Extermination of part or all of the Washakie Pack is presently underway after it was confirmed that wolves killed two more cows and one calf on the Diamond G Ranch in the DuNoir Valley 25 miles SE of Yellowstone. Whether Wildlife Services has been ordered to kill all the pack is not clear to me at this time.
The owner of the Diamond G, Steven Gordon, had recently filed a lawsuit asking that Judge Downes' wolf removal order be implemented immediately after Gordon alleged that the pack has killed many more cattle than had been officially recognized, disrupted ranch operations, and threatened the safety of his family and others on the ranch.
So far there is no indication whether Gordon will withdraw his lawsuit.
The ranch is in a remote location and no public access is allowed.
On October 26, 1997, no 15M, the alpha male of the pack was killed after it was confirmed he had killed some cattle on the ranch. The rest of the pack, no. 26F, and five pups, now yearlings, were allowed to remain in hopes that they would not kill livestock. The yearlings are 132M, 133M, 134, 135, and 138. The first two are radio-collared.
It has been reported that the alpha female has already been shot. She was part of the original Nez Perce pack introduced in 1996. Contrary information I have received indicates that so far the only wolf shot to have been been shot is one of the yearlings.
Note: The alpha female, no. 26F was eventually shot by ADC (Wildlife Services). As indicated above no. 135 who looked like her mother was accidentally shot by ADC.
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