Posts Tagged ‘ odfw ’

Monday Morning Wolf Kills Update

April 20, 2009
By

Here’s the latest on the wolf attacks in Baker County.

The calf that was attacked last week has died.  Phil Carroll of U.S. Fish and Wildlife says they’ve examined the body and have found wound marks that are consistent with a wolf attack.  That information plus the tracks found at the site adds to the evidence that a wolf, or wolves, are to blame.

Over the weekend, wildlife officials checked the traps that were put out to capture the wolves, but the traps were empty.  They’re going out again this morning.

A series of wolf attacks started April 9 in the Keating Valley northeast of Baker City.  The first two attacks took place at a sheep ranch owned by Curt Jacobs.  He lost two dozen animals, mostly lambs.  Tracks and photographs show at least two wolves took park.  The third attack, the one involving the calf, happened late last week a few miles away.

These are the first known wolf attacks in Oregon in six decades.  The species was wiped out in the state during the 1940s and didn’t return until 1999.

Follow Up On Today’s New Possible Wolf Attack

April 17, 2009
By

Here’s the latest we have on what appears to be a new wolf attack.

When we last checked with wildlife officials, they still hadn’t found the wolf, or wolves, they think attacked a calf in Baker County overnight. The weather in the area was good today and officials searched for the predators by air, but saw nothing. At last word, the calf survived the attack.

While it’s not 100% certain wolves are responsible for this new incident, they say tracks found at the site are very similar to tracks found at the ranch where the two first two attacks took place.

Surveillance Photo Courtesy US Fish and Wildlife and Oregon Fish and Wildlife.

Surveillance Photo Courtesy US Fish and Wildlife and Oregon Fish and Wildlife.

If this is confirmed as a wolf attack, it would be the third one in a week. The first two took place April 10 and 13 at a sheep ranch in Baker County. The two locations are only a few miles apart. Wolves were exterminated from Oregon in the 1940′s and didn’t return until 1999.

Today’s Baker City Herald reports that another sheep has died from the ranch kills. Rancher Curt Jacobs is quoted as saying he’s now lost 24 lambs and ewes.

The paper says members of the Farm Bureau and the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association have offered to pay Jacob’s expenses so he can tell his story of the kills to lawmakers. Farmers and ranchers are hoping the series of attacks will persuade the legislature to pass House Bill 3383 which allows them to shoot wolves in the act of attacking livestock.

Recent news:

Video Released From Wolf Kill, As Ranchers Get Angry


Just In: Possible New Wolf Attack In Baker County

April 17, 2009
By

11:05am

Here’s a little bit of new information from U.S. Fish and Wildlife.  The new attack took place about a mile away from the sheep ranch.  They believe the calf was out in the pasture, not penned in and close to buildings like the sheep that were killed.  It’s unclear how many predators were involved, but the tracks found at the site were “consistent” with the tracks found at the sheep ranch.

10:52am

We just got off the phone with Michelle Dennehy of ODFW about a new possible wolf attack in Baker County.

Here’s what we know so far. The attack took place not far from the ranch where 23 sheep and lambs were killed by wolves in the past week.

It appears just one animal was attacked, a calf, which so far has survived.

Wildlife officials spotted tracks which appear to be about the same size of tracks found at the earlier attacks. They are trying to capture the animal.

The information is subject to the usual rules of breaking news, meaning we don’t have much to work with right now and it’s quite possible that as more comes in, the details will change.

Recent stories:

Video Released From Wolf Kill, As Ranchers Get Angry

Wolf Kill Update: Traps To Capture Wolves Are Empty

The Silver Lining In This Year’s Salmon Season

April 10, 2009
By

We don’t mean to play down the difficult year ahead for commercial salmon fishermen in Southern Oregon and California. But an announcement from ODFW is a good reminder that not all the news about this year’s season is bleak.

Recreational fishermen will have a “banner year” for coho everywhere along the coast, according to ODFW. Federal regulators are calling for a ten week recreational season south of Cape Falcon and a 13 week season north of there. ODFW’s Ron Boyce says, “This is the largest coho quota since 1992.”

Commercial fishermen are more likely to go after chinook salmon. But the chinook numbers from the Sacramento River are so low, that season south of Cape Falcon was entirely closed. There is, however, a short commercial season for coho near Cape Falcon in September.

During a public hearing on the fishing regulation in Coos Bay, many of the commercial fishermen offered to give up fishing this year so that sport fishermen could have a better season.

To leave a comment, please follow the “Continue reading” link.

Read more »