Wolves kill some livestock in Montana and Idaho. Numerous wolves get killed in return by government. So why not just a generic wolf depredation story?

March 7, 2004

Wolves in the Madison Valley of Montana and near Glenns Ferry, Idaho have killed some cows. As a result a number of wolves have been shot by the government. A couple Greater Yellowstone wolf packs might be wiped out because illegal wolf shooters, shot all the radio collared wolves in the packs and so those wolves responsible can't be determined.

These wolf depredation stories area all pretty much the same -- of little economic consequence, full of hysteria and anger, and given more media coverage than a human murder or the loss of hundreds of jobs in a nearby urban area. Politicians certainly seem care more about a few wolf killed cows than any human problem.

These stories are so much alike in the way the media covers them, I'll just write a generic story. They're pretty much all the same.

Here a generic story to substitute for the actual one.

"Wolf Attack: Ranchers suffer disaster "

Wolf Creek, Montana, or Idaho, or Wyoming

A rancher in the Wolf Creek area couldn't believe the slaughter when he walked to his pasture Sunday morning. Two calves lay dead, eaten by a ravenous pack of wolves. Another calf was limping.

"The whole thing took place only 200 yards from our house. Wolf tracks were all over the pasture, and just last week we saw a wolf on Lobo Hill only five miles away. It just looked at us. They have no fear. I'm really afraid that they might grab one of my children."

Federal officials responded to the cattle deaths by killing 3 wolves in the vicinity and gave the rancher a permit to shoot one more as long as it didn't wear a radio collar.

Defenders of Wildlife said they would pay top price for the dead livestock, but the rancher said the money didn't come close to the anguish he and his wife had suffered witnessing dead livestock. In addition, the rancher said his calves "are a special breed, worth far more than they might appear." He also said the surviving cattle were traumatized, and would probably hardly eat during the rest of the summer.

"The wolves will only be back. The whole thing is out of control."

Meanwhile the local country commission called the attack an outrage that showed federal indifference. "We are sick of Easterners in Bozeman, Denver, Missoula, Boise, Portland, and Los Angeles telling us what to do." Commissioner Doe said he thought wolves should be reintroduced to "Central Park." Then all those people back in New York would know what it's like."

Meanwhile the local congressman, just back from a fundraiser at the Oil Club in Dallas said "nobody cares about these people like I do.  If they don't get these wolves under control, I'm going to have an investigation. Already this year 6 calves and 10 sheep have been killed. Wyoming [Idaho] [Montana] can't stand this kind of economic disaster. It's dragging our entire economy down."

Federal officials said they expected the wolves would probably disappear in a week or two when the snow melted, and elk and deer headed for higher ground. Officials noted that wolf populations have pretty much stopped growing in the area, but sporadic livestock depredations will continue from time to time, especially when ranchers don't clean up dead livestock, or throw the carcasses over the fence into a makeshift bone yard.

Mrs. Rancher said she is afraid to go outside now. "It's unnatural to have these vicious creatures around. They kill everything they see. Even the songbirds are gone."

She said, "we are tough folks, and not afraid of anything, life is hard out here, especially when our subsidy check doesn't arrive on time. All the elk and deer make things twice as hard by living on our Forest Service grazing allotment up on Little Wolf Flat and stealing our grass." " We have deep roots, our family has lived here since we got rid of the Indians, but facing the wolves is just too much. We might have to sell out. Then there would be a subdivision. How would you like that? People have to understand they need to help keep us in business."

Here are the two actual stories:

The Montana wolves shot were belated given the following numbers: 413M and 414M, both gray adult males from the Sentinel Pack. 415F and 417F, both gray Sentinel Pack pups. 416F, a gray adult female, Sentinel Pack. 418 through 421, all wolves of unknown origin.

 

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