IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — A southeastern Idaho ranch lost 176 sheep as the animals ran in fear from two wolves that chased through a herd of about 2,400 animals south of Victor.
Sheepherders for the Siddoway Sheep Co. heard the wolves at about 1 a.m. Saturday, but didn’t know the extent of the damage until they saw the sheep piled up on each other at daybreak.
J.C. Siddoway of Terreton says almost all of the sheep died from asphyxiation. About 10 died of bite wounds and one was partially consumed.
Idaho Wildlife Services State Director Todd Grimm says it’s the greatest loss by wolves ever recorded in one instance in the state. About nine years ago, wolves killed 105 sheep on one night.
Grimm says a dozen wolves have been removed from the Pine Creek area this year.
SIDDOWAY SHEEP COMPANY, INC. PRESS RELEASE: Wolves Massacre 176 Sheep in One Night
How big are these Idaho wolves?
Below is a first-hand account from Debbie B. who hiked to the site:
Dear all –
Yesterday I hiked into the wolf kill in Victor, Idaho. I couldn’t believe the size of the wolf tracks on the dusty and rugged trail as I got closer. One can only reach this area via foot or horse. Roundtrip it was a 10+ mile hike in beautiful but steep and rough country. Upon finally finding the massacre, it was a terrible sight, smell, and experience. I cried as I imagined what terror, exhaustion, and pain these poor animals and guard dogs went through. Bear scat was also amongst the sheep. Millions of maggots oozed out of the decomposing animals as flies and yellow jackets swarmed and buzzed with a constant reminder that death is here. It was awful. Today, I was privileged to meet and hear the wolf stories from Cindy … the herd owner.
This year alone, they lost a horse (due to a wolf scaring it off a cliff (luckily the sheep herder jumped off in time)), several guard dogs, and hundreds of sheep. This heritage, ranching family are salt of the earth people…you’d relate to them.
Both Cindy and her husband (a state Senator from Idaho) said the killings are getting worse. They have sheep herders, guard dogs, and herding dogs with the sheep 24/7…but that isn’t enough to protect them from the vicious kill and pack game that make wolves killing machines. There are thousands of wolves we are not being told about.
By the way, Cindy also had other sheep killed this weekend…wolves attacked other herds in various camps. This family has 30,000 acres about Idaho but also use BLM land for summer grazing for 1000s of sheep. They are 5th generation ranchers (their grandchildren will be the 6th) … this year, they will be lucky to profit at all. The emotional cost is priceless. Cindy said more and more ranchers are getting out of the business. As you can imagine, the loss is to the local community as well. Furthermore, what hikers and mountain bikers are going to feel safe using public land they pay for when they hear a pack of wolves is running around within miles? Supposedly, the local fish and game euthanized 13 wolves (mostly pups) as a result of this attack. The sheep herds have several more weeks to go before they are brought in for the winter. The Siddoway family is expecting more devastation.
We must STOP the agenda to INTRODUCE and reintroduce WOLVES!!
The concept of Cores, Corridors, and Carnivores is NO JOKE!!!
God help us!
Debbie
———
Opportunity to watch “Crying Wolf” for free! Filmmaker J.D. King is offering, for an unspecified window of time, his documentary “Crying Wolf” for free online. Go to cryingwolfmovie.com to view.
