winter range
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Scientists’ take on Wyoming Elk Feedlot - Wolf Scare
Posted by on 12 Mar 2007 | Tagged as: Wolves, Elk, Impacts on Livestock, Wildlife Habitat, winter range
Perhaps many of you have heard of the WGFDs quick fire-off of the news release below last week. The argument is that wolves are pushing/disrupting elk off of Wyoming’s large elk feedlots, brought about to entice elk away from cattle in an effort to prevent the spread of Brucellosis from elk to cattle. We’ve seen Montana use Brucellosis to slaughter and haze buffalo, we’re seeing Wyoming use it to “manage” elk in high-density feed-camps and now we’re seeing it extended to justify inflated antagonism toward wolves.
The Jackson-Hole News&Guide’s Cory Hatch wrote an article entitled State: Wolves disrupt elk feeding areas on March 7 which includes some biologists’ take on the matter.
“wolf problems persist at wyoming’s feedgrounds”
Wyoming Game & Fish News
March 5, 2007
CHEYENNE—Wolves have been disrupting the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s feedground operations in northwest
Wyoming again this winter. In the past several weeks, Game and Fish personnel at feedgrounds have become increasingly frustrated with the wolf activity and their lack of ability to deal with the predators.
Wolves said to disrupt winter elk feeding in Wyoming
Posted by on 09 Mar 2007 | Tagged as: Wolves, Elk, winter range, Wyoming wolves, Impacts on Prey
“Wolves are causing a variety of problems on state elk feedgrounds, from spooking the elk and causing them to move from one area to another to killing work animals,” the Wyoming Game and Fish Department said. From Billings Gazette News Services. Read Article.
The entire premise of the article is wrong. There should not be elk winter feedlots! If the wolves disrupt the operations and chase the elk, so much the better, especially in the Gros Ventre River drainage (disruption may be a problem further south near Pinedale, Wyoming where the elk feedlots are near ranches and roads).
The article mentions that the wolves killed a feeder’s dog as though that was unexpected and terrible. Several weeks ago Ed Bangs sent out a much longer description of the event.
Bangs wrote: On the 23rd [Feb], Jimenez [WY FWS] examined and confirmed that a 8-month old male Catahula hound was killed by wolves on one of the Gros Ventre elk winter feedgrounds near Jackson, WY. The feeders stay at the feedground and had 5 pet hounds sleeping outside the cabin. The dog was killed about 200yds from the cabin. The other dogs are fine. The feeders had been previously advised that a wolf pack was visiting that feedground and their dogs might be at risk. No control is planned.
Did the feeders care about the dogs ? They were left sleeping outside next to an elk feedlot frequented by wolves, coyotes, and no doubt cougar as well. This is way back in the mountains, east of Jackson Hole, untamed country.
Wyoming Game and Fish is just plain irresponsible, and these “problems” are to be expected.
The wolves seem to be the only ones in Wyoming actually doing something to reduce the prevalence of brucellosis (by scaring elk off of the diseased feedlots).