Mont. wolf attacks spike in '09, sparking backlash

Gray wolves killed livestock in Montana at the rate of an animal per day in 2009, stirring a backlash against the predators in rural areas and depleting a program that compensates ranchers for their losses. The sharp increase over 2008 livestock losses, reported Thursday by state officials, was fueled largely by a wolf pack ravaging 148 sheep in southwestern Montana near Dillon in August. Such attacks _ plus elk herd declines blamed on wolves in parts of Montana and neighboring Idaho _ have renewed calls by many ranchers and hunters to reduce the predator's population. "They are beautiful creatures, but they're also very deadly. They'll go out and hamstring a bunch of animals just for fun," said Barb Svenson of Reed Point, whose family ranch lost more than 30 sheep in attacks over the last two years. "They're killing our income," she added. Wolf attacks account for only a small fraction of sheep and cattle losses in the Northern Rockies. Disease, weather and coyotes each take more. But wolves attract particular disdain because of their viciousness _ many killed animals are left uneaten _ and because of historic prohibitions against hunting the predators...read more