wolves

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Wyoming game officials investigating illegal wolf kills near Grand Teton

Yellowstone wolves are the focus of a new video released by the Yellowstone Park Foundation promoting collaring and other research efforts. (NPS photo - click to enlarge)

Wyoming Game and Fish Department officials are seeking information about the illegal killing of two gray wolves in the Gros Ventre area near Jackson, Wyo., east of Grand Teton National Park. Two wolves shot in separate incidents in December were both poached—killed in a way that doesn't comply with the state's wildlife and hunting laws—officials said in a statement released Tuesday. Continue Reading →

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Killing of high-profile wolves outside Yellowstone Park prompts Montana hunt changes

A male wolf from the Canyon Pack stands in shallow water in Yellowstone National Park.

Wolf trapping and hunting in Montana has been suspended in a buffer area close to Yellowstone National Park. Montana's wolf trapping season is set to begin Dec. 15, and widespread public debate of the shooting of collared wolves prompted the changes in how the state manages that process during a vote Monday by the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission. Citing the unusual circumstances of several collared wolves that frequent Yellowstone being shot in areas near the park this fall, the commissioners voted 4-1 to prohibit further hunting or trapping for the rest of the season in areas closest to the park. Continue Reading →

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How I Got that Shot: A close encounter with Canyon Pack wolves in Yellowstone

The Canyon Pack alpha male wolf (right) and his mate run near the FIrehole River in Yellowstone National Park. (©Sandy Sisti - click to enlarge)

Even though they saw us, the Canyon Pack wolves continued their approach to the Firehole River, intent on getting a drink. At that point, it was just us and them. "Unbelievable," I thought, and turned my telephoto lens from the great blue heron to the Canyons to start shooting. Continue Reading →

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A ‘moderate’ hike to view Tetons from Huckleberry Mountain Fire Lookout

Deb Ehlers tends to her dogs, Kirwin and Maggie, on the Huckleberry Mountain trail in the Bridger-Teton National Forest. (Tom Ehlers, Jr. - click to enlarge)

Once we made it to Huckleberry Ridge, we found evidence of recent bear presence, with numerous piles of bear scat filled with berries on and along the trail. The Internet description of the hike had indicated that when the huckleberries ripen, the ridge is a favorite feeding spot for grizzly bears, and to this we found evidence of truth! Continue Reading →

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Environmental groups announce intent to challenge Wyoming wolf plan in court

A male wolf from the Canyon pack in Yellowstone National Park watches for bison.

In a move that comes as no surprise in the long-running dispute over management of gray wolves in the greater Yellowstone area, a number of environmental groups announced on Monday their intent to sue to block Wyoming's wolf management plan. WildEarth Guardians and other groups have notified the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of their intent to sue the agency over its decision last month to remove wolves in Wyoming from the endangered species list, according to a statement released by WildEarth Guardians. Continue Reading →

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Praise, concern follows move by feds to pass control of wolves to Wyoming

A male wolf from the Canyon Pack stands in shallow water in Yellowstone National Park.

Over objections from some environmental groups and with the praise of many sportsmen and ranchers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Friday announced the removal of wolves in Wyoming from the endangered species list. The move returns management control over gray wolves in the state to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department after a series of long-running disagreements and legal challenges over the state's dual approach to treating wolves as regulated trophy game in the greater Yellowstone area and as a predator with no protections across most of the state. Continue Reading →

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How I Got That Shot: Wolf-Bison standoff at Otter Creek in Yellowstone

A wolf from the Canyon Pack stalks an ailing bison at Otter Creek in Yellowstone National Park. (©Meg Sommers - click to enlarge)

It happened at Otter Creek in Yellowstone National Park in October. The female bison (known as a cow) wasn't feeling very well. You could tell that just by watching her. She was lethargic, and never moved very far away from a small meadow she had chosen. Had she felt better, I would have expected her to join the bison herd less than a mile away. It was also pretty clear that the wolf knew she was vulnerable. Continue Reading →

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Wyoming photographer draws fans with compelling Yellowstone wildlife images

Two wolves from the Canyon Pack squabble over an elk carcass near Alum Creek in Yellowstone National Park. (©Sandy Sisti - click to enlarge)

A Wyoming photographer whose work captures both the majesty and the savagery of wildlife in Yellowstone National Park says she is drawn by the irresistible lure of the park's animals, and though she loves photographing bears and wolves, she is "always rooting for the elk calf." "I understand the food chain," said Wapiti, Wyo. wildlife and nature photographer Sandy Sisti. "But I still don't like to see anything suffer." Continue Reading →

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How I got that shot: Drats! — Yellowstone’s Lamar Canyon wolf pack chases a coyote

Yellowstone wolves

The coyote was extremely nervous now, and everyone was rooting for her. Run, run, we are thinking. Suddenly she does. There is probably about a foot of snow on the level for her to traverse. Rather than try to break a trail through that much snow, she chooses to follow a trail already established by someone or something. The trail leads directly towards the spectators, which doesn't bother the adaptable coyote much at all. She ran straight towards us. Continue Reading →

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