Annual Report on Vital Signs Monitoring of Wolf (Canis Lupus) Distribution and Abundance in Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve, Central Alaska Net

Wolves are a species specifically identified in the enabling legislation and management objectives of all three CAKN parks (U. S. Congress 1980). While the primary objectives of wolf monitoring was to track the distribution and abundance of wolves, a variety of accessory data was obtained in the monitoring process that is valuable for wildlife management and research. The body of data on wolf populations in Alaska parks is of great value in developing scientific models of predator/prey systems. These data are used to determine and possibly mitigate impacts of wolf control activities outside the parks. Data on the genetic and morphological characteristics of wolves, obtained as a sidelight to wolf capture, are important in evaluating long-term changes in wolf populations in Alaska.