Brailsford sheep head directly into wolf pack.

Brailsford sheep head directly into wolf pack.
June 18 - Morning

Whitehawk Pack still alive. Order to kill still in effect.
update June 19 - Morning

Photo added July 6

REPORT FROM THE FIELD by Ralph Maughan

I visited concerned wolf advocates this morning on the 4th of July Creek road in the Sawtooth Valley, Sawtooth National Recreation (Forest Service) area. Wolf supporters were on this road in the Valley and also up in the canyon portion of the road in the White Cloud Mountains.

A howl from a trained wolf handler quickly caused a response from two wolves on the ridge near the mouth of the canyon on Forest Service Land not far from Michael Humphrey's Ranch.

Below us were Brailsfords's 2000 sheep, which lately have been kept inside a three strand electric fence at night.

The wolf handler, who has also been a trapper, thought he saw three baited wolf traps in 4th of July Creek, but there were no wolf tracks around them. He did see a black bear and two cubs this morning in 4th of July Creek canyon.

Much to our surprise Brailsford's herders drove the sheep band past us at about 9 a.m., right up the 4th of July Creek road and into the canyon, not far from where the wolves had howled. Soon SNRA law enforcement and the Custer County sherriff's office showed up to make sure no one was obstructing the road. There was a pleasant conversation without any rancor.

Folks drove to the Stanley Ranger Station of the Forest Service to see if Brailsford was in compliance with the Forest Supervisor's letter, which is posted in my previous story on the Whitehawk Pack. The ranger said, yes; but she said no one knew where the wolves were. She was informed they were in 4th of July Creek. She told us 5 volunteers from Defenders of Wildlife were on their way to work to keep livestock and wolves apart, but had no information when they might arrive.

Later I learned that Idaho's senators are putting pressure on the Sawtooth Forest for the supervisor's bold letter to Brailsford. Apparently Brailsford contacted their office, and in Idaho ranchers get special attention from many politicians. There may be a local Senate hearing on the matter.

Right now folks are back out in 4th of July Creek.

Photo: Brailsford's herder drives about 1600 sheep up toward 4th of July Creek on the morning of June 18. An hour earlier wolves were heard howling in the trees on the bench in the right center of the photo.

Whitehawk Pack still alive. Order to kill still in effect. Morning June 19

Report from Ralph Maughan from the field.

I talked with Bob Ruesink of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service this morning. The control action to kill 2 of the four Whitehawk Pack adults is still on, and indeed, this morning we saw a slivery fixed wing plane checking out all the canyons.

A wolf observer slept near Brailsford's sheep last night. The two herder's dogs were barking until 2 a.m, but aparentlly no sheep were lost. This morning the sheep were scattered on the foothill face between 4th of July Creek and Pass Creek in the White Cloud Mountains.

I suggested to Ruesink that this control action had the greatest potential for negative publicity of any in the wolf restoration program so far. He indicated that it did have the potential for a negative publicity downside.

He had no word on the arrival of helpers from Defenders of Wildlife.

In great irony all of central Idaho is abuzz with the arrival of the Rainbow Family. "Incident reports" are being issued by the Forest Service each day like they do with major forest fires. Yesterday's incident report said the family is camping on critical wolf habitat (Cache Creek meadows about 30 miles NW of Stanley). There are no wolves there. This used to be the range of the Whitehawk Pack in the summer of 2000. Now that pack is south of Stanley, and is slated to be partially killed,, and if events play out, probably all the pack will end up dead.

WHAT YOU CAN DO - E-MAIL Bill LeVere, Sawtooth Forest Supervisor, Twin Falls, Idaho, and thank him for his concern for the Whitehawk Pack. But, he must do more -- Bill Brailsford's sheep band must be moved out of harm's way IMMEDIATELY, and trailed out of 4th of July Creek Canyon back up the Sawtooth Valley. Right now the sheep can be heard and smelled from where the wolves are raising their nine pups. Remind LeVere that this is PUBLIC land belonging to all Americans, not just Bill Brailsford!

Levere's email: wlevere@fs.fed.us

Next: E-MAIL Bob Ruesink, USFWS, Boise, and ask him to rescind the kill order on two wolves for this pack. It was NOT the pack's fault that Brailsford put his sheep right next to the wolves. Urge Ruesink to save this pack and its nine pups, and resist political pressure from Idaho politicians (puppets for the livestock industry) to kill the wolves.

Ruesink's address: bob_ruesink@fws.gov

Email addresses for members of Congress, the media, and other officials.

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Ralph Maughan PO Box 8264, Pocatello, ID 83209