Second beef cow killed by new wolf pack

Sun., Sept. 12, 2004

Associated Press

LEWISTON – A new wolf pack has killed a second beef cow near Elk River, authorities said.

Officials from the Wildlife Services branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed that the animal was killed by the Chesimia Pack, which is existing on state and Potlatch Corp. land about 16 miles south of Elk River.

The cow is believed to have been killed Aug. 26, according to George Graves of Wildlife Services at Boise. Another cow was killed by wolves there in mid-August.

Suzanne Beale and her family run cattle on state and Potlatch Corp. grazing allotments south of Elk River. She continues to hear and see wolves as she rides the range there and said more cattle in the area have probably been killed by the pack.

“I know there is – I just haven’t been able to find them,” she said.

The family will have a better idea if any other cows have been killed when they round up their herd for the winter, sometime in early October, Beale said.

An agent from wildlife services was able to capture and collar a male wolf pup in the area and a biologist from the Nez Perce Tribe captured and collared a second wolf pup there.

According to a wolf report circulated by the tribe, biologists believe the pack consists of two adult parents and three to four pups.

Wolf biologists plan to monitor the pack’s movements, but have not authorized any of the wolves to be killed in response to the cow deaths. However, that could happen in the pack continues to kill livestock.

So far this year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has authorized the killing of 18 gray wolves in Idaho for preying on livestock, Graves said. Last year the government authorized the killing of seven wolves.

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