Gray wolves recolonized Camp Ripley in 1994. Field work on the gray wolf project began in September 1996 when four wolves were captured and radio-collared. Radiotelemetry locations were collected weekly through 1997. In December 1996, 2 wolves dispersed to the Pillsbury State Forest north of Camp Ripley. One of these wolves was radiocollared. In February 1997 a helicopter capture service was contracted to capture and collar wolves at Camp Ripley; 4 wolves were captured and GPS receiving collars were placed on them. In March 1998 the helicopter service was used again to capture 5 additional wolves; 4 additional GPS collars and 1 satellite collar were deployed.
The Environmental Office has documented that wolves at Camp Ripley successfully reared litters each year from 1995 * 1998, and that each year there has been wolf immigration, dispersal, and mortality. Estimating the number of wolves at Camp Ripley is challenging because actual frequencies of immigration, dispersal, and mortality are difficult to determine. Substantial mortality and dispersal occurred in 1998. A reasonable estimate for the current wolf population at Camp Ripley is 3 * 5 wolves, down from an estimated high of 12 * 15 wolves in June 1997.
Global Positioning System collars developed for large mammals are being tested at Camp Ripley (Merrill et al. in press). They are designed to collect and store locational data and be released from the animal when the batteries expire. They can then be retrieved and data can be downloaded. Five GPS collars collected data and were retrieved in 1997. Four GPS collars collected data and were retrieved in 1998. Two additional GPS collars were retrieved in February 1999. In addition, 11 conventional radiocollars have been on wolves through the course of the project.
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