Wolf kills Cora calf

by Cat Urbigkit

U.S.D.A. Wildlife Services officials confirmed Monday morning that wolves killed a beef calf north of Cora.

Mike Jimenez of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reported that although wolves weren't actually seen on the carcass, two wolves, a black and a gray, were seen in the same general area.

Jimenez said that federal wildlife officials hoped to catch one of the wolves and place a radio-collar on it to allow its movements to be tracked.

Wolves reportedly haven't been causing any more problems with cattle in the Upper Green River region, according to the weekly wolf report written by Ed Bangs, FWS Wolf Recovery Coordinator.

The Green River female wolf and her four pups remain in the area, the report said.

Bangs wrote: "Ground tracking of the female indicated she was hauling deer pieces back to the pups. Hopefully it will remain that way."

The male wolf of the Green River wolf pair was killed by federal officials earlier this month after preying on cattle on several occasions in the last two years.

As this issue went to press, Jimenez said federal wildlife officials were attempting to trap and radiocollar one of a pack of wolves involved in domestic sheep depredations in the South Horse Creek area of the Wyoming Range. Wildlife Services confirmed on Tuesday that two ewes had been killed by wolves, and federal officials heard numerous wolf howls Tuesday night. Jimenez said there is a possibility the pack has pups, so a radiocollar would help his agency monitor the pack and its members and movements.

Wolf plan okayed

Last week, the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission officially voted to adopt a Wyoming Gray Wolf Management Plan that allegedly substantially complies with House Bill 229, the legislation enacted a few months ago and sponsored by Representative Mike Baker.

Baker is quoted in this week's edition of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup as supporting the plan, stating that with approval of the plan, 90 percent of the state can remain wolf-free. Sublette County falls within that remaining 10 percent.

The wolf management plan is posted on the WG&F website at http://gf.state.wy.us .

Now the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will determine if the Wyoming plan provides adequate mechanisms to protect wolves from extinction once the species is delisted. Wyoming's plan does not go into effect until wolves are removed from federal protection.

FWS reported that it will look at the Idaho, Wyoming and Montana plans in early September, and at that time make the final determination whether the plans should be sent out for independent scientific peer review.

"Peer review is the next logical step in the process for the Service to determine if a delisting proposal is appropriate," FWS reported.