Post by muskyhusky on Oct 20, 2008 13:09:52 GMT -6
Federal trappers are hunting to kill one wolf from a group that attacked and killed three cattle this week northeast of Wisdom.
An official with U.S. Wildlife Service confirmed this week that two more cattle were killed on the ranch, said Carolyn Sime, wolf program director with the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. The first attack earlier in the week left a lone mother cow dead on Forest Service land just east of the Big Hole Valley ranch owned by Loren Giem of Twin Bridges.
Sime said two other attacks made officials decide to remove one wolf from the group.
"FWP is still trying to put a collar out … but then to also kill a wolf," she said.
In addition, she said FWP has issued a permit for Giem or his ranch hands to kill a wolf. If they are able to shoot a wolf before federal trappers do, the management action would be done.
"The permit is a get-there faster strategy," she said. "If the opportunity to kill a wolf is first presented to the wildlife services guy, it's done." Sime said the investigation into the attacks revealed that multiple wolves were involved. But it's difficult to tell specifically how many wolves are in the group because they run around a great deal and duplicate tracks.
The pack is not a known group and Sime said they as of yet do not have a collared wolf in the group. She added since the middle of the week officials haven't heard that the wolves have returned.
www.mtstandard.com/articles/2008/10/19/area/hjjbijiajcgafb.txt
An official with U.S. Wildlife Service confirmed this week that two more cattle were killed on the ranch, said Carolyn Sime, wolf program director with the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. The first attack earlier in the week left a lone mother cow dead on Forest Service land just east of the Big Hole Valley ranch owned by Loren Giem of Twin Bridges.
Sime said two other attacks made officials decide to remove one wolf from the group.
"FWP is still trying to put a collar out … but then to also kill a wolf," she said.
In addition, she said FWP has issued a permit for Giem or his ranch hands to kill a wolf. If they are able to shoot a wolf before federal trappers do, the management action would be done.
"The permit is a get-there faster strategy," she said. "If the opportunity to kill a wolf is first presented to the wildlife services guy, it's done." Sime said the investigation into the attacks revealed that multiple wolves were involved. But it's difficult to tell specifically how many wolves are in the group because they run around a great deal and duplicate tracks.
The pack is not a known group and Sime said they as of yet do not have a collared wolf in the group. She added since the middle of the week officials haven't heard that the wolves have returned.
www.mtstandard.com/articles/2008/10/19/area/hjjbijiajcgafb.txt
