Wolf Predation

Wolves killed two heifers and seriously injured a third last Friday morning on a small ranch south of Roscoe and near Absarokee.
Ron Ferster said he saw trouble while looking out toward his pasture last Friday morning.
One of his yearling replacement heifers was standing by a fence area not moving. When the cow remained in that position for an hour, Ferster knew something was wrong. He found out what before he reached her. Laying dead in a creek and partially eaten was another yearling replacement heifer. He reached the cow he spotted from his window and found her injured from an attack.
A further inspection found another badly injured approximately 700-pound heifer who he had to put down. And many traumatized cattle that had been run into fences by what has been confirmed as a wolf attack.
“That’s only a mile from my home,” said Ferster Monday afternoon, adding that he now has concerns for smaller animals and children in the area.
Ferster said the USDA Wildlife Services (WS) agency is assisting him in trying to catch and kill the responsible wolves, with traps set and plans for aerial surveillance. WS investigates suspected wolf depredations and contributes its expertise to resolve wolf-livestock conflicts. Ferster has been told he will be compensated for his lost cattle. But he says it’s about more than that.
“It’s a bigger issue than a cattle issue,” said Ferster.
Specifically, a safety issue involving a predator that is attacking near homes. Ferster also noted the wolves had to pass through a herd of elk that roam the Beartooth face in order to get to his cattle and noted that the wolves didn’t even really eat the cattle - rather just attacked. And although he has been given permission by a Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks game warden to shoot any wolf near his cattle, he doesn’t have the time to go search for it.