Cougars, wolves cause stir with local ranchers
Rachel Cavenaugh
News Editor
When High Prairie resident Doug Taylor entered his barn a couple months ago, he was surprised by the sight of three bloody hens.
More shocking, however, was a moment later when he looked up to be greeted by a large cougar, pacing back and forth near the rear.
“I was kind of dumbfounded, to be honest about it,” said Taylor. “There were feathers all over the barn.”
The cat escaped over the fence and Taylor, with the help of dogs and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), later cornered and removed the animal about 300 yards away. However, the rancher said the incident is part of a bigger problem.
Taylor is one of a handful of local residents to report livestock depredation in recent months. Throughout the county, missing, slain and injured animals including sheep, calves, deer, llama, dogs, house cats, and horses have been attributed to cougars.
In White Salmon, there have been reports of cougars within the city limits.
Jim Sizemore, who serves with the Washington Cattlemen’s Association, said he is not only worried about livestock.
“The fear is that we’re going to have a very bad human-cougar incident,” said Sizemore.
The cattleman said he supports a proposal that local commissioners put forward in March to WDFW to include Klickitat County in the state’s Cougar Control Pilot Project.
The project would allow hound dogs to be used in seasonal cougar hunts.
Last year, there were 33 cougar incidents reported to WDFW, which include cases where tracks or other evidence was cited, but not an actual cougar.
This year there have been seven incidents reported so far – three in Lyle, two in Goldendale, and one each in Trout Lake and White Salmon. It is likely there are more that go unreported.
At a time when the economy is down, ranchers say they cannot afford the losses.
Beyond cougars, Sizemore said there is an accelerating concern about wolf populations migrating southward, which could cause similar damages.
A concerted effort in the 1930s succeeded in eradicating the animals, but they were reintroduced in Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana in recent years.
In the last two weeks, reports of wolf sightings in the Methow Valley near the Canadian Border have surfaced. On June 25, the Associated Press ran a story about a gray wolf sighting near Twisp and last Thursday, the Tri-City Herald picked up a similar report.
Taylor said he wouldn’t be surprised if singles had already roamed as far as Klickitat County.
Authorities say it is likely single wolves, which can roam up to 500 square miles, have long been entering this region without notice and have never caused a problem. However, locals in Klickitat County are worried packs may develop.
“As the wolf population increases…they will migrate down that mountain chain and we very easily could have a wolf population here in the Simcoes,” said Sizemore. “And they’ll be protected.”
He encouraged cattlemen to report all incidents, write letters to WDFW, and join the Cattlemen’s Association.
“We just need to be vigilant with our cattle,” he said. “If we do suspect cougar predation or even wolf predation we need to report it so we can go through the channels.”
Madonna Luers, WDFW public information officer, said her department has been working on a wolf management plan for two years that will address the issue if and when it arises.
A 17-member panel has been set up to help with the plan, which includes a sector of ranchers and cattlemen. Sizemore’s association has a seat on the board.
Luers said a draft will be put to peer review this summer and is scheduled for public commentary early next year.
However, the spokeswoman stressed the plan is not a precursor to wolf introduction in the area.
“The state of Washington has absolutely no plans to bring wolves in,” said Luers. “This management plan is only for when they come in naturally.”
Furthermore, she said it is “pretty remote,” even when they begin entering other parts of the state, that packs will establish in Klickitat County.
She did note, however, a contingency plan has been suggested for if and when they do begin setting up dens in Washington. One idea is to speed up the recovery process at that point to get bigger populations, delist them as endangered species, and reclassify the animals to allow game hunting.
If that were to occur, they would be translocated and one of the suggested sites is the Mt. St. Helens area. However, she emphasized that idea has a lot of what-ifs and is more than likely many years down the road.
One of the concerns many cattlemen and landowners have is when protected species enter an area, land regulations often follow. In the past, this has meant injuries to timber and other industries.
Luers said, however, the gray wolf is different.
“The idea that there would be regulations is a mistaken impression,” said Luers. “A lot of people are comparing the wolf, which is a federal endangered species, to something like the spotted owl and that is not a good comparison. Spotted owls are very habitat specific…wolves are what we call habitat generalists.
“As long as wolves are not the target of an eradication effort and as long as there is a prey base for them, they’ll thrive.
“There is no reason to set aside habitat or property to regulate or govern that.”
She said the only reason they disappeared from the United States in the first place was because of a targeted effort to kill them off.
Sizemore said it is nevertheless critical to have a strong management plan in place. In a letter the Cattlemen’s Association sent to WDFW, he and others outlined concerns with the current proposal.
Among them were that the minimum breeding pairs needed to allow hunting was too high and the compensation for livestock losses was too low.
Tom Buckley, wildlife biologist with the Department of Fish and Wildlife, said it is important to acknowledge the difference between single wolves that occasionally wander away from the pack and an established den of wolves. He said lone wolves have been wandering down from Canada for decades and there have been very few cases of established dens.
He also pointed out there are a number of dog-wolf hybrids that are often mistaken for wolves in reports.
Still, Taylor said the threat to cattle and livestock is a big issue.
“I think they should have left them in Alaska where they belong,” said Taylor.
He said he thinks there is a place to meet in the middle between protection and rancher sustenance.
“I’m not a person that’s going to say you need to eliminate anything, but you need to keep them in balance,” said Taylor.
Dan Trochta, WDFW wildlife management coordinator, agreed.
“We think there’s a middle ground here,” he said. “Wolves have a right to be here…but on the other hand, do they have the right to mess with someone’s livelihood?”
Information about the proposed wolf management plan can be found at www.adfw.wa.gov. To report wolf sightings, call (888) 584-9038 or for cougars, call (800) 477-6224.
KVH gives Brim the boot
The Klickitat Valley Hospital’s board of commissioners voted in a 3-2 split Monday night against renewing their contract with Brim Healthcare management company.
The hospital will instead continue on their own, directly employing a CEO that reports solely to the board. Additional specialty consultation will be arranged as needed.
Under the terms of the current contract between KVH and Brim there will be an orderly transition including a Brim interim CEO and continued consultation with fiscal and clinical resources.
About 35 people watched as the board heard additional information from Brim and KVH staff and then discussed the advantages and disadvantages of a continued management contract with Brim.
“This is not about whether Brim did a good job for KVH,” said President Ron Ihrig. “They did what they said they would do. This is about whether we are ready to be on our own to keep moving ahead.”
“Healthcare is a complicated business in an increasingly complicated business world,” said Commissioner Bill Martin. “A professional management team like Brim is important for continued success.”
The transition and CEO recruitment process has been put on the agenda for the July 16 regular Board meeting.
City conducts telephone survey
Volunteers and staff at Goldendale’s city office are conducting a telephone survey this week. Goldendale City manager, Larry Bellamy announced the survey is intended to collect information the will assist in the update of the comprehensive plan. The survey seeks to have a broad cross-section of the public by selecting names from the Goldendale telephone directory, using a predetermined pattern. The survey will be considered complete once 400 people are surveyed. Results of the survey will be shared at the comprehensive plan task force meeting, scheduled for July 24.
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