BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) | Gray wolf numbers rose across most of the Northern Rockies last year, reaching their highest level since federal officials reintroduced the predators to the region two decades ago.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Friday reported a minimum of 1,904 wolves at the end of last year in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Oregon and Washington.

Congress lifted protections for wolves across the region except for Wyoming in 2011.

Their numbers have continued to slowly climb as packs spread into new areas. That includes portions of Washington state and Oregon, which now have an estimated 200 wolves combined.

In states that allow hunting of the species, wolf numbers dipped in Montana to 536 animals and rose slightly in Idaho to 786 wolves.

Cant wait until they spread out to the suburban neighborhoods of San Francisco, Portland and Seattle.

They are not increasing in northwest Wisconsin. There is so little for them to eat they can't possibly be increasing . They seem to be increasing in central Wisconsin bedause there are more deer there however. They most likely get shot there more often too though. I had my trail cam out along a clear cut all winter . I got three different deer a bunch of times and half a dozen coyote pics. No wolves where two deer bedded down at least weekly all winter.

Watching a wolf program on Weather Channel right now. They claim 4,000 wolves in lower 48. Of course, they are also speculating "weather change" as a possible cause of a wolf attack on a teen boy in Minnesota by a lone wolf.

Bhaaaaaahaha!

Couldn't possibly be because we are no longer killing them on sight.

Oh yeah - " Ravens are the only birds that communicate by body gestures"

Jeeeeeeeze!

Yep, that's what they concluded at the end of "Natural Born Monsters" I think it was called.

Wolves in lower 48 (specifically Minnesota) are becoming more aggressive due to climate change. The jet stream is swinging farther south, lowering temperatures in Minnesota, creating more snow, hampering lone wolves from killing deer or finding small game.

Dumazzes.

On a better note, a co-worker's cousin up in Point Hope, Alaska has nailed 13 so far this winter. THAT will keep them from becoming aggressive toward humans!

Took out a whole pack last weekend. I saw 2 pics he texted down. One was from when he found a single file trail, the other of the 6 wolves he killed. Nothing like a 100 mile an hour snow machine, an AR-15, hard-pack wind-blown snow, and no cover for 100 miles for success!

The Weather Channel is one of, if not the, most useless station on TV.

There were two wolf "attack incidents in Wisconsin last year. One was when a dad took his kid on a youth deer hunt. The wolves were so aggressive he shot towards the wolves before they ran off. The other was a guy scouting deer and noticed a lot of wolf sign. He looks up and sees legs moving. " Cool , I walked up on a deer" . Two seconds later two wolves are coming at him. One got so close it was near his leg and the wolf was ready to bite just as the guy pulls his .380 and plugs one of the wolves, but only wounding him. The guy said he had so little time to , register in his mind, pull and shoot. He was in a few tours of war and said he is trained to pull a gun fast . If not having that training he is sure he would have been killed. The warden and a USFW looked into the case, followed the blood trail but to no avail. Both DNR and USFW agreed he was attacked and noted a lot of wolf sign in the area. I carry a gun now day in the woods in wolf country , because of this. I also decided to carry cause last fall I had my trail cam set up. As I was done hunting I purposefully walk by it to record my time leaving. About 15 min. a bear comes in, knock the camera around and a pic was taken of the bear walking the same path as I just went down. I dont think he was after me, but it was a strange happening. I didn't even know about it till two weeks later when I went back to check the cam.

Plenty of wolves here in MN, way more then what are awesome DNR has said there is. Dnr claims 2,200. Way more than that.
Moose are gone, deer numbers are way down. I'm hearing more and more stories of wolves coming further down to central MN even outer northern metro. Seems some wolves have changed there pattern from deep woods hunting to edge of towns. Hear more and more stories of dogs being killed or attack now.

We have had two easy winters in a row now for the deer. Hoping that will put somewhat of a dent in the wolf population. But probably just dreaming.

I've seen like 7 wolves here in Oregon in the last few years, from up by Crater Lake, to over near the coast... and I know I am not so "lucky" to see that many if there are the numbers as low as Fish and Wildlife claim...

their colors ranged from a black, that I thought might have been a cross with a German Shepard, to one that was almost as white as a Malamute...

haven't had to deal with one as a threat out hunting, but I've been 'trailed' by cougars and bears here before... I won't walk in the woods without a hand gun.. my usual carry is a 45 Long Colt, with 250 grain XTPs...

The behavioral trait of staying clear of human settlements is what kept them wolves (rather than becoming dogs) over these last 30,000 years. The ones that became comfortable being near human settlements transformed into Rover.

Maybe one year we will end up full circle? That is a year long season with poison.

Well, I guess poison is out of fashion these days.

A few weeks ago a friend saw one standing in the road in the mountains just west of Redding California.


"Oh, we just want to make the Yellowstone ecosystem complete"...

Some interesting things about the two wolf "attack" incidents.

1) They both happened about two weeks apart in the Colburn Wildlife Management Area

2) The authorities acknowledged they were wolf encounters but were not officially listed as wolf attacks because no one was injured.

3) The authorities followed a blood trail of the injured wolf for 150 yards then lost all sign. WTF! Human life was threatened, a injured, dangerous animal was at large which could pose a risk to the public and they did not call in the dogs to trail it. Some houndsmen friends of mine confronted the Wardens on this issue and were told to talk to their supervisor. The supervisor said "putting dogs on the trail would have created a public disturbance and possible danger to the public".

I didn't think they would go down!!!!!!!!!!

Not sure where you are talking about. I live in northwest Wisconsin and we are seeing more wolves and wolf sign then ever before. Our population of wolves has and is very healthy. I base this information off of my 10 trail cams that are up year round and 100's of hours grooming snowmobile trails

Colorado is the next stop for the ongoing buffet...

You can thank all the asshats that voted democrats into office for the left-wing hierarchy in federal agencies.