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OFF PAGE ONE/LOCAL
Wallowa County Chieftain
Wolves:
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.”
“The producer spent
several nights in the pas-
ture with his cattle follow-
ing the fi rst depredation and
attempted to haze wolves
out of the area on April 26
by shooting in the air over
eight wolves he encountered
in the pasture,” the agency
stated.
“Despite
these
eff orts, wolves have contin-
ued to visit and have killed
additional calves.”
Birkmaier said he’s
received assistance from fel-
low ranchers and residents.
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.”
He said many others have
helped who he will publicly
thank at a later time.
Kelly Birkmaier/Contributed Photo
A gash is apparent on the hindquarters of one of the cows
of Tom and Kelly Birkmaier’s at their Crow Creek ranch. The
cow was attempting to protect her calf from a wolf attack
Saturday, April 30, 2022.
“All ranchers work so
hard during the calving sea-
son and we turn out healthy
calves with lots of vigor,”
Birkmaier said. “Before
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wolves were introduced, we
didn’t have to worry about
them much this time of year.
Now it’s at a whole other
level of loss, both emotional
IN BRIEF
Nearly $10K raised
by Men’s Guild
LOSTINE — Nearly
$10,000 was raised by
the Men’s Guild during a
fundraiser for local health
care Tuesday, April 26, in
Lostine.
More than 50 men turned
out for the event, which was
the fi rst in-person meeting
for the Men’s Guild since
2019. The group, which is
sponsored by the Wallowa
Valley Health Care Foun-
dation, raised $9,800, com-
ing close to the stated goal
of $12,000.
“It’s because of such
strong community support
that we are able to be so
and fi nancial and many extra
hours of work. Ranchers
don’t have that extra time …
and to have to work day and
night to protect them from
the wolves that are both non-
native and were introduced.”
The Chesnimus pack
numbers at least eight or nine
adult and yearling wolves,
none of which have a work-
ing 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 Tuesday that Birkmai-
er’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 possi-
ble the number of wolves
allowed to be taken under
the kill permits could
increase.
“The potential to increase
the number of wolves (per-
mitted 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 population remained
virtually fl at 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 veri-
fi ed evidence and sightings.
However, the agency says
the actual number is likely
higher.
Meanwhile, 26 wolves
died in 2021, including 21
killed by humans, or about
12% of the population. Of
those, four were hit by vehi-
cles, eight were illegally
poisoned, one was legally
shot by a rancher on private
property and another eight
were killed by ODFW after
repeatedly attacking live-
stock in Baker County.
“Despite this, we are con-
fi dent in the continued health
of the state’s wolf popula-
tion as they expand in dis-
tribution across the state and
show a strong upward pop-
ulation 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 offi cials need to do
more to combat the illegal
killing of wolves, and they
need to embrace nonlethal
ways of preventing confl icts
with livestock,” said Sophia
Ressler, staff attorney with
the Center for Biological
Diversity.
John Williams, wolf com-
mittee co-chairman for the
Oregon Cattlemen’s Asso-
ciation, said ranchers bear
the economic and emotional
brunt of wolves attacking
their livestock.
In addition to confi rmed
depredations, Williams said
the presence of wolves can
make normally docile cows
agitated, lowering birth rates
and birth weight of calves
that ultimately aff ects 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 manage-
ment starts happening.”
———
Reporter Bill Bradshaw
of the Wallowa County
Chieftain contributed to this
story.
well-positioned with mod-
ern medical equipment for
excellent patient care,”
Wallowa Memorial Hospi-
tal CEO Larry Davy said
during the event. “This is
critical, as we face mounting
infl ation, supply chain short-
ages, and other challenges.”
The project presented to
the Guild on April 26 was
to provide for ultrasounds
to be performed in the fi eld
“so that life-saving infor-
mation can be learned right
away, so earlier intervention
is possible,” a press release
from the WVCHF stated.
“That includes accessing
Life Flight helicopter ser-
vices if needed, and alert-
ing hospital medical staff in
advance so they can begin
preparations.”
For more information
about Men’s Guild, or to
join, contact the WVHCF at
541-426-1913.
gether, which was the fi rst
time the event had been held
in person since 2019, prior
to the COVID-19 pandemic.
So far, about $15,400
has been raised for the bed,
said Stacy Green, WVHCF
director.
“It was so nice to see
everyone,” Green said in
a press release. “We really
missed getting together.”
For more information
about Circle 100, contact the
WVHCF at 541-426-1913.
Cheryl Coughlan at the cen-
ter at 541-432-0505, by
email at director@josephy.
org or stop in at 403 N. Main
St. in Joseph.
The Nez Perce language
program app is available on
your phone.
Circle 100 Club
closer to birthing
bed purchase
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Hurricane Creek Road
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541-426-3116
Wednesday, May 4, 2022
Sale Good Thru May 31st
ENTERPRISE — The
Circle 100 Club has raised
more than 75% of the funds
needed to purchase a new
bed for birthing mothers,
with much of that fund-
ing coming during a recent
annual meeting and fund-
raising event April 7.
The club, sponsored by
the Wallowa Valley Heath
Care Foundation, is buy-
ing the new bed, which has
an estimated cost of about
$20,000.
“Circle 100 truly helps
patients directly. The impact
it has on so many people
cannot be measured,” said
Kim Stoff el, Enterprise res-
ident and member since
the club’s 2011 founding.
“I could not be more proud
to be part of this amazing
group of women.”
About
40
women
attended the annual get-to-
Intro to native
languages off ered
JOSEPH — A vir-
tual lecture as an introduc-
tion to Nez Perce and other
Sahaptin languages will be
held May 14 from 9:30-
11:30 a.m. presented by the
Josephy Center for Arts and
Culture, according to a press
release.
Angel Sobotta will con-
duct the lecture. She is a Nez
Perce mother, dancer, lan-
guage instructor and Ph.D.
student at the University of
Idaho.
Cost of the lecture is $30.
This interactive lecture
will cover:
• Nez Perce and other
Sahaptin languages. How
close are they? What do they
share or what makes them
diff erent?
• Accepted linguistic
spellings and pronunciations
so that we can follow words
on maps, words that come
up in tribal papers, etc.
• Common greetings
and place names, especially
names of places in Oregon
and Idaho.
• Family names — how
are they passed down and
carried on. What names can
a family choose from? Are
native names used more now
than in previous decades?
• Next steps for those
who want to really learn the
language.
To register, contact
Soroptimists
accepting award
applications
ENTERPRISE
—
The
Wallowa
County
Soroptimists are accept-
ing applications for The
Fellowship Award, the orga-
nization announced Thurs-
day, April 28.
The $2,000 award is pre-
sented annually to a woman
continuing her education
in a postgraduate program.
According to a press release,
qualifi ed applicants include
a woman who:
• Is a Wallowa County
resident.
• Is established in busi-
ness or profession.
• Conducts her business/
profession competently and
ethically.
• Has a bachelor’s or mas-
ter’s degree from an accred-
ited college/university.
• Presents a plan of
“worthwhile” study in a
postgraduate program at
an accredited college/uni-
versity that leads to an
advanced degree or that
enhances standing her
business/profession.
• Provides other informa-
tion the committee deems
necessary.
Applications are due
by June 1. They are avail-
able online at www.wal-
lowacountysoroptimist.org.
When completed, they can
be mailed to Soroptimist,
P.O. Box 127, Enterprise,
OR 97828.
For more information,
contact Janet Pulsifer at
541-398-1089.
— Chieftain staff
VISIT US ON THE WEB AT:
www.Wallowa.com
M ichael’s on Main
314 Main Street
Enterprise OR 97828
971-322-7333
Left of the Court House
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