Wolf Weekly Wrap-up

Guard dog saves sheep in Washington state – You couldn’t ask for a better example of wolf coexistence tools in action. Recently, a guard dog named Gabby sustained an injury from a wolf attack while protecting a flock of sheep in the Teanaway Mountains, 90 miles from Seattle, Wash. Gabby is one of several guard dogs employed by herders with Mark Martinez’s sheep operation, that uses summer grazing lands now in the range of the so-far elustive Teanaway wolf pack. Here’s what happened: the herder was alerted to the presence of wolves during a lunch break, thanks to Gabby’s barking, and sprang into action, firing a warning shot that scared the wolves away. Gabby ultimately survived the incident and has made a full recovery. It proved to be both a valiant and successful effort, since she prevented any sheep from being harmed. Notably, the wolves had been drawn to the area by the smell of a dead sheep that had been previously killed by a cougar (clearly, wolves are not the only predators of concern in the area). Washington’s Division of Fish and Wildlife is in the process of finalizing a comprehensive wolf plan by the end of the year that will include a compensation program for ranchers that lose livestock to wolves. Proven coexistence tools, like guard dogs, should be an essential part of the mix as well. This incident is a great reminder that, with a little extra effort, coexistence does work.

Watch this news report from KING5-WA for the full story:

Under the gun in Oregon — Despite Oregon’s best attempts to implement a well-balanced wolf conservation plan, including putting in place the most forward-thinking compensation and coexistence program in the country, some ranchers are still crying wolf. Several stockgrowers in the eastern part of the start are doing everything they can to get USDA’s Wildlife Services, the federal agency responsible for removing “problem” wolves, to take aggressive action to kill even more wolves. Read the full AP story on Huffington Post. Biologists with Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife have been carefully investigating reported livestock losses. But their refusal to rubber-stamp those losses as wolf kills has pitted them against those who are anxious to get rid of wolves. The Cattlemen’s Association has sent a letter to the Governor demanded that ODFW step up wolf control efforts, even though at least four wolves have been killed already in response to depredations. Only about two dozen wolves are believed to exist in Oregon. We support the state’s continued efforts to conduct thorough investigations and are working with ranchers to implement nonlethal tools wherever possible to protect their livestock, before conflicts arise.

Teton wolves in danger — The superintendent of Grand Teton National Park Mary Gibson Scott has confirmed our suspicions about Wyoming’s pending wolf plan. Her letter to Wyoming Game and Fish says that the state’s aggressive plan to treat wolves as unwanted predators across the vast majority of the state will put the population at risk, including on public lands in our national parks and forests. Specifically, she points out that allowing wolves that move through the Grand Teton area to be shot on sight in national forest outside the park would limit dispersal and compromise genetic connectivity to surrounding areas.

“Maintaining genetic connectivity between Wyoming and Idaho is important for the long-term resilience and persistence of wolves that reside in Grand Teton National Park,” Scott said. “The best way to ensure that genetic exchange occurs is to allow for dispersal year-round.

“Therefore, I urge you to consider removing the seasonal portion of the [wolf trophy game management area] and treat the entire delineated area as permanent … or, at a minimum extending the window for protection in the seasonal portion of the [wolf trophy game management area] through March and April to better ensure successful dispersal of wolves.” (from report in Jackson Hole News & Guide, 9/14/11)

Scott also mentioned in her letter that claims that wolves had destroyed the local moose population were misleading are not supported by the data. Historical records show that the moose population was in decline almost a decade before wolves returned to the area, and likely suffered as a result of other factors.

Conservation easement to include “nonlethal” provisions – The ongoing saga with wolves near the Flat Top Ranch in Carey, Idaho took an interesting turn this week. Blaine County is considering using local tax dollars to help purchase a conservation easement for the property to protect a two-mile stretch of river and surrounding lands, including important wildlife habitat. But in recent weeks, the ranch has also been the site of the aerial gunning of three wolves in response to livestock losses. The owner, John Peavey, wrote in a letter to the Idaho Mountain Express that he did not make the call to federal agents with Wildlife Service to remove the wolves. Nonetheless, many local residents were not pleased with the outcome and expressed concerns with purchasing a conservation easement where lethal control of wolves was going to be permitted. To resolve the situation, our wolf coexistence expert Suzanne Stone stepped in with other conservation organizations to make the use of nonlethal options a part of the agreement. Hopefully, this will help turn an unfortunate incident into a long-term conservation success story. Read the full story in today’s Idaho Mountain Express.