Wolves kill hunting dogs near Dent Bridge
CLEARWATER TRIBUNE | January 13, 2005 | Vicki McLeod
Posted on 01/13/2005 2:48:45 PM PST by Delphinium
Wolves kill hunting dogs near Dent Bridge
Mike Stockton, guide for Reggear Outfitters, was conducting a hunt Tuesday morning, Jan. 11, around 8:30-9:30 a.m. in the Cranberry Creek/Elk Creek area northeast of Dent Bridge when he says three of his hunting dogs were killed by wolves. A fourth is being treated at the vet for bite wounds to his hind quarters. According to Stockton, the vet documented the dog’s wounds as inflicted by an animal of at least one hundred pounds.
Stockton and Travis Reggear (Outfitter owner) were on Baldy Road, on the other side of Dent Bridge, running bobcat. Stockton says there are two packs of four wolves each (one in Elk Creek, one in Swamp Creek) that they’ve been watching for six weeks now. Because of this, prior to beginning the hunt, Stockton and Reggear (who hunt together in an effort to protect the dogs), circled the road by pickup to make sure no wolves were nearby.
The dogs’ treeing switches were activated showing that a bobcat was treed. Soon after, the treeing switches quit signaling “treed” but since he and Reggear had already circled the area, Stockton didn’t suspect that wolves were around.
At that point, a single dog was showing movement throughout the canyon area. Stockton called to the dog and heard a wolf howl. He saw a second wolf. As Stockton reached the scene, one of his dogs was dead near the tree with the full kill site one hundred yards wide. The fourth dog was still running around the hillside.
Stockton believes the wolves came from Swamp Creek, down Baldy Road two to two-and-a-half miles. It had only been a little over an hour from the time the dogs were originally let out until the attack.
Stockton, a 24-year outfitter, believes the wolves were only doing what wolves do. He blames the people in society for causing the wolves to be there to begin with.