At rancher's request, Phantom Hill wolves get a reprieve

After consulting with the rancher whose sheep were killed by wolves in the lower end of Baker Creek last Sunday, officials with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game have elected to "postpone" any retaliatory action against the valley's Phantom Hill wolf pack. According to Jerome Hansen, Fish and Game's Magic Valley regional manager, the decision was reached after Gooding rancher John Faulkner requested that the wolves be given a reprieve. Fish and Game was prepared to kill members of the pack linked to the deaths of 12 sheep, but have decided to hold off for now. The incident occurred near the Newman Creek corrals in the lower end of Baker Creek. The deaths touched off intense behind-the-scenes talks between wolf advocates, Fish and Game, federal Wildlife Services and Faulkner, which reportedly resulted in today's decision. Hansen said Fish and Game will continue to monitor the situation in the upper Big Wood River drainage northwest of Ketchum. He said additional sheep deaths could cause Fish and Game to take action and kill members of the valley's well-known pack. Faulkner's band is still on Sawtooth National Forest land, but will begin trailing south out of the area in the coming two to three days, officials say. The longtime rancher has agreed to allow participants in the Wood River Wolf Project—which seeks to keep wolves and sheep separate in the upper valley—to take additional measures, including setting up night pens, to keep his sheep safe as they trail out of the area, the officials added. IdahoMtnExpress