Estimates show Yellowstone National Park’s wolf population is maintaining a healthy number so far this year. Park staff report an 11 percent year-over-year increase of 108 wolves in December. That’s from the recently published 2022 Yellowstone Wolf Project Annual Report.
Monitoring efforts suggest wolf counts are healthy going into the fall.
Project lead Dan Stahler told YPR earlier in September that estimates put wolf numbers at around 140 individuals.
“So, we’ve seen pretty good pup production this summer,” said Stahler. “We’ve seen some new packs form, and part of this is probably the impacts of the hunt, but also natural social dynamics and the availability of food, so we’re seeing a very resilient, robust wolf population.”
Montana’s general hunting season for wolves runs from September through March.
The park completes its end-of-the-year counts in December.
