The Great Lakes delisting of Wolves creates a hybrid management situation for North Dakota with the eastern portion of the State under a delisting paradigm and the western part of the State(West of Hwy 83 and the Missouri River) having wolves still protected under the federal Endangered Species Act .......Stephanie Tucker who is the state furbearer biologist for North Dakota claims that since (in her opinion) there is not enough suitable habitat for wolves to create a breeding population in North Dakota, she has the necessary madates in place for landowners to destroy any transient wolves that are deemed "threatening".......She of course wants delisting throughout the State so that North Dakota never has to worry about a breeding population somehow carving out a toehold........Colonizers from the Western States need to get into North Dakota quickly, create a few packs and thus forcing Ms. Tucker and colleagues to re-evaluate their current mgmt plans to prevent populations from falling under a sustainablwe long-term level

Gray Wolf Delisting Complicates Situation for North Dakota


By Greg Freeman, North Dakota Game and Fish


BISMARCK - 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.

 "Although we do get rare sightings in North Dakota, we don't have a resident wolf population in the state, or enough suitable habitat to support one; therefore, we have no plans to allow a hunting season on wolves at this point," Tucker said. "The upside is that under state management, we now have the flexibility to deal with any issues that may arise with the occasional transient animals moving through North Dakota." State law provides a provision for landowners to protect their property from depredation by a state-managed furbearer. Therefore, landowners in eastern North Dakota could shoot a wolf posing a threat to livestock. However, west of highway 83 and the Missouri River, wolves are still an endangered species under stricter federal protection. Subsequently, landowners in that part of the state must first contact proper federal authorities before taking action on their own.

 "Our hope is that in the near future, additional delisting action by the Fish and Wildlife Service will address western North Dakota," Tucker said. "Then the confusion over split management status in our state will be eliminated."