Share this! 176 sheep killed in Pole Canyon August 19, 2013 By Jeannette Boner and Sarah Schneider Pine Creek wolf pack to blame Idaho Fish and Game and the US Wildlife Services have confirmed 176 lambs from the Siddoway Ranch Company were killed this weekend by the Pine Creek wolf pack. The Siddoway Sheep Company said in a news release Monday morning that a pack of wolves attacked a herd of sheep around 1 a.m. on Saturday killing 119 lambs and 57 ewes. This was not the first attack for the Siddoway Ranch this year and Regional Wildlife Supervisor for the Idaho Fish and Game, Daryl Meints said this pack has been active for several years. In the news release, the sheep were grazing between Pole Canyon and the central Palisades Mountain Range approximately six miles south of Victor. In the dark, the herders watching the sheep could not count the number of wolves mounting the attack. Some sheep were bitten, while others suffocated, as the wolves forced them into a pile. This scenario was confirmed by Idaho Wildlife Services State Director Todd Grimes who added that the sheep were running down hill at the time of the attack. As the sun rose, the herders were able to inspect the kill. The wolves ate the hindquarters of just one lamb. A phone call to JC Siddoway who manages the ranch was not immediately returned Monday morning. Please look to valley citizen for updates this week. The news release further read that the Siddoway Sheep Company has lost about 250 head of livestock to wolf, bear and coyote depredation since June. The losses are not limited to sheep. Just last week, wolves killed a pair of Great Pyrenees guard dogs. A horse fell victim in July when a pair of wolves met a pack string on a trail near Indian Creek and spooked the young horse, which ran down the steep grade and fell from a cliff. Meints identified and named the Pine Creek pack four years ago. It is unknown how large a wolf pack this is as none of the animals are collared. Siddoway Sheep Company is a fifth generation family owned ranch that has been operating in the Teton, Palisades and Big Hole mountain ranges since 1886. The business infuses over 1.6 million dollars into the local economy each year. Siddoway Sheep Company’s president is Jeff Siddoway, an Idaho state senator from Terreton. The ranch is managed by his son, J.C. Siddoway of Newdale.
Posted on: Tue, 20 Aug 2013 05:01:32 +0000
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