OREGON
TUESDAY, MARCH 15, 2022
‘No logical explanation’
in catt le mutilation case
Grant County rancher
discovers bull
killed on his ranch
By STEVEN MITCHELL
Blue Mountain Eagle
JOHN DAY — A muti-
lated bull mysteriously
turned up dead at a ranch in
Bear Valley last month with
surgically removed body
parts.
According to a Feb. 28
entry of the Oregon State
Police log, a rancher called a
John Day Wildlife Trooper to
report a bull had been killed
and mutilated on his ranch
with its testicles, scrotum,
tongue and lips precisely
removed.
Mat Carter, a rancher
from the Crown Cattle Com-
pany, said he reported the
mutilation to the state’s wild-
life trooper after discov-
ering the dead bull roughly
a quarter to half a mile from
his house.
The cause of death is
unknown.
When Carter found the
bull, it had likely been dead
a few days and was already
decomposing. The 24-hour
window during which an
autopsy could have been
performed on the body had
passed.
According to Carter, there
were no signs of vultures,
coyotes or other scavengers
around the bull.
“There’s no tracks, there’s
no signs, there’s no nothing,”
Carter said.
He said it is hard to
imagine anyone would
have come on to his prop-
erty, killed a bull, drained its
blood, and then cleanly cut
out specifi c body parts.
Contributed Photo
This mutilated cow was discovered on a ranch in Deschutes County
in 2020. A similar case occurred in Grant County in February 2022.
According to Carter,
with no evidence or leads to
follow up on for law enforce-
ment, the incident remains a
mystery.
And this was not the fi rst
cow mutilation on his ranch,
Carter said.
Several years ago, Carter
said he was almost sure one
of his cows had been muti-
lated. However, he said, there
was no way to say with cer-
tainty because he did not get
to it quickly enough before
fl ies and other scavengers
made it impossible to deter-
mine what happened.
He said a similar situation
occurred in August, which is
why he tries to inspect cattle
deaths a little more closely
when they occur.
Indeed, Carter’s situation
is not unique. According to
FBI records, since the 1970s,
thousands of killings and
mutilations of cattle have
happened across the U.S.
Last year Wheeler County
had fi ve cases while Harney
County had four in four
years, with the previous two
occurring in May and June.
The cases, the data
reports, are similar to Car-
ter’s case.
A cow or bull is found
dead in a remote area with
no signs of how someone
might have made it onto a
property undetected. There
are no footprints, tire tracks
or fi ngerprints. There is very
little — if any — spilled
blood and no visible punc-
ture wounds, bullets or stran-
gulation marks.
The bizarre nature of the
mutilation and lack of evi-
dence makes it all the more
baffl ing and frustrating for
Carter.
Meanwhile, theories
abound about who is behind
the cow mutilations, be it
aliens, demons or cults.
However, in the thousands
of cases since the 1970s, no
one has ever been caught.
For his part, Carter said
he does not try to speculate
on it, nor does he believe in
UFOs or any other kind of
strange phenomenon.
“It’s really odd, Carter
said. “There’s no logical
explanation.”
Tippet learning the ropes as 4-H leader
raising a market animal.”
Tippet said she sees her
role as the president as doing
ENTERPRISE — Sara
what is best for the 4-H pro-
Tippet has been immersed
gram and continuing to make
in 4-H since she was in the
it what it is and, “encouraging
fourth grade. Now, she has
the youth of Wallowa County
come full circle as the new
to get involved. Also (encour-
president of the Wal-
aging) the adults to get
lowa County 4-H
involved and give back
Leaders’ Association.
to the community.”
She was in 4-H
Her position
for eight years partic-
as president is for
ipating in the Golden
two years. Prior to
Arrow Livestock
becoming president,
Tippet
Club, and is now a
she was vice president
co-leader for that club,
for two years.
along with Nancy Maasdam,
She mentioned there are
her former leader. As a 4-H
many potential leaders and
member, she was also in the
resources in Wallowa County
Wallowa County Wranglers
that could help with 4-H
Horse Club and participated
clubs.
in 4-H cooking and sewing.
There are some “great
She was also on the 4-H
photographers in Wal-
court. It goes without saying
lowa County and Wal-
that she brings a lot of 4-H
lowa resources has science”
knowledge and experience to
resources experience, she
her new position as president. said. “It is just a matter of
Tippet admits she is still
fi nding them to teach the
learning the ropes of the job.
youth.”
“I’m still learning a lot,”
Not only has Tippet
she said, “and how it all
been involved with 4-H,
works.”
but her community involve-
But she has help.
ment stretches to the Elgin
“(We) have a solid pro-
Stampede and the 2006
gram in Wallowa County and Chief Joseph Days Court.
I’m interested in seeing what I She is currently a director
can do with that,” she said.
for the Chief Joseph Days
Tippet specifi cally men-
organization.
tioned the knowledgeable
Tippet grew up in Enter-
people and resources the
prise. Her family includes two
county has, such as other 4-H brothers who were involved
leaders, the Oregon State Uni- with 4-H, which is how she
versity Extension Service and learned about 4-H. She has
other resources as ones she
a culinary arts degree from
can turn to for help.
Walla Walla Community
Some of her plans include
College.
getting back into the schools
“I have a passion for
to promote the 4-H program,
cooking and baking,” she
since this had to be put on
said.
hold due to the pandemic. She
After moving back to Wal-
said she wants to get back into lowa County and working
the schools, “to let (the stu-
for a bakery, she accepted a
dents) know what 4-H is.” She position at Community Bank.
explained that 4-H is not “just She has been with the bank
By ANN BLOOM
For the Wallowa County Chieftain
for 10 years and is the bank
manager.
“Community Bank is very
community oriented,” she
said, which allows her to be
part of 4-H and Chief Joseph
Days.
Debi Warnock, the OSU
Extension agent, which over-
sees the 4-H program, is
looking forward to working
with Tippet, whom she has
known since she started in
4-H.
“For me, I will rely on her
advice quite a bit throughout
the year. She will be my right
hand. I will have close contact
with her regarding decisions
on 4-H,” Warnock said.
Warnock said that the 4-H
Leaders’ Association is the
fundraising and leadership
council of the 4-H program.
She said she is anticipating
partnering with Tippet and
supporting her new ideas and
energy.
“We are so lucky. We have
such good volunteers that love
our program and are happy to
pass our traditions to the next
generation,” she said.
Both Tippet and Warnock
have similar philosophies
of 4-H and what it brings to
youth and the community.
If there is one thing Tippet
wants people to know about
4-H she said it is what par-
ticipation in 4-H can do for
youth.
“4-H gives to kids,” she
said. “They learn a lot. It
taught me to speak, be sin-
cere and humble. Not just in a
show ring.”
She said youths in 4-H
learn to present themselves to
people and learn to communi-
cate with their peers.
“That is a big part of 4-H,”
she said. “You learn life skills.
As you get older, you see
that.”
Turning 65, paying too
much or want to
compare your options?
THE OBSERVER — A3
Ochoco horse gathers delayed
By MICHAEL KOHN
The Bulletin
BEND — A plan by the
U.S. Forest Service to reduce
the number of wild horses in
the Ochoco National Forest
has been delayed again due
to problems with the equip-
ment needed to conduct the
horse gatherings.
The removal of some
wild horses will begin no
sooner than late fall of this
year, said Kassidy Kern, a
spokesperson for the Ochoco
National Forest. Previously,
authorities had hoped to get
the gathers underway in
February.
Kern said the chute that
the national forest ordered
was inspected and deter-
mined to be the wrong size.
“There were some speci-
fi cation diff erences that dis-
qualifi es this particular chute
from being able to safely
process horses,” Kern wrote
in an email. “We will be
working through a process
of returning it and then work
with the manufacturer to get
the right equipment.”
Once the correct equip-
ment is received, the next
window of opportunity to
begin the horse gathering is
just before winter this year,
said Kern.
The gathering of horses is
more diffi cult in spring and
summer, the reason for the
delay until fall, said Kern.
The horses are “baited” into
the chutes with green grass
and alfalfa hay, of which
there is plenty on the ground
in summertime. When the
grass dries up in the fall they
become more interested in
the grass laid in the traps.
In May of last year, the
Forest Service announced
plans to reduce the number
of horses in the Ochocos to
a management level of 47-57
horses. Kern said the Big
Summit herd in the Ochocos
currently numbers between
130 and 150 animals.
The number of horses
is currently not sustainable
and their large numbers are
said to be damaging riparian
areas, the Forest Service says.
Reduction of the herd
does not happen all at once.
Just fi ve to seven animals
are removed at a time, over
a period of fi ve years. Once
captured the horses are
taken to a holding facility
where they are prepared for
adoption.
The Forest Service
already delayed the start of
the gathers in November due
to supply chain issues and a
delay in receiving the chute
and other equipment.
Baker Heritage Museum opens April 8
By LISA BRITTON
Baker City Herald
BAKER — Tour groups
are starting to call the Baker
Heritage Museum — some-
thing that hasn’t happened
much in the past two years.
Lynn Weems, who
started as director of the
museum in December 2021,
anticipates this coming
summer to be a bit more
normal — closer to pre-pan-
demic attendance.
The museum, at 2480
Grove St. just east of
Geiser-Pollman Park, opens
for the season Friday,
April 8.
Hours will be 10 a.m. to
4 p.m. Monday through
Saturday, and noon to
4 p.m. Sunday. Admission
is $9 adults (13 and older),
$8 seniors, $5 ages 6-12,
and free for ages 5 and
younger.
For $16, visitors can
tour the museum and the
Adler House, which is open
Memorial Day weekend
through Labor Day
weekend, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Fridays and Saturdays.
Admission to just the
Adler House is the same as
the museum rates.
The National Historic
Oregon Trail Interpretive
Center is setting up a pres-
ence at the museum while
the center on Flagstaff Hill
is closed for renovation.
The Interpretive Center,
which will unveil exhibits
in May, will have displays
in the Leo Adler Room on
the fi rst fl oor, and occupy
about a third of the ball-
room upstairs — including
a full-size wagon.
Extraordinary
Women exhibit
The exhibit “Extraor-
dinary Women of Baker
County” continues this
season. Weems said they
decided to extend it for a
year longer than planned.
A display about the Chi-
nese presence in Baker
County will open in 2023.
Weems said the
“Extraordinary Women”
display has been rede-
signed and updated.
“We added some
things,” she said.
For example, the section
dedicated to Phyllis Badgley
now features several of her
original pressed-fl ower cards.
Another addition came
when Weems received a
phone call from a woman
who wanted to donate a
friendship quilt made by
members of the Baker City
Methodist Church that
includes 130 stitched names.
“One of them happened to
be Myrtle Lee,” Weems said.
Lee, who became super-
intendent of Baker schools
in 1943, is included in the
exhibit. The quilt is on dis-
play near her section.
Other featured females
include Johanna Packwood,
who arrived in Auburn as a
schoolteacher in 1862, and
Nellie McCarty, who partic-
ipated in four bank robberies
between 1891 and 1892 with
the McCarty Gang.
Volunteer support
The museum is supported
by the Friends of the Baker
Heritage Museum, a volun-
teer group that raises money
for exhibits, maintenance
and other needs.
Weems said volunteers
are also needed for daily
activities inside the museum.
Anyone interested in get-
ting involved can call the
museum at 541-523-9308.
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