Is the Alexander Archipelago wolf different from other wolves?

     The Alexander Archipelago wolf tends to be smaller, darker and shorter-haired than gray wolves of Interior Alaska. Adult wolves in southeast Alaska weigh an average of 87 pounds and rarely exceed 100 pounds. Females weigh about 15 pounds less than males.

What is the distribution of the Alexander Archipelago wolf?

     Wolves occur on the mainland in southeast Alaska from Dixon Entrance to Yakutat Bay, and on all larger islands in the Alexander Archipelago, except Admiralty, Baranof and Chichagof islands. Icelands and rock on the mainland likely limits the distribution of Alexander Archipelago wolves to a narrow coastal zone. Wolves in southeast Alaska are relatively isolated by the Pacific Ocean and the Coast Mountain Range. Wolves may also move along the coast between Alaska and British Columbia.

How does management of the Tongass National Forest factor into the Service's decision?

     The Forest Service manages the Tongass National Forest that comprises much of the range of the Alexander Archipelago wolf. Harvest of old growth forest is one of the predominant land management activities on the Tongass National Forest. It is hypothesized that broad-scale harvest of old-growth forests may cause a decline in numbers of Sitka black-tailed deer, the wolves' primary prey in southeast Alaska.

What is the current population of wolves in southeast Alaska?

     The current population of Alexander Archipelago wolves is thought to be stable at moderate to high densities within the insular portion of its range in southeast Alaska. The population size of wolves in southeast Alaska is not known with certainty but probably numbers between 750 and 1,500 individuals. About 67 percent of the population is estimated to live on the islands in the central and southern portion of the archipelago.

What other factors might influence the wolves' ability to persist in southeast Alaska?

     Wolves are classified as both big game and furbearers in Alaska. State of Alaska hunting regulations apply if wolves are taken under a hunting license, and trapping regulations apply if they are taken under a trapping license. Wolf hunting is permitted from August 1 through April 30, with a five-wolf limit per hunter. All wolf hides must be sealed by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game within 30 days of taking. Wolf trapping is permitted from November 10 to April 30, and there is no bag limit. Again wolf hides must be sealed within 30 days after the close of the season taking. Exceptions on bag limits (as described in the subsequent text) exist for Prince of Wales and associated islands.

     Over the past 30 years the total annual harvest in southeastern Alaska has varied from highs of 219 per year in 1967-68 and 1994-95, to a low of 68 in 0981-82 (Alaska Dept. Of Fish and Game, unpubl. Data). Average annual harvest between 1988 and 1996 was 174.6 wolves. In parts of southeast Alaska, mortality of wolves through hunting and trapping has risen in the last five years. But wolves in southeast Alaska, like elsewhere, are able to sustain high levels of human take, and densities of wolves throughout southeast Alaska are currently considered stable by the USFWS. Recently, in response to levels of take that may exceed sustainable levels on Prince of Wales and Kosciusko islands, the Alaska Board of Game and the Federal Subsistence Board promulgated new regulations to cap the hunting and trapping mortality at 25 percent of the population. The State of Alaska and Federal Subsistence Board have, therefore, demonstrated an ability to expeditiously promulgate new regulations in response to changing conditions.

     Expansion of the road network for the purposes of accessing timber will increase the access of those who are hunting and trapping wolves. This potential increase in success is expected to be controlled at acceptable levels through the 25 percent cap established on Prince of Wales and associated islands, where the hunting pressure has historically been greatest. In other areas, the Standards and Guidelines within the Tongass Land Management Plan are designed to manage wolf harvest to acceptable levels through management of roads, if necessary.

(Source: FWS)

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