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Wolves
Wolf fertility control and translocations are scheduled for 4 consecutive winters (1997-1998,
1998-1999, 1999-2000, and 2000-2001) and will involve sterilizing adult pairs and
translocating the remaining wolves in no more than 15 packs.
Using radiotelemetry, we will monitor distribution and numbers of wolves in treated and
several adjacent untreated packs during this study. Our hypothesis is that sterilization will not
reduce the chance of maintaining a territory or increase the probability of dispersal, as
previously observed in smaller study samples by Mech et al. ( 1996) in Minnesota and RD
Hayes (pers commun) in the Yukon. To ensure that sterilization does not interfere with
gonadal cycling, males will be vasectomized by surgical techniques (Pineda and Hepler 1981 ).
Females will be tubally ligated. A qualified veterinary surgeon will conduct the surgical
sterilizations.
We will monitor survival rates and homing abilities of translocated wolves to determine if
young, translocated wolves regularly succumb near release sites, return to or attempt to return
to capture sites, or disperse widely from release .sites (Fritts et al. 1985). Fritts et al. (1985)
concluded that survival of translocated wolves was comparable to that of other wolves and
that pup wolves remained at release sites longer and had poorly developed homing abilities
compared to those of adults. We will test these hypotheses using similar techniques. Wolf
translocation and moving procedures will follow those of ritts et al. ( 1984) in Minnesota with
the following exceptions: 1) most wolves will be moved from October through June, but no
wolves <5 months old will be moved, and 2) all wolves will be moved at least 100 miles
( 160 km) because of homing tendencies. Release sites will have prey densities greater than or
equal to prey densities in the Fortymile range.
We will estimate wolf harvest rates in the respective annual ranges of the Fortymile caribou
herd to monitor effects of harvests, translocations, and sterilizations on wolf numbers.