ODFW believes this is the alpha male of the Imnaha pack. Photo from ODFW.
UPDATED: 6:15pm
Late Friday, ODFW confirmed another wolf kill of livestock in Wallowa County. It’s the third known attack in Oregon this year.
It comes as the agency is under increasing pressure from local residents to confirm as many wolf kills as possible – and from environmental groups who think ODFW is moving too quickly.
The latest attack took place at the ranch of Karl Patton near Joseph. A dead calf was found there Thursday. This is the same location we reported on in March, when Patton told local newspapers he confronted a pack of wolves in a cattle pen near his house.
Since that incident, ODFW says the agency and ranchers have tried using a variety of non-lethal methods to keep wolves away. Things heated up again in May with confirmed wolf kills taking place on the 5th, the 20th and the most recent attack on the 27th. Wallowa County ranchers have also reported two other kills. And even though ODFW can’t confirm wolves were to blame, they’ve received a lot of coverage in local newspapers.
Earlier this week, ODFW issued shoot-to-kill permits to five ranchers. That includes the three ranchers who lost calves to wolves, and two other ranchers who live nearby. The permits allow them to shoot wolves caught in the act of attacking livestock.
Pressure on ODFW
Pressure on ODFW is growing. On one side are ranchers, Northeast Oregon officials and the state’s Cattlemen’s Association. They want ODFW to count those two unconfirmed attacks as wolf kills.
The dispute can be partly blamed on differences between ODFW and the USDA Wildlife Services. While ODFW is the lead agency in managing wolves in Eastern Oregon, Wildlife Services may be called in to hunt and kill wolves and other predators blamed for heavy livestock losses.
In this case, Wildlife Services blamed wolves for those two unconfirmed attacks, but ODFW didn’t. And that’s infuriating ranchers and their allies.
Environmental groups see it differently. The Hells Canyon Preservation Council sent a letter this week to ODFW calling Wildlife Services’ efforts to confirm wolf kills, “highly suspect”. The council questions whether the Wildlife Services agent in Wallowa County has even received formal training in wolf depradation.
“Given this lack of training and the fact that this agent has at least two depredation determinations when ODFW has determined there was no basis for such determinations, we have little faith in his ability to make a reasoned and unbiased call on wolf depredations.”
-Letter From Hells Canyon Preservation Council
The letter goes on to say that ODFW issued the shoot-to-kill permits too soon, before all non-lethal methods were given a chance to work.
The Politics of Crying Wolf
Oregon’s Wolf Management Plan is being reviewed this year by ODFW. Public hearings are expected for this summer with an update written and approved by the fall.
So this argument over when to cry wolf has a political angle to it. Environmentalists are generally happy with the wolf plan – ranchers are not. The ranchers want to be able to shoot wolves attacking livestock without having to get permits from the state. The wolf plan doesn’t allow that until wolves are much better established in the state.
So far, the number of attacks and number of livestock killed are down significantly from last year. This year’s total – three attacks and three calves dead. Last year a pair of wolves carried out five attacks and killed more than two dozen livestock before being shot and killed by federal agents.
Wolves in Eastern Oregon are protected by the state’s Endangered Species Act. In Western Oregon, there still under federal protection.
You are just getting started in Oregon with this wolf issue….you have not even begin to see the problems you will have. A few cows? We lose a cow a day in Montana! Our elk herds and moose are being destroyed in any area where wolves have set up territories for more than a few years. In some areas, kids cannot walk to the bus stop for fear of wolves. Your problems are gonna be multiplied many times because of the dense cover found in Oregon and the number of people. Letting wolves get established in your state would be the worst ecological disaster you could possible have, just short of a volcanic eruption. We are living the nightmare now. Just wait and watch. What you are saying here is MINOR compared to what is to come next.
Why should wolves be destroyed because ranchers are loosing livestock? are they not being compensated for the losses? The wolves were there first,but hey, look at what happened to the Native Americans,soon the only wolf around will be in a book. but hey at least americans will have nice big burgers and steaks to eat…. Once we as humans decide which species lives and where they live this will be th end of life on our planet,because sure as wolves howl,man will find almost everything living to be a threat… unless of course it can be eaten by a human. keep better track of your cows and your kids and leave the wolves alone.
Joshua tree… you should get your facts straight before you put things on the internet… Research when and why the wolves were put into eastern oregon. find out exactly what they are doing to the people who live in and around my home. unless you are seeing it personally you will have no clue what my friends and family are going through. if you were in the position that the people in this area have been put into you would feel the same way. I do not condone killing an animal just for the sake of killing it. but when they are stalking livestock, pets, people that I know personally, and scaring people all over eastern oregon, something needs to be done. and if the state will not control this situation, more than likely the people will take things into their own hands.