Ravalli sheep attack blamed on coyotes
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RAVALLI — Seven sheep killed in Ravalli Sept. 13 are likely dead due to a coyote attack, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes wildlife biologist Stacy Courville said.
Windmill Village owners David and Nancy Martin awoke Sept. 14 to find seven of their 17 sheep injured or dead. Some of the animals were full-grown, and some were lambs from this spring, Nancy said.
“They were my babies,” she said.
The culprits attacked in the night without awakening the Martins or their dogs, so the couple decided to move their remaining sheep to a friend’s farm in case the killer returned.
“I got rid of them because whatever it was, was going to come back,” Nancy said.
After examining the bodies, Courville said marks on the sheep pointed to coyotes, or possibly small dogs, as the attackers.
“It looked like coyotes … because they killed pretty cleanly,” he said.
Courville said the tribes won’t take action against the predators, but the Martins could request that a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service trapper investigate the situation.
