Sheep losses to wolves increased 76 percent in 2009

By CAROL RYAN DUMAS

Capital Press

Idaho's increasing wolf population means more livestock are being lost on their summer ranges.

"As the wolf population increases, wolf depredation to sheep has increased," said Mark Collinge, state director of APHIS Wildlife Services. Collinge presented a wolf and livestock depredation update at the Idaho Wool Growers Association's annual convention in Sun Valley on Nov. 6.

While cattle losses were only up 3 percent this year from the 2008 fiscal year, sheep losses increased 76 percent, he said. The fiscal year runs Oct.1 through Sept. 30, and most kills take place from July to September, when livestock are on summer range.

The agency determined 498 sheep deaths and 112 cattle deaths in fiscal 2009 were confirmed or probable wolf kills.

The changing atmosphere and growing number of livestock depredations is causing a real shift in the agency's duties and is pinching its budget, Collinge said.

"As the number of wolf packs in Idaho increase, investigations increase," he said.

The money spent on investigations in 2009 was about double what it was in 2005, he said.

Wildlife Services conducted 220 depredation investigations related to wolf complaints in 2009. Of those, 157 were confirmed depredations, 41 were probable depredations, 15 were possible depredations, and seven were deemed other causes.

In fiscal year 2008 Wildlife Services spent more that $500,000 investigating depredation. Collinge expects this year's costs to exceed that amount.

All told, there were more wolf complaints, confirmed losses and more control actions in fiscal 2009 than in any previous year. Custer County led in confirmed or probable livestock kills, followed by Boise, Lemhi, Valley, Adams and Elmore counties.

Before licensed wolf hunts began in September, Idaho Fish and Game pegged Idaho's wolf population at 1,020. Wildlife Services puts the count now at 800 to 850.

That's a thorn in the side of Jeff Siddoway, a Terreton sheep producer and state senator. He lost nearly $40,000 when wolves took out more than 100 of his stock this summer and another 15 to 20 were lost to other predators after wolves killed some of his guard dogs.

"I'm thinking we've got twice as many wolves as what we're allowed to count," he said in an earlier interview. "It grows by about 20 percent a year."

There is some good news on the horizon.

Earlier this year, Congress passed legislation to compensate producers for livestock losses due to wolves and provide federal funding for non-lethal actions to prevent depredation, Collinge said.

The $5 million appropriated to the Department of Interior would provide $1 million a year for five years to Indian tribes and states, half for compensation and half for non-lethal control. The money funding the Wolf Livestock Loss Demonstration Project would be divided equally and must be matched by the state.

Details are being worked out, but it's possible compensation disbursement could be handled through the Idaho Governor's Office of Species Conservation, Collinge said. One possible non-lethal action would be to surgically sterilize wolves, but Fish and Game would have to approve the measure, and it would likely be challenged by wolf advocates.

FY2009 livestock depredations due to wolves

Confirmed

76 calves (killed) 8 calves (injured

12 cows (killed) 1 bull (injured)

342 sheep (killed) 20 sheep (injured)

17 dogs (killed) 6 dogs (injured)

Probable

23 calves (killed) 3 calves (injured)

1 cow (killed)

156 sheep (killed)

4dogs (killed) 2 dogs (injured)

SOURCE: Idaho Wildlife Services