Beerman
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Wolves kill six hunting dogs in attack near Kamiah, ID
Incident took place Sunday in Smith Ridge area as dogs were chasing bears in pursuit-only season
By Eric Barker
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Contributed photo
Steve and Mike Schilling of Kamiah pose with their Walker hound Dora, who was attacked by wolves Sunday. Dora died on the way to a veterinarian.
A family of hound hunters is mourning the deaths of six of their dogs that were killed by wolves on Sunday.
Jake, Steve and Mike Schilling of Kamiah were running several of their Walker hounds in the Smith Ridge area on Sunday during a summer pursuit season in which hunters can use dogs to tree bears but can't shoot them. Drex Schilling, the men's father, said three of the dogs treed a bear and were baying. At about the same time, more dogs went in another direction.
He said radio collars worn by the first group of three dogs indicated they had treed a bear. The collars send a signal when the dogs lift their heads to bark at a treed bear.
When the men walked to where the bear was treed, the other dogs started baying. But by the time they reached the second group, they could only hear one of the dogs, 7-year-old Mickey. Schilling said his sons thought that was odd. When they got about 200 yards away from the dog they heard a big ruckus followed by silence.
"Lady dog came out of the woods and Michael couldn't get her to go back down in there and be with Mickey after the big commotion and then silence."
He said his son soon found Mickey dead.
"Mickey dog is almost a legend in this area," Schilling said. "Just a heck of an animal."
They started looking for the other dogs. The tracking device they were using was receiving a weak signal. The men returned to Kooskia to get another tracking device, but when they got back, the signal was still weak.
They searched the area and soon found Whiskey and Vic, both dead. They walked another hundred yards and found two more dead dogs, 2-year-old Lochsa and a 6-month-old puppy. Then they found Dora.
"They didn't think she was alive," he said. "She started wiggling her tail a little bit and they packed her out of there."
But Dora died while they were on the way to a veterinarian.
"They made it clear to Ferdinand and she died," Schilling said.
Like many hunters, Schilling is dismayed over the recent ruling that returned wolves to federal protection. He thinks there are many more wolves in Idaho than the 700 to 800 wildlife biologists estimate.
"If you want to get a pretty correct count on what's in the woods you should contact the houndsmen of Idaho. They know," he said. "Every winter it gets worse and worse. There are days you see 20 wolf tracks and only one elk track."
He also doesn't understand people fighting to keep wolves protected under the Endangered Species Act and suspects they want to stop the sport of hunting.
"I love all animals and I think a wolf is gorgeous but how many people do you see in the woods enjoying wolves. Why would they want to see one animal instead of 10," he said. "They are trying to stop all hunting."
Fish and Game officials recommend hound hunters check the areas they are hunting for wolf tracks before they turn their dogs loose and to try to stay close to them to ward off wolf attacks Wolves are territorial and will kill other canines they encounter.
Schilling said that approach might work during winter mountain lion season when tracks in the snow show if wolves are in the area. But in the spring and summer when the snow is long gone, it's much more difficult to determine if wolves are nearby. Schilling also said a running bear can cover great distances before it is treed, making it difficult to stay close.
"If you get a running bear he might go 15 miles, you have no clue," he said. "Some bears tree in half an hour, some never tree, it's something you can't get a handle on."
Schilling said his son Steve has lost seven hounds to wolves now and all three of his boys are questioning how much longer they can participate in hound hunting. The dogs are pets and a good hound can be worth $10,000 or more.
"They are just like your family. People have pet dogs and hounds are the same way," he said. "You get a good smart hound and you have something pretty precious."
The men returned to the area Tuesday to document the attack with a trapper from the Federal Wildlife Services agency. George Fischer, a conservation officer for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, said the only tactic he has heard that helps prevent wolf attacks on hound dogs is to try to stay as close to them as possible. But he also said many hound hunters now believe luck plays a bigger role.
"You just don't know anymore," he said.
Fischer also worries if hunters are close when wolves and hounds interact they could become injured. He's seen plenty of domestic dogs get into fights and tried to break them up.
"They could care less that you are there," he said. "I fear it would be the same thing with a hound dog and a wolf."
Friday's ruling by Judge Donald Molloy in Missoula, Mont., nixes a wolf hunting season planned for this fall. But people are permitted to kill wolves to defend pets and livestock in the act of being attacked or pursued by wolves.
Incident took place Sunday in Smith Ridge area as dogs were chasing bears in pursuit-only season
By Eric Barker
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Contributed photo
Steve and Mike Schilling of Kamiah pose with their Walker hound Dora, who was attacked by wolves Sunday. Dora died on the way to a veterinarian.
A family of hound hunters is mourning the deaths of six of their dogs that were killed by wolves on Sunday.
Jake, Steve and Mike Schilling of Kamiah were running several of their Walker hounds in the Smith Ridge area on Sunday during a summer pursuit season in which hunters can use dogs to tree bears but can't shoot them. Drex Schilling, the men's father, said three of the dogs treed a bear and were baying. At about the same time, more dogs went in another direction.
He said radio collars worn by the first group of three dogs indicated they had treed a bear. The collars send a signal when the dogs lift their heads to bark at a treed bear.
When the men walked to where the bear was treed, the other dogs started baying. But by the time they reached the second group, they could only hear one of the dogs, 7-year-old Mickey. Schilling said his sons thought that was odd. When they got about 200 yards away from the dog they heard a big ruckus followed by silence.
"Lady dog came out of the woods and Michael couldn't get her to go back down in there and be with Mickey after the big commotion and then silence."
He said his son soon found Mickey dead.
"Mickey dog is almost a legend in this area," Schilling said. "Just a heck of an animal."
They started looking for the other dogs. The tracking device they were using was receiving a weak signal. The men returned to Kooskia to get another tracking device, but when they got back, the signal was still weak.
They searched the area and soon found Whiskey and Vic, both dead. They walked another hundred yards and found two more dead dogs, 2-year-old Lochsa and a 6-month-old puppy. Then they found Dora.
"They didn't think she was alive," he said. "She started wiggling her tail a little bit and they packed her out of there."
But Dora died while they were on the way to a veterinarian.
"They made it clear to Ferdinand and she died," Schilling said.
Like many hunters, Schilling is dismayed over the recent ruling that returned wolves to federal protection. He thinks there are many more wolves in Idaho than the 700 to 800 wildlife biologists estimate.
"If you want to get a pretty correct count on what's in the woods you should contact the houndsmen of Idaho. They know," he said. "Every winter it gets worse and worse. There are days you see 20 wolf tracks and only one elk track."
He also doesn't understand people fighting to keep wolves protected under the Endangered Species Act and suspects they want to stop the sport of hunting.
"I love all animals and I think a wolf is gorgeous but how many people do you see in the woods enjoying wolves. Why would they want to see one animal instead of 10," he said. "They are trying to stop all hunting."
Fish and Game officials recommend hound hunters check the areas they are hunting for wolf tracks before they turn their dogs loose and to try to stay close to them to ward off wolf attacks Wolves are territorial and will kill other canines they encounter.
Schilling said that approach might work during winter mountain lion season when tracks in the snow show if wolves are in the area. But in the spring and summer when the snow is long gone, it's much more difficult to determine if wolves are nearby. Schilling also said a running bear can cover great distances before it is treed, making it difficult to stay close.
"If you get a running bear he might go 15 miles, you have no clue," he said. "Some bears tree in half an hour, some never tree, it's something you can't get a handle on."
Schilling said his son Steve has lost seven hounds to wolves now and all three of his boys are questioning how much longer they can participate in hound hunting. The dogs are pets and a good hound can be worth $10,000 or more.
"They are just like your family. People have pet dogs and hounds are the same way," he said. "You get a good smart hound and you have something pretty precious."
The men returned to the area Tuesday to document the attack with a trapper from the Federal Wildlife Services agency. George Fischer, a conservation officer for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, said the only tactic he has heard that helps prevent wolf attacks on hound dogs is to try to stay as close to them as possible. But he also said many hound hunters now believe luck plays a bigger role.
"You just don't know anymore," he said.
Fischer also worries if hunters are close when wolves and hounds interact they could become injured. He's seen plenty of domestic dogs get into fights and tried to break them up.
"They could care less that you are there," he said. "I fear it would be the same thing with a hound dog and a wolf."
Friday's ruling by Judge Donald Molloy in Missoula, Mont., nixes a wolf hunting season planned for this fall. But people are permitted to kill wolves to defend pets and livestock in the act of being attacked or pursued by wolves.
