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Close Window Trapper will try to catch wolves suspected in Carlton-area calfattack By Ann McCreary A professional wolf trapper was expected to arrive in the MethowValley this week to attempt capturing and collaring wolves that arebelieved to have recently attacked a calf on a ranch near Carlton. Wildlife officials have determined that the calf, part of a herdowned by Bernard and Dianne Thurlow, was most likely attacked andfatally injured by wolves. The Thurlows will be the first livestockowners in the state to qualify for compensation for their lossunder Washington"s new wolf management plan. A pair of wolves have been recently photographed by motion sensorcameras a few miles from the Thurlow ranch, according to statewildlife officials. The wolves are believed to be the remnants ofthe Lookout Mountain gray wolf pack, which was decimated bypoaching. Wildlife officials have been planning to use a trapper to try tocapture and place radio collars on the wolves. In the wake of thesuspected livestock attack, collaring the wolves is seen as a wayto possibly prevent future conflicts between wolves and ranchers. Injured calf discovered The Thurlows discovered the injured calf on May 19, when they werechecking cattle on their 2,600-acre ranch in the hills aboveCarlton. A week earlier the couple had seen "a largecanine" moving across a field, said Dianne Thurlow. "This didn"t look like a domestic dog. It looked like alarge coyote," she said. When they arrived to check on cattle on May 19, "we saw abigger one and a little one on a little knoll above thecorral," she said. The animals quickly moved up the hills andout of sight, Thurlow said. Soon afterwards, the Thurlows realized that a calf, lying on theground near the corral, was hurt. Its hind legs were slashed andthe tendons damaged, and the abdomen of the calf had been torn openand partially eaten. The calf was suffering and so badly injured,said Bernard Thurlow, that he had no choice but to shoot it. "Nobody should have to witness that. I couldn"t doanything for it," he said. The Thurlows took pictures of the calf, and initially reported theincident to the Okanogan County Sheriff"s office. They wereadvised to report it to the Washington Department of Fish andWildlife and on May 21, two days later they called Cal Treser,wildlife officer for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife(WDFW). Treser and Scott Fitkin, a WDFW wildlife biologist, arrived at theranch and gathered evidence. By that point, Fitkin said, the calfcarcass had been mostly consumed. The wildlife officials examined the photos taken by the Thurlowsand found tracks in the area that appeared to be made by wolves.Fitkin said he and Treser left motion sensor cameras trained on thecarcass overnight but did not get any photos. Remote cameras caught pictures in mid-April of two wolves, onelarger than the other, traveling on U.S. Forest Service land"within a few miles" of the Thurlow ranch, Fitkin said. "The attack pattern on the carcass … the signs that wefound on site, and the description of two animals – onenoticeably larger – traveling together, added up to aprobable wolf kill," Fitkin said. Eligible for compensation Fitkin is preparing a report on the incident, and the Thurlows havebeen given paperwork to file a claim for compensation. Under thestate wolf management plan, which became effective last December,ranchers will be compensated up to $1,500 per cow for"probable" wolf predation. The plan allows ranchers tobe compensated for up to twice that amount for livestock that areconfirmed to have been killed by wolves on ranches over 100 acres. WDFW also has funds – $80,000 this year – to helplivestock owners prevent conflicts with wolves. Agency officialslast week offered to hire a range rider to keep watch overThurlow"s herd to prevent any future attacks, said StevePozzanghera, a regional director for WDFW. "We"re currently finalizing hiring a range riderwho"s going to be working in Stevens and Pend d"Oreillecounties in proximity to the Smackout Pack," Pozzangherasaid. The Smackout Pack is one of five confirmed wolf packs in thestate. The Thurlows, however, turned down the offer of a range rider. "They offered that, but we know our cattle and know if a calfis with its mother," explained Bernard Thurlow. "Peopledon"t always know how you handle your cattle. If theydon"t know the country and don"t know your cows,mistakes could be made. They"re certainly not as committed asyou are." Wildlife officials plan to try to trap and collar the remainingLookout Pack wolves to monitor their movements. Two trappers areworking for WDFW, including a Montana trapper recently hired towork out of the Wenatchee office of WDFW. Fitkin said that trapperwas expected to arrive in the Methow Valley by the middle of thisweek to try to catch the wolves in leg hold traps that are designednot to injure the animals. If the animals can be collared, there will be more ways to preventthem from attacking livestock, according to wildlife officials."It allows us to share the location (of the wolves) withranchers in the area so we know when wolves are in proximity tolivestock," Pozzanghera said. Collared wolves can also be frightened away from livestock by"radio activated guard" (RAG) devices that aretriggered by the radio signals from an approaching collared wolf.The RAG device emits loud sounds and lights that scare wolves. Gray wolves in the eastern third of Washington were removed lastyear from the federal list of endangered species, but in the MethowValley the wolves remain listed as endangered by both the federaland state governments. Therefore, federal wildlife agencies areinvolved as well in developing a response to the attack on theThurlow"s calf. Testing the plan Under the state plan, compensation for the calf is based on theweight of the animal and the current market value, saidPozzanghera. After a claim for compensation is filed, the rancherwould likely receive payment within a month, Pozzanghera said. WDFWhas experience in compensating landowners for deer and elk damage,he said. The wolf management plan was controversial during five years ofdiscussion and development. As the first opportunity to providecompensation under the plan, the Thurlow"s case is a chanceto show skeptics that the plan can be carried out successfully,Pozzanghera said. Even if they receive the maximum $1,500 for the calf, itwouldn"t be adequate compensation, the Thurlows said."You have to raise the mother, feed them through thewinter," said Dianne Thurlow. The Thurlow"s land near Carlton has been in the family formore than a century. While they have seen many coyotes on theirpasture and saw a group of five coyotes near their cattle a fewdays after the calf was attacked, the couple said they have neverhad a problem like this. Dianne Thurlow said wildlife officials suggested that the couplemove their cattle from the Carlton pasture to their ranch on BeaverCreek Road for a week or two. At that point, deer in the area willhave given birth to their fawns and the wolves would be less likelyto attack cattle with other prey available. "You can"t afford to keep hauling your cattle home andcattle need new spring grass to thrive," she said. "Anypolicy that puts a predator like that ahead of people affects yourcivil rights." Pozzanghera said ranchers who believe they have lost livestock towolf predation should immediately contact WDFW at 1-877-933-9847. "The sooner we can investigate the situation, the better ourchances are of determining whether the incident is a wolf kill andwhether compensation is warranted." Photo by Sue Misao: Ranchers Bernard and Dianne Thurlow stand inthe spot where they found their dying calf. May 30, 2012 Date: 05-30-2012 Volume: 110 Issue: 3. We are high quality suppliers, our products such as China Rugged Tablet PCS , Android 2D Barcode Scanner Manufacturer for oversee buyer. To know more, please visits GIS Terminal.
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