Approximately once every 10 years, the Minnesota Department of
Natural Resources (DNR) does a comprehensive wolf population and
distribution survey to augment annual wolf population indices
from other annual surveys. Previous comprehensive surveys were
completed during the winters of 1978-79 and 1988-89.
with the cooperation of other DNR divisions and essentially all
federal, county, and Indian natural resource agencies statewide.
The three comprehensive surveys used similar methodologies,
relying primarily on observations of wolves and wolf sign along
with data from radio-collared packs.
In the 1988-89 survey, many areas, both within and outside of
the primary wolf range, were identified as potential wolf range.
Criteria included low road and human densities, habitat availability,
and land use. By 1997-98, most of the potential wolf range was
occupied by wolves. Although there are still areas of potential
wolf range in Minnesota, those areas are few and disjunct. Thus,
wolf numbers can be expected to increase at a lower rate in the
future.
| |
1978-79 |
1988-89 |
1997-98 |
| Number of observers |
120+ |
362 |
464 |
| Number of field stations |
NA |
154 |
179 |
| Number of observations |
480 |
1,244 |
3,451 |
| Minimum primary wolf range (sq. miles) |
14,038 |
23,165 |
33,971 |
| % increase from previous survey |
NA |
65% |
47% |
| Number of packs (> 2 wolves) |
138 |
233 |
385 |
| % increase from previous survey |
NA |
69% |
65% |
| Number of wolves |
1,235 |
1,550-1,750 |
2,445 |
| % increase from previous survey |
NA |
32% |
50% |
A second, minor part of the 1997-98 survey included responses
from 150 cooperating natural resource stations as to whether wolves
were present in their work areas, and if so, did wolves increase,
decrease, or remain stable over the last 5 years. It is noteworthy
that none of the respondents with wolves reported declining numbers,
and that 71% reported increasing wolf numbers over the last 5
years.
Prepared by the Minnesota Department of
Natural Resources, Section of Wildlife.
