Riders set to shoo wolves
Associated Press
ENNIS (AP) – The first line of defense between wolves and cattle
grazing in the Madison Valley this summer could be a team of
horseback riders hired to encourage the wolves to search elsewhere
for a meal.
Bob and Ebby Kunesh are scheduled to work from June 1 through Oct.
31.
The Predator Conservation Alliance came up with $38,000 in grants to hire
them, after the idea was suggested by Lane Adamson, project coordinator
for the Madison Valley Ranchlands Group.
The wolves wander into the valley from Yellowstone National Park,
where federal agencies are trying to reintroduce the predator.
“We decided early on that it wasn’t appropriate for ranchers to have to
spend a dime on wolves,” said Adamson. “We also knew that if we were going
to hire some riders, they had to be people who knew cattle. We weren’t
looking for graduate students in wolf biology. This really isn’t a
research project.”
Janelle Holden with the Predator Conservation Alliance’s Co-existing with
Predators Program said she spent time this spring getting to know ranchers
in different grazing associations and explaining the idea.
“There was a lot of skepticism, but no one said they didn’t want us
on their allotments,” Holden said. “We will definitely get
permission before we go on anyone’s allotment.”
The riders will work closely with federal and state biologists in
order to track the locations where wolves are mostly likely to show
up. They’ll be supplied with telemetry units and regular updates.
This winter two wolf packs were destroyed in the Madison Valley
after getting killing livestock. Right now, Holden said it appears
that there are only two wolves remaining from those original packs.
“We know there will be more coming in,” she said. “We’ll have to
continue to monitor the situation. We’re not sure where they will
set up shop.”
But hopefully when they do settle in, the wolf riders will be there
to encourage them to look elsewhere for a bite to eat.
“When they encounter wolves, they’ll do what they can to encourage
them to leave. That might mean using cracker shells or making some
kind of noise,” he said. “They’ll be discouraged from killing the
wolves.”