She was unaware she was being watched as she was watching over her romping playful pups. Food was getting scarce and she needed to make a kill today for her hungry family.
The ranchers were outraged that wolves had been re-introduced into the Mancos Valley. They were a threat to their calves and were not willing to share.
Miska kept the calf in her site as she crouched down in preparation for the kill. As she began slinking toward the calf, she was careful not to be heard. Mangral, the oldest male, came bouncing toward her playfully. The calf heard him and ran to the safety of it’s mother.
The rancher dropped his gun.
Wolves are not the only predators in the valley.
Wolves have been introduced back into the wilds of the southwest United States. Ranchers were outraged and have killed most of them off. The last I have heard, the environmental groups were considering re-introducing them again. This particular conflict is kept fairly quiet in the news media.
This story was written for the challenge, “Finish the Story,” hosted by Barbara Beachem, author of the blog, Monday’s Finish the Story.
Our challenge is: using the photo prompt and the first sentence, “She was unaware she was being watched” write a story using 100 – 150 words. If you would like to join the fun and participate in this challenge, click here for more information:
(I think wolves are beautiful and have a story about “my baby wolf” I need to write someday).
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BEAUTIFUL WORDS 
I love the way you told your story! Well thought out and a great ending! Thank you for participating this week Joy! Stay tuned for next Monday’s challenge! Be well! ^..^
Thank you Barbara! I enjoyed writing it and thank you for letting me join you wonderful Monday challenge. 🙂
Ah, now I feel for the wolf. 😦
Yes, that was the point. But I also feel for the ranchers and for the little calves. It’s a terrible triangle.
Great job, and in just a few words, I was engaged, enjoyed the story, and learned something! 🙂
Thank you! Not many words to accomplish that with so I am happy to hear that. 🙂
Your story was so visual. As I was reading it I could picture the wolf getting ready for the kill. Great job!
Thank you! I really appreciate knowing that. Thanks!
That is a really captivating picture. Look at the detail in her fur and the intelligence in her eyes. It’s so majestic.
I think wolves are beautiful!
I loved the story. It would be good if the wolves could be introduced into an area that wouldn’t affect the calves. 🙂
That’s very true! Sadly there aren’t many places where there aren’t cattle and how do you teach a wolf to only kill the wildlife.?? In the SW there isn’t good grazing land. It takes quite a few acres just for one cow.
Oh and thank you very much!
Great story! You captured the emotion for the calf and for the wolf. My nephew and daughter both love wolves!
Thank you Joy! As you know it isn’t easy to get a good story with 100-150 words. LOL!
Haha! Very true, but you have mastered it 🙂
Thank you so much but I’m still learning! 🙂
A super atmospheric take on the prompt ~ I love the way the killer wolf becomes the underdog in the fight for survival ~
Yes, that’s true! They are also the hunted (in the SW anyway).
Obviously there’s no easy answer to this. 😦
There really isn’t. I am sure though, the ranches will continue to kill the wolves as long as they are killing their calves/cattle.
They just about have to…..
Yes, they do and that’s what’s so sad.
Lovely story Joy, and I do understand the battle that goes on between the ranchers and the wolves. I once had a friend who had a sheep farm and a few times each year the wild dogs would come and attack his lambs with devastating results.
Yes, it is a very difficult situation for sure. We also have a lot of sheep in the Southwest, so I should have included lambs/sheep along with the calves/cattle. I would think the only way to resolve this would be to continuously feed the wolves and in that case they would no longer be considered wild, so what’s the point?
Great story, and from your additional information afterwards it almost sounds like the poor wolves are being used as pawns in a dispute between environmentalists and ranchers. Such a shame.
Yes, I agree to a huge extent. The environmental groups are determined to get their way in just about everything they do and they don’t care one flip about how it effects others.
I loved this… so visual and left me wanting MORE 😉
Thank you Cat!
Holɑ!
No está mal este articulo. Hay otros articulos no me convеncieron tanto,
en cualquier casߋ, еn general son bastante buenos.
Un saludo
Gracias por leer mi post y por su amable comentario usted. ( Esto se tradujo por ” Traductor ” en Google ) .
Good story Joy. It’s a shame wolves can’t be reintroduced without conflict. They’re a part of the natural scheme of things. It really has been kept quiet. You don’t hear anything these days about wolves. Of course, we don’t get as much U.S. news in India. Well done. — Suzanne.
I agree with you Suzanne. I too wish wolves could be introduced back into the wild without conflict. I think they are a beautiful and magnificent animal. I would think that US news would be hard to come by in India. (Certain news is even hard for citizens here to get). What a beautiful place to live though. (I have only seen it in pictures). Thank you for reading and commenting. 🙂