Rancher cited for killing two wolves

BOZEMAN – A man who spent hundreds of thousands of dollars as he tried to find ways for cattle and wolves to coexist on his Madison Valley ranch has been cited for violating the federal Endangered Species Act, because two wolves were killed on his property.

Cattle grazing on Roger Lang’s ranch south of Ennis have been killed in recent years by wolves in the Wedge Pack, which had established a home territory there.

Lang experimented with fencing, herders and other nonlethal measures to reduce deaths.

This year, he said, he took a more aggressive stance toward the pack of 13 wolves, including seven pups.

“That’s a lot of mouths to feed,” he said of the large pack.

After five yearling heifers were killed this summer, officials issued kill permits for two adult wolves. However, Lang’s employees killed a pup and wounded the pack’s alpha female.

Killing the pup “was an honest mistake,” he said.

The wounded female couldn’t run with the pack and had lingered around cattle for two weeks when an employee on an all-terrain vehicle spotted the wolf, Lang said. The employee gave chase and after hitting the wolf repeatedly, pinned it under the vehicle.

“Once it was pinned down, it was trying to take (the employee’s) leg off,” Lang said. “He couldn’t jump off the ATV. What would happen if the wolf escaped? He did the best he could with an awkward situation.”

A colleague eventually showed up and shot the animal, Lang said.

“I accept ultimate responsibility for this event because I set a tone that proved to be too aggressive,” he said in a written statement. “I also accept responsibility for any lapses in the training of my ranch team.”

Lang said he won’t fight the citations.

“I’ll accept whatever the feds determine,” he said. “I’m not going to fight anything.”

He expects to leave any further wolf killing to federal trappers, who have since killed the remaining members of the Wedge Pack.

Federal officials won’t comment on the citations against Lang. They have a policy of not commenting on criminal cases before they are resolved.