Northern Rocky Mountain Wolf Recovery 

Program 2011 Interagency Annual Report 

A cooperative effort by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Idaho Department of Fish and 

Game, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Nez Perce Tribe, National Park Service, Blackfeet 

Nation, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Wind River Tribes, Washington 

Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Utah Department

of Natural Resources, and USDA Wildlife Services.

Photo: USFWS

This annual report presents information on the status, distribution, and management of the Northern 

Rocky Mountain wolf population from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011. 

Suggested Citation: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Montana Fish, 

Wildlife & Parks, Nez Perce Tribe, National Park Service, Blackfeet Nation, Confederated Salish and 

Kootenai Tribes, Wind River Tribes, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon Department 

of Fish and Wildlife, Utah Department of Natural Resources, and USDA Wildlife Services. 2012. 

Northern Rocky Mountain Wolf Recovery Program 2011 Interagency Annual Report. M.D. Jimenez and 

S.A. Becker, eds. USFWS, Ecological Services, 585 Shepard Way, Helena, Montana, 59601.
NRM Interagency Report

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Note to Readers:

In 2011, wolves were delisted and managed under state authority in Idaho, Montana, eastern 

Washington, eastern Oregon, and north-central Utah. Post delisting monitoring requires each 

delisted state to submit an annual report to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The 2011 

Interagency Annual Report is comprised of separate sections from Idaho, Montana, Oregon, 

Washington, federal agencies for Wyoming and Yellowstone National Park combined, and the 

overall U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northern Rockies Wolf Recovery Program.

This report can be viewed at http://westerngraywolf.fws.gov/annualreports.htm and may be 

copied and distributed as needed. You can download the Interagency Report in its entirety and 

cite the Interagency Report as suggested on the cover. Alternatively, you may download a state 

report or section of the Interagency Report and cite it individually. 

Thank you for your interest in the Northern Rocky Mountain Wolf Recovery Program. 

M.D. Jimenez and S.A. Becker, USFWS 

Abstract: The Northern Rocky Mountain Distinct Population Segment (NRM DPS) consists of 

Idaho (ID), Montana (MT), Wyoming (WY), eastern one-third of Washington (WA) and Oregon 

(OR), and a small part of north central Utah (UT). The 2011 NRM DPS wolf population 

contained >1,774 wolves in >287 packs with >109 breeding pairs. Wolf packs, and especially 

breeding pairs, largely remained within the core recovery areas, but breeding pairs were again 

confirmed in eastern WA and OR. Agency control, legal harvest, the natural territorial behavior 

of wolves, and other causes of mortality maintained the wolf population at or slightly above 2010 

levels (>1,723). In 2011, Federal agencies spent approximately $3,651,417 for wolf 

management. Private and state agencies paid $309,553 in compensation for wolf-damage to 

livestock in 2011. Confirmed cattle death losses in 2011 (193) were virtually the same as in 

2010 (199). Confirmed sheep losses in 2011(162) were lower than in 2010 (245). In 2011, 166 

depredating wolves were lethally removed by agency control, which includes legal take in 

defense of property by private citizens. During the year, MT removed 64 wolves by agency 

control and harvested 121 wolves during their hunting season; ID removed 63 wolves by agency 

control and harvested 200 wolves through regulated public hunting and trapping; and in WY, 37 

wolves were removed by agency control. In OR, 2 wolves were removed by agency control, but 

no wolves were removed in WA or UT. On May 5, 2011, wolves were delisted throughout the 

entire NRM DPS with the exception of WY. 
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INTERAGENCY REPORT TABLE OF CONTENTS

NORTHERN ROCKIES BACKGROUND (see this document) ...........................................1

NORTHERN ROCKIES SUMMARY (see this document) ...................................................2

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS (see this document).....................................................................5

IDAHO (see web for separate file)

Executive Summary......................................................................................................ID-ii

Acknowledgements.......................................................................................................ID-iii

Introduction...................................................................................................................ID-1

Statewide Summary ......................................................................................................ID-5

Wolf population status............................................................................................ID-5

Livestock and dog mortalities.................................................................................ID-16

Research..................................................................................................................ID-19

Outreach..................................................................................................................ID-21

Wolf Management Zone Summaries............................................................................ID-23

Literature Cited .............................................................................................................ID-91

Appendix A: Population estimation technique used to determine wolf 

population numbers in Idaho ..................................................................................ID-93

Appendix B: Contacts for Idaho wolf management .....................................................ID-94

MONTANA (see web for separate file)

Montana Executive Summary.......................................................................................MT-1

Introduction and Background .......................................................................................MT-2

Statewide Program Overview .......................................................................................MT-3

Area Summaries............................................................................................................MT-16

Outreach and Education................................................................................................MT-23

Law Enforcement..........................................................................................................MT-24

Funding .........................................................................................................................MT-24

Personnel and Acknowledgements...............................................................................MT-26

Literature Cited .............................................................................................................MT-28

Appendix 1: Montana Contact List...............................................................................MT-29

Appendix 2: Gray Wolf Legal Action in Montana (2011) ...........................................MT-31

Appendix 3: Research, Field Studies, and Project Publications...................................MT-33

Appendix 4: Montana Minimum Counts......................................................................MT-44

Appendix 5: Montana Wolf Pack Tables by Recovery Area........................................MT-46

WYOMING AND YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK (see web for separate file)

Executive Summary......................................................................................................WY-1

Personnel.......................................................................................................................WY-2

Monitoring ....................................................................................................................WY-3

Monitoring wolves in WY ......................................................................................WY-3

Monitoring in YNP .................................................................................................WY-7

Management..................................................................................................................WY-9
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Management in WY................................................................................................WY-9

Wolf management in YNP......................................................................................WY-13

Research........................................................................................................................WY-14

Research in WY ......................................................................................................WY-14

Research in YNP.....................................................................................................WY-17

Outreach........................................................................................................................WY-23

Wyoming Contact Information.....................................................................................WY-24

Acknowledgements.......................................................................................................WY-25

OREGON (see web for separate file)

Summary.......................................................................................................................OR-1

Regulatory Status..........................................................................................................OR-2

Program Accomplishments in 2011..............................................................................OR-6

Issues and Management Challenges in 2011 ................................................................OR-9

Depredation Investigation Procedures..........................................................................OR-13

Depredation Review Panel – Findings and Recommendations....................................OR-14

Expectations for 2012 ...................................................................................................OR-15

Attachment A: Wolf Program Budget Details..............................................................OR-16

Attachment B: Summary of preventive and non-lethal actions by ODFW, 

USFWS, USDA-WS, and area landowners in response to depredation and 

wolf activity in the Upper Wallowa Valley (Imnaha pack) since March 2010 ......OR-17

Attachment C: Wolf Livestock Depredation Investigation Procedures and 

Expectations............................................................................................................OR-19

Attachment D: ODFW Livestock Depredation Summary Finding...............................OR-24

Attachment E: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Wolf Depredation 

Investigation Internal Review Panel Meeting.........................................................OR-25

WASHINGTON (see web for separate file)

Summary.......................................................................................................................WA-4

Personnel.......................................................................................................................WA-5

Background...................................................................................................................WA-5

Monitoring ....................................................................................................................WA-6

Management..................................................................................................................WA-10

Research........................................................................................................................WA-10

Washington Contact Information..................................................................................WA-11

U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN 

WOLF RECOVERY PROGRAM UPDATE 2011 (see web for separate file)

Northern Rockies Funding............................................................................................NRM-1

Northern Rockies Delisting, Litigation, and Federal Personnel ...................................NRM-2

Northern Rocky Mountain Wolf Publications (2003-2011).........................................NRM-9

Abbreviations and Acronyms .......................................................................................NRM-45

Agency Contacts...........................................................................................................NRM-46

Websites........................................................................................................................NRM-47
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NORTHERN ROCKIES LIST OF TABLES

Table 1a. Wolf packs and population data for Montana’s portion of the Northwest Montana 

Recovery Area, 2011. (see web for separate file)

Table 1b. Wolf packs and population data for Montana’s portion of the Greater Yellowstone 

Recovery Area, 2011. (see web for separate file)

Table 1c. Wolf packs and population data for Montana’s portion of the Central Idaho Recovery 

Area and Montana statewide totals, 2011. (see web for separate file)

Table 2a. Wolf packs and population data for Wyoming’s portion of the Greater Yellowstone 

Recovery Area (outside YNP), 2011. (see web for separate file)

Table 2b. Wolf packs and population data for Yellowstone National Park’s (YNP) portion of 

the Greater Yellowstone Recovery Area and Wyoming statewide totals, 2011 (see web 

for separate file)

Table 2c. Wolf population data for the Greater Yellowstone Recovery Area, 2011. (see web for 

separate file)

Table 3a. Wolf packs and population data for Idaho’s portion of the Central Idaho Recovery 

Area, 2011. (see web for separate file)

Table 3b. Wolf packs and population data for Idaho’s portion of the Northwest Montana 

Recovery Area, 2011. (see web for separate file)

Table 3c. Wolf packs and population data for Idaho’s portion of the Greater Yellowstone 

Recovery Area and Idaho statewide totals, 2011. (see web for separate file)

Table 3d. Wolf population data for the Central Idaho Recovery Area, 2011. (see web for separate file)

Table 4a. Northern Rocky Mountain minimum year-end wolf population and breeding pairs by 

recovery area, 1980-2011. (see web for separate file)

Table 4b. Northern Rocky Mountain minimum year-end wolf population and breeding pairs by 

state, 1980-2011. (see web for separate file)

Table 5a. Northern Rocky Mountain confirmed wolf depredations by recovery area, 1987-2011. 

(see web for separate file)

Table 5b. Northern Rocky Mountain confirmed wolf depredations by state, 1987-2011. (see web 

for separate file)

Table 5c. Confirmed wolf depredations elsewhere, Northern Rocky Mountain Distinct 

Population Segment, 2009-2011. (see web for separate file)
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Table 6. Wolf packs and population data for Oregon and Washington inside the Northern 

Rocky Mountain Distinct Population Segment, 2011. (see web for separate file)

Table 7. Wolf packs and population data for Washington outside the Northern Rocky 

Mountain Distinct Population Segment, 2011. (see web for separate file)
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NORTHERN ROCKIES LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1. Northern Rocky Mountain Gray Wolf Distinct Population Segment Area (Key: 

Tables 1a-c, 2a-b, 3a-c, 6, 7). (see web for separate files)

Figure 2. Northwest Montana Wolf Recovery Area (Key: Tables 1a, 3b). (see web for separate files)

Figure 3. Greater Yellowstone Wolf Recovery Area (Key: Tables 1b, 2a-b, 3c). (see web for separate 

files)

Figure 4. Central Idaho Wolf Recovery Area (Key: Tables 1c, 3a). (see web for separate files)

Figure 5. Oregon/Washington wolf pack locations (Key: Tables 6, 7). (see web for separate files)

Figure 6a. Northern Rocky Mountain wolf population trends by recovery area, 1980-2011 

(excludes Oregon and Washington). (see web for separate files)

Figure 6b. Northern Rocky Mountain wolf breeding pair trends by recovery area, 1980-2011 

(excludes Oregon and Washington). (see web for separate files)

Figure 7a. Northern Rocky Mountain wolf population trends in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming: 

1980-2011. (see web for separate files)

Figure 7b. Northern Rocky Mountain breeding pair trends in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming: 

1980-2011. (see web for separate files)
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NORTHERN ROCKIES BACKGROUND

Gray wolf populations were extirpated from the western U.S. by the 1930s. Subsequently, 

wolves from Canada occasionally dispersed south into Montana and Idaho but failed to survive 

long enough to reproduce. Eventually, public attitudes toward predators changed and wolves 

received legal protection with the passage of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 1973. 

Wolves began to successfully recolonize northwest Montana in the early 1980s. By 1995, there 

were 6 wolf packs in northwest Montana. In 1995 and 1996, 66 wolves from southwestern 

Canada were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park (YNP; 31 wolves) and central Idaho 

(CID; 35 wolves). From 1989-2001, we also relocated wolves 117 times to reduce conflicts with 

livestock, including moving wolves among different recovery areas. This included 10 wolf pups 

from northwestern Montana whose pack was involved in chronic livestock depredations. These 

pups were relocated to YNP and were released from their holding pen in spring 1997. 

The Northern Rocky Mountain Distinct Population Segment (NRM DPS; Montana, Idaho,

Wyoming, the eastern one-third of Washington and Oregon, and a small part of north central 

Utah) contains 3 core recovery areas: northwest Montana (NWMT; Figures 1, 2) includes 

northern Montana and the northern Idaho panhandle; the Greater Yellowstone Area (GYA; 

Figures 1, 3) includes Wyoming and adjacent parts of Idaho and Montana; and the CID (Figures 

1, 4) includes central Idaho and adjacent parts of southwest Montana. Wolves continued to 

recolonize areas of eastern Oregon and Washington adjacent to CID and NWMT in 2011

(Figures 1, 5). In May 2011, wolves were delisted throughout the entire NRM DPS with the 

exception of Wyoming. Wolves in Montana are managed by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks 

(MFWP) and wolves in Idaho are managed by Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) with 

assistance from the Nez Perce Tribe (NPT). Tribes manage wolves on their tribal lands. Wolves 

in Wyoming continue to be managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The 

USFWS assists the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), the Oregon 

Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), and Utah Department of Natural Resources (UDNR) 

to manage wolves in their states.
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NORTHERN ROCKIES WOLF SUMMARY 2011

Wolf Population: As the NRM DPS wolf population grew larger and our monitoring efforts 

remained constant, population estimates have become less precise. However, our minimum 

estimate of the NRM DPS wolf population is still very accurate compared to most estimates of 

wildlife population density and distribution in North America. In 2011, the NRM DPS minimum 

wolf population estimate increased slightly (~3%) from 2010 levels (Table 4b). Pack and 

breeding pair estimates in 2011 were similar to estimates obtained in 2010 (Tables 1a-c, 2a-b, 

3a-c, 4b, 6). Moreover, the use of other indices of wolf population abundance, such as livestock 

damage, percentage of packs depredating, agency control, and site-specific research, suggested 

that the overall NRM DPS wolf population in 2011 was not appreciably larger than 2010 levels. 

As of December 31, 2011, the minimum estimated gray wolf population within the NRM DPS 

was composed of at least 1,774 wolves in 287 packs (groups of two or more wolves with 

territories inside the NRM DPS that persisted until December 31, 2011; Table 4b). At least 109 

packs met the definition of a breeding pair (packs that contained at least one adult male, one 

adult female, and two or more pups on December 31, 2011; Table 4b). At the end of 2011, there 

was a minimum of 431 wolves in the Northwest Montana Recovery Area (NWMT), 499 in the 

Greater Yellowstone Recovery Area (GYA), and 797 in the Central Idaho Recovery Area (CID; 

Table 4a, Figure 1, 6a). By state, within the NRM DPS, there were an estimated minimum of 

653 wolves in Montana, 328 in Wyoming, and 746 in Idaho (Table 4b, Figure 7a). Twenty-nine 

wolves (5 packs, 1 breeding pair) were estimated to be in eastern Oregon and 18 wolves (3 

packs, 2 breeding pairs) were found within the NRM DPS in eastern Washington (Table 4b, 

Figure 5). An additional two packs (one breeding pair) were known to exist in western 

Washington outside the NRM DPS. Minimum recovery goals of an equitably distributed wolf 

population containing at least 300 wolves and 30 breeding pairs in Montana, Idaho, and 

Wyoming for at least 3 consecutive years have been exceeded in the NRM DPS since 2002 

(Table 4b, Figure 1, 6a-b, 7a-b).

Wolf Packs: There were a minimum of 287 confirmed wolf packs in the NRM DPS at the end of 

2011. Montana had a minimum of 130 confirmed packs at the end of 2011 and an additional 11 

packs that were present at the beginning of the year, but were believed to no longer exist at the 

end of the year (Table 1a-c). In Wyoming, a minimum of 48 packs were documented at the end 

of 2011 with an additional 2 packs present at the beginning of the year no longer in existence by 

the end of the year (Table 2a-b). Idaho had a minimum of 101 confirmed packs at the end of 

2011 and an additional 4 packs present at the beginning of the year that were believed to no 

longer exist at the end of the year (Table 3a-c). All packs in Oregon (n = 5) and Washington 

(NRM DPS = 3; outside NRM DPS = 2) continued to persist at year’s end (Table 6, 7). No 

packs were documented in Utah.

Wolf Depredations: In 2011, cattle depredations were similar, sheep and other livestock 

depredations decreased, and dog depredations slightly increased compared to 2010 (Table 5a-c). 

Wolves in the NRM DPS subsist primarily on elk, white-tailed deer, mule deer, and moose, but 

livestock are also attacked. Although confirmed depredations result in a comparatively small 

proportion of all livestock losses in the NRM DPS, wolf damage can be significant to some 

livestock producers in areas where wolves are present. Total confirmed livestock depredations 
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by wolves in 2011 were down slightly from 2010 levels and included 193 cattle, 162 sheep, 9

dogs, and 7 other livestock (5 horses and 2 domestic bison; Table 5a-c). Approximately 58 of 

294 (~20%) known NRM DPS wolf packs (outside YNP) that existed at some point in 2011 were 

involved in at least one confirmed livestock or pet depredation. This is slightly lower than the 

2010 estimate of 25%. 

Agency Control of Problem Wolves: In the NRM DPS, lethal control of problem wolves 

(including agency control and legal take in defense of property by private citizens) decreased by 

approximately 36% in 2011 (n = 166) compared to 2010 (n = 259; Table 5a-c). In the three 

primary NRM DPS states, Wyoming removed the largest and Idaho removed the smallest 

proportion of their 2011 minimum estimated wolf population through agency control. For 

strictly comparative purposes, we estimated the absolute minimum number of wolves alive in 

2011 by combining the 2011 NRM DPS minimum population estimate of 1,774 wolves with all 

known wolf mortalities from all causes (n = 166 agency control; n = 322 legal harvest; n = 92

other known mortalities). This sums to an absolute minimum NRM DPS estimate of 2,354

wolves known alive at some point in 2011 (MT = 869, ID = 1,042, WY = 392, OR = 32, WA = 

19). The absolute minimum estimate was only used to compare relative rates of wolf removal 

among states and by cause (in this section, the “legal public harvest of wolves” section, and the 

“human-caused wolf mortality” section). Agency control removed approximately 7% of the 

absolute minimum NRM DPS estimated wolf population in 2011. By state, within the NRM 

DPS, agency control removed approximately 7% of the absolute minimum NRM DPS estimated 

wolf population in Montana, 9% in Wyoming, 6% in Idaho, and 6% in Oregon. Washington had 

no wolves removed through agency control in 2011.

Legal Public Harvest of Wolves: The NRM DPS gray wolf population was removed from 

federal protection in all states except Wyoming in May 2011 and, subsequently, legal public 

harvest was instituted during the fall of 2011 in Montana and Idaho. In 2011, 322 wolves were 

legally harvested in the NRM DPS which accounted for approximately 14% of the absolute 

minimum NRM DPS estimated wolf population. Legal harvest removed approximately 14% and 

19% of Montana’s and Idaho’s absolute minimum estimated wolf populations in 2011, 

respectively. No legal public harvest occurred in Oregon, Washington, or Wyoming during 

2011; however, one wolf from a Washington border pack was legally harvested in Idaho.

Human-Caused Wolf Mortality: In 2011, excluding agency control and legal harvest, other 

forms of human-caused mortality accounted for 19 known wolf mortalities in Montana, 8 in 

Wyoming, and 18 in Idaho. Oregon and Washington had no other forms of human-caused 

mortality in 2011. When all forms of human-caused mortality were combined (agency control, 

legal harvest, and other human-caused mortality) a total of 204 wolves were removed in 

Montana (~23% of absolute minimum Montana estimated population), 45 wolves were removed 

in Wyoming (~11% of absolute minimum Wyoming estimated population), 281 wolves were 

removed in Idaho (~27% of absolute minimum Idaho estimated population), 2 wolves were 

removed in Oregon (~6% of absolute minimum Oregon estimated population), and 1 wolf was 

removed in Washington (~5% of absolute minimum Washington estimated population). Overall, 

approximately 23% of the NRM DPS absolute minimum estimated wolf population was removed 

due to human-causes. 
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Wolf Funding: In 2011, federal agencies spent approximately $3,651,417 for wolf management, 

including $825,000 spent by USDA APHIS Wildlife Services to investigate reports of possible 

wolf damage and to control depredating wolves. Private and State compensation programs spent 

approximately $309,553 to compensate livestock producers for confirmed, probable, and likely 

livestock damaged by NRM wolves.

Wolf Population Recovery: By every biological measure the NRM DPS wolf population is fully 

recovered. Resident packs have saturated suitable habitat in the core recovery areas and the 

population has exceeded recovery goals for 11 consecutive years. Dispersing wolves routinely 

travel between NRM states and Canada and successfully breed, demonstrating that the 3 

subpopulations function as a single large NRM meta-population.

Data collected in 2011 describing wolf distribution, numbers, packs, breeding pairs, livestock 

depredations, compensation, wolf control, impacts on ungulates, and regulated public hunting 

suggest that the overall growth rate for the NRM wolf population has declined and the wolf 

population may be beginning to stabilize at some yet undetermined lower equilibrium based on 

natural carrying capacity in suitable habitat and human social tolerance.

Delisting the NRM DPS wolf population enables the States, Tribes, national park service and the 

Service to implement more efficient, sustainable, and cost effective wildlife programs that will 

allow them to maintain a fully recovered wolf population while attempting to minimize conflicts. 

 
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Hundreds of people have assisted with wolf recovery efforts in a wide variety of ways and we 

are indebted to them all. It would be impossible to individually recognize them all in this report. 

We especially want to acknowledge the support and understanding from our families and friends. 

Major contributions to wolf recovery efforts were provided by Seth Willey and Mike Thabault 

(USFWS, Denver, CO); Dave Skates, Pat Hnilicka, and Laurie Connell (USFWS, Lander, WY), 

Jim Williams (MFWP, Kalispell, MT), Mark Wilson, Brent Esmoil, Shawn Sartorius, Michele 

Franich , Edith Diaz-Hansen, and Cindy Thurston (USFWS/ES, Helena MT), Jeff Green (WS, 

Denver CO), Todd Grimm (WS, ID), Dave Renwald (Bureau of Indian Affairs), and Mike 

Phillips and Val Asher (TESF). Numerous agencies have contributed to the recovery program 

and we thank the USFS, Bridger-Teton National Forest, Shoshone National Forest, Kootenai 

National Forest, Flathead National Forest, Lewis and Clark National Forest, GNP, YNP, GTNP, 

National Elk Refuge, Lost Trail National Wildlife Refuge, U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, 

Confederated Salish-Kootenai Tribes, the Blackfeet Tribe, WGFD, MFWP, and IDFG. We 

thank Kevin Bunnell (UT DOW) and Mike Linnell (UT WS) for their assistance. Laboratory 

work was performed by the MFWP laboratory in Bozeman, MT, the USFWS Forensics 

Laboratory in Ashland, OR, Matson’s Laboratory in Milltown, MT, and Gary Haas of Big Sky 

Beetle Works in Hamilton, MT. Veterinarians providing services and advice to wolf recovery 

programs included Drs. Clarence Binninger, Charlene Esch, Jennifer Ramsey, Tom Roffe, and 

Mark Drew. We thank our legal advisors Tyson Powell and Dana Jacobson (DOI) and Michael 

Eitel, Sato Ayako, Eric Peterson, and David Gayer (DOJ) for their hard work and advice.

We thank our pilots Dave Hoerner of Red Eagle Aviation, Lowell Hanson of Piedmont Air 

Services, Joe Rahn and Greg Thielman of MFWP; Joe Rimensberger of Osprey Aviation, Tim 

Graff and Eric Waldorf of WS, Bob Hawkins, Dave Stinson, and Ken Overfield of Sky Aviation,

Jim Pope, Wes Livingston, and crew of Leading Edge Aviation, Roger Stradley of Gallatin 

Flying Service, Pat and Mike Dorris, Rod Nielson and Jon Ugland of McCall Aviation, Mike 

Dorris of Sawtooth Flying Service; Doug Gadwa, Brandon Startin, and Joe Myers of Inter-State 

Aviation, John Romero of Owyhee Aviation, Leroy Brown and Jack Fulton of ID Helicopters 

and Dave Parker, John Blakely in ID. Their safety, skill and cooperation greatly contributed to 

wolf recovery efforts.

Many private organizations have lent their support to the program including DOW, National Fish 

and Wildlife Foundation, Wolf Education and Research Center, DeVlieg Foundation, Rocky 

Mountain Elk Foundation, Snowdon Wildlife Sanctuary, Twin Spruce Foundation, CA Wolf 

Center, Yellowstone Park Foundation, and Plum Creek Timber Company. The efforts of many 

individuals who have contacted us to report wolf sightings are greatly appreciated. The 

numerous ranchers and other private landowners whose property is occasionally used by wolves, 

sometimes at great cost to the owner, and hunters who increasingly share the harvestable surplus 

of big game populations with wolves deserve our respect, service, and understanding.

Portions of this report were authored by Mike Jimenez, Seth Willey, Scott Becker, and Ed Bangs

(USFWS); Todd Grimm (USDA/WS); Doug Smith, Erin Stahler, and Dan Stahler (NPS); Jon 

Rachael and Jason Husseman (IDFG); Curt Mack and Jim Holyan (NPT); Lauri HanuskaBrown, Liz Bradley, Kent Laudon, Mike Ross, Nathan Lance, Abigail Nelson (MFWP); Harriet 
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Allen and Paul Frame (WDFW), and Russ Morgan and Roblyn Brown (ODFW). Special thanks 

to Adam Messer (MFWP) for preparing maps for this report, Scott Story for technical computer 

support, and to Jim Renne (USFWS) for producing the website.

Contacts: 

Mike Jimenez – U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 307-330-5631

Diane Katzenberger – U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 303-236-4578

Lauri Hanauska-Brown - Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, 406-444-5209

Jon Rachael - Idaho Department of Fish and Game, 208-334-2920

Doug Smith - Yellowstone National Park, 307-344-2242

Harriet Allen - Washington Department Fish and Wildlife, 360-902-2694

Russ Morgan - Wolf Coordinator, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, 541-963-2138

John Shivick - Utah Department of Natural Resources, 801-538-4758