Wolves in Imnaha pack kill rancher's cow in Wallowa County (OR)

The Oregonian ^ | December 13, 2011 | Lynne Terry

[jazusamo]

Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife

The alpha wolf in the Imnaha pack was collared

in May and is being tracked by state biologists.

A pack of wolves roaming grasslands in Eastern Oregon killed another cow over the weekend.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said a yearling heifer was found dead on a ranch east of Joseph in Wallowa County. ODFW officials said the rancher had coraled his 700 cattle Sunday night in a pasture near his home and that the wolves broke in and chased them out, killing a heifer. The wolves returned the next night to the same ranch but no cows were killed.

Russ Morgan, ODFE’s wolf coordinator, said the Imnaha pack has killed 19 cows since spring 2010. Usually wolves go after calves, which are the easiest prey, but the past three cows killed were adults or adult-sized, Morgan said.

“It’s worrying for livestock producers,” he said. “It’s an alarming trend.”

The agency would like to kill two wolves in the pack of at least five animals but a court-ordered stay halted that plan Oct. 5 . Wildlife advocates, who took the agency to court, want the state to focus more preserving gray wolves which are protected in Oregon as an endangered species.

Rob Klavins of Oregon Wild said that the number of livestock killed by gray wolves is miniscule compared with the numbers that die being born, in severe weather or from disease. Ranchers also lose cows to thieves.

“Wolves are not a threat to the livestock industry,” Klavins said, emphasizing the need for the state to balance the needs of ranchers with conservation.

The Oregon Department of Agriculture is creating a wolf compensation program which should be in effect by early 2012. The program will pay ranchers, including the latest one, whose cattle are killed by the wolves.

[jazusamo]

This is just nuts when wildlife activists are allowed to run State Department of Fish & Wildlife management programs through lawsuits.

This alpha male wolf will not stop killing livestock and he's teaching the pack the same.

[jazusamo]

Wolf Ping!

[Sacajaweau]

There’s a reason our forefathers took these critters out. We need them like we need more cats.

[FlingWingFlyer]

Well said.

I'm sure glad the dinosaurs all died out before all these goofy environmentalists came along.

[jazusamo]

Well said and all too true.

I get sick of hearing the wolf lovers say they only kill the sick and the old wildlife, they kill the young and many times not for food but just for the sake of killing.

We and the ecosystem got along just fine without wolves for 70 or 80 years, there's no reason to put up with them now.

[MeganC]

I can think of .308 solutions to this problem.

[doyle]

That’s some of the most beautiful and rugged country anywhere: just east of Imnaha is Hells Canyon....just west is Joseph and Wallowa Lake. The drive from Imnaha to Halfway and then on to Baker City is a real treat, especially by motorcycle. Once you see it you can understand how the wolves, bear, and elk act as though they own it. To a large extent they do, even today.

[GoldenPup]

ODFW officials said the rancher had coraled his 700 cattle Sunday night in a pasture near his home...

What? The rancher doesn't own a gun? Oh, he's not allowed to shoot the wolves? Bullshit!! "Oh, sorry Mr. Gamewarden, it happened at night and I have no idea who did it".

[Grunthor]

SSS (and get rid of the collar)

[Jeff Head]

Idaho Wolves becoming more and more a problem...a dangerous problem

[jazusamo]

You’re right, I’ve only been through there once but it’s what I’d say is God’s country. I hunted for many years SW of there in Harney County/Eastern, OR and that’s also beautiful but it’s not quite the same.

[cowtowney]

Reminds me of a story:

The Sierra Club and the U.S. Forest Service were presenting an alternative to the Wyoming ranchers for controlling the coyote population. It seems that after years of the ranchers using the tried and true method of shooting or trapping the predators, the Sierra Club had a “more humane” solution to this issue. What they were proposing was for the animals to be captured alive. The males would then be castrated and let loose again. This was ACTUALLY proposed by the Sierra Club and by the U.S. Forest Service. All of the ranchers thought about this amazing idea for a couple of minutes. Finally an old fellow wearing a big cowboy hat in the back of the conference room stood up, tipped his hat back and said; “Son, I don’t think you understand our problem here... these coyotes ain’t f@k*&n’ our sheep... they’re eatin’ ‘em!” The meeting never really got back to order. . .

[jazusamo]

Yep, the wolf activists want the same thing to come about in OR, of course they live in the big cities.

[jazusamo]

LOL!

I’ve read that several times and I still chuckle when I read it, the old boy is right. :)

[Vendome]

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRGwi_IYkxAoIA_DuHcSRo1iv-2Rdls_tUWMiRofPasVm2fBj8zFQ

Can’t post the pic from my so called smart phone ....

[Vendome]

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRGwi_IYkxAoIA_DuHcSRo1iv-2Rdls_tUWMiRofPasVm2fBj8zFQ

Can’t post the pic from my so called smart phone ....

[jazusamo]

That would definitely be effective for plinking wolves. :)

[blueunicorn6]

Wolves were reintroduced to kill off the elk and deer and then the Dems would start arguing about taking away rifles.
“What do you need rifles for? The wolves are taking care of the elk and deer populations. And, besides, we’ve got rifles.”

[Mears]

Great description——it sounds beautiful.

I hadn’t even heard of the area.

[G Larry]

Easy to predict....and it will get worse.

Great Boy Scout Camp there at the lake.
Went in the 60’s when Walter Brennan had a home across the lake.