Wolf density aids pronghorn fawn survival

I missed this important story earlier.

I wouldn’t say this is proven yet, but the hypothesis is based on the observed fact that wolves actively kill coyotes and reduce their numbers. It is also observed fact that wolves rarely bother with pronghorn fawns, but coyotes prey heavily on them.

Story in the Jackson Hole Planet. Wolf density aids pronghorn fawn survival. By Melanie Stein

After Killing a Record 2.7 Million Animals, Federal Government Hides

This is an important article over at Sinapu.

After Killing a Record 2.7 Million Animals, Federal Government Hides Of course Wildlife Services would rather operate in as much secrecy as possible.

“Birds constituted the overwhelming majority of animals exterminated, with starlings registering the greatest single species death total at 2.3 million. Mammalian carnivore deaths exceeded 101,000 and included 445 badgers, 1,918 bobcats, 397 black bears, 359 cougars, 75,674 coyotes, 3,907 foxes, and 191 wolves.”

As non-native birds that displace native birds, the starlings are no loss. It’s the native wildlife that angers people and the fact that you don’t know who is getting this government largess.

Interpack wolf conflict accounts for 44% of wolf deaths on Park northern range.

The northern range Yellowstone wolf packs are increasing fighting and killing each other according to this article in the Jackson Hole News and Guide.  If you compare the 2005 and 2006 statistics on Park wolves, you may be astonished to see that the natural death and out-migration of adult wolves from the Park has been close to 50% a year.

The more scattered packs of the Park’s interior do not suffer from this rivalry.

As Ed Bang’s says in a quote and I predicted 2 years ago, the Park wolf population has peaked and will likely never again reach the high number counted at the end of 2004.

Read  YNP wolves in mortal combat. By Cory Hatch

Regular editor resumed; back from a week in Nevada

Hi folks. I spent Spring Break in lonely Eastern Nevada are far Western Utah. I love those lonely valleys, where you can camp at night and not see a single light anywhere for miles and miles. I want to thank BE for posting and editing the blog while I was gone. It looks like a lot of the postings generated many comments.

Nevada is an under-appreciated place with hundreds of mountains ranges with valleys between them (mostly empty). Nevada has a higher percentage of public land than any other state (80%). The down side is 120 years of damage from livestock grazing. Essentially every mountain stream is diverted at its mouth before it can water the desert wildlife for some marginal ranch (usually a cluster of trailers and junk machinery).

Across Spring Valley to the Snake Range. Eastern Nevada. Photo copyright Ralph Maughan. March 2007

Steptoe Valley and the Egan Range. Eastern Nevada. Photo copyright Ralph Maughan. March 2007