by Elizabeth Ahearn, Chapter Conservation Program Associate
Wolves historically inhabited much of the lower forty-eight United States, but were extirpated from New York and other northeastern states by the early 1900’s due to intentional eradication campaigns. In recent decades, wolves have migrated into New York and neighboring northeastern states from Canada and the Great Lakes. The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has been aware of the potential for wolves to recolonize or disperse through the region for years. Suitable wolf habitat in New York is well within the dispersal range of the populations living in Canada and the Great Lakes. In fact, wolves are currently present and breeding near Ontario’s Algonquin Provincial Park, only 100 miles from the New York border (1). Therefore, the opportunity exists for wolves to naturally reestablish a breeding population in New York. As wolves, protected as an endangered species under both federal and New York State law, find their way back into New York, they must be protected against both intentional and unintentional killing.
As a keystone species, wolves play a crucial role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem. Once the apex predators cull sick and dying individuals from prey animal populations, the carcasses of their prey redistribute nutrients and provide food for other species.
Unfortunately, because wolves and larger Eastern coyotes are similar in appearance, wolves have been killed by hunters and trappers, despite their legal protections. Wolves’ listed legal status in New York as both a federally and state endangered species prompts the need for specific on-the-ground actions to prevent future killings due to mistaken species identity. The DEC acknowledges that there have been at least two instances of wild wolves being killed in New York since 2001, both the result of the hunter mistaking the wolf for a coyote (2). In December 2021, a hunter in Cooperstown killed a canid weighing 85 pounds. DNA analysis conducted by Trent University’s Natural Resources DNA Profiling & Forensic Centre in Ontario confirmed the animal was 98% wolf.
Proposed legislation, S.7927/A.8295, would provide protection to wolves by requiring the DEC to collect genetic data about large canids that are killed by hunters and trappers in New York. Specifically, the legislation requires:
- DEC to collect genetic data about large canids with specified characteristics that are killed by hunters and trappers in New York. The data collected will help DEC identify areas of the state where wolves may be present, and help DEC gather important information on the coyote and wolf populations in the state. The legislation does not reduce the hunting season or decrease bag limits for hunters and trappers lawfully killing coyotes or other game animals in New York State.
- Hunters and trappers to report to DEC about the coyotes they have taken, so DEC has details about the animals, how many are taken, and where they are located when they are taken. This reporting is similar to what hunters and trappers already do for other game species.
- Canids weighing greater than 50 pounds or having other physical characteristics indicative of a wolf to be subjected to a DNA analysis, paid for by DEC, to determine the genetic composition of the animal. If the DNA analysis shows that the animal is a wolf, then DEC may impose a temporary moratorium on the killing of wild canids in a specific area to protect other wolves that may be in the area. DEC will decide the length of time and the location of the moratorium.
- DEC to provide information to the public by posting on its website the data from the DNA testing of wild canids, and any determinations of whether to impose a temporary moratorium on the killing of wild canids in an area that may contain wolves. DEC will additionally be required to submit to the Legislature a report on the status of wolves in New York State.
- DEC to update its hunting and trapping educational materials to provide information about wolves, including the legal protections for wolves, the checking and tagging requirements for wild canids imposed by the new law, and how to distinguish a wolf from a coyote when a hunter or trapper is in the field.
The return of wolves to New York should be a conservation success story worth celebrating, but the DEC must take effective, meaningful action to promote their recovery and ensure their survival. Measures to identify and account for wolves in New York State will be essential in protecting the endangered species, fostering biodiversity, and maintaining a healthy ecosystem. S.7927/A.8295 provides a rational approach to wolf recovery by facilitating key genetic research in order to better understand New York’s wild canids and highlight the need for sound, science-based management of wolves in the future.
Footnotes:
(1) Canada, Environment and Climate Change. “COSEWIC Assessment and Status Report on the Eastern Wolf Canis Sp. Cf. Lycaon in Canada - 2015.” Www.canada.ca, 18 Feb. 2016.
(2) Burke, Molly. “Bill Seeks to Help Wolves, Which Can Be Mistaken for Coyotes.” Times Union, www.timesunion.com/state/article/legislation-proposes-dna-testing-aimed-protect-19377827.php.