Wolves in Iowa

Author: Ron DeArmond of the Pella Wildlife Company. Presentation given at the 2015 Midwest Wolf Stewards Conference at Northland College. April 2015

Transcript

1. Pella Wildlife Company
   A non-profit wildlife conservation organization
   

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2. Wolves in Iowa
   

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4. Where did these wolves come from?
   

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5. Will Wolves Return to Iowa, Illinois & Missouri?
   Are they already here?
   Will we have a sustainable population?
   

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6. Wolves have always been in the Midwest
   

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7. 
   In1840 an act to encourage the destruction of wolves was approved.
   
   Wolves were extirpated in Iowa by the end of the 1860’s
   
   Never to be seen again!?
   

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8. In 1973 the wolf
   was placed on the
   Endangered
   Species List
   
   Wolves began to
   reestablish
   themselves in the
   forested areas of
   MN. WI. and MI.
   
   In 2012 wolves were
   taken off of the
   Endangered
   Species list.
   
   Placed back on the
   Endangered
   Species List 2014
   
   3,500 to 4,000
   wolves in this
   population segment
   

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9. Dispersal
   Gray Wolf ESA Status in Illinois
   and Iowa
   There is no resident gray wolf
   population in Illinois and Iowa, but
   individual wolves have entered the
   states after dispersing from
   northern populations. The gray
   wolf Western Great Lakes Distinct
   Population Segment has been
   removed from the list of
   Endangered and Threatened
   Species and is no longer protected
   under the Endangered Species Act.
   The defined area of the Western
   Great Lakes Distinct Population
   Segment includes Illinois and Iowa
   north of the centerline of
   Interstate Highway 80.
   The gray wolf remains listed as
   endangered south of the centerline
   of Interstate Highway 80 in Illinois
   and Iowa. Where the wolf remains
   listed as endangered it is illegal to
   harm, harass, or kill a wolf unless
   there is an immediate threat to
   human safety. If someone is in a
   situation where they feel they or
   someone else is in immediate
   danger from a wolf, they can kill
   the wolf. USFWS
   

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11. Wolf Ethology
    
    Social
    
    Family Units
    
    Predator
    
    Main Diet
    Deer
    
    Forest
    Habitat
    
    Adapting to
    Humans?
    

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12. Wolves in Wisconsin
    

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13. Where will the
    wolves live
    
    Three probable
    main population
    segments
    
    Cover, Food,
    Water, Space
    
    The Average
    Wolf Territory
    in Wisconsin is
    35 square miles
    

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16. 2 Wolves shot in 2014
    both Females, both 2 – 3 years old
    

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17. Wolf Confirmation
    

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18. Wolf Confirmation
    

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19. Wolf Confirmation
    

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21. Ways to Monitor Dispersal
     GPS Wolves in Minnesota, Wisconsin,
    Michigan
     Tattoo Wolf Pups – Each state has a unique
    color
     Work with Coyote Hunters – Get DNA sample
    from coyotes over 5’ and 45lbs
     Establish Volunteer Winter Tracking Program
     Should we expand the Midwest Wolf Stewards
    Conference to the Iowa and Illinois region
    

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22. Comparison
    

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23. Comparison
    

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24. Comparison
    

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25. 
    The human element of wildlife management is
    becoming more important as it becomes clear that
    an understanding of the public and constituents
    often means the difference between the success or
    failure of wildlife management programs
    (Responsive Management 2011).
    
    While the public has been increasingly drawn into
    the wildlife decision arena, typically, their level of
    wildlife knowledge is limited. Education of the
    public remains one of the greatest challenges for
    the future (Sixty-Third North American Wildlife
    and Natural Resources Conference).
    

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26. Acknowledgements
    

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