On March 28, wolves in the Northern Rockies were taken off the endangered species list, and their management shifted from the federal government’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to the game departments in Wyoming, Idaho and Montana. In Wyoming, this means that wolves venturing into the newly created predator zone (88 percent of the state) are subject to being killed by anyone at any time and by nearly any means. As of July 11, 24 wolves have been reported killed in Wyoming since delisting began -- 12 were killed in the predator zone, eight were killed outside the predator zone to control depredation, two were killed by cars, one died naturally, and one was illegally killed near Moran. A total of 91 wolves have been reported killed in Idaho, Wyoming and Montana since March 28.

On April 28, the Conservation Alliance, along with 11 other organizations, filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Montana to have the delisting decision overturned. The original recovery goal for gray wolves in the Northern Rockies was to build a total population of 300 -- about 100 in the greater Yellowstone area (mostly in northwest Wyoming), 100 in central Idaho and 100 in northwest Montana. The federal government's original objective, which was drafted in 1987 and finalized in 1994, also called for at least 30 breeding pairs spread across the three groups, and some genetic interchange among them to prevent inbreeding. Currently, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates there are about 1,500 wolves in the three states and more than 100 breeding pairs. But a geneticist with the Natural Resources Defense Council (one of the lawsuit participants) says that scientists now understand that there should be 2,000 to 5,000 wolves in the Northern Rockies before the federal government can call the species "recovered" here. (Click here for more information about the lawsuit.)

Also on April 28, a request was filed for an immediate injunction that would return wolf management to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service while the case is being heard. A federal judge held an injunction hearing on May 29, but hasn't yet issued a ruling. (UPDATE: On Friday, July 18, U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy granted a preliminary injunction restoring protection for wolves in Montana, Wyoming and Idaho pending full consideration of the lawsuit mentioned above. In his ruling, Molloy said the federal government had not met its own standard for wolf recovery, and that wolf-control laws in the three states were "more than likely to eliminate any chance for genetic exchange to occur." Such exchange is needed to ensure healthy wolf populations. Click here for a press release about the ruling. A spokesman for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department said the state will likely make an announcement regarding its planned wolf-hunting season during the week of July 21. Stay tuned for details.)

In the meantime, the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission is moving forward with drafting hunting season regulations for wolves in the trophy game area (12 percent of the state). A draft of the proposed season is available at http://gf.state.wy.us/services/education/wolves/index.asp.

The hunting proposal extends across the trophy game area, which is divided into four hunt units. The Gros Ventre unit, which encompasses the Jackson area, has a quota of five wolves and a season running from Oct. 1 through Nov. 15. The season for the Francs Peak hunting unit to the north, which encompasses the Teton Wilderness, runs from Oct. 1 through Nov. 30 and has a quota of 10 wolves. These two units overlap the majority of the territories of the six wolf packs using Grand Teton National Park and the greater Jackson Hole area. Under the worst-case scenario, the 60-plus wolves in this area could suffer as many as 15 deaths.

If there’s any good news in this proposed hunting season, it’s that for now, there will be no trapping allowed and the season will end when the quota for each unit is met, regardless of whether or not the closing date has been reached.

All comments must be in writing and must be submitted at the public meetings or be received at the following address by 5 p.m. on July 3:
Wyoming Game and Fish Department
Wildlife Division
ATTN: Regulations
3030 Energy Lane, Casper WY  82604

The USFWS Northern Rockies Annual Report for 2007 is available at www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/species/mammals/wolf. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has also set up a phone number (307-777-4655) and web page (http://gf.state.wy.us/wolfinformation/wolfQ&As.pdf) to address people's questions regarding wolf management.