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| Wolves kill calves, are sought in the Big Hole
By PERRY BACKUS Montana Standard http://www.mtstandard.com/ JACKSON - A pack of wolves recently picked the wrong place to settle down for a few days. About two weeks ago, wolves in the newly named Fox Creek Pack moved in on the Dooling Ranch near Jackson and killed four calves outright over three nights. Another calf died later from injuries. Now federal officials have decided the wolf pack will be killed. All they have to do is find the pack. This is the first time the pack "showed up on the radar screen," said Joe Fontaine, U.S. Fish and Wildlife's wolf recovery project leader. The Big Hole Valley isn't a good place for a pack of wolves to winter, said Fontaine. The prey base is thin as most deer and elk migrate out during the winter months, he said. The agency has decided to remove the pack from the area, but "unfortunately they've disappeared," said Fontaine. Specialists with the federal wildlife Services have used both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft in an attempt to locate the wolves. The search has centered on the Jackson end of the Big Hole Valley and the neighboring Grasshopper Valley. Other than the Doolings, no other ranchers have reported livestock loss as of Friday night. The pack size is estimated somewhere between five and eight animals. A wolf pack has been seen around the Circle S Ranch, on the west side of the Grasshopper Valley periodically over the last year. No one is certain that these are the same wolves. "We know they are trying hard to find them," said Gail Dooling of Jackson. "It's not easy. They evidently can cover a lot of ground." The wolves also ran cattle through a fence at a neighboring ranch, said Dooling. The killed calves were "real close" to the family's home, she said. "You do fear for your dogs and kids," Dooling said. "We saw them in the darkness. They're pretty crafty. They don't come back to the same kill twice." "Calves make for a pretty easy target," she said. _____ Reporter Perry Backus may be reached via e-mail at perrybackus@yahoo.com. Sunday, December 21, 2003 |