From: vkunch@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Virginia P Kunch)
Newsgroups: alt.wolves
Subject: Re: Wolves in Ontario (Canada)
Date: 5 Oct 1992 13:29:23 GMT
Organization: Computing Services Division, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
Distribution: na
NNTP-Posting-Host: 129.89.7.4

(First, a disclaimer -- I'm only summarizing the report.  I neither 
agree nor disagree with the information presented.)

From the way I understand it, "recreational hunting of wolves" on public lands
(as opposed to National Park areas) is permitted and has even been encouraged
-- by the way, this information pertains only to Alberta, but I think it 
may be representative of other Canadian provinces, where wolves are also
quite numerous.  In Alberta, it has been estimated that there's a population
of 3500 - 5000 wolves, and a Wolf Management Plan has been developed to 
manage the population "to everyone's satisfaction." [Ed.'s note:  Maybe
no one asked the wolves...]  There are, evidently, areas where "wolf 
predation is scientifically identified as a major limitation to ungulate
populations."  The proposed plans will be "local and temporary."  However,
there are fewer restrictions on private lands, where wolves may be shot at any
time of year.  Also, supposedly, (although this is not clear from the 
article) such a management plan would promote wolf recovery in the northwestern
US by allowing wolves to expand into less populated southern foothills of
Alberta and then down into Idaho & Montana.  However, the author of this 
article, in an editorial column, mentions that that aspect of the plan may
backfire, due to human predation of wolves (i.e., hunters & ranchers), and
that success of that aspect would require legal wolf protection. -- I also
found similar information concerning a Wolf Management Plan (to be balanced
by a Wolf Protection Plan) in British Columbia.

Also, the issue of wolves in Yellowstone was raised on the network.  The
scoop here is that wolf sightings have increased in the mountains and forests
between Cody and the Montana border, and there are often numerous sightings
of lone wolves before any animals set up permanent residence, according to
USFWS Wolf Recovery Coordinator Steve Fritts.

End of report.

I truly believe Wolf! magazine to be an excellent source of information 
regarding the status of wild wolves both in the US and abroad.  It also
reports on the Mexican wolf and the Red wolf.  If anyone would like 
subscription information, post me at vkunch@csd4.csd.uwm.edu

One other quickie -- regarding a comment recently made about the proliferation
of wolf t-shirts, jewelry, paraphernalia in WWF catalogs, etc.:  I would 
agree that all this reflects a new awareness of wolves and wolf recovery/
reintroduction, (in fact, I even recently saw a column listing wolves as
"in" or "hot" in 1992!), but I'm concerned that the pendulum may swing the
other way, to the "wolves can do no wrong" viewpoint.  Similarly, there are
other endangered species who are in worse shape than wolves who are never
mentioned by such catalogs & groups -- species like the Cape Hunting dog,
a very close relative of wolves, who are limited to a very small area of 
Africa, where human interference coupled with natural causes are crippling
the populations.  I realize this is alt.wolves and not alt.lycaon_pictus,
but I think it bears mention.

-ginny
vkunch@csd4.csd.uwm.edu 


Newsgroups: alt.wolves