1827 Dead Wolves -Northern Rockies/Great Lakes 2013/early 2014

Update: November 21, 2014

Putting this all together, adding the current 2014 wolf mortality numbers of 443, plus the 1827 wolves killed during 2013/early 2014, minus the 11 wolves who died of natural causes, adds up to 2256  wolves killed between January 2013 and November 21, 2014. They were wiped out by hunters, poachers, Wildlife Service control actions, ranchers and accidents. I believe the numbers are much higher than this. Many more wolves have been killed illegally and will never be counted, so we can only speculate on those numbers but I’m sure they’re not insignificant.

 In less than 23 months over 2200 wolves have been killed! This is an absolute outrage. Wolves cannot sustain these high mortality rates. Something must  be done to stop the carnage.

In the coming days I’ll be exploring a way in which wolf advocates may be able to challenge this slaughter. It’s been written about and discussed but hasn’t been tested.

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November 20, 2014

My previous post dealt with the ongoing number of wolves killed in 2014. This post deals with total 2013/early 2014 wolf mortality in the Northern Rockies/Great Lakes.  It’s a huge number! A slaughter!  What’s behind this madness? It’s certainly not because wolves are harming humans or are a threat to the livestock industry.

From Wildearth Guardians:

Livestock Losses

Cattle

Myth:  Wolves, coyotes, mountain lions, bears, and others kill lots of cattle.

Truth:  Less than a quarter of one percent, 0.23%, of the American cattle inventory was lost to native carnivores and dogs in 2010, according to a Department of Agriculture report.

The government’s own data show that the real killers of cattle are not a few endangered wolves or other wildlife – it’s illness and weather.  Yet, the predation myth has directly contributed to a federal, 100-year, paramilitary assault on millions of native carnivores.

The livestock predation myth is a big lie imposed on the American public. While lethal predator control does little to help the fat cats of agribusiness, it ensures that the USDA-Wildlife Services stays in business. While the feds assault millions of our native wolves, bears, cougars, and coyotes, the true cattle killers are illness and weather.  The Wildlife Services’ lethal predator control program must end, and the taxpayers, wildlife, and wildlands will reap the benefits.

Read the full report here

Wolves are being wiped out in record numbers, driven by a hate filled anti-wolf movement . Their numbers are small but unfortunately for wolves, the haters dominate policy in wolf states. They also have powerful allies, like The Safari Club, The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Sportsman for Fish and Wildlife, Cattlemen’s Association, etc.  The profit motive is also driving the killing machine. State fish and game agencies win in two ways, a top predator is killed off to inflate ungulate numbers for their customers, the hunters and the state makes money off the sale of wolf hunt tags. Wolves are also the target of ranchers, Wildlife Services and poachers. Anywhere wolves turn,  they’re in danger. Even Yellowstone National Park wolves aren’t safe. Many collared park wolves have been shot by hunters when they step one toe outside the park. The most famous wolf in the world, the Lamar Canyon alpha female, better known as O6 (her birth year), was killed by a hunter’s bullet.

No wolf is safe in America.

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Northern Rockies: 2013 Wolf mortality

Northern Rocky Mountain Wolf Recovery
Program 2013 Interagency Annual Report

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Northern Rockies or NRM -2013 Wolf Mortality

In 2013,  922 wolves were killed in the Northern Rockies. This USFWS chart, shows the breakdown of  wolves mortality in each state. Hunting (Harvest), Control, Human (Poaching/Accidents), Natural Causes, Unknown.

Idaho – 335 wolves

Montana – 473 wolves

Wyoming – 109 wolves

Oregon – 3 wolves

Washington – 2 wolves

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Total 2013 Northern Rockies:  922 dead wolves

http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/species/mammals/wolf/annualrpt13/reports/FINAL_NRM-Sum2_2013.pdf

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Great Lakes -2013/early 2014 Wolf Mortality

Unlike the Northern Rockies, the Great Lakes states combine 2013/2014 wolf mortality  numbers.  In my previous post I did not include the 2013/2014 wolf hunt mortality numbers in that total.

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Minnesota 

2013/2014 Hunt 238 wolves (previous hunt in 2012 killed 413 wolves)

2013/2014 Control Actions 127 wolves killed (previous control actions in 2012 killed 295 wolves)

*No numbers for poaching, accidents or natural mortality

Total wolf mortality Minnesota 2013/2014: 365 wolves

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Wisconsin

Wolf hunt 2013/2014: 334 wolves

Control actions 2013/2014: 65 wolves

Total wolf mortality Wisconsin 2013/2014: 429 wolves

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Michigan

Wolf hunt 2013 : 23 wolves

Control actions: Since there’s no breakdown on the number of wolves killed in control actions between 2012-2013 I’m going to half the 73 control action numbers to 36 for 2013.

*No numbers for accidents, poaching or natural mortality.

 Total wolf mortality Michigan 2013: 109 wolves

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Great Lakes/Total Wolf Mortality 2013/early 2014 – 903 wolves

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Illinois

March 2013, 1 radio collared female wolf, from Wisconsin, found dead

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North Dakota

1 year old male wolf killed by a deer hunter -2013

http://www.fws.gov/midwest/wolf/monitoring/pdf/Year1PDMReportSept2014.pdf

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Total wolf mortality Northern Rockies/Great Lakes – 2013/early 2014

1827 dead wolves!

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Top photo: USFWS

Bottom Photo: Idaho Wild Wolf Images Copyright 2011

Posted in: gray wolf, Wolf Wars, Animal cruelty

Tags: Idaho, Montana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois, North Dakota, Washington, Oregon, wolf hunts, wolf poaching, wolf persecution, wolf slaughter