North Dakota Facing Wolf Management Issues

February 5th, 2012 NewsEngine Posted in Wild Animal News No Comments »

The recent decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to remove the Great Lakes population of gray wolves from federal protection might not seem as important in North Dakota as some of the other states in the Midwest, but it is significant nonetheless.

Stephanie Tucker, North Dakota Game and Fish Department furbearer biologist, said this development is important because it means the Great Lakes population has recovered enough to no longer warrant protection by the Endangered Species Act. “However, the Great Lakes population region delisting only includes the portion of North Dakota east of U.S. Highway 83 and the Missouri River, thus complicating their management status in our state,” Tucker said.

Due to this action, the management of wolves found roaming through the eastern portion of the state will fall back to the State Game and Fish Department under state management guidelines as a protected furbearer. The complicating aspect of the decision is that wolves moving through western North Dakota (west of Highway 83 and the Missouri River) still remain under federal protection because that area falls between the Great Lakes and Rocky Mountain boundaries.
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Michigan State Management Wolf Plan in Effect

January 27th, 2012 NewsEngine Posted in Wild Animal News No Comments »

Management authority over wolves in Michigan has been officially returned to the Department of Natural Resources, putting the state’s Wolf Management Plan into effect, the DNR announced today.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s decision to remove wolves in the western Great Lakes region from the federal endangered species list became official today. The Great Lakes region includes Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Wolves remain a protected, nongame species in Michigan, but state management will afford more options when dealing with wolves preying on livestock or dogs.

“Delisting is a victory for the state and for Michigan citizens who have been affected by this issue,” said DNR Director Rodney Stokes. “The state’s healthy wolf population is a reminder that Michigan still has places where wild animals such as wolves can live and thrive. Fully implementing the state’s Wolf Management Plan will allow us to more effectively respond to problem wolves, while maintaining a self-sustaining wolf population and increasing social acceptance of the species as a whole.”
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Trapping Is Effective Method For Hog Control

January 27th, 2012 NewsEngine Posted in Wild Animal News No Comments »

wild pig caught in trap

Wild pigs are now present in many areas of Kentucky. Trapping is a better control plan for wild pigs than hunting, which scatters the pigs. Wild pigs create havoc with their rooting and wallowing behaviors, but cost share programs available through the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources help defray the costs of wild pig removal for landowners.

In Kentucky, wild pigs may be hunted with firearms year-round with no daily bag limit, but wildlife biologists believe trapping is the most effective way to control the feral pests.

“In established populations, hunting often educates more pigs than it removes,” said Chad Soard, a wildlife biologist with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “Research has shown that relying too heavily on hunting will not control pigs and may hasten their spread.”

Kentucky Fish and Wildlife is working with landowners to help them deal with the destructive, unwanted swine which pose serious ecological, economic and disease threats.
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Canine Distemper in Wild Desert Kit Foxes

January 24th, 2012 NewsEngine Posted in Wild Animal News No Comments »

Desert kit fox with radio collar

Desert kit fox with radio collar

The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) is investigating the death of seven desert kit foxes from canine distemper in eastern Riverside County. These deaths, which occurred over the past two months, are the first documented cases of canine distemper in wild desert kit foxes. Wildlife officials want to determine if this is an isolated case or if the disease is more widespread.

The kit foxes were found 20 miles outside of Blythe on public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and leased to Genesis Solar LLC to construct a utility-scale solar project. The animals were turned over to DFG’s wildlife investigations lab for testing. The necropsies determined that distemper was the cause of death, but it is not known how the foxes contracted the disease. Canine distemper can cycle naturally in wild carnivore populations, but can also be transmitted to and from domestic animals that come in contact with wildlife.
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