Wolf Survey Nears Its End

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is wrapping up a successful wolf capturing and collaring effort conducted intermittently over the last six weeks in northwest Wyoming.  Under the state management plan, Game and Fish personnel are to capture and collar wolves in the Wolf Trophy Game Management Area annually to monitor population size and distribution in Wyoming.  Wolves were captured by a helicopter crew using either a dart gun with a chemical immobilization drug or by an aerial net gun. So far, state officials say the department has radio collared 16 wolves in the Jackson, Meeteetse, and Cody areas.  Information collected from the collars helps document the population status of the animal so that the state can assure the species remains biologically recovered.  The official wolf population estimate prepared by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department will be available to the public in April.