Wolf capture unsuccessful

by Cat Urbigkit

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reported Tuesday that federal wildlife officials are still attempting to capture and radiocollar one member of a pack of wolves roaming in the South Horse Creek area of the Wyoming Range.

U.S.D.A. Wildlife Services officials confirmed that two domestic sheep were killed by wolves on a Bridger-Teton National Forest grazing allotment in the area last week. The domestic sheep allotment is held by Sweetwater County sheepman Bill Taliaferro.

According to FWS, at least two ewes were killed and several lambs and ewes are missing.

"Wildlife Services specialists confirmed wolf damage and when they howled, they heard responses from several adults and pups in the area," FWS reported. "There are no known radioed wolves in that area."

If the trapping effort is successful, the animal will be released on site to determine how many wolves are there and what control actions may be appropriate.

In other wolf news in the county, FWS reports that the Green River wolf pack has five pups and appears to be doing fine. Federal officials destroyed the adult male wolf from this pack last month after it was found killing cattle in the Upper Green River region of the Bridger-Teton National Forest.

Mike Jimenez of FWS reported that FWS personnel are on the ground tracking the female wolf several times a week.

When asked, Jimenez said his agency has not been providing supplemental food to the wolf pack, adding that the female wolf has been seen carrying deer legs back to her pups, as well as scavenging on carcasses.

Jimenez said his agency no longer provides supplemental food to female wolves with pups as the agency did shortly after the reintroduction program was initiated.

"There is no shortage of food resources up there," Jimenez said.

Jimenez said although people talk about the expanding wolf population, "We're going backwards this year" in terms of the number of wolf packs. Since the adult male wolf of the Green River pack was killed, that pack no longer counts as an actual wolf pack counted toward wolf recovery.

Jimenez said because of control actions, Wyoming has had two packs go off its list of official packs that are counted toward recovery.

Anyone who sees any wolf activity is encouraged to contact the FWS at 307-332-7789.