Wolves blow elk off feedgrounds
by Cat Urbigkit
Federally protected gray wolves have hit several elk feedgrounds in
Sublette County in the last week, running large herds off the feedgrounds,
but directly killing few elk in the process.
As reported in the Examiner a few weeks ago, all the elk left the North
Piney elk feedground and headed down to the Bench Corral feedground,
apparently due to wolf presence.
Although the elk ended up at Bench Corral, that didn’t mean they were safe
from predation. Scott Werbelow of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department
said that wolves hit Bench Corral last Friday, with the result being some
elk blowing the feedground headed to the southwest and Billy Canyon, while
others headed toward Ken Fear’s place on Cottonwood.
The same day, wolves hit the Jewett elk feedground, blowing about 300 head
off the feedground, but they returned the next day, Werbelow said.
Wolves also hit the Franz feedground for three days in a row last weekend,
scattering 100-150 elk onto ranchlands held by Larry Braun and Doug
Vickrey. On Monday, Werbelow said, “We just got them moved back this
morning.” WG&F moved the elk by herding them with snowmachines.
Werbelow said at least four wolves have been seen moving between the Black
Butte and Soda Lake elk feedgrounds as well.
With recent snowstorms dropping a lot of snow, there are more elk on
feedgrounds this year than normal. Some elk tend to winter out away from
the feedgrounds, but it appears some of these elk have moved onto the
feedgrounds for now, Werbelow said.
Here’s the elk count on each feedground:
Finnegan 290
North Piney 0
Bench Corral 816
Jewett 750
Franz 420
Black Butte 575
Upper Green 450
Soda Lake 350
Fall Creek 475
Scab Creek 675
Muddy 450
Werbelow noted that more elk are arriving at Soda Lake daily, and the
number of elk at the Jewett feedground is at an all-time high. Some
feedgrounds are currently under objective, and that includes Muddy, Fall
Creek, Soda and the Upper Green River feedground.
As for the condition of animals arriving on the feedgrounds, Werbelow
said, “The elk are looking really good.”