Wolves Hit New Meadows Sheep Flock

Federal and state wildlife officials say gray wolves are responsible for the deaths of 25 lambs and nine ewes on Lost Creek in the Payette National Forest near New Meadows, and on Pearl Creek, wolves apparently killed another wolf in a trap. Ranchers report that many more sheep still are missing. Idaho Department of Fish and Game and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services officials suspect the Lick Creek wolf pack. Officials confirmed the depredations on August 28. Traps have been set, and Fish and Game authorized killing two wolves, which is half the adults of the Lick Creek pack. The last week of August was a busy time for wolf managers, when they investigated eight depredation incidents. In addition to the sheep in Lost Creek, wolves have killed four lambs and two calves and injured another calf. Wildlife Services killed two wolves, and Fish and Game has authorized killing a total of five more. During the first week of September, state and federal officials identified a sub-adult female wolf apparently killed in a trap by other wolves. This is the first time, as far as biologists know, that a wolf apparently killed another wolf in a trap in Idaho. On September 2, Wildlife Services confirmed that wolves killed a lamb, possibly several more, on Pearl Creek in the Payette National Forest northeast of McCall. They set traps with the intention of killing one un-collared wolf. When Wildlife Services checked the traps on September 4, they found a gray, sub-adult female wolf dead in a trap. They found throat wounds consistent with wolf bites. In addition in early September, wildlife officials investigated six livestock depredation incidents. They found six sheep killed by wolves, one calf killed and two others probably killed by wolves. In one incident, the predator was identified as a black bear. A black bear also was responsible for killing 130 sheep on August 20 near Palisades Reservoir in eastern Idaho. Wildlife agents set traps to catch and kill three more wolves in the Steel Mountain pack near Trinity Lakes following another depredation on September 2, but the traps were pulled when a forest fire threatened the area. When the fire danger subsides, control efforts will resume. Between January 1 and September 5, federal and state agents removed 23 wolves in Idaho, and another 9 wolves have been killed by ranchers under the 10j rule. A total of 19 cattle and 93 sheep have been confirmed killed so far this year. Wolf control actions are in no danger of jeopardizing wolf recovery in Idaho. Since their reintroduction in 1995 and 1996, the wolf population in Idaho has grown to more than 600, in at least 70 packs. Biologists estimate more than 170 wolf pups were born in Idaho this year. The Fish and Wildlife Service considers the wolf recovered in the northern Rocky Mountains. Federal officials are working on a proposal to remove wolves from the endangered species list in Idaho and Montana separately from Wyoming, which would be a break from policy of considering wolves in all three states together.