A
Anonymous
Guest
They finally got our neighbor counties troublesome wolf...F&G can't figure out where it came from :???: :roll: I'd be willing to bet the wolf came down out of Canada as they are seen in our area way more often than the Moose and Goose boys wish to admit...But it goes back to "If you don't look- you will not see."
Agents kill wolf sought in attacks on sheep
By MIKE STARK
Of The Gazette Staff
The mystery killer has been killed. Federal agents Thursday morning shot a 106-pound wolf believed to be responsible for sheep kills in Garfield, McCone and Dawson counties late last year and earlier this year.
About 120 sheep died and others were injured in a spate of attacks that had local livestock owners on edge for months. There was frequent speculation among wildlife experts and locals that the elusive predator was either a wolf or wolf hybrid. Some thought there was more than one animal stalking the sheep.
"We do think it was a single animal and this chapter is closed," Carolyn Sime, head of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks' wolf program, said Thursday evening.
On Wednesday, a landowner in Garfield County reported large canid tracks in deep snow on his property, Sime said. Even though there had been no confirmed reports of wolf attacks for months, Wildlife Services, a federal agency, was authorized to search for the animal and kill it. Crews in the air spotted the wolf on private land north of Highway 200 between Jordan and Circle on Thursday morning and shot it.
State wildlife officials later confirmed the animal was a male wolf, about 4 years old and in good condition. The only thing unusual was its reddish color, Sime said.
The kill should provide some relief for livestock owners frustrated for months about a lack of progress in the case.
"This has been a long haul for those folks, and we really appreciate their patience in how long it's taken to get this situation addressed," Sime said.
There are still plenty of questions about the wolf. Chief among them is where it came from. Wolves, especially males, are known for traveling far in search of food.
The wolf shot Thursday was more than 150 miles from the fringes of the greater Yellowstone ecosystem, where the wolf population has grown to more than 300 since reintroduction in 1995 and 1996.
DNA evidence from the wolf that was killed, which didn't have a radio collar or ear tags, will be analyzed to see where it came from, but that process could take months, Sime said.
The Eastern Montana attacks were first reported in late December 2005 and happened sporadically over the next several months. Wildlife officials said the animal seemed to be roaming a wide swath of land, killing sheep and then moving on.
Several landowners were issued 45-day permits to shoot wolves that were seen attacking livestock in the area, but nothing more happened.
Reports were scant over the summer. But on Oct. 13, wildlife officials were called to investigate an attack on two sheep on land where depredations had previously occurred, Sime said. Signs of a wolf couldn't be positively confirmed, but it appeared to be the same animal as before.
The tracks in the snow spotted Wednesday matched earlier tracks seen in the area.
"That was an important consideration," Sime said. "We needed to know we were working with the same animal."
The dead wolf was brought to Billings on Thursday evening and is scheduled to be transported to the state wildlife veterinary laboratory in Bozeman.
Sime praised the coordination among state and federal agencies and those who live in the area. Though the wolf shot Thursday appears to be the one responsible for the sheep depredations, Sime said, wildlife officials would return to the area if there are reports of more attacks.
Agents kill wolf sought in attacks on sheep
By MIKE STARK
Of The Gazette Staff
The mystery killer has been killed. Federal agents Thursday morning shot a 106-pound wolf believed to be responsible for sheep kills in Garfield, McCone and Dawson counties late last year and earlier this year.
About 120 sheep died and others were injured in a spate of attacks that had local livestock owners on edge for months. There was frequent speculation among wildlife experts and locals that the elusive predator was either a wolf or wolf hybrid. Some thought there was more than one animal stalking the sheep.
"We do think it was a single animal and this chapter is closed," Carolyn Sime, head of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks' wolf program, said Thursday evening.
On Wednesday, a landowner in Garfield County reported large canid tracks in deep snow on his property, Sime said. Even though there had been no confirmed reports of wolf attacks for months, Wildlife Services, a federal agency, was authorized to search for the animal and kill it. Crews in the air spotted the wolf on private land north of Highway 200 between Jordan and Circle on Thursday morning and shot it.
State wildlife officials later confirmed the animal was a male wolf, about 4 years old and in good condition. The only thing unusual was its reddish color, Sime said.
The kill should provide some relief for livestock owners frustrated for months about a lack of progress in the case.
"This has been a long haul for those folks, and we really appreciate their patience in how long it's taken to get this situation addressed," Sime said.
There are still plenty of questions about the wolf. Chief among them is where it came from. Wolves, especially males, are known for traveling far in search of food.
The wolf shot Thursday was more than 150 miles from the fringes of the greater Yellowstone ecosystem, where the wolf population has grown to more than 300 since reintroduction in 1995 and 1996.
DNA evidence from the wolf that was killed, which didn't have a radio collar or ear tags, will be analyzed to see where it came from, but that process could take months, Sime said.
The Eastern Montana attacks were first reported in late December 2005 and happened sporadically over the next several months. Wildlife officials said the animal seemed to be roaming a wide swath of land, killing sheep and then moving on.
Several landowners were issued 45-day permits to shoot wolves that were seen attacking livestock in the area, but nothing more happened.
Reports were scant over the summer. But on Oct. 13, wildlife officials were called to investigate an attack on two sheep on land where depredations had previously occurred, Sime said. Signs of a wolf couldn't be positively confirmed, but it appeared to be the same animal as before.
The tracks in the snow spotted Wednesday matched earlier tracks seen in the area.
"That was an important consideration," Sime said. "We needed to know we were working with the same animal."
The dead wolf was brought to Billings on Thursday evening and is scheduled to be transported to the state wildlife veterinary laboratory in Bozeman.
Sime praised the coordination among state and federal agencies and those who live in the area. Though the wolf shot Thursday appears to be the one responsible for the sheep depredations, Sime said, wildlife officials would return to the area if there are reports of more attacks.