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Beyond 2000:
Realities of Global Wolf Restoration
23-26 February 2000
Duluth, Minnesota USA
J. Henry Fair
Mike Jimenez, University of Montana.
Michael D. Jimenez, Daniel H. Pletscher, Robert R. Ream,
School of Forestry, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
Gray wolves (Canis lupus) began recolonizing remote areas
in northwestern Montana in 1982. Human tolerance towards wolves
allowed wolves to expand their range into more populated regions
of the Rocky Mountains. As wolves recolonize valley bottoms where
humans live and raise livestock, potential conflicts between wolves
and humans increase. Wolves recolonized Ninemile Valley in western
Montana in 1990. From 1990 to 1999, at least 45 different wolves
inhabited Ninemile at various times. Pack size ranged from 1 to
12 wolves, with 9 successful litters totaling at least 40 pups.
We monitored wolves in the Ninemile Valley for 8 years to examine
how human activities influenced feeding ecology and habitat use
of wolves, and how wolves interacted with cattle. Scat analysis
indicated that wolves fed extensively on white-tailed deer (Odocoileus
virginianus). Five dogs were killed by wolves and 5 dogs were
attacked but survived. Wolves frequently fed on cattle carcasses
but only rarely killed cattle. Wolves killed 2 steers in 1991, 1
steer in 1992, 1 calf in 1996, and 4 calves in 1998. Four wolves
were removed by lethal control in 1998. Wolves used closed roads
to access den and rendezvous sites in areas that were relatively
undisturbed by humans. We examined wolf/cattle interactions by intensively
monitoring radio-collared wolves and domestic cows grazing on U.S.
Forest allotments. Based on simultaneous wolf/cattle radio locations,
we determined that wolves were routinely within close proximity
of livestock but continued preying on white-tailed deer. Wolves
persist in Ninemile Valley despite occasional conflicts with humans
and contribute to wolf recovery.
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