Wolf Report: Wolf Kills Domestic Elk

During the last week in May, an elk rancher reported to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services that a wolf had gotten inside a domestic elk pen south of Tendoy in eastern Idaho and killed an elk. The federal 10(j) rule of the Endangered Species Act, however, does not consider domestic elk and deer as livestock, and officials initiated no response. The individual was told that shooting at the wolf was illegal. But he would have to chase the wolf out of the pen using nonlethal methods, because no wild animal, especially a listed species, can be held in captivity. In other developments, Fish and Game wolf biologist Michael Lucid and recently hired wolf technicians will be working to find undocumented and non-radio-collared wolf packs in the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness. They also plan to test a new method to help locate wolves without radio-collars. They will be working with the U.S. Forest Service, outfitters and guides, and other Fish and Game staff members throughout the summer. While Lucid and his crew of helpers were trying to capture and collar a wolf in the Timberline pack recently, they saw a wolf run across the road carrying a blaze orange highway cone. They did not speculate why the wolf might have been carrying the cone. During a recent department-wide in-service training session, Fish and Game Director Cal Groen presented an employee of the year award to Fish and Game wolf program coordinator Steve Nadeau for outstanding management, leadership and coordination. Nadeau shared the credit with his staff, and other agency employees, saying the award reflects the hard work of many people. By the end of 2006, at least 673 wolves lived in Idaho in 72 packs. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service considers the wolf recovered in the northern Rocky Mountains and has started the process to remove the wolf from the endangered species list. Fish and Game officials are working on plans for proposed hunting seasons for wolves, pending their removal from the endangered species list. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's weekly wolf reports, as well as annual reports, can be viewed at http://westerngraywolf.fws.gov/.