivores, birds Montana, caterer so that we would trees and set off together out of sight. and insects all have their turn at the kill have delicious meals during our stay As they disappeared from our view, until nothing is left but scattered bones. at the ranch. Lunch was usually a radio call reported 11 yearlings All too soon, the week was over, brown bag in the field, but the several miles farther west on the and it was time for our group to head prepared breakfasts and dinners Lamar Valley Road. We missed their in different directions. We did not brought a touch of luxury to our pursuit of a bull elk but arrived in go home disappointed. The week of rustic accommodations. time to witness the young wolves turn wolf watching in Yellowstone The mournful hooting of a great the hillside into a giant playground as provided a unique opportunity to horned owl summoned us wolf they engaged in elaborate tag games witness research in the field, to watchers to breakfast in the pre-dawn and wrestling matches. This group of quench an amateur—or profes- hours of our third day. After finishing young wolves is the subject of intense sional—wildlife photographer’s thirst another hearty morning meal, we interest among the researchers. The for natural habitat shots, and to received a radio call from the field, parents had separated from the participate in educational discussions with some of the world’s most renowned researchers. After traveling the world extensively and visiting nearly every continent, I can say that this was as great as any adventure I’ve had. The International Wolf Center welcomed me into the pack. ■

Lewis “Pete” Nettrour, M.D., is one of the founders of, and an orthopedic surgeon with, Tri Rivers Surgical Associates in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A wildlife enthusiast, he has traveled extensively throughout the world. He lives in the Pittsburgh area with his wife, Lila, and daughter, Barbie.

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O WOLVES BENEFIT DWOODPECKERS? Ravens, eagles, coyotes, bears and other scav- engers benefit from feeding on the leftovers of wolf kills. However, in a 2001 issue of the Wilson Bulletin, Dr. Jorge Servin and colleagues described a pileated woodpecker scavenging on ynn & Donna Rogers/www.bearstudy.org cartilage and muscle on a bone fed to L captive wolves. Conceivably the same could happen in the wild.

OLVES BANNED from WFremont County, Wyoming. The Fremont County Commission WO FOSTER WOLVES seem EXICAN WOLF RECOVERY passed resolutions banning wolves Tto be doing well in North Mcontinues to progress, with six and grizzly bears from the county, Carolina. The red wolf pups were packs known or thought to have according to the Associated Press. born at the North Carolina Zoo and denned. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Because federal law, including the given to a wild female red wolf officials captured a litter of 7 pups and Endangered Species Act, supersedes raising her own two pups of the same the breeding pair of the Pipestem pack, local law, however, the resolutions age. As of this writing in early June, which had been preying on livestock, would have no practical effect even if all pups were doing well, according and brought them into captivity. One wolves could read them. to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. of the pups looks unusual and is being tested genetically. SLE ROYALE WOLVES are down OLVES HELP TOWN. In a Ithis year to 17, a drop of 2 from Wmodern twist of wildlife AMOUS WOLF DEAD. last year, reported Dr. Rolf Peterson. management, fencing has been modi- FYellowstone’s Female Wolf 7, the Only two years ago, the population fied around Jasper, Alberta, Canada, progenitor of the Leopold pack, was 29, but conceivably a shortage to allow wolves, bears and cougars to which occupied the Blacktail Plateau of old moose (which form much of enter the town area and help scare between Mammoth and Tower, was the wolves’ diet) as well as a mild the local elk, according to Charlie killed by other wolves. The pack has winter that favored moose resulted Gillis in the National Post. The urban new pups, but they will probably in poor food conditions for wolves, elk had become so tame that they had survive because the male and other according to Peterson. been injuring humans. Upon recom- pack members are caring for them. mendation by wildlife officials, down OLF DEPREDATIONS OLF DELISTING. W on went the fences, in came the wolves, W Some 48 livestock in Minnesota during and frightened became the elk. scientists, including 2 prac- the first quarter of 2002 increased ticing wolf biologists, wrote Secretary greatly compared to the same quarter WOLF IN SOUTH DAKOTA of the Interior Gale Norton imploring of 2001, probably due to an abnor- Aprobably originated in her to scrap the U.S. Fish and Wildlife mally warm and snowfree winter. Minnesota, Wisconsin or Michigan, Service’s proposal to reclassify the The number of verified complaints according to DNA tests. The animal wolf. They felt that the proposal was 12 compared with 1 last year, was killed by a coyote “getter” (a would “end prospects of the species and the number of wolves killed by device that shoots poison into an to return to vast areas of the wolf’s the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s animal’s mouth when triggered) in former range.” ■ Wildlife Services was 23 compared northwestern South Dakota, over 300 with 2 last year. miles west of Minnesota.

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The Many Faces of the Wolf Wolf and Dog (an Aesop’s Fable) by Kevin Strauss retold by Kevin Strauss © 2001 ong ago, Wolf was hungry. Now ave you ever read or heard a story about a wolf? Stories often Lyou might think that Wolf is always hungry, and you would be Hhelp us learn about animals that we don’t see everyday. You right. But on this day, Wolf hadn’t probably remember hearing stories like “Little Red Riding Hood” eaten for weeks. It was almost as if all the deer and rabbits had evaporated and “The Three Little Pigs” in which the wolf acts like a villain. from the forest like mist in the But there are other kinds of wolf stories. In other, less known morning. Wolf was so hungry that he decided to look for food near where stories, wolves may act wise, foolish, or helpful. the humans lived. It was dangerous Read the following story and think about what kind of wolf for Wolf to hunt near humans. Some wolves that go there never come character the author was trying to portray. back. But Wolf had never been this hungry before. So as the sun dipped red behind the western hills, he walked through the forest to the edge of a farmer’s field. Illustrations by Joan Ouellette

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Wolf sniffed the air and scanned So as evening the field, looking for a calf or lamb to settled on the fields, eat. It was then that he heard a Wolf and Dog strange sound. The barking noise was walked up to the coming from a creature that looked a farmhouse. As they lot like he did. The creature was got closer to the running toward Wolf. house, the light from “Woof!” said the creature. the windows shone “Brother, why are you speaking so on them, and for the strangely? We wolves never bark that first time, Wolf way,” said Wolf. noticed that Dog had “I’m not your brother. I am a dog no fur around his and we bark when we see wild animals neck. near the farm,” said Dog. “Dog, why do you “Well we certainly do look alike, have no fur on your perhaps we are related in some way,” neck,” said Wolf. said Wolf. And then he noticed how “Oh that, it’s nothing, you’ll get used fat Dog was. to it,” said Dog. Activity: “Say brother, how is it that I am “Get used to what, Dog?” Go to your local library and check starving while you seem to have plenty “Well it’s nothing, really. My master out as many books as you can find of food?” doesn’t want me running off during that have wolf characters in them. “I work for my meals. I chase wild the day, so he ties me up near the house, Make a list of the ways wolves are animals and robbers away from the and when I pull at the rope, it wears portrayed. Is the wolf a villain? farm, and for that work I am well paid. away the fur on my neck. It’s fine foolish? wise? helpful? Every evening, my master scrapes his though; all I do is sleep through the day. table scraps into a bowl and feeds me You’ll get used to it,” said Dog. Answer these questions: until I am full,” said Dog. Wolf stopped. He looked at the ■ What personality does the wolf “You mean you don’t have to hunt forest, then back at Dog and then have? for your food and catch it in the back at the forest. ■ How do you think the author of this forest?” said Wolf. “No, Dog, I don’t think I can get book wants you to feel about “Of course not, why would I do used to that.” wolves? that? The only hunting I do is for fun,” And Wolf turned and ran back to ■ said Dog. the darkness of the woods. People say What problems are there in “Say brother, do you think that your that from that time on, wolves have learning about wolves from folk- master could use another worker? lived in the forest, and dogs have tales? I could chase wild animals away from lived with people, and they have the farm, too,“ said Wolf. never spoken since. ■ “Well, I guess so,” said Dog, “There is always work to do. Let’s go ask Kevin Strauss is a naturalist storyteller my master.” from Ely, Minnesota. His new CD, The Mountain Wolf’s Gift: Wolf Tales From Around the World, is available through the Wolf Den Store. Contact him at [email protected].

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A Look Beyond At this moment, there may be a symmetry. Recent winters have been by Walter M. Medwid, mild enough to keep deer popula- Executive Director, International Wolf Center tions high, and the relative abun- dance of deer has kept wolves largely oted wolf biologist Rolf take by deer hunters. Yet the state is out of the riskier fields of ranchers. Peterson reported in a recent expecting that the kill by hunters in Wolf supporters, deer hunters and Nnews article that “on Isle 2001 when finally completely tallied ranchers can all take some comfort in Royale, if there was an equilibrium will be one of the highest on record. the 2001 statistics. between the species, it would be And interestingly enough, the top five But if one thing is certain, it’s that about 30 wolves and 1,000 moose. deer harvest years all occurred after the balance of 2001 won’t last. Severe But that level is almost never 1990. Last year’s harvest is expected to deer-killing winters like the ones reached—one of the two species is be the state’s third highest, and espe- in 1995-96 and 1996-97 will occur, almost always out of whack.” cially intriguing is the fact that deer and complaints about wolves killing The idealized concept of the harvests were up by 3 to 15 percent in too many deer will increase. Wolf balance of nature has a strong hold wolf range (roughly the northern conflicts and livestock depredation on our understanding of the environ- third of the state) over the previous will increase; wolf–human conflicts ment. It is a grand law of nature, year, depending on the region. will be in the media once again. And especially when applied to predators Equally interesting is the number 2001’s remarkable confluence of and their prey. The concept appeals of wolf–livestock conflicts in 2001. It favorable numbers will become a to the public and has resulted in was the lowest in Minnesota since distant memory. support for the protection of birds of 1991 despite the fact that wolf range prey, bats, wolves and other animals. has spread south and west into Clearly the fly in the ointment of this agricultural lands. Verified ecological principle is that balance complaints (those in which “works” in the long run, but chances wolves have been deter- are that any given wildlife population mined to have killed or William Rideg, Kishenehn Wildlife Works at any given time is not likely to be in maimed domestic animals) for balance. The history of Isle Royale’s 2001 totaled 54, down from 95 moose and wolf populations is a great in 2000 —a 43-percent drop. example of this seesawing. The abundance, if not super- Which brings me to some abundance, of deer probably Minnesota statistics that highlight a was an important factor in kind of balance in the world of this drop in conflicts. wolves and humans. First, the wolf numbers—they’re high. Current estimates place the number at 2,600, higher than at any time in the past century. With that kind of growth (a doubling of the wolf population since the late 1980s), one would expect that the deer population might be decreasing, a trend ynn & Donna Rogers/www.bearstudy.org that would be reflected in the L

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Carl Brenders Robert Bateman R.S. Parker Al Agnew Don Gott Jorge MayolMany NEW Frank pieces Miller of beautiful art just added!

Carl Brenders, Tundra Summit Bonnie Marris, Cops ‘n Robbers Save money on collectible wildlife art and support the survival of wolves worldwide! Donated collection now available to the public. View our online gallery by visiting www.wolf.org Extra savings, low prices! For private inquiries, Limited edition prints by celebrated artists. please call 763-560-7374 Proceeds directly benefit the Any donation above the already The International Wolf Center is a non-profit low asking price is tax deductible organization dedicated to supporting the International Wolf Center mission. to the full extent of the law. survival of wolves worldwide through education.

Bev Doolittle Robert Travers Lee Kromschroeder James Meger Bruce Miller (and many others!)

Travel the protected waters of LEARN ABOUT WOLVES, SE Alaska’s inside passage. This remote area of ENJOY MANY DYNAMIC mountainous islands, old growth timber and WOLF IMAGES, tidal estuaries is home of the Wo l f Wa t c h Alexander Archipelago Wolf.

SHOP ON-LINE FOR Aboard the 6 day, 5 night trips, meals, WONDERFUL GIFTS lodging, daily shore excursions MV HYAK into the best wolf habitat. AND DISCOVER THE FOR A BROCHURE CONTACT: Riptide Outfitters LATEST NEWS ABOUT OUR P.O. Box 19210 Thorne Bay, Alaska 99919 AMBASSADOR PACK! www.hyakalaskacharters.com 907-828-3353 VISIT www.wolf.org TODAY! Cover.fall 02 7/22/02 11:15 AM Page 4

OurOur AmbassadorAmbassador PPackack NeedsNeeds YYourour Help!Help! If you have ever locked eyes with a wolf in the wild, even for a fleeting moment, you know the power they have to fire our appreciation

of wilderness and its wildlife. Janice Templeton

t is in this spirit that Lucas, Here are just two of their most pressing needs: All donations to the Wolf Care MacKenzie, Lakota, Malik and Fund will be used for the care IShadow greet the thousands that FIRE EVACUATION KENNELS of our wolves exclusively. come to the International Wolf Center Due to the July 4, 1999, windstorm, an increased Please make your every year. These special wolves do fire hazard is growing in the Boundary Waters contribution to the care their part to represent wolves every- Canoe Area Wilderness. Our Ambassador Pack of our Ambassador Pack. where and to educate the world needs transportation kennels to carry them to Send your check or about the need for conservation. safety in the event of a wildfire. credit card donation to: Wolf Care Fund Now we need to do our part. The RETIREMENT ENCLOSURE International Wolf Center Wolf Care Fund is dedicated to care As the elders in our Ambassador Pack continue to age and 1396 Highway 169 for the needs of our Ambassador grow old, they will need a safe retreat, with ample room, to Ely, MN USA 55731-8129 spend their final days. This fall, work will begin on a retire- Wolves, now and into the future. Call 1-800-ELY WOLF or visit ment enclosure. Plans call for the new facility to provide aging We hope you will consider making our Web site at: www.wolf.org a donation for their care. wolves with high-quality care, in a relaxed environment. All contributions are tax-deductible.

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