Mexican grey wolves

TomJr · Post by **TomJr** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 2:06 pm

The following is from USFWS. We get an e-mail from them on endangered species ect. Anyhow they spent alot of money time trying to get these wolves going again in the wild. Money that could be better spent improving habitate for elk and deer ect. So that they could allow more hunting and make money instead! Million$ and years and they only have 52 wolves to show for it. Your tax dollars at work... Enjoy!

February 7, 2008

Results of 2007 End-of-Year Count of Mexican Wolves

To: Interested Parties
From: Terry B. Johnson, AMOC Chair

Please see the USFWS news release below. It is presented verbatim, although the format might have evolved a little as it was brought into this document.

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News Release

US Fish and Wildlife Service Southwest Region (Arizona ● New Mexico ● Oklahoma ● Texas) http://southwest.fws.gov

For Release: February 7, 2008
Contacts: Elizabeth Slown, 505-248-6909 or 363-9592

MEXICAN WOLF POPULATION SURVEY COMPLETE

There are 52 Mexican wolves that have been counted in the wild at the end of 2007, according to the annual survey conducted by the Interagency Field Team for wolf reintroduction. Surveys are completed in January of each year. Pups born in the summer must survive to December 31 before they are counted into the total Mexican wolf population. There are 29 wolves in Arizona and 23 wolves in New Mexico.

The reintroduction of the Mexican wolf is a cooperative, multi-agency effort between U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Arizona Game and Fish Department, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, White Mountain Apache Tribe, USDA Forest Service and USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service - Wildlife Services. The agencies have established the Adaptive Management Oversight Committee (AMOC) that jointly manage the wolf reintroduction program in New Mexico and Arizona.

Fixed-wing aircraft were used to locate packs whose members are wearing radio collars. A helicopter was then used to count uncollared wolves that are associated with collared wolves in any particular packs. If a wolf needed capturing, the helicopter crew used net guns or immobilizing drugs delivered via darts. Ten wolves were captured during the census and physically examined and inoculated. Ground crews, including a veterinarian, examined the wolves and administered the following vaccines: rabies; parvovirus, parainfluenza, canine distemper, coronavirus, adenovirus type 2, and Leptospira. These vaccinations help to protect both human and domestic animals, in the recovery area, from serious contagious diseases.

The numbers are down from last year’s number of 59 Mexican wolves.

Altogether, 22 wolves were removed from the wild in 2007 compared to 18 the previous year; 19 for depredating livestock (this includes their seven dependent pups), two for dispersing outside the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area and one for nuisance behavior. The alpha pair of the Durango Pack, along with a pup that would have been included in the count, went missing in November. Their disappearance is under investigation.

“Under the existing AMOC Standard Operation Procedures, we have to remove wolves that have three or more depredation incidents within a 12-month period,” said Benjamin Tuggle, PhD, Regional Director for the US Fish and Wildlife Service. “The number of wolves we had to remove this past year, based on current protocols, demonstrates the need for an interdiction program that addresses the issue of depredating wolves, provides economic compensation for financial losses, and thereby allows wolves to remain on the landscape.”

The fact that there were no initial releases of wolves in 2007 also affected the survey data. Although there were no new releases during the past year, there were some translocations of wolves. The number of new, or re-formed, pairs is five. One of the translocations of a female resulted in a new pair bond for the Hawks Nest pack. Three pairs formed naturally during the year and have been named Elk Mountain pack, Fox Mountain pack and Dark Canyon pack.

The number of official breeding pairs in the wild is four. When the number of breeding pairs is less than six, the Service does not issue permits to livestock owners for more aggressive management actions on public lands under certain conditions. Ranchers can always defend their livestock on their private land from attacking wolves.

The Service has initiated a public process to revise its rule that governs the Mexican wolf reintroduction project and will be analyzing alternatives to refine and improve reintroduction.

“With the revision of the project’s governing rule that is underway, we fully expect that there will be fruitful changes made that improve the wolf reintroduction program, and will ultimately lead to greater numbers of wolves in the wild,” said Tuggle. In addition, the AMOC has been reviewing and clarifying its operating procedures to strengthen wolf reintroduction efforts. The standard procedures describe how management actions are implemented. Standard operating procedures are collaboratively developed and can be modified by the AMOC. The governing rule regulating wolf reintroduction is subject to federal rulemaking procedures.

______________________________________________________________________
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.

- http://www.southwest.fws.gov –
___________________________________________
Elizabeth Slown, Public Affairs Specialist External Affairs, US Fish and Wildlife Service. 505-248-6909 (voice), 505-363-9592 (cell), 505-248-6915 (fax)
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Additional Information

Information about AMWG public meetings and other issues pertaining to Mexican wolf reintroduction is disseminated electronically through a self-subscription newsletter, Endangered Species Updates. A self-subscription form is available at http://azgfd.gov/signup.

Information pertaining to Mexican wolf reintroduction is also available on the Arizona Game and Fish Department Website (http://azgfd.gov/wolf) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Website (http://mexicanwolf.fws.gov).

The Mexican Wolf Blue Range Reintroduction Project email address is mexwolf@azgfd.gov. Messages received at that address will be read, but individual replies will not be sent

Pops · Post by **Pops** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 1:26 am

mexican grey wolves not reds. but agree w/ pretty much everything else.

TomJr · Post by **TomJr** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 1:43 am

Ah yes I see they are calling them mexican grey wolves now. A few years ago it was red wolf unless I am missing something I think its the same critter tho.

larry · Post by **larry** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 1:58 am

Just saw one while hunting down on the blue river, wed. Was told they have feed stations setup. Was also told that 7 lions per person can be killed there to protect the sheep. Good idea to reintroduce wolves, sign said they were brought back in '98. Saw one right next to the big wolf country sign. Smaller than our Montana wolves, but still a dog killer I guess.

Josh Kunde · Post by **Josh Kunde** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 2:05 am

I think I saw one last year.it would be prettty high up for them, but never the less, it was either one of them red wolves or a big red coyote, and i dont see too many coyotes that big.
Josh

nmplott · Post by **nmplott** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 4:24 am

as a rancher in NM, I know a lot of my peers have a hell of a time getting comped for the damage these m___-____ do. They were introduced into an ecological system that had been stable (stable as in the game and fish were able to with a lot of accuracy determine populations and expected growth of populations for game animals) but the people who did not want humans killing animals released predators that would sometimes kill just to kill and waste...unlike the ethics of sportman who utilze game meat and hides and so on.
I think that this was poor management on behalf of wildlife. I spoke with an ecology professor at New Mexico Tech last year and he stated that there is no evidence indicating any benefit of reintroducing top predators to areas that have recovered since there removal.

Beartree · Post by **Beartree** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 2:27 pm

I sure wish there was only 52 wolves up here in Idaho. Our numbers are way more than that.

TomJr · Post by **TomJr** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 7:21 pm

My dad and I hunt elk up in Idaho almost every year and we noticed a big differnence in the numbers of elk before and after the wolves moved in. Those elk that are left are higher up and hiding alot more in the thicker brush. Seems to me that the elk are worth alot more than the wolves. There is alot of money coming into those areas from elk hunters... lots of wolves means less elk. We noticed alot less hunters there now, the trail-head was crowded before the wolves.

Sorta happy these mexican wolves are not doing well... some are likly dieing to lead poison. But the majority were taken out by Game and Fish after they killed livestock. Its a big waste of time and money because if they acualy get them established then Game and Fish will be getting less money from licensing and tag fees.

Pops · Post by **Pops** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 3:13 am

Tom
pretty sure they were always mexican greys. you might have had a paper or tv news screw up the name. the USFW may be stupid, but they are well enough educated to know they are grey wolves. unfortunately they don't give a rats @$$ about what is good for an area because the agency has become infested w/stupid bunny huggers. they willfully promote the balance of nature BS even though everyone knows natures ballance is to starve most of the prey species after they overbrowse the range. likewise the predators get overpopulated as the ungulates start the downside of their cycle. then they crash & starve. it is ONLY through human intervention that anything remotely like balance between populations & carrying capacity is ever approached. if the USFW had never introduced the canadian greys there might still be rocky mountain timberwolves living in WY, ID, MT & UT. the last ones in yellowstone were destroyed by the canadian greys.
if you can find a dog w/ distemper or parvo take its carcass out there to feed the wolves. if the population crashes hard enough they will recapture them to breed & rebuild numbers, like they did the condors.

larry · Post by **larry** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 3:55 am

like that parvo distemper idea, never thought of that one

TomJr · Post by **TomJr** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 12:19 pm

They have been vacinating the wolves for parvo, rabies ect. They are more like pets than wild animals.

Pops · Post by **Pops** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 5:31 pm

can't hurt to try, definitely an idea for the yellowstone area, no way they are shotting 1200 wolves in 4 states.