A leading wolf researcher has agreed to leave Washington State University at the end of the spring term in return for $300,000 to settle a suit he brought over infringement of his academic freedom.Robert Wielgus, director of the Carnivore Conservation Lab at Washington State University, pioneered research of wolf behavior in cattle country as the predators began their return to Washington.

Source: Wolf researcher who accused WSU of silencing him gets $300K to settle lawsuit and go away | The Seattle Times

Two northern Minnesota trappers were charged with setting illegal wire snares and neglecting to check them, taking bears, wolves, deer and other wildlife over the course of two years.Brad Dumonceaux, 44, and Stephen Bemboom, 60, face over $70,000 in potential fines and jail time if found guilty to charges filed in Itasca County District Court last Friday.The snares used during the two-year investigation were larger than the state regulated 10-inch diameter and also lacked tag identification. State law states snares not capable of drowning the captured animal must be tended daily.

Source: Charges: Two Minnesota trappers snared wolves, bears, deer out of season, neglected to check traps – StarTribune.com

Wyoming wildlife managers aim to kill more wolves in the Gros Ventre area in hopes of drawing some elk back into that river valley during winter.Aerial and ground surveys from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department this year detected just 86 elk on the Gros Ventre’s three feedgrounds and natural winter ranges, which is the lowest number on record.The near-complete absence of elk in the Gros Ventre does not equate to a herd population that’s crashed — it’s where the herd goes in winter that has changed — but some state officials see the situation as a crisis. Game and Fish Deputy Chief of Wildlife Doug Brimeyer, a former Jackson region biologist, told his commissioners earlier this month that the wintertime elk exodus has been “emotional” for managers and others who have watched the changes.

Source: Gros Ventre wolves targeted | Environmental | jhnewsandguide.com

The last two surviving wolves on Isle Royale might soon get 20 to 30 new neighbors, after the National Park Service advanced a wolf reintroduction plan Friday for the wilderness island on Lake Superior.In an effort to intervene in the drastic imbalance between the island’s predator wolves and a booming population of vegetation-chomping moose prey, the park service released a final environmental impact statement that favors adding more of the canines over a three-year period.

Source: Wolves restoration moves a step closer on Isle Royale | Star Tribune

Source: National Park Service – PEPC – Environmental Impact Statement to Address the Presence of Wolves at Isle Royale National Park

Source: Isle Royale likely to get 20-30 wolves over a 3-year span

Federal officials have killed 10 wolves in northern Idaho at the request of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game to boost elk numbers, and state officials say more might be killed this winter. The…

Source: 10 wolves killed in northern Idaho to boost elk numbers – Idaho Business Review