Hilary Zaranek Anderson
Klamath Falls, Ore. – The return of wolves to Oregon poses new challenges for ranchers.
A ‘wolf workshop’ at the Klamath County Fairgrounds is helping ranchers to meet those challenges.
There are now at least 124 wolves in Oregon.
Ranchers have been meeting this week in Klamath Falls to find out how to help ease the threat wolves pose to livestock.
Rancher Shella DelCurto is helping to coordinate the event. “My goal is to present a way for ranchers to survive with the wolf that’s been moving into Oregon.”
One of the keys is understanding wolf behavior.
However, State Wolf Coordinator Roblyn Brown of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife notes that it’s the cattle that ranchers may have better control over. “They learn it was a little more proactive, if they actually focused on the cows.”
‘Low stress livestock management’ is one option for protecting cattle. “The way you handle cattle, more the group effect rather than individually on the fly.” Explains DelCurto. “Wolves like to hunt, they’ll take down single animals.”
Other non-lethal options for reducing conflict are also discussed.
“There are a lot of different ways.” DelCurto notes. “They don’t all work for everybody.”
Wolves were once common in Oregon.
They began migrating back into Oregon from Idaho about 10 years ago.
Montana rancher Hilary Zaranek Anderson is sharing her methods for coping with wolves with Oregon ranchers.
“It’s just going to be a matter of that same journey that every producer is going to take that producers in Idaho and Montana already took.” Brown states. “And many of them are very successful.”
The workshop was attended by 28 people.
You can find out more information about ‘Strategies for ranching on a landscape with wolves’, and future workshops here: strategicranchingoregon.com