Apparent Increase In Montana’s Wolf Population Is Based On Fabricated Numbers
By Jay Mallonee
Synopsis: Populations of living organisms change over time. To understand how, scientists measure four basic components expressed by populations: births (b), deaths (d), immigration (i, join a population), and emigration (e, leave a population). The overall equation is: growth rate = (i – e) + (b – d).
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) is responsible for wolf management, including public hunts, and oversees how the wolf population changes from year to year. They claim that their methods are based in science, but one official has stated that no scientific protocols have been used to collect their data. This shows in FWP’s annual reports in which data are collected in a haphazard manner, making it difficult to draw relevant conclusions about Montana’s wolf population. Immigration numbers are never measured, yet are assumed in the annual reports and used to calculate the minimum number of wolves each year, or year-end totals. Over the last nine years, including 24 unverified wolves that supposedly emigrated, this represents 762 unaccounted for wolves: an average 21.4 percent error in minimum population numbers each year. Intentional or not, at least immigration numbers are fabricated and mean nothing scientifically. Minimum population numbers, therefore, are annual claims made by FWP, because they cannot be verified. This is important because these year-end numbers are used to make management decisions about wolves. For example, FWP has stated in their annual report that the number of wolves in 2011 is a 15 percent increase from 2010. However, this increase is well within the error established in FWP’s numbers. In addition, a wildlife official stated that none of the wolf counts were complete. Therefore, FWP cannot know if an increase occurred because their database is so inaccurate. When the unverified wolf counts are removed from the year-end totals, the result is a difference of 25 wolves between 2010 and 2011. According to FWP numbers, it would take 98 wolves to achieve 15 percent of the 2011 year-end total. Therefore, the claimed 15 percent increase came from the unverified immigration numbers. Regardless, FWP has used this assertion to justify an increased quota for the 2012 hunt. More importantly, the pattern of fabricated data represented in the 2011 annual report is consistent with previous years.
The data collected by FWP is so incomplete and without basis in science that we could ask, “What numbers do they provide the federal government to determine if wolves should be on the endangered species list or not?
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Pamphlet: Courtesy Jay Mallonee
Posted in: Biodiversity, Montana wolves, Wolf Wars
Tags: Jay Mallonee, Kalispell Montana, The Truth About Wolves, Montana wolf numbers? , Montana FWP
Boulder White Clouds Council
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Wolf And Wildlife Studies: Jay Mallonee (Independent Wolf Biologist)
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Wolves in english ! Les loups en anglais !
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Howling For Justice 
nabeki,even though i live in the southeast,i am ,making some headway into raising awareness of what i s happening to our western wolves.it is my hope that in t he not too distant future , i and a very prominent champion of the environment will hold an event to bring people together who may not know about the disturbing events in those states with a vendetta against the wolf population.we hope to include an expert on the subject of wolves an d their scientific importance to the eco -system.i will speak from my heart and try to reach people through my paintings ,another perspective. i Finally feel that someone has listened and picked up the ball and now,even though we are small and fighting a giant,we will not give up..!!i am quietly excited!!!!
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How is the Midwest Wolf Stewards Conference viewed by you guys , I see they had a meeting in Duluth ,MINN on the future of wolves in the midwest
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This inaccuracy doesn’t exactly come as a huge surprise…..
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Let’s take away the wild life care? away from the BLM. We need a good steward, not related to the BLM or G O V but a separate entity.
We can do this.
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Good idea! The BLM and the Department of Agriculture are not doing their job and apparently are in the pockets of the groups wanting the wolf hunts and the horse roundups.
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It is good to see level heads are banding together to awaken others to the positive roles wolves have played, and do play, in our world. The demand for facts rather than fabricated rumors is right on target. My deep appreciation to all who are working to wake up those who are satisfied with their own constructed fairy tales.
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Can FWP be challenged bases on Mallonee’s information?
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Thanks for what you’re doing!!!
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More interesting positive information on how and why wolves and man (cattlemen) can live together
http://www.conservationnw.org/news/scat/what-washington-can-learn-about-wolves
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Gee- not surprised that they lie, hire corrupt scientists and pay off everyone- they are pure evil cowards
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They really should learn from whats happening to the wolves on Isle Royal,they let the numbers get to low and its predicted to wipe out them all ,there is a study watching them now,
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Here’s a link to a petition from care 2 .it’s to the House Senate and Pres – tells them to close/defund Wildlife Services – to stop using taxpayer $ to slaughter animals…..
http://www.care2.com/go/z/e/AGMQ2/zmxc/BK8iI
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Are we surprised by this? (see link) I am, after all we’ve seen – the irrational fears and behavors of humans never ceases to shock and amaze:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/05/07/BAI51OELDV.DTL
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NOW the wackos are invading my state of California where they will have a lot of problems – some nut case in one of the northern counties that OR7 passed thru wants to make it illegal for Wolves to be in that county – I don’t know if they are going to do what Utah is planning – maybe someone will sit on the county line and wait for the Wolf to cross and kill him or maybe they will post a sign telling him to stay out – no doubt he could read better than these idiots. The SF Chronicle ran story today and the journalist mentioned the incorrect spelling – which is funny, except the concept is not. I am gong to write the journalist again and ask that he pull this site and prepare!
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Just so I understand this, they are killing the wolves and sending the Bison to slaughter all on the taxpayers dime so they can put cows in Yellowstone ,BILLINGS – Government workers are set to begin hazing hundreds of wild bison back into Yellowstone National Park after capturing a small group of the animals for use in a birth control study.
Montana state veterinarian Marty Zaluski says 10 bull bison were captured Tuesday near West Yellowstone. Seven were later released and three turned over to U.S. Department of Agriculture researchers. The government is studying whether birth control can rein in the park’s burgeoning buffalo herds and reduce its rate of disease.
Thousands of migrating bison have been shipped to slaughter in the last decade to prevent transmissions of the disease brucellosis to cattle.
Workers on Wednesday plan to start driving roughly 400 bison back into Yellowstone. They’re making way for cattle being brought into the West Yellowstone area to graze.
Read more: http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/yellowstone-bison-captured-hazing-next/article_ecc2c2bc-9968-11e1-86d2-0019bb2963f4.html#ixzz1uKgcsLXn
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The only way to stop this persecution of wolves is to elect candidates that support wildlife and the scientific management of wildlife.
Most of the candidates this year that appear on the Primary Ballot do not support the protection of wolves.
The best approach as a voter would be to write-in the name of candidates that are pro-wolf.
Two members of the U.S. Congress that can be trusted are:
Congressman George Miller- Democrat- California
Senator Dianne Feinstein- Democrat- California.
They supported the PAWS Act Legislation in 2010 that would have stopped aerial hunting and trapping of wolves and it would have afforded protection for all wildlife.
Unfortunately, this act did not pass through Congress.
We need to find wildlife advocates in both major political parties and encourage others to vote for them. That is the only way that we can get the Endangered Species status back for the wolves and protect other animals that are in danger of becoming delisted.
Toni Stark
Truth About Wolves
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The House of Representatives has passed the Sportsmen’s Heritage Act that would allow hunting in national parks, would allow bringing into the country trophies from polar bear hunting, plus more! The 2010 elections seems to have unleased all the pent-up bloodlust and greed that have been building up and waiting to be let loose.
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Oh Lord –
This is a very, very serious subject – but a little levity can sometimes be found. Some of the comments are quite amusing about the furor in Siskiyou County poor Journey has evoked. Between the misspelling of “prohibit the presents of wolves in the county” and the funny line below, I guess we can take small victories we can:
“If this county (Siskiyou) were a TV show — Breaking Bad meets Broken, Inbred Genetics — then nobody would believe it.”
Ha!
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they are funny in a very sick disgusting way – unfortunately they will rally the nasty groups – nra, livestock industry , killer “wildlife” agency employees, blm employees , etc. and their families ! friends etc. most of whom are to scared to do anything but follow the wackos – this a very sick group BUT very strong thanks to nra (intentionally not capitalized)
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Last night I was on a conference call with the Humane Society of the United States. One of the questions involved the “war on wolves,” and people were really disgusted with that is happening but were feeling defeated in trying to help. CEO Wayne Pacelle said this was a issue that was really bothering him too. The unfortunate lesson is that when big money and big organizations band together to grab all the land and resources and get rid of wolves, horses, bison, prairie dogs, etc., it is very hard to fight them, their money, and their lobbyists. The bloodlust of the hunters and greed of the cattle- and oilmen is beyond disgusting. We deplore what is happening but do not have the organization as individuals to be heard, and the big animal friendly organizations do not have the money of the NRA and the cattlemen to fight back.
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It must seem like you guys over there are trying to push an elephant up the stairs with regard to your advocacy for the wolves and that the opposition you face and wish to dissolve is too immense, too powerful and too forbidding.
Here is some advice from someone who has been there and done it. Perhaps, it’s true to say, that his achievement in saving a reef from developers is not the force that opposes you, but everyone and everything has its Achilles Heel.
Here are his own words of advice and inspiration,
“..to gain any sort of media attention for a social or environmental issue requires a circus, a celebrity or an act of violence. We only tried the first two and yes money really does talk. But once you get direct access to ordinary citizens, you discover that the victory of selfish consumerism is not yet complete. Despite the numbness and nihilism in our culture, there’s still an instinct for justice and proportion, a value of self-restraint, an abiding sense of the common good. I’m no Utopian, but I’ve found that deep down humans love the world that sustains them. Given honest information and a bit of respect, they will act to defend it, even for the sake of the unborn stranger…”
Tim Winton – ‘Lands Edge’.
Just to move on to a more cynical area, on my part, and forgive me if this has been discussed on this blog and forgive me for any naivety, but although this proposed extermination of the wolf has been on certain peoples agenda for a few years, is it just coincidence that the action required to get the de-listing through, came at the back end of last year and would lead into the year of election? Election of a new President, or rather perhaps the same President. I know this may be pushing the bounds of a theory, but is it possible that in that long, long chain, that very loose connective chain that connects The White House with a ‘hunter’, out there in the wilds, champing at the bit for years to be able to hunt wolves, somewhere in that chain, said person or persons, colluded and said, ‘Y’know what sir, if we were able to hunt wolves a little, for a while, then maybe in the forthcoming election there may be a little money available and maybe a few votes too’. I mean it was whispered, hinted at, nothing written down of course.
Now from what little research I have done, I see that some of the States over there in the Western United States were of a red nature in the last election, but maybe not impossible to turn over to blue should certain key factors be in place. What the hec would they have to lose? No promises mind, just a possibility of a little insurance in case the second term for a President is looking a little difficult.
Perhaps I am in the realms of fantasy, but in politics, anything’s possible.
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That was well put and well explained ,something for everybody,when I contacted my senator about the Tester rider it was a “HUH Not Me Response ” like it never happened ,thats the problem you have Dems who sold out ,all in the name of re-election ,so how do you fight it ,you might have to eat 4 years of Rep’s in order to get these so called Dem’s out of their holes,just because they say they’re for Dem causes doesn’t mean they’re truthful.
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I guess starting another 3rd. Party is one way, but that’s a long hard road, so awakening the voters, exposing the hypocrisy, getting people, voters, to care by educating, showing them where their dollars are being wasted, showing the corrupt distorted medieval behaviour and showing the decent folks who can live with wolves, in the sixties King exposed his adversaries simply by being on the side of justice by using non-violence of course, but television broadcasts were crucial, once the haters were put on TV, most folks thought, ‘My God is this us? Is this representative of the greatest country in the world? We cannot live this way. As Mr Winton said, people do have a sense of justice, if long buried, it may even take people to put themselves in harms way, (I’m not advocating it, but innocent people standing up to bullies is very powerful) no one wants that, but standing between a wolf and a hunter with TV cameras, (or any filming method come to that) rolling can only add to the mounting wave of outrage that is gathering.
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You are absolutely right , this war isn’t going to be easy when your fighting a gun carrying foe , common sense must prevail,I just don’t understand how the american public spoke (majority) to bring the wolf back,and a minority (nra,cattlemans)took it away,we had an asset(40 million spent for wolves)now we lost it to a few states and groups, you should be able to sue
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Well, here is another example of what everyone is up against,
http://wolvesandwriting.com/2012/05/11/carter-holds-court-at-miners-inn-in-yreka/
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I can’t get my signature to register on the petition against the shooting of the trapped wolf and the guy smiling from ear to ear. Please make sure this site works or it will be for nothing.
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Nancy, Sometimes the petitions can be glitchy, if you keep having trouble I’ll send the person that created it a message.
For the wolves, For the wild ones,
Nabeki
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Now there is no petition on the site. It used to appear on the side of the picture but it doesn’t come up yet. You almost have 7500 signatures. I’m sure you could get more if it worked.
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Which petition Nancy? The Paul Watson petition is closed the other petitions are still up?
For the wolves, For the wild ones,
Nabeki
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This seems to be the data used when studying the future of wolves: how many hunters want to kill how many animals. That will be the number of wolf deaths allowed.
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