Post by: Special T on July 14, 2012, 10:28:31 PM
July 13, 2012
Contact: Steve Pozzanghera, WDFW, 509-892-7852
Kendle Allen, Stevens County Sheriff, 509-684-5296
Wolf, cougar attacks on rancher’s livestock prompt
response by WDFW, sheriff’s office in Stevens County
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and the Stevens County Sheriff’s office jointly responded this week to wolf and cougar attacks on a rancher’s livestock in northern Stevens County.
The owner of the Diamond M Ranch contacted the Stevens County Sheriff’s office July 11 after discovering an injured calf and cow on his ranch in Laurier, just east of the Kettle River near the Canadian border. The following day, he found two more calves that had been dead for several days.
After receiving the rancher’s initial report, Stevens County Sheriff Kendle Allen and Chief Deputy Colin Webb contacted WDFW enforcement officers, who joined them on the ranch to investigate the cause of the livestock injuries. WDFW officers and wildlife biologists, in collaboration with the Stevens County Sheriff, confirmed that injuries to the first two animals were caused by a wolf.
After the second report, investigators returned to the ranch and confirmed – based on distinctive marks left on the carcasses – that one calf was killed by a cougar and the other was killed by a wolf. Another calf remains missing from the rancher’s herd.
WDFW Director Phil Anderson has issued a permit to the rancher authorizing him to shoot a wolf if it is caught attacking his livestock again. The department is also working to determine the amount of compensation the rancher is eligible to recover for his losses.
“The permit is critical for the rancher to protect his livestock from further attack,” said Steve Pozzanghera, director of WDFW’s eastern region office in Spokane. “We’ve also offered to help him protect his animals using other measures.”
Pozzanghera explained that WDFW staff are monitoring the area and are prepared to use rubber bullets, floodlights and other strategies to keep wolves away from the rancher’s livestock. A department biologist is also setting up traps to capture and radio-collar a wolf. Radio collars can be used not only to track an animal’s movements, but also trigger alarms near livestock.
The Diamond M Ranch was also the scene a wolf-livestock depredation in 2007 – the first documented in Washington state in recent times . A wolf pack has long been suspected to range through the area known as The Wedge, a triangular section of northern Stevens County between the Kettle and Columbia rivers.
WDFW staff have had ongoing discussions with ranchers about livestock lost in the wedge, and have set up remote cameras in the area to detect wolf activity and confirm the pack’s existence.
“With the attacks at the Diamond M Ranch this week, the wedge area is now WDFW’s top wolf-trapping priority,” Pozzanghera said. He also expressed appreciation for the Stevens County Sheriff’s office cooperation in this week’s investigation.
“Staff from the sheriff’s office attended the wolf-depredation training course we held for our staff last spring,” he said. “I think this kind of joint effort is needed to successfully address problems with wolves and other wild predators.”
Pozzanghera urges ranchers who believe they have lost livestock to predation by any kind of wild animal to contact WDFW immediately at 1-877-933-9847.
“The sooner we can investigate the situation, the better our chances are of determining why the animal died, if a wolf was the predator and if compensation is warranted,” he said. “We also ask that landowners protect the site from disturbances and keep scavengers away by covering the carcass with a tarp.”
The wolf attack on the Diamond M Ranch livestock is the third incident investigated in Washington since the state adopted a Wolf Conservation and Management Plan in December 2011. The other two wolf attacks – in Okanogan and southern Stevens County – resulted in the loss of a calf and a sheep.
The plan (available at http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/gray_wolf/ (http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/gray_wolf/)) addresses both recovery of the gray wolf, which is a state endangered species, and conflicts with livestock producers.
Post by: mkcj on July 14, 2012, 10:35:34 PM
Post by: shoot-em-dead on July 14, 2012, 10:42:29 PM
Post by: KFhunter on July 14, 2012, 11:02:03 PM
I was impressed there were even that many around, must have come from all over the state.
Don't think I'll be hunting anywhere near that area for a year or two :chuckle:
not that I don't do it 100% legal, but sheesh why try to hunt in the middle of a hornets nest eh?
Post by: KFhunter on July 14, 2012, 11:05:31 PM
:bash: Really- they got a permit. WTF happened to protecting property. If I had cattle and if I watched a wolf or cougar attacking I would be shooting permit or not. On the bright side at least the wdfw is doing something to help the ranchers and that is a big step in a positive direction.
This ain't the 1st permit given out, just the 1st made public. We are heading in the right direction imo, this being such a hot button thing the WDFW are treading on eggshells with concrete boots.
Baby steps - public notice of permits is a few steps past documentation ;)
Post by: stuckalot on July 15, 2012, 07:38:47 AM
Post by: CAMPMEAT on July 15, 2012, 08:22:22 AM
Post by: buckfvr on July 15, 2012, 08:48:44 AM
Post by: CAMPMEAT on July 15, 2012, 09:28:52 AM
For sure the permit is no " free pass ".......if they kill one, it will be heavily scrutinized. :twocents:
...........and make world headlines too boot !!
Post by: bearpaw on July 15, 2012, 09:57:30 AM
Quote
Baby steps
Unfortunately that is correct, this state will have to go through all the baby steps that the other states went through. If enough attacks occur by the same pack eventually the pack will be removed, but only after the damage has already occurred repeatedly. :bash:
I doubt there will be meaningful wolf control until the westside has the same problems in their backyards.
Post by: Special T on July 15, 2012, 10:03:06 AM
Post by: woodswalker on July 16, 2012, 09:15:20 AM
Post by: pianoman9701 on July 16, 2012, 09:29:11 AM
Post by: stihlpro on July 16, 2012, 09:34:21 AM
Post by: Dave Workman on July 16, 2012, 09:39:56 AM
DAve, Link 404s out.
Yeah, I pulled the column and updated it with information about what they're doing in Montana: Wolf TRAPPING will be allowed. I think this is going to really heat things up!
Update: Wolf ‘war’ will heat up in Washington and Montana
Washington State’s wolf debate has taken on a new dimension with the announcement by the Department of Fish and Wildlife that a rancher in Stevens County has received a permit to kill a wolf if the animal is caught attacking livestock.
http://www.examiner.com/article/update-wolf-war-will-heat-up-washington-and-montana?cid=db_articles (http://www.examiner.com/article/update-wolf-war-will-heat-up-washington-and-montana?cid=db_articles)
Post by: Elkaholic daWg on July 16, 2012, 09:56:27 AM
http://www.kbzk.com/news/schweitzer-reacts-to-montana-wolf-hunt-decision/?fb_comment_id=fbc_10150919991596960_22315272_10150924574411960 (http://www.kbzk.com/news/schweitzer-reacts-to-montana-wolf-hunt-decision/?fb_comment_id=fbc_10150919991596960_22315272_10150924574411960)
Post by: bearpaw on July 16, 2012, 09:58:29 AM
This same family was short over 2 dozen cattle at fall roundup last fall, many of which were likely killed by predators, most likely wolves. I also have to wonder that since cattle are out on range now, how many dead cattle have not been found yet. This is not wide open range land like there is in other parts of the west.
Post by: Northway on July 16, 2012, 03:23:36 PM
http://www.king5.com/news/environment/Capture-confirms-presence-of-a-new-Washington-wolf-pack-162636576.html (http://www.king5.com/news/environment/Capture-confirms-presence-of-a-new-Washington-wolf-pack-162636576.html)
They captured the alpha male and a pup from the "Wedge Pack".
Post by: bearpaw on July 17, 2012, 02:16:40 AM
Here are the photos again of wolves belonging to the 2nd eastside wedge pack near Northport. This pack had pups 2 years ago. I don't know if they had pups last year or not, but they are there, here's the proof.
Post by: NWBREW on July 17, 2012, 02:23:59 AM
Post by: bearpaw on July 17, 2012, 02:28:42 AM
Dale, Do you know if those wolves close to northport are up sheep creek or out towards Mitchell and Muraski?
They are mostly hanging directly west of Northport, but have heard of them or others up towards Mitchell and Moraski too.
Post by: CAMPMEAT on July 17, 2012, 06:35:35 AM
Post by: Special T on July 17, 2012, 07:56:28 AM
Post by: bearpaw on July 17, 2012, 09:32:57 AM
Because they can no longer hide them in the NE corner so they will make a big deal in the NE and ignore everywhere else. We have to have wolves in all 3 regions in order to delist. Have you never seen a slight of hand trick? They grab your attention with movement from one hand and do the trick with the other. :twocents:
I made this post in another wolf topic, there is an 18 pack limit, then management can begin regardless.
Quote
Don't forget, wildlife commissioner Douvia managed to get it in the wolf plan that once 18 packs are confirmed management can begin regardless of which regions the packs are in. :tup:
There is no doubt enough packs in Washington to totally delist, it's important for us to keep the pressure on WDFW by posting every wolf sighting and especially pictures of tracks or wolves here on H-W and report it to the state.
The state will use the wolf reports to determine new areas to confirm wolves. By also posting on H-W we can keep the WDFW accountable for all the sightings and wolf pack locations.
I am certain we have twice as many packs as they have confirmed in the NE, so let them keep confirming packs, it gets us closer.
In the meantime it's important that members keep posting all their sighting (and especially any photos of tracks or wolves) here on the forum and to the WDFW, this way we can apply pressure.
Post by: bearpaw on July 19, 2012, 10:53:29 AM
Quote
I made this post in another wolf topic, there is an 18 pack limit, then management can begin regardless.
I said this wrong, after checking into this again, the way I understand it, if 18 packs are confirmed the process to delist can begin before 3 consecutive years. But I think we still must have 4 packs in each of the 3 wolf zones.
Post by: KFhunter on July 19, 2012, 11:15:40 PM
Dale, Do you know if those wolves close to northport are up sheep creek or out towards Mitchell and Muraski?
They are mostly hanging directly west of Northport, but have heard of them or others up towards Mitchell and Moraski too.
I think the Mitchell Muraski Flats wolves are part of a different pack.
I've never heard of any wolves crossing hwy 25.
Post by: NWBREW on July 20, 2012, 12:56:56 AM
Dale, Do you know if those wolves close to northport are up sheep creek or out towards Mitchell and Muraski?
They are mostly hanging directly west of Northport, but have heard of them or others up towards Mitchell and Moraski too.
I think the Mitchell Muraski Flats wolves are part of a different pack.
I've never heard of any wolves crossing hwy 25.
KF, I am confused. Mitchell and Muraski flats are just a stones throw away from sheep creek. What would stop a wolf from crossing a road? They are both on the west side of the big C river. Although I do agree that they are a different pack but why would they not cross a road? They had to at some point.
Post by: KFhunter on July 20, 2012, 09:36:55 AM
hwy 25 runs up a pretty good valley all the way to Rossland BC then back to Trail BC then you hit the Columbia and back down to Northport. Makes a nice big circle about the size of range a pack of wolves would need.
Not that they couldn't cross the road, but I'd say that violin lake would be the center of their territory. Be fun to hike in and see whats up.
Post by: pianoman9701 on July 20, 2012, 09:47:49 AM
Post by: NWBREW on July 20, 2012, 10:48:56 AM
nothing would stop a wolf from crossing the road, however if both areas were the same range for one pack of wolves they'd cross the road a lot more.
hwy 25 runs up a pretty good valley all the way to Rossland BC then back to Trail BC then you hit the Columbia and back down to Northport. Makes a nice big circle about the size of range a pack of wolves would need.
Not that they couldn't cross the road, but I'd say that violin lake would be the center of their territory. Be fun to hike in and see whats up.
I gotcha. I do know wolves travel far and wide but what I do not know is a packs range. So, if you take an area the size of the wedge..how many packs will tolerate each other within that area?
Wolves can reproduce at an extremely fast pace and I am in strong belief there are more wolves and packs in the NE corner then they admit. The "waiting for the rest of the state to catch up" in wolf allocation will be the downfall of Washingtons moose population. It is very sad to see our wildlife leaders stand by and watch that happen. :twocents:
Post by: bearpaw on July 20, 2012, 02:36:15 PM
Post by: ironhead14 on July 20, 2012, 09:38:57 PM
:bash: Really- they got a permit. WTF happened to protecting property. If I had cattle and if I watched a wolf or cougar attacking I would be shooting permit or not. On the bright side at least the wdfw is doing something to help the ranchers and that is a big step in a positive direction.My first thought was exactly the same as yours......WTF a permit to protect your property. Note it did say if the farmer witnessed the attacks. Slim chance of that happening! Now if they gave him a shoot on sight permit I would think they are trying to help him.
Post by: cem3434 on July 21, 2012, 08:47:14 PM
For sure the permit is no " free pass ".......if they kill one, it will be heavily scrutinized. :twocents:
Hopefully they catch the entire pack "in the process" of harming his cattle and the ranch hand mows them all down! :twocents:
Post by: igotbigbulls on August 07, 2012, 08:10:59 AM
For sure the permit is no " free pass ".......if they kill one, it will be heavily scrutinized. :twocents:
Hopefully they catch the entire pack "in the process" of harming his cattle and the ranch hand mows them all down! :twocents:
:yeah: But i dont think he cares much about being scrutinized. I've talked with him not to long ago here in the Tri Cities before he headed up to the ranch up north and he didnt seem to worried when it came to protecting his herd. :twocents: