Yellowstone Net Newspaper

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YELLOWSTONE WEATHER Highs 40s, Lows 10s Snow Showers More Weather ROAD REPORT Some roads open to snowmobiles. More Info THE DAILY CARTOON ONLINE GREETING CARDS PUBLISHER Yellowstone Net Company EDITOR-IN- CHIEF Bruce Gourley MORE LINKS Discussion Newspaper Archives Send us your comments		WOLF UPDATE by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (USFWS) -- Former Rose Creek Wolf #115 and Sheep Mtn. Wolf #196 were together in Tom Miner Basin (Yellowstone area). A rancher recently saw #155 sniffing a newborn calf. The cow also saw this and scared the wolf off with some help from the rancher. Wolf #196 was just up the hill from #155. Chief Joe was also hanging out in Tom Miner and Cinnabar Basin last week. Measures are being taken in an effort to cause the wolves to den within the Park rather than outside. There are consistent reports of wolf activity from three areas north of Yellowstone National Park. A set of three wolf tracks were confirmed just north of Mill Creek (north of Chico Hot Springs). In addition, there were sightings of one or two wolves in the Crazy Mountains north of Big Timber, Montana, as well as a report of multiple tracks (as many as three wolves) on private property about seven miles west of Livingston, Montana. There have also been reports of three wolves just southwest of Red Lodge, Montana. Female wolf B-36, relocated from Idaho in spring 2000, was last located in February in the Big Hole, Montana area. She had been near Bannack, Montana, but the last two flights failed to locate her. At the request of the Service, the Nez Perce Tribe flew part of northeast Oregon searching for missing wolves last week. All missing Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming wolf radio frequencies were scanned but no radioed wolves were found in Oregon On Wednesday, March 28, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released five wolves in the Parsnip Creek area on the west side of Lake Koocanusa. The wolves had been taken from a large pack in the Deerlodge/Avon area earlier in the winter to decrease the likelihood of livestock depredations on a private ranch this summer. They were held in a pen at the Flying D ranch, near Bozeman, Montana. Muddy conditions had prevented access to the pen earlier in the week, but a hard freeze early Wednesday morning allowed biologists to reach the pen and capture the wolves. The five wolves, four 11-month-old pups and a two-year-old female, were removed from the Boulder Pack in January in order to reduce the size of the pack and the likelihood of the pack attacking cattle in their home range. The pack did kill three calves last summer. Six wolves, including the breeding pair, remain in the Boulder pack. The five wolves were too young to have been involved in cattle depredation, but their absence from the pack should decrease its food needs this summer and make further depredations less likely. This is the first time the Service has pro-actively moved wolves from an area to reduce the chances of livestock conflict. In the past, wolves were moved only after conflicts had occurred. Since 1989, nearly 80 wolves that were involved with livestock depredations have been relocated in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. Relocation of wildlife to reduce conflicts with people or start new breeding populations is a commonly used wildlife management tool. BACK TO TOP
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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS AND COLUMNISTS Russ Finley Ralph Maughan Kim Steinbacher Steve Brashear Clint Wilkes Hon. Bob Gammage Lee Whittlesey David Monteith Denise Elmer Dr. Bob Bara Matthew McLean		YELLOWSTONE RESERVATIONS News Brief YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. -- Hotels, lodges, cabins and campgrounds in Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks will begin opening for the summer in May. In Yellowstone, the first campground to open, Madison, will take its first visitors May 4. Fishing Bridge RV Park opens May 18, followed by Bridge Bay Campground May 25. Canyon Campground opens June 1, with Grant Village accepting campers June 21. Old Faithful Snow Lodge and Mammoth Hotel open May 4, while Old Faithful Inn opens May 11. Lake Yellowstone Hotel and Old Faithful Lodge Cabins take visitors beginning May 18, while Grant Village opens May 25 for lodging. June openings are scheduled for Canyon Lodge, Roosevelt Lodge and Lake Lodge. In Grand Teton, Jackson Lake Lodge will begin accepting guests May 20. The cabins and RV park at Colter Bay Village open May 25. Jenny Lake Lodge opens June 2. For reservations both within and near Yellowstone National Park, call toll-free 1-888-255-7710. Visitors are encouraged to make reservations early, as many summer dates fill up well ahead of time. BACK TO TOP
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		SPRING WEATHER IN YELLOWSTONE by National Park Service YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (NPS) -- Cold and snow linger into April and May, although temperatures gradually climb. Average daytime readings fall in the 40s to 50s (5-15C), reaching the 60s and 70s (15-25C) by late May and June. Over-night temperatures fall below freezing and may plunge near zero (-20C). These are statistical averages; actual conditions can be vastly different from long-term "norms." At any time of year, be prepared for sudden changes; unpredictability, more than anything else, characterizes Yellowstone's weather. Storms in late May and early June may result in significant accumulations of snow--up to a foot of snow in 24 hours is not uncommon. We recommend that you bring a warm jacket and rain gear. Spring visitors should be prepared for any type of weather. Call ahead for current weather and road information since sudden storms may result in cold temperatures, snow and/or temporary road closures. Yellowstone's weather is always unpredictable. Carry extra clothing when hiking. Good walking shoes and layers of clothing are recommended throughout the year. BACK TO TOP
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		COOKE CITY IN LOCAL CALLING AREA News Brief COOKE CITY, Mont. -- Cooke City is now part of the local calling area, Qwest Communications International Inc. has announced. Responding to an August 2000 petition from the citizens of Cooke City, Qwest and the state's Public Service Commission approved the expanded local calling area. As of this past Friday, calls between Cooke City and Bozeman, Livingston, Belgrade, Big Sky, Clyde Park, Gallatin Gateway, Gardiner, Pray, Manhattan, Amsterdam, Three Forks, West Yellowstone and Wilsall will no longer be charged as long distance. Cooke City customers will pay an additional $2.44 per month to participate in the extended local calling area. BACK TO TOP