Typescript.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Montana, 1982.

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 117-121).

The status and distribution of wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains and legal and historical considerations were investigated between October 1974 and March 1977. Idaho and Wyoming state laws call for the elimination of wolves. Because these laws are superseded by the Endangered Species Act of 1973, they are probably not enforceable. Montana state endangered species legislation complies with the federal law.Wolves are not classified as endangered in Canada; British Columbia and Alberta provincial laws allow for regulated taking of wolves. Because wolves are secretive, elusive, and scarce in the northern Rockies, reports of wolves or wolf sign were used to estimate population status and distribution. Wolf observation reports (WOR) included accounts of sightings, howlings, tracks, dens, scats, kills, dead wolves, and scent posts; 372 WOR's were collected; 93 were rated questionable and not used in estimating population status and distribution. Two clumpings of reports became apparent, one in northern Montana and adjacent areas of British columbia and Alberta, centered around Glacier National Park of Montana and the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area. the other clumping was in the Beaverhead National Forest of southwestern Montana and the admacent Salmon and Targhee national forests of Idaho. A minimum of 17 to 23 wolves were found to possibly occur in areas of Montana and Idaho. Possible methods of increasing present wolf numbers included transplanting, increasing prey numbers, increasing the size of wilderness areas, and decreasing man-caused mortality.