FROM PAGE ONE
A8 — THE OBSERVER
THuRSday, May 5, 2022
ODFW
Continued from Page A1
“I’m trying all the non-
lethal methods that I can,”
Birkmaier said. “I’ve had a
tremendous amount of help
from the community.”
Birkmaier said he’s
received assistance from
fellow ranchers and res-
idents. In particular, he
noted Mike and Mona
Rahn, who have a cabin in
the area.
“They dropped every-
thing they were doing to
help,” he said. “They were
literally living with one
group of cows.”
Pack numbers
The Chesnimnus Pack
numbers at least eight
or nine adult and year-
ling wolves, none of
which have a working
GPS collar, according
to ODFW. The agency
says killing two wolves
would not be expected to
impact the pack’s breeding
success.
Roblyn Brown, wolf
coordinator for ODFW,
said Birkmaier’s April 30
calf losses were expected
to be posted on the ODFW
website May 3, after the
investigation is complete.
She also said it’s pos-
sible the number of wolves
allowed to be taken under
the kill permits could
increase.
“The potential to
increase the number of
wolves (permitted to kill)
exists,” she said. “It just
depends on if the number
of depredations increases.”
ODFW released its
annual wolf report on
April 19, showing the
state’s minimum wolf pop-
ulation remained virtu-
ally flat in 2021 while the
number of wolf deaths was
the most ever recorded in a
single year.
The known population
grew by two wolves, from
173 to 175, based on ver-
ified evidence and sight-
ings. However, the agency
says the actual number is
likely higher.
Kelly Birkmaier/Contributed Photo
A gash is apparent on the hindquarters of one of Tom and Kelly
Birkmaier’s cows at their Crow Creek ranch. The cow was injured
while protecting her calf from a wolf on Saturday, April 30, 2022.
Meanwhile, 26 wolves
died in 2021, including 21
killed by humans, or about
12% of the population.
Of those, four were hit by
vehicles, eight were ille-
gally poisoned, one was
legally shot by a rancher
on private property and
another eight were killed
by ODFW after repeat-
edly attacking livestock in
Baker County.
“Despite this, we are
confident in the continued
health of the state’s wolf
population as they expand
in distribution across the
state and show a strong
upward population trend,”
Brown said.
Environmental groups
argued the report is evi-
dence that wolves east of
highways 395, 78 and 95
still require protections to
aid in their recovery.
“State officials need
to do more to combat the
illegal killing of wolves, and
they need to embrace non-
lethal ways of preventing
conflicts with livestock,”
said Sophia Ressler, staff
attorney with the Center for
Biological Diversity.
John Williams, wolf
committee co-chairman
for the Oregon Cattlemen’s
Association, said ranchers
bear the economic and
emotional brunt of wolves
attacking their livestock.
In addition to confirmed
depredations, Williams
said the presence of wolves
can make normally docile
cows agitated, lowering
birth rates and birth weight
of calves that ultimately
affects the producers’
bottom line.
“There has been a lot of
conservation that has been
done under the Oregon Wolf
Conservation and Manage-
ment Plan,” he said. “It’s
time that a lot more man-
agement starts happening.”
— Wallowa County Chieftain reporter
Bill Bradshaw contributed to this story.
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