Game and Fish: No trouble monitoring Wyo. wolves

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department reports no difficulties taking over wolf monitoring outside Yellowstone National Park since the federal government removed Wyoming's wolves from endangered species protection last summer. Wyoming must report annually on the status of its wolves under an agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to have the animals delisted. Wyoming now is tracking about 40 radio-collared wolves in some 20 packs east and south of Yellowstone, a job that previously fell to Fish and Wildlife in that area. Mark Bruscino with Game and Fish says it's no problem because state biologists already have extensive experience monitoring other animals including grizzly bears. Wyoming's first wolf hunt also is yielding data. State biologists are inspecting and taking genetic samples from wolves killed by hunters this fall.