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December 15, 2017 CapitalPress.com 5 Wolves WDFW: No sign wolves diminishing deer, elk Hunter, rancher: Report lags reality Agents seek tips from public By DON JENKINS Capital Press By DON JENKINS Capital Press Wolves are not noticeably reducing the number of deer and elk in northeast Washing- ton, according to an assess- ment by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, The study, which was completed a year ago but only released Dec. 8, found that hunter success suggests herd populations are stable, even where there are many wolf- packs. “This is not a conclusive statement that there are no impacts, but from the harvest data, we’re not seeing an in- dication,” WDFW wolf policy coordinator Donny Martorello said Thursday. Wolves are a state-pro- tected species, but WDFW’s wolf recovery plan allows the department to cull packs if wolves reduce deer and elk herds or harvests by 25 per- cent. WDFW authorized the as- sessment in its current game management plan, partly be- cause of public interest in whether wolves are reducing the prey base, a question of keen interest to livestock pro- ducers and wolf advocates, as well as hunters. Martorel- lo said that he only recently learned of the study and want- ed to make it available to the public. WDFW Game Division Manager Anis Aoude said that the study was an internal re- port and not publishing it ear- lier was an oversight. He said he believes the findings are still current. The assessment looked at deer and elk herds throughout the state, as well as moose and bighorn sheep. WDFW researchers large- WDFW probing killing of 2 wolves Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife A mule deer in Washington. A state Department of Fish and Wildlife report released Dec. 6 found that wolves are not driving down deer and elk populations. The study was based mostly on hunting figures through 2015. ly relied on hunting trends through 2015. “Using the data at our disposal, none of the ungulate populations in this assessment appear to show clear signs of depredation,” according to the report. Hunters Heritage Coun- cil President Mark Pidgeon, a member of WDFW’s wolf advisory group, said the re- port conflicts with hunter an- ecdotes. “They’re telling me the op- posite,” he said. “They tell me horror stories about northeast Washington.” Some 17 of the state’s 20 wolfpacks are in four north- east counties. The state’s wolf population grew by 32 per- cent in 2015 and 28 percent in 2016, according to WDFW. State officials say they expect the growth to continue at that pace. Cattle Producers of Wash- ington President Scott Niel- sen, a northeast Washington rancher, questioned whether the assessment reflects the current state of the prey base for wolves. “There are going to be damn few people around here who believe it,” he said. “We’ve had a 30 percent in- crease for the last two years. “When their native prey base gets difficult to get, that’s when they move to cows,” he said. According to the WDFW assessment, population esti- mates of white-tailed deer in the rugged northeast corner of the state are not practical. But ground surveys provide a rough estimate of population trends. Along with harvest data, the surveys indicate the deer population is increasing, even though the area had nine wolfpacks when the report was written. “It doesn’t surprise me because of what I see on the ground,” said Tim Coleman, executive director of the Kettle Range Conservation Group. Coleman, also a mem- ber of WDFW’s wolf ad- visory group, lives in northeast Washington and said he spent a lot of time camping in the region this summer. “I’m not seeing much of a change in the ungulate popu- lation,” Coleman said. “The two (wolves and ungulates) have lived together for mil- lennium.” WDFW started a long- range study last winter to take a closer look at how wolves are affecting deer and elk in northeast Washington. The study includes putting radio collars on deer and elk where wolves roam and seeing what happens to them. “This is an ongoing thing for us,” Martorello said. “Looking at harvest data is just one indicator and likely not the best indicator.” Washington wildlife en- forcement officers suspect two wolves found dead in northeast Washington were killed illegally, state Depart- ment of Fish and Wildlife Capt. Dan Rahn said Mon- day. The wolves, both fe- males, were killed in early November, one in Stevens County and the other in Fer- ry County, he said. “From the evidence we have, they were not killed lawfully,” Rahn said. “We do know they did not die naturally.” Although increasingly common in the northeast corner of the state. wolves are a state-protected species. Illegally killing a state en- dangered animal is a gross misdemeanor and punish- able by up to one year in jail and a $5,000 fine. Wolves are not federally protected in the eastern one- third of Washington, where the two wolves were killed. Conservation Northwest, a Washington-based envi- ronmental group, offered a $10,000 reward for informa- tion leading to a conviction in either case. The Center for Biologi- cal Diversity and Cascadia Wildlands jointly announced they were offering a $20,000 reward. WDFW did not disclose how the wolves were killed. Rahn said that officers hope that withholding the informa- tion will help the investigation. WDFW asked anyone with information to call (807) 933-9847 or (360) 902-2936. WDFW Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife officers are investigating the illegal killings of two wolves in northeast- ern Washington last month. Conservation groups have put up rewards totaling $30,000 for information leading to an arrest. “We need any tips we can get,” Rahn said. A breeding female pre- sumed to be a member of the Dirty Shirt pack was found dead Nov. 12 by hunters about 10 miles southeast of Colville in Stevens County, according to WDFW. The carcass of the other wolf was found Dec. 5 by a WDFW biologist and offi- cer approximately 15 miles southwest of Republic, though the wolf was prob- ably killed the first week of November, Rahn said. WDFW trapped and fitted the breeding female with a radio-transmit- ting collar in 2016 while she was a member of the Profanity Peak pack. The collar on the wolf, who wildlife managers suspect was no longer in the pack, stopped transmitted in ear- ly November. Rahn said investigators have not established a link between the two incidents. “We don’t have any in- formation to think that, but there’s always the possibili- ty,” he said. Owner of dead llamas questions ODFW wolf investigations Local Money Working For Local People Separate alpaca death confirmed as wolf kill Contact a Loan Officer Today to Discuss Your Financing Needs! By GEORGE PLAVEN Capital Press Courtesy of Howard Cantrell Howard Cantrell, who owns property near Five Points Creek west of La Grande, Ore., has moved his llamas into a pen closer to his house after two of the animals were found dead in a nearby pas- ture. ODFW has ruled one of the deaths a “probable” wolf attack. predator attack including bite marks and at least two sets of wolf tracks in the mud on a road about 20 yards away, which appeared to be a day or two old. Wolves were also spotted in several photos taken by a trail camera mounted 300 yards from where the carcass was found. But according to ODFW, the wounds were not consistent with extensive wolf-caused injuries and the death was ruled a “probable” wolf attack. “There was sufficient evi- dence to confirm predation on the llama by a large predator, but not enough evidence to confirm which predator,” the investigation report states. Michelle Dennehy, ODFW spokeswoman, said the inju- ries were “somewhat atyp- ical” from what is usually seen in wolf depredation. She said the agency has investi- gated more than 300 poten- tial wolf-livestock conflicts, and uses an evidence-based process to arrive at a conclu- sion. The “probable” ruling still means Cantrell is eligible for compensation, Dennehy add- ed. But Cantrell said he just wants to ensure ODFW is be- ing truthful to the public. “I’m not going to let this lie,” he said. “I want them to tell it like it is.” Cantrell said he has moved his llamas from the pasture and into a 10-acre pen closer to the house. Wolf attacks on llamas are not unheard of in Oregon — ODFW did con- firm members of the Sham- rock pack killed a llama last year in Wallowa County. In a separate incident, ODFW has confirmed wolves killed an alpaca Sunday on private land in Union County. Investigators found tracks and blood in the snow as ev- idence of an attack by three wolves in the Starkey area southwest of La Grande. GPS data also placed OR-30, a col- lared male wolf, about 130 yards from the carcass at 5 a.m. the same morning. The OR-30 pair was most recently documented in 2016, occupying a large territory spanning the northern Star- key and Ukiah units south of Interstate 84. OR-30 original- ly dispersed from the Snake River pack and spent most of 2015 in the Starkey, Uki- ah and Mount Emily units of northeast Oregon. This is the first livestock predation attributed to the OR-30 pair. Adrian Harguess Joseph, OR Mollie Hulse La Grande, OR Cliff Schoeningh Baker City, OR 541-432-9050 541-963-3434 541-524-7667 Christina Smith Pendleton, OR John Ngo Hermiston, OR Todd Wood College Place, WA 541-278-9000 541-289-4480 509-525-9860 Heidi Zellerhoff Clarkston, WA John Gass The Dalles, OR 509-758-6878 541-296-0779 1-800-472-4292 Member FDIC www.communitybanknet.com 50-3/108 The Union County, Ore., landowner who recently dis- covered two of his llamas killed in a forested pasture near Five Points Creek is con- fident wolves are to blame for their deaths. Howard Cantrell, a retired fifth-generation rancher who owned the llamas, believes the ODFW erred when in- vestigators stopped short of ruling either incident a con- firmed wolf kill, based on ev- idence including trail camera photos of wolves in the area. “It’s very frustrating,” Cantrell said. “People in northeast Oregon, they’re get- ting tired of all this stuff get- ting shoved under the table.” Cantrell, whose property is about 12 miles west of La Grande, began rescuing lla- mas in 2006. He now owns 13 llamas, along with three hors- es, six goats and 25 chickens. The first dead llama, named Sabra, was found dead Nov. 13 on a slope above Cantrell’s house. ODFW ar- rived the next day to inves- tigate, reporting that most of the carcass was consumed except for the neck, head and shoulder. There was no sign of a chase or struggle, and without further evidence the death was ruled a “possible/ unknown” attack. After that, Cantrell said he began checking on his llamas every day. A second llama, Chrisy, was found dead Nov. 24 approximately 150 yards from the house, and ODFW again came the next day. This time, investigators found much more evidence of a