Idaho Department of Fish and Game Collaring Wolf Pups in Dens

By Ken Cole On May 8, 2014

 

The 2013 Idaho Wolf Report, describes wolf research being conducted in Idaho and one of the projects involves entering wolf dens and placing expandable radio collars on 2-4 week old pups.  This is an expansion of a project that started last year that involved placing expandable radio collars and surgically implanting radio tags on 11 pups captured from two dens in northern Idaho. The intent, as it has been described to me, is to place collars on wolves so that some of them can be found and recollared with more secure collars later in the winter when they are easier to find. There are many other uses that are sure to be taken advantage of such as providing an ability to find and kill wolves for various reasons.

The effort to collar these pups is happening now while the pups are very young and still in their dens.

Testing Methods to Monitor Wolf Pack Reproduction

Post-delisting monitoring requirements for gray wolves include documentation of wolf pack reproduction and the survival of pups to the end of the year they were born. IDFG evaluated the feasibility of meeting these monitoring requirements via radiocollaring pups at den sites.

IDFG staff collaborated with Advanced Telemetry Systems, Inc. (ATS) to develop a lightweight, expandable pup radiocollar. This collar is designed to be placed on 2-4 week old pups in dens, and worn through the end of the year. Eleven pups from 2 litters were captured during May 2013. All 11 pups were fitted with expandable radiocollars, and implanted with intraperitoneal radiotransmitters (ATS), with the assistance of a team of veterinarians. Five expandable collars remained on the animal until death (mortalities occurred between August 2013 and February 2014). Five collars eventually slipped off, most between late December 2013 and February 2014. One collar slipped shortly after capture (~2 weeks). These expandable pup radiocollars may provide an efficient means to document breeding pair status in packs at the end of the year. IDFG staff will continue to use these radiocollars to monitor pups in Panhandle packs in 2014, and will expand the effort to include wolf packs in other zones.

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