On July 4, ODFW removed a two-year-old male from the Chesnimnus Pack under the lethal authorization issued on June 17 for ongoing chronic livestock depredation. The wolf was caught in a foothold trap set by ODFW and then tranquilized before it was euthanized.

Traps had been set as part of efforts to radio-collar members of the pack (preferably a breeding adult) as there were no active collars in the Chesnimnus Pack. A yearling female was trapped, collared, and safely released on June 29. ODFW has suspended its trapping efforts in this area. 

The permit allowing lethal take expires July 17. Another update will be posted about this permit only if an additional wolf is removed or the permit is re-issued.

ODFW has authorized lethal removal of four additional wolves from the Chesnimnus Pack in response to continued livestock depredations in Wallowa County. The newly issued lethal take permit will allow the affected livestock producer or their agents to remove up to four wolves from the Chesnimnus pack in private pastures or grazing allotments legally occupied by the producer's cattle. ODFW personnel may also participate in efforts to reduce wolf-livestock conflict through lethal removal of some members of the Chesnimnus Pack. This permit will be valid until July 17.

Since depredations began, the livestock producer has implemented many non-lethal measures aimed at deterring wolf-livestock conflict, including increased human presence, patrolling among cattle, adjustments to grazing schedules and livestock management practices, and removal of potential attractants on the landscape. Despite these efforts, and the prior lethal removal of two wolves of the Chesnimnus pack, attacks on cattle in this area have continued.

Lethal take can be authorized by ODFW in chronic depredation situations when there is significant risk to livestock in the area and non-lethal measures were employed prior to depredation.

Based upon all evidence available, ODFW believes that cattle continue to be at high risk of wolf depredation in this area. The affected livestock producer will continue to employ non-lethal measures to mitigate wolf-livestock conflict throughout the duration of this permit.

Another update will be posted about this permit only if a wolf is removed or the permit is re-issued.

The producer requested the permit after ODFW confirmed two depredation events by the Chesnimnus Pack in three days on their public land grazing allotment, which resulted in three dead calves. That level of depredation meets the definition of chronic livestock depredation under Wolf Plan Rules (minimum of two confirmed depredations in nine months). Find more information on the depredations and investigations on April 25 and 27 here.

Lethal take can be authorized by ODFW in chronic depredation situations when there is significant risk to livestock present in the area and non-lethals were being used prior to depredations.

The producer has a history of using non-lethal methods on their pastures within this pack area to deter wolf-livestock interaction, including employing a range rider funded by a non-profit organization. The producer and range rider used spotlights, radios, foxlights, and human presence at night and during morning and evening hours (and sometimes all day) to maintain a human presence to deter wolf-livestock interactions in previous years. To deter wolves recently, the producer has increased the amount of time humans are spending in the area. The producer spent several nights in the pasture with his cattle following the first depredation and attempted to haze wolves out of the area on April 26 by shooting in the air over eight wolves he encountered in the pasture. Despite these efforts, wolves have continued to visit and have killed additional calves.

Under the rules, there can also be no identified circumstances on the property (such as bone piles or carcasses) that are attracting wolves. The Department searched the immediate area for any bone piles, carcasses, or other attractants during their investigations and found none.

Lethal action is authorized with the goal of putting an end to the chronic depredation, but the livestock producer will also continue to use nonlethal measures to reduce conflict.

The Chesnimnus Pack currently numbers at least 8-9 adult and yearling (born last year) wolves, and their breeding female may be in the den located far from the depredation site. None of the wolves currently have working GPS or VHF collars.

The kill permit allows the producer to shoot any two wolves in the pasture where the recent depredations have occurred. A reduction of two adult or yearling wolves would not be expected to impact the pack's breeding success.  Pups and the breeding female typically remain in the den until later in the summer and would not be targeted by this kill permit. Use of the kill permit by the producer is expected to add to the ongoing human presence, which simultaneously serves as a nonlethal deterrent to help further reduce the risk of further depredation.

Another update will be posted about this permit only if wolves are removed or the permit is re-issued.

A producer with a lethal take permit that was set to expire today will have their permit extended through Friday, Dec. 3.

The producer is actively removing livestock from their pastures for the season and needs additional time to search canyons and timber. The producer has continued to use non-lethal measures since their permit was issued Oct. 28, and these efforts will continue.

ODFW does not plan to announce the expiration of the permit. ODFW will announce if a wolf is taken on the permit or if additional depredations occur.

ODFW removed three more wolves from the Lookout Mt pack today in Baker County (one yearling and two 6-month-old juveniles).

This pack has now been determined to be involved in 12 livestock depredations since July. The most recent depredation happened in mid-October. Before that incident, the pack had not depredated for about a month (not since ODFW removed three other wolves from the pack on Sept. 17). 

Today's action occurred during a helicopter flight and completes the lethal control permit that was announced Sept. 16 (which authorized the take of up to six wolves; two of those could have been taken by livestock producers). This means that no further lethal control of the Lookout Mt wolves is authorized at this time. Livestock producers with a lethal control permit have been notified that their permit is no longer in effect. 

ODFW staff have removed eight wolves from the pack since lethal control was first authorized in late July. As many as three wolves remain—the collared breeding female and up to two juvenile wolves.

"We've seen good results from incremental removal in the past, when removing a few members of the pack reduced or even stopped further depredations," said Roblyn Brown, ODFW Wolf Coordinator. "It's disappointing that was not the case this time."

This morning, ODFW field staff lethally removed three wolves from the Lookout Mt Pack on private land. The adult breeding male, a yearling male, and one 5-month-old juvenile were removed to reduce chronic depredation and hopefully change the pack's behavior relating to conflicts with livestock. A total of six wolves were seen during the flight operations, although there could have been others nearby in the timber.

The wolves were located near a dead calf, and a depredation investigation is now ongoing. Initial indications point to another depredation by the Lookout Mt Pack, just four days after a calf depredation was confirmed eight miles away.

Livestock depredations by the Lookout Mt Pack have not been deterred despite extensive non-lethal measures in place since early spring, and the lethal removal of two wolves from the pack in early August. By targeting the breeding male, ODFW hopes to still allow the breeding female to raise any remaining juveniles. Reducing the number of juveniles she will need to feed increases the likelihood that some will survive.

Oregon’s minimum known wolf count is 137, up 10 percent from last year

State wildlife biologists counted 137 wolves in Oregon this past winter, a 10 percent increase over last year’s count of 124, according to the Wolf Conservation and Management 2018 Annual Report released today.

Read the full news release

ODFW will reissue a limited duration kill permit to a livestock producer who recently lost another calf to wolves (see investigation on Aug. 20). Since June, this same producer has experienced four depredations to his livestock by the Chesnimnus Wolves in northeast Oregon.

After three of his calves where injured by wolves in June, the livestock producer was issued a kill permit on June 21. No wolves were ever killed under the original permit which expired on July 10.

The new permit will allow the rancher or his agent to shoot one wolf on his public land allotment occupied by his livestock. It expires in 30 days (Sept. 24, 2018). The permit requires that the producer continue implement non-lethal measures and that there are no identified circumstances that attract wolf conflict.

The producer has continued to use non-lethals in the large forested allotment since June, with human presence around the cows/calves including camping out at night; removing injured livestock from the pasture to avoid attracting wolves; and placing remote cameras and monitoring the area for wolf sign and changes in cattle behavior in order to focus human presence.

ODFW employees have documented routine presence of wolves in the area during July and August. ODFW is working to learn more about these wolves and will place a radio collar on a wolf if there is an opportunity.

2017 Annual Wolf Report released today

SALEM, Ore.— ODFW wildlife biologists counted 124 wolves in Oregon this past winter, an 11 percent increase over the number counted last year.

This count is based on verified wolf evidence (like visual observations, tracks, and remote camera photographs) and is considered the minimum known wolf population, not an estimate of how many wolves are in Oregon.

Twelve wolf packs were documented at the end of 2017. Eleven packs were successful breeding pairs, meaning that at least two adults and two pups survived to the end of the year. This marks a 38 percent increase in breeding pairs from 2016.

More information about the minimum wolf count is available in Oregon’s 2017 Annual Wolf Report which was released today. ODFW staff will present an overview of the report to the Fish and Wildlife Commission at their April 20 meeting in Astoria.

Read the full news release

ODFW staff who were already in the area hazing wolves shot and killed an uncollared yearling female wolf of the Pine Creek Pack yesterday afternoon on the private land where previous depredations occurred. Staff shot from the ground (no aircraft were involved).

ODFW to provide kill permit after rancher loses calves to Pine Creek Wolf Pack

Incremental take of two wolves authorized

ODFW will provide a kill permit to a rancher in Baker County, after two confirmed depredations by wolves of the Pine Creek Pack in two days on private property he is leasing to graze his cows. The wolves killed three calves and injured four others.

While the producer requested full pack removal, ODFW is only authorizing the take of two wolves at this time. Under the terms of this permit, the producer can kill up to two wolves on the private property he leases where the depredations occurred, when his livestock is present on the property. The permit expires on May 4. ODFW staff are also authorized to kill the two wolves.

Under the Wolf Plan rules, livestock producers must be using non-lethal methods and document unsuccessful attempts to solve the situation through these non-lethal means before lethal control can be considered. Also, there can be no attractants on the property (such as bone piles or carcasses) that could be attracting wolves.

ODFW determined that there were no attractants on the property when it responded to a depredation report late last week. In terms of non-lethal measures, this producer was penning cattle and pairing calves and cows before turnout (keeping the mother cow with her calf can help deter depredation). This producer had delayed turning out his cattle and before he did, he and range riders watched for wolf activity but saw none. After the first report of wolves in the area chasing his cows, the producer used the range riders to check cattle and harass wolves. After the second depredation, riders hazed (shot firearms without harming wolves) to get the wolves to move. Beginning Sunday and continuing into Monday, ODFW staff have assisted in non-lethal efforts by using aircraft to haze wolves away from the pasture.

The Pine Creek is a new pack previously referred to as the OR29/OR36 pair. It was designated after ODFW’s winter counts showed it met the definition of a pack (minimum of four wolves travelling together in winter, typically a breeding male and female and offspring). It currently numbers eight wolves—a breeding male and female, five yearlings (wolves born a year ago), and one other adult wolf. The breeding female appears to be pregnant and if she is, is expected to den up in the next 1-2 weeks.

The pack’s breeding male, OR50, was formerly of the Harl Butte Pack but left that pack in October 2017 and joined OR36 in Baker County. The previous breeding male OR29 left the pack in the fall and did not return.

• Wolf is in area of Oregon where it is not federally listed (currently, east of Hwys 395-78-95).
• Wolf is on land owned or lawfully occupied by livestock producer.;
• No bait or other intentional attractants have been used.
• Any take of a wolf is reported to ODFW within 24 hours. The scene must be preserved and the carcass not removed.
• A livestock producer can allow an agent to take a wolf if written authorization procedures are followed.

• ODFW must have determined that wolves in the area are in “chronic depredation” of livestock. (Chronic depredation is defined as four confirmed, qualifying depredations within six months.)
• Livestock producer must have first undertaken non-lethal actions as defined in rule.

Confirmed depredations by Imnaha pack

On May 15, 2013 a yearling cow was confirmed by ODFW to have been killed by wolves of the Imnaha pack. Evidence of at least two wolves was found at the site. In addition, GPS locations from OR4’s radio-collar confirmed that OR4 was present. On May 10, 2013 ODFW also confirmed that a small calf in the same general area had received wolf bite injuries on a hind leg. The calf was expected to survive. These are the third and fourth confirmed wolf depredation incidents by the Imnaha Pack in 2013.