More on 10-22-99
Three pups from the 16 member Sheep Mountain Pack have been shot by federal agents for participating in the killing of a cow calf in Six Mile Creek, about 25 miles SE of Livingston, Montana. This group of wolves was by itself and the rest of the pack about 25 miles from the dead calf and closer to Yellowstone NP. I'm not sure if they killed all the wolves that were observed feeding on the calf. According to a story in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle the wolves were not on the carcass when there were shot. A grizzly bear had claimed the wolf-killed cow calf..
Ed Bangs' statement seemed to leave room open for more action against the wolves. The alpha male is still in the area.
The wolves apparently first tasted beef a few weeks ago when they found a dead cow that had not died from predation. This has been the story all summer in Idaho as well. The wolves leave the cows alone, but then they find a dead cow and learn about beef.
The Chronicle reported "Dave Gaillard, spokesman for the Predator Conservation Alliance (formerly Predator Project), on Thursday said the incident shows the Forest Service must re-evaluate how it manages cattle on grazing allotments, especially in areas of good wolf and elk habitat where wolves are bound to return.
" 'They need to find the areas where these conflicts are occurring and make changes to the allotment plans' " he said. 'So it's not always the wolves who are taking the hit.'"
Ranchers graze on public lands by paying a token fee of $1.35 per cow or cow and calf per month.
The pack is led by alpha female no. 16F. Number 16 is one of the original 8 pups born to famous park wolf no. 9 back in 1995.
Controversy stirred early this year when cows were moved to summer range right next to the pack's rendezvous pack. See the story on the pack and the cows from earlier this year.
On Sunday, Oct. 10, ADC gunners shot the big alpha male no. 165M. He weighed 120 pounds. His original pack has not been determined, but DNA testing shows he is the father of no. 16Fs pups. It had been earlier thought she was bred by no. 34M of the Chief Joseph Pack for two years in a row (1997, 1998). The alpha male was shot near Dailey Lake at the southern end of the Paradise Valley.
The Billings Gazette quoted Ed Bangs, "It seemed every time we had a problem, this wolf was in the area," Bangs said. "We thought it was best to remove him before we lost any more livestock."
It is clear that these wolves had taken to killing cattle, although the three pups were shot my mistake. The target was three sub-adults and the gunners confused the pups for them. It appears that no. 165 was the original target. The wolves were observed feeding on one calf they had killed. The rancher appears to have been very cooperative, and not the whining complainer sometimes encountered in this area and in Idaho. He had lost considerably more than his normal number of cows this summer.
Most of the rest of the pack, including no. 16F and another adult male (no. 118M, originally from the Crystal Creek Pack) and the sub-adults and additional pups were a number of miles away on the west side of U.S. 89. The now dead wolves were located in the mountains on the east side of the highway. U.S. 89 leads north from Yellowstone Park. About 12 wolves remain in the pack. Because three sub-adults were targeted and three pups killed by mistake, I assume there may be more shooting of this pack in the future.
10-19-99 Opinion by George Wuerthner. Note: wildlife biologist Wuerthner recently moved from Livingston, Montana to Eugune, Oregon.
10-22-99. In their latest update, the US Fish and Wildlife Service had the following to say:
"The Service received a considerable number of phone and e-mail comments and complaints about the Sheep Mountain control action. Many people believed the Service did not try hard enough to resolve this issue prior to authorizing lethal control. Many people were "outraged" that the 3 young of the year were mistaken for adults and removed."
I am not going to add my voice to the criticism, although it may not have been a perfect operation. The problem is cows on public land in the area. If there was some way they could be removed?
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