Boulder Drainage Wolf Pack To Be Removed After Additional Depredation

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BILLINGS — Two wolves involved in two incidents of depredation in the East Fork of the Boulder River drainage south of Big Timber were removed by USDA Wildlife Services officials Wednesday. The two remaining members of the Moccasin Lake pack also will be removed after USDA Wildlife Services confirmed earlier Wednesday that two sheep were killed by the same pack on a different ranch.

The wolves killed a calf on private property Saturday, March 15, and ran cattle through a fence the following day. Wildlife officials and the landowner were authorized to remove two wolves from the pack.

The owner of the sheep also was issued a permit Wednesday to remove the wolves if they return to his property.

“Evidence is clear that all four wolves have been involved in the incidents these last few days,” Carolyn Sime, the FWP’s statewide wolf coordinator, said Wednesday. “They spend a great deal of time on private land and have demonstrated an escalating pattern of keying into livestock as a food source since January.”

Wildlife officials decided to remove the two remaining members of the pack because the potential is high for more livestock losses.