Idaho Wolf Counts Show 15 Percent Increase
by Tom Remington, Black Bear Blog, March 5, 2009 [here]
The Idaho Department of Fish and Game has officially announce their end-or-the year wolf count for 2008 - 846 wolves in 88 packs, with 39 breeding pairs. In mid-January Idaho officials announced preliminary estimates at 824 wolves in 88 packs. It is important to note that IDFG’s 846 wolf count is an estimated “minimum” number. Many feel this number could even be doubled. The truth is they don’t know.
While even “official” numbers are merely guesstimations, we can’t help but wonder if anyone knows how many wolves there are in what is labeled the Northern Rocky Mountain Distinct Population Segment.
If you will recall in September, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials, namely Ed Bangs Wolf Coordinator for USFWS, surprised everybody and announced that for the first time in 10 years estimated wolf population numbers had declined. Bangs offered nothing more than lame excuses of what, if anything, happened to all the wolves. …
With no real explanation as to why or how, this announcement became fodder for the wolf advocates yelling from the housetops that wolves need further protection because they are now shrinking in numbers. This further supported suspicions the feds were up to no good.
But lo and behold, here we are at the end of 2008 and the Idaho Fish and Game is announcing a 15% increase in their state’s wolf packs. If you factor in the USFWS projected increases, the 15% reduction in wolf numbers has become a 30% increase. … [more]
