Wolves.

So last fall there was supposed to be the first ever hunting season on wolves. But after much debate they placed the wolves BACK on the endangered species list; therefore putting a halt on any type of management efforts. This year game harvests in the area are down. There are far fewer elk, moose and deer populations and a growing wolf population.

There are know packs that roam throughout the Valley....upwards of at least 8-10 different packs. There has been problems with the wolf pack last year in Florence (the town JUST North of Stevi)....they killed two or three alpaca. But the most aggressive pack is near Darby ( 50 miles South of Stevi). Last year they had one or two dogs killed by the wolves....livestock attacked and just recently, another dog was killed. Here is that story. So recently the US Fish and Game has once again removed the wolves from the endangered species list in Idaho and Montana due mainly to the fact that they have approved management plans in place.

Now, me being an animal lover, when I orginially moved into the valley thought it was pretty cool that there were wolves here.....but not so much anymore. When I think back to when we originally walked the property with our landlord last march....where was elk carcass we stumbled upon...I now wonder if any wolves are roaming about on our property? Probably. Our next door neighbor saw one walking down his driveway....NEXT DOOR!!! When the elk were in the field across the road from us our landlord's friend saw 2-3 wolves circling the herd. They go where their food source is.....elk.....livestock? The attack on the dogs from Darby was just instinct....they were protecting their territory. But still scary nonetheless.

Ok so on a happier note...I thought I would share the story of Duke, from Billings. Click HERE for his story.