Arizona Game and Fish Update on Wolf Reintroduction Projects

The Arizona Game and Fish Department has been informed that Mexican authorities plan to release five Mexican wolves this month at an undisclosed ranch location in northeastern Sonora, Mexico.

While the department does not know the specific date or other details at this time, it has received indications that the wolves being released will be fitted with satellite tracking collars.

Game and Fish is currently considering what, if any, impacts this release might have on Arizona’s Mexican wolf conservation and stakeholders. The department will continue to monitor activities related to the planned release and will continue to inform constituents as information becomes available.

For the Month of August 2011 we received the following report on the Arizona Wolf Reintroduction Project:

Definitions:  A “wolf pack” is defined as two or more wolves that maintain an established territory.  In the event that one of the two alpha (dominant) wolves dies, the remaining alpha wolf, regardless of pack size, retains the pack status.  The packs referenced in this update contain at least one wolf with a radio telemetry collar attached to it.  The Interagency Field Team (IFT) recognizes that wolves without radio telemetry collars may also form packs.  If the IFT confirms that wolves are associating with each other and are resident within the same home range, they will be referenced as a pack.

CURRENT POPULATION STATUS

At the end of August 2011, the collared population consisted of 26 wolves with functional radio collars dispersed among ten packs and four single wolves.  Some other uncollared wolves are known to be associating with radio-collared wolves, and others are separate from known packs.

During the past three months, the IFT has been actively monitoring wolf packs to determine if females are denning in order to document wild-born pups and estimate their survival through the summer.  At the end of August, the IFT determined the following packs have produced pups during this year’s denning season:  Paradise, Hawks Nest, Bluestem, San Mateo, Luna and Middle Fork.  Three other packs, Fox Mountain, Dark Canyon and Rim, displayed denning behavior; however, the IFT has been unable to confirm the presence of pups with these packs.

Read the entire article at Elk Tracks the AES Blog.

Arizona Elk Society

The mission of the Arizona Elk Society is to raise funds to benefit elk and other wildlife through habitat conservation and restoration and to preserve our hunting heritage for present and future generations.

In support of our mission we are committed to:

-Conserving and enhancing wildlife habitat in Arizona.
-Protecting and promoting our hunting heritage.
-Promoting sound wildlife management and habitat through partnering with government agencies and other organizations.
-Implementing special programs for youth education regarding conservation, hunting and outdoor activities.
-Informing the general public about issues concerning wildlife conservation, as well as scientific and biological wildlife and habitat management.

Being a State based Organization all the money raised is used in Arizona for the benefit of Elk Habitat, Elk management and our Youth Programs.