Wyoming Game and Fish managers collar gray wolves

JACKSON, Wyo. (KIFI) - Wyoming Game and Fish biologists have deployed approximately 43 new gray wolf collars this winter. The state has now marked over 75 animals within the trophy game management area.

Wildlife managers like to have at least one to two collared animals in each pack to monitor changing distribution and develop an accurate population count. Game and Fish is responsible for management of the state’s wolf population outside Yellowstone National Park and the Wind River Indian Reservation.

Additional GPS collars have also been deployed to assist in cooperative research projects with the University of California-Berkeley, the National Elk Refuge, and Grand Teton National Park.  Aerial surveys are flown to keep tabs on the collared animals and their associated packs.

Game and Fish officials say most of the wolf captures are handled by contracted professional wildlife capture crews.  They net-gun the animals, collect blood and other biological samples, fit the animals with a collar, and release it on site.

Most collars will detail an animal’s travels for 2 to 3 years.