LOCAL & STATE
Wolves
Continued from Page A1
Justin Primus, a wildlife biol-
ogist at the ODFW’s Baker City
office, said he examined three
wounded calves on a Bureau
of Land Management graz-
ing allotment on Monday. The
site was about half a mile from
where the carcass of the dead
calf was found on May 5.
Primus said on Tuesday,
May 10, that the official
ODFW report on the latest
incident probably won’t be
released until Wednesday,
May 11, after press time for
the May 12 issue of the Baker
City Herald.
Ash, who also saw the in-
jured calves, said on Tuesday,
May 10, that two calves likely
will survive but a third, which
had a larger wound, probably
would be euthanized.
He said that calf had a hole
in its hindquarters about the
size of a fist.
Ash said the tooth scrapes
he saw on the injured calves
were similar to marks on other
cattle that were confirmed
by ODFW as having been at-
tacked by wolves.
Ash said he thinks ODFW
should allow biologists who
examine injured or dead live-
stock to determine officially
on site whether or not wolves
were responsible. Instead, Pri-
mus and other biologists for-
ward their reports, and pre-
liminary findings, to ODFW’s
state wolf coordinator, Roblyn
Brown, who works at the agen-
cy’s La Grande office. Official
findings typically are released,
and published on ODFW’s
website, within a few days.
Ash said the current situa-
tion in Baker County — and
in particular in the area north
of Richland — reminds him of
what happened in other parts
of the county in the past.
During the spring of 2018,
for instance, wolves from the
Pine Creek pack (which no
longer exists) attacked cat-
tle repeatedly in the low hills
country southeast of Halfway,
killing four and injuring at
least seven.
“We see this typically in the
spring when ranchers start
turning out on private pas-
tures and BLM allotments,”
Ash said. “We need ODFW
to manage the wolves by the
(state wolf management) plan.
If they start this chronic target-
ing of cattle they need to work
with the ranchers and deal
with this problem.”
More recently, during the
summer and early fall of
BAKER CITY HERALD • THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2022 A3
similar situation in Richland
or Keating,” Ash said. “I am
worried about it.”
Primus said he hasn’t seen
any evidence that anything,
besides the cattle themselves,
is attracting wolves to the area
north of Richland, such as a
pit where ranchers are actively
leaving carcasses.
He said wolves from the
Cornucopia pack, which
ODFW believes consists of
five wolves, has been staying
in that area for the past few
months.
With their natural prey base
of deer and elk beginning to
move into higher elevations as
the snow recedes, cattle, and
calves in particular, become
the “easiest thing on the land-
scape to catch,” Primus said.
That could remain the case
until deer start having fawns,
and elk bear calves, which will
start in a couple weeks, he said.
In the meantime, Ash hopes
ODFW will either consider
killing some wolves or giv-
Baker County Sheriff’s Office/Contributed Photo ing a rancher a permit to kill
A state biologist examined a calf near Richland on Monday, May 9,
wolves. That happened ear-
lier this month in Wallowa
that might have been attacked by wolves.
County, where a rancher shot
2021, wolves from the Look-
In response, ODFW killed
and killed one wolf from the
out Mountain pack, north of
eight of the 11 wolves from the Chesnimnus pack. Wolves
Durkee Valley, killed at least
pack, including its breeding
from that pack attacked cattle
nine head of cattle and injured male.
at least four times the last week
three others.
“I really don’t want to see a
of April, according to ODFW.
Under Oregon’s wolf plan,
ODFW can give kill permits
to a rancher if wolves from a
specific pack were implicated
in at least two attacks within a
nine-month period. The per-
mit in Wallowa County allows
the rancher to kill up to two
wolves before the permit ex-
pires May 24.
Which wolves?
Both Ash and Primus said at
least a couple ranchers in the
Richland area have reported
recently seeing three gray-col-
ored wolves that don’t have
tracking collars.
Primus said ODFW has not
documented gray, uncollared
wolves as part of the Cornuco-
pia pack.
He said the alpha female of
the pack is collared, and data
from the collar show no evi-
dence that she went to a den
this spring to have pups.
When a female has a lit-
ter of pups it’s usually easy to
confirm, even without seeing
the pups, because the mother
spends long periods of time in
one location, which is the den,
Primus said.
ODFW biologists had not
expected the Cornucopia pack
to produce pups this year since
the pack does not have a docu-
mented breeding male.
Ranchers frustrated by wolf attacks, ODFW response
He said that at the time of the
killing, the wolf was not actively
attacking cattle, but was in
WALLOWA COUNTY —
Dorrance Pasture along Crow
Wolf kills of livestock are be-
Creek. A targeted wolf does not
coming more frustrating to
Wallowa County ranchers and legally have to be in the act of
attacking livestock, it just has
livestock officials when they
to be in an area where depreda-
see how those depredations
are handled by the Oregon De- tions have occurred, he said.
partment of Fish and Wildlife.
Crow Creek rancher Tom
Effective management?
Birkmaier, who is the president
Todd Nash, president of the
of the Wallowa County Stock- OCA, a Wallowa County Com-
missioner and a local rancher,
growers Association, runs
about 500 cows, most of which said that the state conservation
and wolf-management plan has
have calves. He lost a half
dozen animals to wolves of the two main parts.
“They’ve done one but not
Chesnimnus Pack in late April
the other,” he said. “They’ve
and early May.
been highly critical of poach-
Birkmaier said he asked
ing, and I’m not defending that,
ODFW to “remove” the pack
but they need to step up to the
— meaning to kill them.
In response, ODFW issued plate when it’s appropriate for
a kill permit April 29. The per- them to take lethal action, and
mit, good through May 24, al- they have not done so.”
He emphasized that he
lows Birkmaier or an agent on
his behalf to kill two wolves in doesn’t mean elimination of
Dorrance Pasture or Trap Can- wolves as a species.
“We’re not talking about to-
yon Pasture, where the depre-
dations on cattle occurred, he tal eradication of wolves,” he
said. “When wolves get to be
said.
chronic depredators of live-
One of Birkmaier’s agents
killed a yearling male on Tues- stock, then you have to be ef-
day, May 3, said John Williams fective managers.”
But the kill permit issued to
of Enterprise, co-chairman of
the wolf committee for the Or- Birkmaier allows what is al-
egon Cattlemen’s Association. ready legal in Oregon’s eastside
Birkmaier declined to identify cattle country, where wolves
who took the wolf in an inter- were removed from the state’s
endangered species list in 2015.
view on May 9.
State law allows a rancher to
“I don’t want him to get
eliminate wolves after two con-
threatened” by wolf propo-
firmed kills of cattle.
nents, Birkmaier said.
BY BILL BRADSHAW
Wallowa County Chieftain
“We already have permitless
take in that anybody on this
side of the state where wolves
are chasing, biting, killing their
livestock, they have the au-
thority to go ahead and kill the
wolves,” he said. “So the permit
they gave was not much differ-
ent than what we already have
available to us.”
Nash said the ODFW issu-
ance of a kill permit wasn’t ef-
fective wolf management.
“Their response was to give
two kill permits for a given
area. In that area, it’s restrictive,”
Nash said. “I’m going to use the
example of if (serial killer) Ted
Bundy moved out of one apart-
ment and into another, you’d
just say, ‘Oh, he’s moved now.
You can’t arrest him.’ … Instead
of the whole pack, they’ve re-
stricted the area down.”
Nash showed photographs
of sheep that were killed April
29 in the Elk Mountain area of
Wallowa County. Three lambs
and two ewes were killed and
the report blamed the depreda-
tion on coyotes, officially call-
ing the responsibility “other.”
He showed photos of fresh
wolf tracks nearby and a dog
track to compare for size. He
also decried what the ODFW
said was a coyote attack.
“Those (wolf) tracks were
right next to where the sheep
were killed,” he said. “And
they’re calling it a coyote? But
there wasn’t a fresh coyote track
out there. There were some old
ones.”
Williams also was on the
scene of the attack on the sheep.
He agreed it was a wolf attack
and not coyotes.
Nash said he went right to
the top of the agency.
“They’re absolutely wrong
on this one,” he said. “I talked
to the director and asked for
a review, that they take a keen
look at this because they’re just
wrong.”
Like Birkmaier about his
agent who shot a wolf, the
Celebration of Life
Linda Koplein
Jan. 20, 1949 - Sept. 14, 2021
May 21st, 2022 • 1 PM - 4 PM
Baker City Elk’s Lodge
Please bring memories, smiles and laughter.
Luncheon will follow
Elizabeth Ann ‘Beth’ Atkins
are invited to a Celebration of Life at the Senior Center
July 25, 1951 - April 28, 2022
1504 Albany, La Grande, OR
May 21st 2022 • 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Elizabeth Ann “Beth” Atkins
passed away on Thursday, April
28, 2022, at St. Alphonsus
Hospital, Boise, Idaho. She was 70
years young.
Beth was born on a beautiful
summer day, July 25, 1951, in
Albany, Oregon, to H. Berten
Atkins and Alta Leondine
Aspinwall Atkins. She grew up in
Albany attending Central Grade School and Albany
Union High School. She went on to attend Western
Oregon University in Monmouth, Oregon.
From there she followed in her father’s footsteps,
starting work at the Ladd and Bush branch, U.S. Bank,
Salem, Oregon, then moving to Oregon City branch of
U.S. Bank and on to Molalla as branch manager.
Beth had a wonderful childhood. All weekends were
spent with parents, sister, grandparents and sometimes
even cousins. Big family dinners, picnics, and fishing
trips. Vacations were always at the Oregon Coast which
Beth truly loved. She especially loved going crabbing
with brother-in-law Darrel and niece Kim.
Elizabeth “Beth” Atkins married Gorden Atkins on
March 25, 1977, in Reno, Nevada. Their first home was
in Donald, Oregon, and then on to Oregon City, where
they lived until retiring to Unity, Oregon, in 2000.
There she met many wonderful people who became
true friends, and the family is very grateful for each
and every one of them.
Beth was a very devoted Christian and volunteered
many hours over the years to her church, Burnt River
Community Church in Unity, Oregon.
She is survived by her sister, Leberta Jones (Darrell),
niece, Kimberly Anderson (Phil), great-niece,
Elizabeth (Lizzy) Anderson (Beth’s namesake), and
several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by husband, Gorden
Atkins, her father, H. Berten Atkins, her mother,
Leondine Aspinwall, her grandparents, Hugh and
Mary Aspinwall, and Stephen and Mae Atkins, and her
nephew, Eric S. Jones.
The service will be held at Unity Community
Hall on Friday, May 13th at 3 p.m. Arrangements
are under the Nampa Funeral Home, Yraguen
Chapel where an online guest book is available at
www.nampafuneralhome.com.
Come help us celebrate and remember.
Refreshments will be available and lots of
visiting is encouraged.
Paula Jenkins, Lisa and Lynn
to complete investigations
and list the depredations, but
wolves don’t wait around for
agency paperwork.
“Generally, they take great
deal of time when time is of
the essence,” Williams said.
Dennehy said determina-
Agency report
tions of reported wolf kills are
The most recent livestock
generally reported within 48
kills in Wallowa County re-
hours of a producer’s report.
ported on ODFW’s wolf dep- When the agency’s determi-
redation report were on April nation is considered unsatis-
30. Three more attacks were
factory to the producer, a re-
listed in Baker County on
view process is available.
May 5.
“If requested by the owner
Birkmaier said he’s lost
of the livestock, we have a
a couple more calves this
process to review disputed
month and he’s spending time determinations and that
treating a calf that he’s not
is happening now,” Den-
sure will survive.
nehy said about the April 29
“I’m spending an hour a
sheep kill.
day doctoring the other one,”
As of May 9, the report still
he said. “I can’t get ahead of
said “bite wounds were con-
the infection.”
sistent with coyote attacks on
He said he understands it
sheep” and listed the determi-
takes a while for the agency
nation as “other.”
Charles ‘Charlie’ Dougherty
February 18, 1938 - April 27, 2022
Family and friends of
Ron Jenkins
owner of the sheep wanted
to remain anonymous. Both
hope to keep a good relation-
ship with the ODFW.
Birkmaier said the local
ODFW agents have offered to
help tend his cattle.
Charles
Duane
“Charlie”
Dougherty passed away peacefully
and unexpectedly at St. Charles
Hospital in Bend on April 27,
2022, at the age of 84. His wife,
Virginia, and his three sons, Mike,
Rob and Kit, were by his side.
Charles was the oldest of four
children born to Charles “Chuck”
and Doris Dougherty. He was born
on February 18, 1938, in Loveland, Colorado. His
family moved to Klamath Falls, Oregon, when he was
very young. He attended Klamath Union High School
where he graduated in 1956, and where he met the love
of his life, Virginia Walkley. The two were married on
December 28, 1958.
Charles developed a passion for the outdoors as a
young man, and dreamed of a career in Fish and Game
with the Oregon State Police. As soon as he turned 21
years old that dream became a reality. He and Virginia
moved to Ontario, Oregon, where their three sons were
born. His career with the Oregon State Police led him
next to Pendleton, Oregon, then to Baker City, Oregon,
and eventually to State Police headquarters in Salem,
Oregon. His innate ability to relate to others created
many lifelong friendships with other law enforcement
officers and members of the communities in which he
served.
In 1979, always looking for a challenge, Charles
became a partner in Century 21 Baker City Realty and in
1985 he purchased Southside Market & Deli in Madras,
Oregon. He and Virginia moved to Culver, Oregon. For
the next 10 years, while their home was and still is in
Culver, they operated the market and Virginia taught
school in Madras. After selling the market, Charles
returned to real estate, eventually owning RE/MAX
Land & Homes Real Estate in Redmond, Oregon.
He retired from Real Estate in February 2021.
Charles enjoyed hunting, fishing, and camping,
and together with family and friends created years of
memories in the outdoor excursions that live on today
in stories told and retold, many of them not suitable to
publish, but hilarious. He loved running and ran many
marathons in his younger years. He also loved to read
and would discuss authors and stories and exchange
books with friends and family. He attended St. Patrick’s
Catholic Church in Madras, Oregon.
Charles lives on through his loving family - his wife
of over 63 years, Virginia, of Culver, Oregon; his three
sons: Michael of Culver, Oregon, Robert (wife Joy), of
Tualatin, Oregon, and Christopher “Kit” (wife Kelly)
of Baker City, Oregon. He loved and was so proud of
his 8 grandchildren: Jessica (husband Chris), Megan,
Chelsie, Delaney, Kailey, Jace, Emily (fiancée Majed),
and Rebecca “Becca”; and his great-grandchildren:
Brennan, Jasmine, and Rylee: his sister Sharron
(husband Cletis) and many special nieces and nephews.
A Mass will be held at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church
in Madras, Oregon, at 10 a.m. on May 21, 2022, with
the Rosary at 9:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, Charles’s
family would like donations to be made to Knights of
Columbus Ukraine Relief Fund (website address: kofc.
org/Ukraine).
Bel-Air Funeral Home in Madras, Oregon is
entrusted with arrangements.