(graphic) Wolves kill 3 dogs near Blackrock, WY

[bearpaw]

Wolves kill 3 dogs near Blackrock, WY

http://www.lifewithwolves.org/home/?p=12240
By Cory Hatch, Jackson Hole, Wyo.
March 21, 2012
 
Wolves killed or injured four dogs in Jackson Hole this month, even as residents and wildlife managers worked to come to grips with the predators expanding their territory and moving closer to humans. The most recent incident occurred in Buffalo Valley, where a pack killed three hounds that went missing from their yard near the Blackrock Ranger Station on March 7.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife personnel helped the dogs’ owner, Jack Hatch, find and retrieve the carcasses March 16.A fourth dog returned to Hatch’s cabin uninjured March 10.
 
The four dogs disappeared after Hatch heard them get into a scuffle.
 
“I usually give them a couple of hours in the morning to run in the yard,” he said. “I was in my tack room, and that’s when I heard a commotion.”
 Hatch attempted to follow the dogs on snowshoes and horseback, but snow and high water made pursuit impossible, he said.
 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service personnel warned that wolves were nearby right after the dogs went missing, but the warning came too late.
 
“One of the wolf guys called and asked me if I had any problems because he tracked the wolves to my house,” Hatch said.
 
Hatch and his neighbors looked for the dogs for several days before Fish and Wildlife personnel said they found their carcasses.
 
“They found one of the dogs on a ridge, and then 200 yards away they found another dog, and then after another 200 yards they found another dog,” Hatch said.
 
The dogs were partially eaten.
 
“They’re family dogs,” Hatch said. “They were born and raised here from pups. They were trained to follow my horse. They’re [some] of the most personable, friendly dogs you could be around.”
 
Hatch and his wife considered giving the dogs away.
 
“I was afraid of this happening,” he said. “I have to lock them up in boxes at night.”
 
Hatch also built a 5-foot-high fence around a portion of his property to protect the dogs.
 
The incident in Buffalo Valley comes after a group of wolves that has roamed subdivisions in west Jackson, South Park and south of Wilson attacked and injured a dog last week. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wolf manager Mike Jimenez would not say where the incident occurred, but he has estimated two wolves are currently traveling together.
 
Jimenez’s unwillingness to disclose the location of the attack is a disservice to the community, said Alice Eve Richter, who lives in the Skyline Ranch subdivision west of Jackson and owns four dogs.
 
“I was very disappointed in Mike,” she said. “He refused to tell me where that wolf attack occurred. I don’t think that was right.
 
“An animal, if it becomes a pet, becomes part of the family, and I think you want to protect your family,” Richter continued. “Before you know it, you have an investment in those animals, a financial and emotional investment.”
 
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s refusal to release more information about the incident doesn’t help wolves or the people who live among them, said Chris Colligan, Wyoming wildlife advocate for the Greater Yellowstone Coalition.
 
“Agencies really run into difficulty when they aren’t transparent,” he said. “With transparency comes trust. Because there hasn’t been transparency, the public has some valid questions.”
 
Colligan was quick to say that Jimenez has done a good job keeping the public informed in the past.
 
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service could better serve the public by educating people, not keeping them in the dark, Colligan said.
 
“Residents of Jackson Hole need to be proactive — keeping their dogs on a leash, keeping them contained and keeping pet foods away from all wildlife,” he said. “The better informed people are, the better decisions people can make in adapting their own behavior. This is cutting-edge wildlife management.”
 
Jimenez defended his decision not to disclose the location of the wolf attack, saying the incident occurred on private property. Also, wolves range widely and rarely attack in the same place, he said.
 
“Where these wolves were has little to do with where wolves are,” he said. “How many times do wolves kill in the same spot? Virtually never.”
 
“We’ve had 153 dogs killed in the three states since the early ’90s,” Jimenez said. “This is the whole point of saying this is an inappropriate place for a wolf.”
 
Colligan said Jackson Hole residents have begun to adapt to grizzly bears by enacting Teton County regulations on keeping garbage and other human sources of food secure. Residents will need a similar effort to adapt as wolves expand their territory.
 
“Where else in the lower 48 do we have an intact ecosystem will all four large carnivores?” Colligan asked. “Residents in and around the town of Jackson will need to become as proactive as someone who lives in Buffalo Valley. It’s no different than what we’ve seen with bears.”
 
Wildlife managers need to step up wolf management and give landowners more latitude when dealing with the predators, Hatch said.
 
“I don’t have anything against the wolf people,” he said, “but I think that there’s some things that need to change. You have to let people protect their personal property. It’s just being a poor neighbor turning these things loose and not managing them.”
 
Wildlife managers plan to capture and kill the wolves involved in the dog injury in west Jackson, but at least one outfitter says the wolves should be allowed to stay where they are.
 
“Those wolves are actually doing more good because that is the area where we can’t get a harvest on those elk,” said B.J. Hill, owner of Swift Creek Outfitters. “If the wolf lovers want these wolves, then they need to learn to live with them, especially when you live next to a national park.”


(These pics were taken after they found the dogs.)

[humanure]

As an owner and very proactive advocate for German Shepherds, I feel for the owners.

[jackmaster]

maybe i am happy i dont have my hounds anymore, when i left for the service i gave them away and they were top notch cat dogs, they ran zero trash and they were the best buddies a kid could have, had they been torn up by wolves i would have been a mess and i definatly would have had a personal vendetta against wolves, what a terrible animal to bring back to the lower 48, well like i said time and time again, it wont really hit home until one of these killing machines does something bad to someone with power. kill them all, and do it soon

[humanure]

Well, that will never happen. Wildlife live by rules that they are ingrained with, and that doesn't allow them to recognize civilization boundaries. We have to be more responsible and watchful of our pets, and learn to be aware of predators, their habits and where they are roaming. Habitual livestock and pet killers will be taken out, but the wolves will always be here now.

[bearpaw]

Well, that will never happen. Wildlife live by rules that they are ingrained with, and that doesn't allow them to recognize civilization boundaries. We have to be more responsible and watchful of our pets, and learn to be aware of predators, their habits and where they are roaming. Habitual livestock and pet killers will be taken out, but the wolves will always be here now.

As bad as I hate to agree, you are most likely correct. 

[Kain]

I wonder what the reaction will be when one of those Karelian Bear Dogs gets mauled by wolves?

[steen]

I guess I'd be proactive and hunt the wolves down and take whatever punishment necessary.  If a dog kills a sheep the dog is killed, if a dog bites a person it should be put down, if wolves are getting that close to humans and killing pets they should be hunted and killed.  Just my    If they kill wildlife, it is their nature, they need to eat also.

[HORSEPOWER]

My sister lives on the outskirts of Polson.  Both of their dogs were killed and a neighbor's dog was chewed off it's leash while tied to the deck of their house.

[humanure]

We can make those judgements on dogs, as they are domestic animals. But the wolves are just being wolves. Thats why people should be allowed to 'harass' them if they are within city limits to discourage them.

[SpringerFan]

We can make those judgements on dogs, as they are domestic animals. But the wolves are just being wolves. Thats why people should be allowed to 'harass' them if they are within city limits to discourage them.

Uh oh.....18 posts and pro Wolf.

A person should not have to worry about that happening to their dogs. It makes me sick to think that "wolves just being wolves" is ok.

So only when in the city limits? So it is ok if they just kill for sport outside the city limts. I see. Guess you are not a hunter or care about a real balance of wildlife.

[DeerThug]

Hummm so that would never happen in Washington  just like there could never be cougars in my tree 1/2 mile from 40th ave in Yakima..  give it 5 years and I will be videoing wolves in my field.  we are next.

[humanure]

I'm both pro wolf and pro hunting. I hunt, as I've said elsewhere in this forum.

[hughjorgan]

I'm both pro wolf and pro hunting. I hunt, as I've said elsewhere in this forum.

Your a troll... Someone asked you for pictures of kills and you stated you haven't been successful. Yet in another post you claim deer and elk in our state aren't as healthy to eat because we don't have wolves, really, wtf, make your mind up here. You sound like a leaf licking tree hugger.

[TheHunt]

Sad to say but this needs to keep happening to stop the madness.

[MuleySniper]

Keep on keepin on.....SSS