Wolf Crossing

This means each state is preparing for a fall hunt, the first of it’s kind in decades.

In 1995 and 1996 sixty six Canadian Wolves were reintroduced into the three states. Today that number has grown 22 times, to an estimated 1,500 wolves in the region.

One Challis Rancher says almost 50 of his head of cattle have been killed by the growing population of wolves and he’s not convinced the delisting will make a dent in the growing population.

“We are sustaining tremendous losses as a result of the wolves,” says Rancher Gary Chamberlain.

Chamberlain started his Challis ranch in the late 60’s, back when wolves were virtually extinct in Idaho, “I fell in love with the country,” he says.

He says it’s unfortunate that the wolves love the country around Challis too.  ”Problem we’ve got is as numbers of wolves have gotten to be so many they’ve moved into area that now effect those people that are grazing.”

Right now Chamberlain’s cows are in his pastures, where they’re safe. The danger comes when they move into the range in the mountains come May.

“In 2006 we lost 18 calves and 11 cows out in Morgan Creek,” recalls Morgan.  In 2007 he says he lost 11 calves and 6 cows.  The grand total of deaths between the two years is 46.  A number of kills Chamberlain had never seen before wolves were reintroduced.  Interestingly, of all the cows killed Wildlife Services was only able to confirm one as a wolf kill.  Chamberlain says that’s because it’s difficult to prove. “Problem we get is if it’s been a day or two, they have the animal cleaned up to the point that you have troubles.  Unless you can find wolf scat, or tracks its difficult to determine if its a wolf kill ”

Chamberlain isn’t convinced the delisting is going to do anything to reduce cattle deaths, “It doesn’t mean a thing to us.  We’re going to have to keep growing and the wolves are going to keep increasing in numbers.”