Here are the latest Idaho wolf locations from tracking flights. The raw data was furnished by Curt Mack, head of the the Nez Perce Tribal Wolf Team.
I have rewritten the report slightly and added some data (mostly geographic data).
All wolves being monitored via radio-telemetry remain within the experimental population area, most wolves are on national forest land. Twenty-three radio collared wolves being monitored are paired or packmates. Six of 8 Idaho wolf packs produced pups in 1997. Five additional wolf pairs have established home ranges in Idaho and may produce pups in 1998. Three of these wolf pairs include wolves that either were not part of the translocated experimental population, or are wolves with failed radios.
Here are the locations from the most recent tracking flights.
North of the Salmon River
Up to ten radio-collared wolves remain north of the Salmon River. Two wolf packs and 2-3 wolf pairs occur in this area. One litter of 5 pups was produced this year north of the Salmon River -- the Kelly Creek Pack.
Bitterroot National Forest
The female Boulder Pack pup released at the Hornocker Wildlife Institute facility in the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness at Running Creek on 20 March appears to be doing fine. She remained around the enclosure for 8 days, and then started traveling up the Selway River. She traveled as far as five miles westward but then returned to the facility and headed south up Running Creek. Her brother was unfortunately killed by accident during the release when a tranquilizer dart pentrated his lung.
Clearwater and Lolo National Forests
The Kelly Creek pack has been in Montana in most recent flights, but this time it was located back in Idaho in the Kelly Creek drainage, near Hanson Meadows.
The relately new pair B20F and B31M were located together just west, about a mile and a half from their last location, on Jungle point in the upper North Fork of the Clearwater drainage.
Long time pair wolf B11F and Wolf B7M were located just southeast of Lolo Hot Springs on the Lolo National Forest in Montana. On the previous report they had been just SE of Lolo Hot Springs.
Nez Perce National Forest-
The Selway pack wolves including adults B5M and B10F were just west of Hells Half Acre Lookout. This is in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness in the headwaters of the Selway River.
Wolf B33M remains in the Elk City area, last located just north of Dixie.
South of the Salmon River
Up to 23 radio-collared wolves remain south of the Salmon River. Nine wolf pairs occur in this area including five pairs that have produced 25-27 wolf pups this year; two of these pairs also produced pups in 1996 -- the Landmark Pack and the Chamberlain Basin Pack.
Payette National Forest-
The Chamberlain Basin pack including adults wolf B16F, Wolf B9M, and pups were located in the headwaters of Trout Creek, a tributary to the Main Salmon River.
As usual wolf B22F and her associate were located in the headwaters of the Monumental Creek Drainage.
Boise National Forest-
The Bear Valley Pack, wolves B30F, B28M and wolf B19M were located in Deer Creek just east of the Deadwood River.
Landmark pack wolves B6F, Wolf B8M, and pups were located at the head of the Pistol Creek drainage near the western boundary of the Frank Church Wilderness.
Salmon-Challis National Forest-
The Jureano Mountain pack including wolves B25F and B32M were again located up Pine Creek, a tributary to the main Salmon River. Pine Creek is a few miles east of the mouth of Panther Creek, a major tributary to the Salmon.
Once again wolf B24M was not located. I would worry a bit about this because the wolf frequented the Salmon River bottoms not far from populated areas such as Carmen, North Fork and Salmon.
The Moyer Basin pack including wolves B29M and B37F and their pups (now nearly one year old) moved out of the Camas Creek drainage, northeast to the Copper Creek drainage near the ghost town of Cobalt.
Long time pair wolf B35F and Wolf B18M remained in the Warm Spring Creek drainage in the southeast corner of the Frank Church Wilderness.
After so long an absence it is nice to see B2M being located regularly. B2M was located in the Kane Creek drainage in the rugged Pioneer Mountains east of the Sun Valley/Ketchum area. This is the most southerly known wolf in Idaho.
Sawtooth National Forest and Sawtooth National Recreation Area-
The Stanley Pack, wolf B23F, B27M, and pups were not located this time. Previously they had been located on the ridge above the confluence of the main Salmon and its Yankee Fork.
Wolf B36F was located along a tributary of the East Fork of the Salmon River. This is just east of the White Cloud Mountains.
Email addresses for members of Congress and other officials.
Keep in touch with your members of Congress on this issue. Representatives Chenoweth (Idaho), Cubin (Wyoming), and the usual brown crew are up to no good on the wolves. They will probably launch their attack through the appropriations process.
Return To Maughan Wolf Report Page
Copyright © 1998 Ralph Maughan
Not to be reprinted, archived, redistributed, etc., without permission.
Ralph Maughan PO Box 8264, Pocatello, ID 83209