Wedge Pack: More cattle attacked in Stevens County (poll and letter)

[sebek556]

I heard one neighbor has 7 cows so far that he has seen that are missing their calves. The problem is that you can't find all the cattle that get eaten, this is big thickly vegetated country, this isn't like the open country of Montana.

Something must be done and done soon. Stevens County may have to step up to the plate and remove themselves from state wildlife management. People are getting fed up with the pandering to wolf lovers who live smuggly in their high rise apartments in pugetropolis dreaming about wolves and butterflies playing together in the meadows.
[/quote]
can we do this? where do I sign up?

[bearpaw]

I heard one neighbor has 7 cows so far that he has seen that are missing their calves. The problem is that you can't find all the cattle that get eaten, this is big thickly vegetated country, this isn't like the open country of Montana.

Something must be done and done soon. Stevens County may have to step up to the plate and remove themselves from state wildlife management. People are getting fed up with the pandering to wolf lovers who live smuggly in their high rise apartments in pugetropolis dreaming about wolves and butterflies playing together in the meadows.

can we do this? where do I sign up?

That is something that has been talked about in the past, don't know if it can really be done but if something doesnt happen, I bet it comes up as an option.

When I talked to Jeff from the Colville office in May he said that they (biologist) we not allowed to carry fire arms, only pepper spray.  If they have changed the policy something significant must have changed.   

WDFW actually had a policy stating their bio's couldn't carry a gun into the woods?

That can't be accurate ....

After learning how many wolves there are, they may have changed that policy, for safety reasons, watch the trapper in the video:  http://www.king5.com/news/environment/With-wolves-return-state-caught-between-ranchers-wildlife-groups-168222836.html

[CedarPants]

The look on his face is priceless

[waterdoctor]

made an error in one of my last posts.  It was Jay I talked to not a Jeff.  edited the post.

[Big10gauge]

It's just not Bill that is losing cattle in that area, there are several of his neighbors that have also lost a significant amount of calves and they are not as big of a operation as Bill's. Raising beef ,about 80% goes toward the cost of raising and 20% or so is any profit. When the wolves take away any profit margin the cattle ranchers are going to go broke. There is no way that the ranchers can document all the wolf kills as I believe that it has to be reported within 24 hrs? Also a pack of wolves can devour a calf within hours.

There is only 1 neighbor that has had a small amount of trouble, it's all on McIrvins from what the sheriff told me yesterday. Doesn't matter anyhow, the wolves need to be shot.

Campmeat, It is happening on some of Bill's land but a lot of it is happening on range land. Anyway I wouldn't consider 7 cows coming back to the barn and not wanting to leave a "small amount of trouble". They won't know the actual losses until it's time to round them up. P.S. the sheriff doesn't know everything. 

[CAMPMEAT]

It's just not Bill that is losing cattle in that area, there are several of his neighbors that have also lost a significant amount of calves and they are not as big of a operation as Bill's. Raising beef ,about 80% goes toward the cost of raising and 20% or so is any profit. When the wolves take away any profit margin the cattle ranchers are going to go broke. There is no way that the ranchers can document all the wolf kills as I believe that it has to be reported within 24 hrs? Also a pack of wolves can devour a calf within hours.

There is only 1 neighbor that has had a small amount of trouble, it's all on McIrvins from what the sheriff told me yesterday. Doesn't matter anyhow, the wolves need to be shot.

Campmeat, It is happening on some of Bill's land but a lot of it is happening on range land. Anyway I wouldn't consider 7 cows coming back to the barn and not wanting to leave a "small amount of trouble". They won't know the actual losses until it's time to round them up. P.S. the sheriff doesn't know everything. 

The sheriff I know is one of the main guys that goes up there for all calls. But, I know he's more truthful than WDFW. Graber is the other "small time rancher " up there. But like you said, the gather will tell the truth. 

[Okano-gun]

I can confirm they were howling Sunday morning.  We were over there camping and grouse hunting this weekend and were woken up about 4 am to wolves howling within a half mile of our camp. They were on the move and howled for the better part of an hour!

[denali]

you can show support here:        http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stevens-County-Cattlemens-Association/102919199864468

and here:   http://stevenscountycattlemen.wordpress.com/

[denali]

Latest from Capital Press


Washington wolf attacks mount

By MATTHEW WEAVER

Capital Press

The wolves in the Wedge Wolf Pack are now dining almost exclusively on beef, according to a northeastern Washington cattle rancher.

"The game department told me they're nearly 100 percent beef in the manure piles," Laurier, Wash., rancher Len McIrvin said. "They've taken all the game in this area and are just living on these cattle."

There have been two more kills and two more injured cattle, which state officials confirmed to be wolf-caused, on McIrvin's Diamond M Ranch in recent weeks.

However, he estimates 40 calves have been killed, as evidenced by mother cows that are now dry.

"The wolves are killing about a calf a day or every other day right now," he said.

Dave Ware, game division manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, said efforts to kill several wolves in the pack are ongoing. The department increased the number of staff in the area to operate on several sites and increase efforts to keep the wolves from the livestock.

"We haven't actually been able to take a wolf, but we've been close several times," he said. "We feel we will be successful in the near future."

After killing several wolves, the state will evaluate the situation, Ware said.

McIrvin estimated the cost to his operation is approaching $100,000 in cattle kills, weight loss, injuries, extra labor and low conception rate. The department has $50,000 allotted for compensation to ranchers, $5,000 per ranch.

McIrvin has refused compensation, saying it would be akin to supporting the wolves' presence. He'd prefer to see the entire pack killed.

"The next step's to go out of business if we can't eliminate that pack," McIrvin said. "A cattle ranch can't sustain that kind of losses."

McIrvin said he still gets phone calls, with the callers seem to be evenly distributed between industrial support and avid wolf supporters.

"As long as it's not their cattle, pets or kids getting eaten, everything is great," he said wryly. "One woman in Seattle said, 'I love wolves, I'd just like to take one home to cuddle with.' I wish she would."

McIrvin blames the regulations for the complications.

"It's not the wolves' problem -- wolves do what wolves do: They kill for fun, support and hunger," he said. "We could take care of it, but when you've got an agency that won't allow it, our hands are tied."

As ranchers bring their cows in from open ranges and federal and state allotments and hunters begin to go out into the field, Ware recommends they report any signs of wolves, including scat and tracks.

Jamie Henneman, media relations representative for the Stevens County Cattlemen's Association, said eastern Washington cattlemen are concerned about developments at the Diamond M Ranch, since Stevens, Ferry, Pend Orielle and Okanogan counties have eight of the state's 12 wolf packs.

"The aggressive wolf behavior at the Diamond M proves wolves will attack cattle even when the weather is agreeable and wild game is available," Henneman said.

Henneman said the inability of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife to handle the situation is "not inspiring much confidence."

The association is advocating for immediate delisting of the wolf as an endangered species in eastern Washington. Henneman said the association wants producers to have the same discretion with wolves as other game animals.

"Cattlemen in our area regularly deal with other predators like cougars or bears without 'wiping out' those populations," Henneman said.

[Special T]

Are cattle leases every year? or is there a longer term say 5-10 years for them? I think cattlemen giving up thier leases in droves might get some attention. did this ever happen in ID? Did the lease prices ever dropp considerably?

[ICEMAN]

"The wolves are killing about a calf a day or every other day right now," he said.

Dave Ware, game division manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, said efforts to kill several wolves in the pack are ongoing. The department increased the number of staff in the area to operate on several sites and increase efforts to keep the wolves from the livestock.

"We haven't actually been able to take a wolf, but we've been close several times," he said. "We feel we will be successful in the near future."

After killing several wolves, the state will evaluate the situation, Ware said.

McIrvin estimated the cost to his operation is approaching $100,000 in cattle kills, weight loss, injuries, extra labor and low conception rate. The department has $50,000 allotted for compensation to ranchers, $5,000 per ranch.

So now we are supposed to let a bunch of freaking morons from the Dept of wildlife waste our tax dollars by hiring Humanure to try to 'maybe' shoot a wolf? 

What the hell is wrong with this world?  Can we possibly design a more cluster-phucked approach to anything?

We had wolf populations in control, with little damage to other wildlife populations, ranchers stock and human contact.

Now, we have the three stooges trying to control the damned wolves, instead of VOLUNTEER  hunters and trappers. 

Good going Wildlife! Thanks a lot!  How do you dip*censored*s look at yourself in the mirror each day? Unbelievable.

I will donate cash to the fund to defend anyone prosecuted for accidentally shooting a wolf. Screw this state.

 

[RG]

"The wolves are killing about a calf a day or every other day right now," he said.

Dave Ware, game division manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, said efforts to kill several wolves in the pack are ongoing. The department increased the number of staff in the area to operate on several sites and increase efforts to keep the wolves from the livestock.

"We haven't actually been able to take a wolf, but we've been close several times," he said. "We feel we will be successful in the near future."

After killing several wolves, the state will evaluate the situation, Ware said.

McIrvin estimated the cost to his operation is approaching $100,000 in cattle kills, weight loss, injuries, extra labor and low conception rate. The department has $50,000 allotted for compensation to ranchers, $5,000 per ranch.

So now we are supposed to let a bunch of freaking morons from the Dept of wildlife waste our tax dollars by hiring Humanure to try to 'maybe' shoot a wolf? 

What the hell is wrong with this world?  Can we possibly design a more cluster-phucked approach to anything?

We had wolf populations in control, with little damage to other wildlife populations, ranchers stock and human contact.

Now, we have the three stooges trying to control the damned wolves, instead of VOLUNTEER  hunters and trappers. 

Good going Wildlife! Thanks a lot!  How do you dip*censored*s look at yourself in the mirror each day? Unbelievable.

I will donate cash to the fund to defend anyone prosecuted for accidentally shooting a wolf. Screw this state.

 

 

[KFhunter]

Are cattle leases every year? or is there a longer term say 5-10 years for them? I think cattlemen giving up thier leases in droves might get some attention. did this ever happen in ID? Did the lease prices ever dropp considerably?

You've missed the entire point - this is one of the goals.

THEY DO NOT WANT CATTLE ON PUBLIC LANDS

This has been an adgenda for many years.   

[Ridgeratt]

So now we are supposed to let a bunch of freaking morons from the Dept of wildlife waste our tax dollars by hiring Humanure to try to 'maybe' shoot a wolf?

Please tell me this is a misprint!

[ICEMAN]

Sorry ridgeratt, my point is that I bet they hire a wolf lover to go hunt the wolves.... don't plan on wildlife scoring many kills...