Irony. Forest fire north of YNP eliminates sheep threat to Rose Creek Pack
8-20-2003
The Brundage Fire, burning the Absaroka/Beartooth Wilderness immediately north of Yellowstone Park is prompting the immediate removal of 2700 domestic lambs and ewes owned by Elaine and Lawrence Allestad of Big Timber.
This early evacuation of the sheep through Gardiner, Montana is expected to be complete tonight.
Four of these sheep had been killed by the Rose Creek pack, or possibly other wolves in the area, and this famous Yellowstone Pack was in some jeopardy because of the presence of these Wilderness area sheep four miles from their new (this year) rendezvous site. Removal of these sheep is certainly good news for the grizzly population in the area too.
As I mentioned in an earlier article about the Idaho fires, wolves do not seem much bothered by forest fires and have been seen patrolling their vicinity of fires. Joe Fontaine of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service told me today that he had even had fire fighters report seeing wolves nearby watching them as they cleared fire lines, etc.
8-20-2003. Story on the sheep evacuation from the Bozeman Chronicle. By Scott McMillion.
Gallatin National Forest "incident" web site on the Brundage Fire.
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