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Wolves of the World

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Wolf Population and Distribution Survey

Survey Background
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.

Like the previous surveys, the 1997-98 effort was coordinated by the DNR Section of Wildlife, 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.

Wolf Range
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.

Summary of Wolf Survey Data

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. miiles)
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.