Tuma Ranch

Cut Bank , Montana

1990 - current

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Written by Val Tuma

Our story goes back to the spring of 1990 when a wolf attacked and partially ate a calf that was alive when we found it. The cow had been able to fight it (wolf) off (she had fang marks on her nose) the calf had most of the muscle eaten off his hind leg and latter died. We had the authorities from the Fish and Wildlife out but since there was no snow they couldn't confirm a wolf attack. Anyone who knows coyotes knows they don't eat a live calf and fight a cow at the same time. Nothing more was done.

Calf with hind quarter partually eaten

Around the end of April we had a heavy wet snow and strong north wind so we moved the pregnant cows down to the feed lot and shed. We left several pairs of day and two day old calves in straw bale windbreaks about half mile from the calf camp. We fed them and left them for the night. On the morning of the 30th there was so much snow Tom and I had to drive over the hills to get to calf camp. We met the man who works for us who told us that there had been a calf killed by something with very big tracks. The evidence was very clear that it was a wolf and it had killed the calf, much blood and tracks. There was a calf that had died earlier that was not touched.

Human man (over 6 foot tall) hand print and wolf paw print

Site of one attack. Notice all the blood

Tom Immediately started trying to get someone out to document everything before the snow melted and we started our own investigation taking pictures and backtracking. We found where it (wolf) had harassed a bigger bunch of cows at another windbreak. Evidently they were able to drive it off. The bunch where the calf was killed were mostly two year olds and not as good at fighting off killers.

We found wolf crap full of read hair and rib bones (the calf it killed was tan). We finally got tow wildlife technicians Gayle Skunkcapp, and Wilbur Calfrobe out about 1:00 PM. They are from blackfeet threatened and Endangered Species Program and Fish and Wildlife Department. They toke pictures and verified that it was a wolf. They weren't real interested in seeing how the wolf had harassed the other bunch of cows, or the crap with the hair and bones in it so they didn't bother to take samples or look at the tracks. A couple of hours later the state trapper Mike Hoggen showed up. He skinned the calf to show hemorrhage (the whole neck was a mass hemorrhage) which proved the calf was alive when attacked. Mr. Hogan set traps around the kill the first night, but as it was a field we had to use for cattle he pulled them the next day.

Our case was given to the DEFENDERS OF WILDLIFE for possible payment for the calf. I say possible because they HINTED THAT WE MIGHT NOT GET PAID IF THE STORY GOT INTO THE NEWSPAPERS. That is so wrong to me that the Defenders will only pay of we keep our mouths shut. It offends me that we must deal with defenders anyway. To my mind if the government os going to protect a killer in our midst there should be some provisions to cover our losses.

As far as Fish and Wildlife are concerned they are not interested in convicting any wolf and burden of proof is on us. We have had much advise that we should have went with the three S's (shoot, shovel and shut up), but don't believe that honest people should be driven to break the law. If a human came out here and started shooting our callte, we would be within our rights to stop him and I see no reason on earth why a wolf is worth more then a human. Some people have suggested that it was only one calf, you can afford that can't you? I ask them how would they like it if they were mugged once? And should the mugger be left out there to rob someone else? After all we have always had muggers, they are natural. As for me if I want to give away $500 I want to choose who I give it to.

And the cost of the claf is not the end of the story. We have a choice of letting the heifer go dry and selling her for .50 cents a pound and losing her life time contribution to the herd or we can buy a baby calf for $250 ot put on her. By the time you find a newborn farm calfand go 150 miles to get him you've put a big dent into $500 and you still have to get her to accept it.

I am from Canada where there are thousands of wolves and where they still may be shot. I have spent time in the Yukon and seen First hand what kind of killer we are dealing with. Anyone who thinks this is just a problem for ranchers is very mistaken. If you have pets or small children and live in a rural area they are in danger. I have seen in Ross River, Yukon where wolves leave horses out on the hillsides and come into town at night and eat Huskies off their chains, Huskies are no little lap dog either. Wolves are professional and vicious killers and anyone who knows them and says they are not is lying.

There have been many sightings around here and only God knows how many cattle and sheep have been pulled down. Bill R. to the west of us had two 500 pound yearlings attacked and later died, because of having their hind ends eaten off. We hadn't heard of this until Mike Hoggen the state trapper told us. If you go farther west the stories are endless with an average of 3 wolf killing reports a day, some which prove to be from other things. But if half are wolf kills thats is an enormous loss for the area cattlemen.

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Pictures and Article are sole property of Val and Tom Tuma. Use of pictures by permission only from owner.