Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife,
ENTERPRISE, Ore.—A domestic calf was killed by a wolf or wolves in Wallowa County yesterday, marking the third confirmed wolf kill in the area this month. The incident was first reported late yesterday. ODFW and USDA Wildlife Services investigated and confirmed the kill today.
The calf carcass was discovered on private ranchland that first experienced wolf activity in late March, when wolves were found within a small fenced cow pasture near the ranch’s house. The ranch is in the upper Wallowa Valley area, which has been part of the territory of the Imnaha wolf pack since spring.
Since that time, the agencies and livestock producers in the area have tried a variety of non-lethal measures to avoid wolf-caused losses, including: removal of livestock carcasses that can attract wolves; radio telemetry monitoring of wolves; use of radio activated guard box; aerial hazing of wolves; the hiring of a wolf technician to haze wolves and monitor wolf activity nightly; and increased presence around livestock.
ODFW responses to wolf-related livestock losses are guided by the Oregon Wolf Conservation and Management Plan and associated Oregon Administrative Rules. After repeated livestock losses from wolves and use of non-lethal measures, ODFW can issue permits to landowners to kill wolves under certain circumstances.
Earlier this week, ODFW issued five of these “caught in the act” permits to the two landowners that experienced wolf kills on May 5 and May 20 and to the three landowners that live between those two properties. The permits give landowners the legal authority to shoot wolves “caught in the act” of biting, wounding or killing livestock. One of the permits went to the landowner that experienced today’s confirmed wolf kill.
Four members of the Imnaha pack are radio-collared, including the alpha male and alpha female, which are Oregon’s only confirmed breeding pair of wolves at this time.
ODFW is considering next steps to avoid more livestock losses.
Comment on the Wolf Plan
The Wolf Plan, first adopted in 2005, is currently undergoing a five-year review. Ranchers, conservationists and others with comments about the process for responding to livestock losses may provide public comment.
To comment, please send an email to [email protected]. Comments received by June 30, 2010 will be considered for the draft evaluation, which will include any recommended changes to the plan. The draft evaluation should be available for preliminary review by the public in August. ODFW will present the results of the evaluation and any recommendations to amend the plan to the Fish and Wildlife Commission (the state’s policy making body for fish and wildlife issues) at their Oct. 1 meeting in Bend.
For more information on wolves in Oregon, visit
http://www.dfw.state.or.us/wolves/
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