Rancher eyes more wolf-kill permits
Associated Press
LIVINGSTON (AP) – Mill Creek rancher Jim Melin says the one wolf-kill permit offered by a federal agency to stop the slaughter of his sheep is inadequate, both for him and his neighbors.
As of Saturday morning, Melin said he had 15 dead sheep. He found a freshly killed buck Wednesday morning, with wolf tracks in the snow, and suspects there may be other kills.
The buck “had his rib cage torn out the way the others were on Saturday. A federal trapper told me that’s how wolves kill sheep,” Melin said.
The rancher said he contacted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s wolf recovery team and was told it was too cold to put out traps but flags and noisemakers near the sheep pastures might help.
“The flags would be a short-term fix. Eventually, they get brave and approach, but it might work if it directs them away from those pastures,” said Joe Fontaine, a federal wildlife biologist.
Melin was offered a permit to kill one wolf if he sees one on his land within the next 45 days.
“They’d only give us one permit for the eight ranches out here,” Melin said. “I told them they have to do something more for us. We don’t have time to run around chasing wolves and they could come in their helicopters and do more damage (to the wolves) in a day than we could ever do.”
Melin said he has asked for a more liberal kill permit, for himself and adjacent ranchers.
“I have been overly patient with this process. They’ve dragged their feet entirely too much,” Melin said. “Those wolves are going to go one way or the other.”
He said “while the federal bureaucrats are trying to make up their minds, I’m losing more sheep.”
Melin said a representative from the wolf recovery team visited his ranch Wednesday and told him the dead sheep still on the ground from Saturday were an attractant to the wolves.
He was also told his working ranch dogs also were an attractant.
Melin the dogs also protect his children, four under the age of 8.
Fontaine said wolves tend to need more food this time of year because the pups have gotten big enough to eat more.
“With hunting season starting they’ll have gut piles to feed on, so hopefully they won’t go after livestock,” Fontaine said.