Wolves are frequenting Squaw Creek neighborhood
by Anna Means
Sharon May likes watching the
wildlife at Squaw Creek, but seeing wolves in her yard is a bit
much.
Recently, a few members of the Buffalo Ridge pack have made
their way down to civilization. Tracks in the yard of the May
Family Ranch indicate a few in the pack are coming around, but
May has seen only one, in the early morning, snacking on fish
in the pasture.
“It was awesome. They are a magnificent animal, but they
don’t belong right here,” May told the Messenger. She
assumes they will follow the elk, which are hanging out in large
numbers along that stretch of the river, up into the high country
as the weather warms, but she’s still uncomfortable with
the wolves being so close to her house.
She’s worried about her grandchildren but is also concerned
about wolves that are so comfortable in civilization. May said
her area isn’t the boondocks, is actually well established
human habitat, and by all rights, wolves should stay out of people’s
yards.
Another issue for May is that the May Family Ranch is a bed
and breakfast. They have anywhere from 1,200 to 1,500 guests
throughout the year, most of them families. Many guests like
to take moonlight walks. May said she will now have to caution
them to keep together in a group, not allowing the casual stray.
It’s not news that the wolves are in the neighborhood.
Neighbors, as well as May’s husband, Paul, have spotted
them in the vicinity, but this was the first time they’d
visited so close to the ranch.
Aside from hanging out in the yard, the wolves have closely
inspected a plastic irrigation tarp and in the process ripped
it to shreds. At least one appears to have a taste for fish and
snacks on hatchery steelhead smolts that have lost their way.
Elk share space with them, always keeping a wary eye out for movement.
May said a Fish and Game officer told her not to worry, but
she’s still uneasy, considering wolves are pack predators.
She said she has mixed emotions about the situation, “since
part of the beauty of living here is the animals. But, this is
getting under my skin.”
Pack denned in the area
Carter Niemeyer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, told the Messenger the pack of eight is denned in the neighborhood, loosely speaking,
as they were last year. Pups are two to three weeks old. The
pack has been implicated in eating some calves this spring, but
at this point, authorities are calling it probable as opposed
to confirmed.
Niemeyer said he didn’t think it was necessary to scare
the animals off. He figures once the fish are gone, so will be
the wolves. He said they will undoubtedly follow the elk up into
the high country before too long.
The pack is led by B93 and B95. The male came from the Moyer
pack, while the female is from the Stanley pack. It’s possible
they hooked up behind the Hurless ranch last year. They might
have even met as part of the group that dined on dead animals
at the Challis dump two years ago.
News of the wolves near the May Family Ranch has reached Ralph
Maughan, an avid wolf proponent. He e-mailed the Messenger,
saying the wolves, “should be the business opportunity of
the summer for the May Ranch Bed and Breakfast.” He went
on to say people would probably pay $500 a night for the opportunity
to see, or even hear them.
When contacted by the Messenger, Maughan said he wasn’t
solid on the amount people might pay, but did know there are
hired guides to the wolves in Yellowstone. He gets a lot of requests
on his wolf web site from people asking where they can go to
see the critters. Now, he’s created a link to the Mays’
bed and breakfast in case someone wishes to contact them.