Wolf-wary ranch family fences in cattle

Originally published April 9, 2013 at 8:34 a.m., updated April 9, 2013 at 9:15 a.m.

4/03/2013 World photo/Don Seabrook

Rancher Ross Hurd strings a line of barbed wire to form a pasture for his family's cattle south of Wenatchee Wednesday. Because of the Wenatchee Pack of wolves he has seen at his farm and the recent death of a cow and elk there too, he is moving his herd closer to the family's houses. He says the Washington Fish and Wildlife Department will attach a barrier to the fence to keep the wolves outside the pasture.

WENATCHEE Ross Hurd spent last week building fences on his family's cattle ranch and then brought their cows home from the open range over the weekend.

Normally the roughly 60 head of cattle and crop of spring calves would be roaming the 5,000-acre Hurd ranch south of Wenatchee until early May, when they are rounded up for branding.

Hurd and his brothers are being forced to make some changes after two wolves showed up last month.

The state wants us to put fences around them and keep them there for awhile, so were doing it, Hurd said Friday.

The Hurds have not seen any evidence of the wolves in nearly two weeks. But Ross Hurd said he and wildlife officials expect that they will be back.

The biologist said that once they set their territory they will come back, he said. So were going to be prepared for them. Hopefully well have the cows out of their range in a protected area.

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Wolf-wary ranch family fences in cattle