Telemetry Monitoring - Wolf 002 (Miva) roamed within the Noch Hanai pack territory throughout the previous and present reporting period. Caught as a yearling in the Wildcat pack in May of 1998, she drifted out ofher natal pack territory late last fall. During the winter she was seen with 1-2 other wolves in the vicinity of Saddle Mound. Despite several howling attempts directed at her, we have not been able to detennine whether she is with other wolves. Her range during this period was calculated at31.5 mi2.
Wolf269 (Mike} revealed the summer 2000 home sites of the Dead Creek pack. These were in the vicinity of Silver Creek (denning through early June), and Dandy Flowage (early July through mid August). Pups were verified at these sites by both howling and track inspections. His summer home range is 25 mi2.
Wolf337 (Jack) Ron Schultz captured a young adult male wolf in the northeast comer of the Wildcat pack on 17 July. This wolf has generally stayed within the area normally frequented by the Wildcat pack, with 3 "extra-territorial" movements to the northeast. We have insufficient locations on him to determine home range size.
Wolf 309 (Ann) continued to range within the area referred to the Rock Dam wolf territory (sencond map) northeast of Fairchild. Only 1 to 2 wolves were believed to be present in this area last winter. She did not arrive in this vicinity until 15 May, and we speculate she may have integrated into that pack. During this period, she held a home range of 48.75 mi2 , very similar to the sizes of the Bear Bluff and Wildcat pack territories (about 50 mi2 each).
Wolf238 (Montana), monitored in the Wildcat pack from 21 May 1995 to 21 April, 1997, was found dead, struck by a vehicle on the Spurbeck Fire Lane in the Bear Bluff territory on 25 August, 2000. He was at least 7.5 years old. Trapping Activities -Trapping during May was unproductive in Fort McCoy, the Saddle Mound and Suk-Cemey pack areas. Intermittent trapping occurred in the area north of Pray, and in the Suk-Cemey in July, also without success. As mentioned above, a wolf was collared in the Wildcat pack in mid July.
Howling Surveys - Pups have been verified in the Dead Creek and Wildcat packs via howling. In addition, a single pup track was noted on the Deer Island Rd. within the Bear Bluff territory, but they have not been confirmed present there via howling. Volunteer, Cindy Mueller, obtained howling response of several adults and at least one pup in the Yellow River basin east of Sprague. No wolf and or pup responses have been made on routes run within the 2-Komer and Noch Hanai territories.
Fall Activities Planned - We plan to continue howl surveys, weather permitting, into late September. Since howling surveys will continue into September, a summary of pup production/howl surveys for the year 2000 will appear in the fall 2000report. We also plan intermittent trapping on private cranberry bogs, behind closed gates on public land, and on Ft McCoy in September and October, if/when sign suggests that trapping success is probable.
