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TuesdayDecember220147ENVIRONMENTWILDLIFEThenewPULSEWOODBUFFALOCALLLINE780-743-7000isaninormationlinenowavailabletoallRegionalMunicipalityoWoodBualocitizens24-hoursadaysevendaysaweek365daysayear.CallthisnumberandamemberothemunicipalRESDispatchwillanswereverycall.Itheycantansweryourquestionimmediatelyyouwillgetapersonalresponsewithin48hours.Thisisasimplewaytokeepyourfngersonthepulseothecommunity.Foremergenciesalwayscall911.ForaccuratecurrentinormationroundtheclockaboutanythingconcerningtheMunicipalitycall780-743-7000.FROMBUSPASSESTOBUSSHELTERSLOSTSWEATERSKEYSTOWINTERROADSSNOWREMOVALANDSTRAYDOGSWITHFLEASFROMPOTHOLESTOFLOODINGTREEBRANCHESBRICKSTOPARKINGANDTRAFFICLIGHTSCALLUSFORTHEFIXAREALPERSON.WITHREALANSWERS.EVERYTIME.ALLTHETIME.HAVEAQUESTIONCALL780-743-7000HAVEANEMERGENCYCALL911WWW.WOODBUFFALO.AB.CAWolvesspottedprowlingaroundFortSmithlimitsByDALICARMICHAELWolvesarenormallyshycreaturesbutlatelytheelusiveNorthernpredatorshavebeencuttingitclosemeanderingthroughthetownofFortSmithandleavinglargesnowypaw-printsdustedintheirwake.Wevebeenhavingwolfproblemsitsanor-malthingthistimeofyearsaidTonyVermillionmanagerofwildlifewithEnvironmentandNaturalResourcesENR.Wolvestendtocometotownandtheyrejustlookingforfoodaswolvesdo.Therehavebeenmorereportsofwolfsight-ingsinFortSmiththisyearthananywhereelseintheSouthSlaveaccordingtoVer-million.Hesaidthenumberofcoyotesandfoxesintownhavealsobeenhighthisyear.Sofartherehasbeenonefatalitylinkedtothepredatorscomingintotown.AbouttwoweeksagoIwenttothepentofeedthemandInoticedadogwasgonesaidtrapperLouieBeaulieu.Theypulleditoutofthepen.Iknewitwasawolfbecausethereweretracksaroundthereandyoucouldseewherehekilleditandchewedoffthecollaranddraggeditintothebush.SincethenBeaulieuhastakenextrapre-cautionstokeephisotherninedogssafe.Weputsomesnaresaroundthekennelthereandwevebeencheckingthemoutoftenhesaid.Wevehadnoissuessince.Butthathasntputtorestthewolfprob-lemforotherresidents.OnNov.27ENRofcerswerecalledtotheeastendoftownwheretheyshotonewolf.Asofpublicationdatetheyhavealsocaughtfourwolveswithsnareslaidateitherendoftown.AnotherdogteamownerSholtoDouglassaidthewolveshavemanagedtogetaholdoffoodpansintendedforhispoocheswhicharekeptinkennels.Ihaventlostanydogsbuttheyvebeenverybravehesaid.Douglassuspectstherampantwildresoverthesummereliminatedthehabitatusedbythewolvespreyforcingthehungryanimalstofollowfoodwhereveritgoesin-cludingwithintownlimits.WhilepossibleVermillionsuspectsthatisnttheonlyreasonthewolveshavemovedin.Wolvesarearoundprettymuchallyearhesaid.Forsomereasonthistimeofyeartheytendtohangaroundtownabitmorejustbecauseitsthattransitionperiodfromfalltowinterandtheyrelookingforfood.IfyouseeawolfShouldyouhappenuponawolfVermillionsaiditisimportanttoslowdownandactbig.Ifyoudohappentorunintoawolfwhileyourewalkingdontrun-thatwouldsetoffaninstinctforthemtochaseyouhesaid.Keepyourdogonaleashbecauseifyourdogisrun-ningthenthewolfmightchasethedogbacktowardsyou.Basicallyjustraiseyourarmsandthentellhimtogetoutofhereyellandscreamandwaveyourarmsandmakeyourselflookbig-gerthanyouare-thatsalwaysthebestthingtodomuchthesameasabearencounter.Healsoaskedthatresidentsnotfeedwildani-malsasitcanencouragethemtostickaround.CulledwolvesusedforlearningWhenENRcapturesanimalswiththeirsnaresthebodiesarekeptandrepurposed.Onceinawhiletheofcerswillrecruitalocaltrappertohostapublicworkshopandteachthosewhoareinterestedhowtoskinandpre-pareapelttosellorfortheirownuses.VermillionemphasizedthathuntersshouldnotbegoingafterwolveswhichcountasbiggameunlesstheyrstbuyatagfromENR.AsofNov.28changestotheWildlifeActrequirethosewhopurchasewolftagstore-sideintheterritoryforatleastonefullyeardownfromtwoyears.WedontwanttoencouragepeopletotraporsnarewolvesespeciallyaroundtownVer-millionsaid.Ifyoudoseeonegiveusacallandwelltrytohandleitthebestwecan.Toreportawolf-spottingoranyotherwildlifeintowncallENRat867-872-0400.FilephotoFortSmithENRofcershaveculledvewolvesinandaroundtownsincemid-November.