Wolves Back At It....Again

This young cow was trying to get to the SF Payette River for protection from the wolves but didn't quite make it. She was seen running unimpaired by year around neighbors but the owner of the immediate houses were not home at the time. These folks have grandchildren and everyone is glad they were not there at the time.

The wolves were heard by many residents but an exact location was not found until it was too late.

The wolf advocates just don't seem to understand how dangerous this type of situation can be for the Lowman folks. Many do not understand how axiety builds in the elderly and makes them restrict their use of the private property and surrounding forest lands.

This last photo shows that just the tops of the hind quarters were eaten and the guts dragged out. You can see the birds had not discovered the kill yet

Major Snowstorm April 9, 2011

Hard to understand the beauty in a late spring snowstorm, but I thought a couple photos would be interesting. I had 10 inches at 4700 feet elevation.

Note the islands in the river as they will gradually disappear as the river flow rate picks up. I am hoping this new snow will melt quickly. The birds are having to get their "beak blowers" going to find the bird feeder. The Jays seem to be the best as shoveling the snow off the seeds.

No woof calls to report. I will be out checking for tracks today.

JD

The wolves seem to be working their way back after the hunting was curtailed. The mouth of Eightmile Creek seems to be the boundary between 4 different packs. There is a pack east of Eightmile probably reaching up towards Casner Creek and Warm Springs. There is a pack primarily operating in Ten Mile drainage. Another one down off Jackson Peak from the Crooked River drainage and the fourth one behind me primarily up at the head of Kettle Creek. I can tell from the tracks and howling that they are separate packs.

The ones that have been brave enough to come within my range of influence have decided to move on. Elk are hanging out around here which is an indication that they are comfortable with the lack of wolf smells.

Game department people were here a few weeks ago and bailed out of a helicopter to tag an elk calf. Looked to me like one cow was injured when she spooked down the hill from fright of the chopper so close. The dudes headed out across private property clearly marked "no trespassing". We now have a calf with a huge collar that is trying to scratch it off and bleeding on the neck. It is hard for me to acknowlege any scientific benefit from this program other than keeping fish and game people employed.

Stay tuned for updates. April 7, 2011