WDFW TO SLAUGHTER ANOTHER PACK!!

WDFW has put in their new lethal protocol without Input from Tribal Groups like we are!! They are blaming the wolves for a ranchers inability to take care of his cattle and keep them safe… Wolves did not break those bones… those bones were the reason these calves were targeted! Martorello  refuses to acknowledge that killing wolves leads only to more depredations…. how long will it take him to realize the error of his ways by refusing to acknowledge science?

August 25, 201

Contact: Donny Martorello, (360) 902-2521 Let him know your not happy!!!

WDFW plans lethal action to address predation by wolf pack in Ferry County

OLYMPIA – State wildlife managers plan to take lethal action against a wolf pack that has repeatedly preyed on livestock in Ferry County during the past two months.

Jim Unsworth, director of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) authorized field staff to lethally remove one or more members of the Sherman wolf pack, which was involved in four documented occasions of predations on livestock since mid-June.

At least three calves were killed and one was injured by members of the pack, according to investigations conducted by WDFW field staff. The pack is estimated to have at least two members – including one fitted with a tracking collar – although a survey last winter indicated there were five members in the pack..

Donny Martorello, WDFW’s lead wolf manager, said the department’s response is consistent with Washington’s Wolf Management Plan of 2011, which authorizes WDFW to take action to address repeated attacks on livestock.

Martorello noted that the rancher who lost livestock to predation by the Sherman pack employed a variety of non-lethal deterrents before lethal measure were approved. The rancher engaged multiple range riders to patrol his herd in a leased grazing area on a near-daily basis.

The rancher and the range riders also shared information with WDFW about cattle behavior and wolf activities throughout the area, Martorello said.

“This rancher has made concerted efforts to protect his livestock using non-lethal measures, and has met the department’s prerequisite for lethal action,” he said. “Our goal is to change the pack’s behavior before the situation gets worse.”

Martorello said the situation also meets the department’s condition for lethal action that predation by a wolf pack occur three times in a 30-day period or four times in a 10-month period.

That condition is part of a protocol for wolf removal developed by WDFW in conjunction with an 18-member advisory group that represents the concerns of environmentalists, hunters, and livestock ranchers.

“The purpose of this action is to change the pack’s behavior, while also meeting the state’s wolf-conservation goals,” Martorello said. “That means incrementally removing wolves and assessing the results before further action.”

That is the same approach the department took when it removed two members of the Smackout Pack in Stevens County. Since taking that action in late June, WDFW has not documented any further incidences of wolves from the Smackout pack preying on livestock and continues to monitor the situation.

The Sherman and Smackout packs are two of 20 wolf packs documented in Washington state by WDFW in 2016. According to state surveys, the state’s wolf population is currently growing at a rate of about 30 percent each year.

Update on Washington wolves Latest reports on key wolf activities, conservation efforts, and management actions

August 25, 2017

WDFW documents the fourth depredation by the Sherman wolf pack

On August 24, 2017, the Department documented the fourth wolf depredation by the Sherman pack within the last 10 months. WDFW officials confirmed that one or more wolves were responsible for killing a calf on a U.S. Forest Service grazing allotment in Ferry County.

The report was made by a range rider contracted by WDFW who found the dead calf while monitoring livestock in the area. The fourth depredation within the last 10 months has prompted WDFW to initiate the provisions of the wolf-livestock interactions protocol (Protocol) developed jointly by WAG and the Department earlier this year. The four depredations by the Sherman pack include:

 June 13, 2017, a confirmed wolf depredation resulting in a dead calf. The Department officials who conducted the investigation indicated that the first event was an intact calf carcass with injuries to the groin, inside areas of both the hindquarters and hamstrings. The injuries consisted of bite lacerations and puncture wounds with hemorrhaging associated with those bite wounds. The injuries to the calf were consistent with a wolf depredation. The GPS points from the Sherman Pack collared wolf showed that the wolf had been at the location several times between June 3-11. Data from another collared wolf from the Profanity Peak Pack showed the animal was in the area sporadically from June 5-7. Based on all available factors, the event was classified as a confirmed wolf depredation by one or more members of the Sherman Pack. The depredation occurred on Bureau of Land Management grazing lands.

 July 12, 2017, a confirmed wolf depredation resulting in a dead calf. The Department officials who conducted the investigation indicated that a combination of evidence at the scene (including wolf tracks, scat, possible gray canid hair, and signs of a struggle), injuries on the carcass that occurred while the calf was still alive (hemorrhaging on right rear leg associated with bite wounds on leg and tail, and broken humerus bone), wolf collar location data, and another depredation investigation completed within 200 yards of this carcass on June 13, 2017 clearly indicate a wolf depredation. Wolf GPS collar data also showed that a Sherman Pack wolf was at the scene during the estimated time that the calf was attacked (July 10-12). Based on all available factors, the event was classified as a confirmed wolf depredation by one or more members of the Sherman Pack. The depredation occurred on Bureau of Land Management grazing lands.

 July 21, 2017, a confirmed wolf depredation resulting in an injured calf. The Department officials who conducted the investigation examined the injured calf and found lacerations and puncture wounds consistent with wolf bite marks. The injuries consisted of wounds on the upper left shoulder, left armpit area, lower left brisket, left hip, lower and upper left rear leg and around the groin. The calf also had a broken right shoulder. The calf was euthanized by the producer due to the severity of the injuries. A subsequent necropsy showed massive hemorrhaging of the underlying tissue next to the lacerations and puncture wounds. GPS collar data showed that the collared wolf from the Sherman Pack was in the area when the incident occurred. Tracks near the scene showed that at least two wolves were present. The depredation occurred on Bureau of Land Management grazing lands.

 August 24, 2017, a confirmed wolf depredation resulting in a dead calf. WDFW staff investigated a report of two calf moralities in Ferry County after a report by a WDFW contracted range rider. The first calf mortality consisted of skeletal remains and was determined to be an Unknown Cause of Death. In the area where the remains of the first calf was discovered; wolf scat, tracks, and GPS collar data indicated that a member of the Sherman Pack was there at the approximate time of death. It is likely the first calf mortality may have involved the Sherman Pack, but due to scavenging little remained of the calf to make a definitive determination of wolf involvement. The second calf carcass discovered consisted of a mostly intact animal and was within a quarter mile of the first calf remains. After an investigation of the scene and a field necropsy it was determined that the calf was a confirmed wolf depredation. Lacerations, puncture wounds, and hemorrhaging were noted on areas of the calf consistent with a wolf depredation. Wolf tracks, scat, and GPS collar data placed a member of the Sherman Pack at the scene during the approximate time of the second calf depredation. Both calves were discovered on a U.S. Forest Service grazing allotment.