Volunteers clear old wire on Hiawatha to help protect wildlife

The fourth annual Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation wire-pull on the Montana/Idaho border had fewer volunteers this summer, but the enthusiasm for the project hasn't changed.

“Last year, there were around 100 people pulling wire here, but that’s because there was an article in Bugle magazine about it,” explained Wayne Brood, North Idaho Regional Director of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

“However, because there aren’t any forest fires near the area, the Forest Service sent up about 10 to 12 people to help and they are coming back tomorrow,” he shared at the barbecue last Thursday evening for all who helped that day.

This isn’t barbed wire, but Brood isn’t exactly sure what it was used for over 100 years ago.

“A couple different stories,” he said. “One of them is that after the 1910 fire, they (the Milwaukee Railroad) converted to electric trains. So was this wire used for that purpose? That’s kinda what I go with, but other people say it was for telegraph or telephone. None of us are really sure.”

Brood said it’s copper clad iron wire but has very little value for recycling. Almost half a mile was cleared, which filled the bed of a pickup truck after the first two days.

Brood's wife, Deb, was setting out the plates and salads.

“I like to help Wayne with these projects, but I also enjoy visiting with people who show up to help. We have a common interest in doing what is needed to help elk and other animals, especially if it’s something that was done by humans that is harmful or dangerous.”

From Post Falls, Idaho, 84-year-old James Paul spent the day in a deep ravine getting wire untangled from brush so those up above him could spool it for easy and safe retrieval along the Hiawatha Trail. When he lived in the state of Washington, he became a Master Hunter.

“It’s an award or certification you get after passing a written test, a background test and you have to do hours of public service,” he explained on the definition of a Master Hunter.

And the reason a hunter would purse becoming one?

“Well, you’re able to get in more hunting time. You are allowed to go into this particular region early which I was able to get onto Turnbull Wildlife Range (located in eastern Washington on the edge of the Columbia River Basin) to hunt.”

Paul has been hunting since a he was a boy, but the only two elk he has ever taken were in Idaho.

“I have a friend who has some property that I’m able to hunt and because of my age, I like to have somebody with me. One fella had a real high-powered Weatherby rifle he loaned me and put me in a spot where they spotted elk. I’d never fired it before and I shot two times. The first shot, I missed. The second one killed a 5x6 elk at 545 yards,” he smiled.

Paul is a member of a rifle range and shoots regularly so he wasn’t concerned about using the borrowed rifle due to his shooting experience. He and his wife left after the barbecue to attend a bluegrass festival in Wallace, Idaho and then headed back to Post Falls.

Regional directors for eastern Montana and southern Idaho were gloved up and pulling wire, and the regional director for western Montana was expected on Friday, as leading by example is an unspoken motto in the RMEF.

Mineral Independent reporter Amy Quinlivan and her husband, Chris, were indoctrinated into the wire pulling family.

“We love to hunt and this was something we thought we could do to be of help. It was work, for sure, but rewarding," said Amy.

"We also thought about archery hunting this area, so we now know more about the area after today.”

One wirepuller from Wisconsin returned to help again, but Carole Rowland from Iowa has attended all four years and has no intention of not being a part of the project. Her jacket has "Working for Wildlife" emblazoned on it and that’s exactly what she does.

“I just love animals and always have. Ever since I was little, I was in the hip pocket of the veterinarian whenever he came out (to their farm) and actually thought I was going to become a vet until I found out you had to go to college for six years,” she laughed.

Looking back at her career in the Air Force, which included six years of college, she wonders if she shouldn’t have gone to university in the first place and followed her dream.

“I’ve always cared for animals. I’ve always had a connection with animals. Anybody who has a problem with animals calls, ‘Hey Carole, come help.’ It doesn’t make any difference if they are wild or tame, I could help out.”

This annual wire pull is always around July 4 on a Thursday and Friday. Volunteers work one or both days and Brood said he sees no end to this task as once this area has been eradicated from wire, they discovered other abandoned railway lines that have the same issue.