Zach Urness, Statesman Journal
Trouble has continued for Eastern Oregon’s Pine Creek Pack.
State wildlife officials approved killing additional members of the group following a fresh round of attacks on livestock in Baker County.
The pack has attacked cattle five times this month, leading wildlife officials to approve lethal action against a total of four wolves, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said Tuesday night.
One of the wolves, a female yearling, was killed last week by ODFW personnel. Three more can be taken by state officials or the impacted ranchers. The action would drop the pack’s number from eight to four.
One of the impacted ranchers, Chad DelCurto, previously said the entire pack should be eliminated.
“I would like to see the whole pack annihilated,” DelCurto told the Baker City Herald. “If a pack is killing livestock, you’ve got to kill every one of them that has been involved in that.”
Under state law, livestock producers are required to take non-lethal measures to deter wolf attacks. But if that doesn’t work, lethal action can be taken.
ODFW officials said DelCurto and the other rancher were taking non-lethal measures to prevent attacks, including using range riders, burying bone piles, hazing and delaying turning their cattle out.
“Ranch staff have also been patrolling cattle from before daylight until darkness daily and keeping track of the wolves’ location with ODFW assistance,” the agency said in announcing the decision.
Even so, the wolves killed four calves and injured an additional six.
Environmental groups disagreed with the decision to kill more wolves, noting that one of the members of the pack was a pregnant female due to give birth soon.
“We condemn ODFW’s decision to double the number of wolves ordered killed from the Pine Creek pack,” said Amaroq Weiss, West Coast wolf advocate for the Center for Biological Diversity. “Oregon wolf recovery is in its infancy and it’s outrageous the agency’s answer to conflicts is to kill more wolves.”
State officials announced that Oregon’s wolf population had grown to a minimum of 124 animals last week. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown called the news “encouraging,” but noted that conflict remains a continual issue.
“Ongoing issues of poaching and livestock depredation must be carefully considered as we explore more effective management and conservation practices,” Brown said in a statement.