News
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, November 8, 2017
Wolf biologist questions self-defense wolf killing
By Eric Mortenson
EO Media Group
Known wolf activity, OR30
A retired U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service biologist
with 30 years experience said
it is unlikely a wolf shot by an
Oregon elk hunter was attack-
ing the man.
Carter Niemeyer, who
lives in Boise and oversaw or
consulted on wolf recovery
work throughout the West,
also said descriptions of the
bullet trajectory — in one
shoulder and out the other –
raise doubt about the hunter’s
account that the wolf was run-
ning at him when he fi red.
“That’s a broadside shot,
not a running-at-you shot,”
Niemeyer said. “If the bullet
path is through one side and
out the other, it indicates to
me an animal could have been
standing, not moving, and the
shot was well placed.”
A bullet that hit the wolf
as it was running forward
most likely would have ex-
ited out the hips or rear end,
Niemeyer said. He acknowl-
edge the bullet or fragments
could have defl ected off
bone, but said a forensic
exam would have to explain
that. Michelle Dennehy, Ore-
gon Department of Fish and
Wildlife spokesman, said
the agency did not request a
necropsy because the cause
of death — gunshot — was
known.
Niemeyer said the hunter’s
account of taking a “snap shot
into a ball of fur” is unlikely.
“I have to tell you I doubt
the story,” he said.
Niemeyer, 70, said he’s
hunted predators for 52 years
as a government hunter and
a taxidermist, and has dealt
with fellow sportsmen and
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Female wolf
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N. Fk. Jo h n D ay Ri ve
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JOHN DAY
WILDERNESS
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Source: Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife
shooters for decades.
“I’ve heard every story,”
he said. “This story is very
suspect to me.”
The elk hunter, Brian
Scott, 38, of Clackamas told
Oregon State Police that the
wolf ran straight at him. Scott
told police he screamed, took
quick aim and fi red his 30.06
rifl e once. Scott said he saw
nothing but fur in the rifl e’s
scope as the wolf ran at him,
according to published re-
ports.
In an interview with out-
door writer Bill Monroe of
The Oregonian/OregonLive,
Scott said he was terrifi ed.
“People envision this jerk
hunter out to kill anything,
but that’s not me,” he told
Monroe. “It frustrates me
they don’t understand. I’m a
meat hunter. I was looking
for a spike elk. This wasn’t
exciting. It ruined my hunt.”
Scott told Monroe he
didn’t think he had time to
fi re a warning shot. He could
not explain the bullet’s path,
30
Alan Kenaga/Capital Press
which entered the wolf’s
right shoulder and exited the
left, other than perhaps the
wolf turned at the last instant
or the bullet defl ected.
Niemeyer, the retired
wildlife
biologist,
said
wolves will “turn around
and take off” when they re-
alize they’re near a human.
Niemeyer said he had “many,
many close encounters with
wolves” while doing trap-
ping, collaring and other fi eld
work for USFWS in Idaho,
Oregon and elsewhere. He
said wolves sometimes ran at
him and approached within 6
to 8 feet before veering away.
Wolves are potential-
ly dangerous, he said, “but
all my experience tells me
it would be fearful of a hu-
man.”
People in such situations
should stand up if they are
concealed, show themselves,
and yell or throw things,
Niemeyer said. Hunters could
fi re a shot into the ground or
into a tree and “scare the hell
out of them,” he said.
“That would have been
the fi rst logical thing to do,”
he said. “The gunshot and
a yell from a human would
turn every wolf I’ve ever
known inside out trying to
get away.”
He also suggested peo-
ple venturing into the woods
should carry bear repellent
spray, which certainly would
also deter wolves, cougars or
coyotes.
“If everyone shoots every-
thing they’re afraid of, wow,
that’s not a good thing,” he
said.
Niemeyer acknowledged
his reaction is based on years
of experience with wolves.
“People say, ‘That’s easy
for you to say, Carter, you
worked with wolves for 30
years and you’re familiar
with their behavior,’” he said.
The shooting happened
Oct. 27 in ODFW’s Starkey
Wildlife Management Unit
west of La Grande, in North-
east Oregon.
Scott, the hunter, told po-
lice he was hunting and had
intermittently seen what he
thought might be coyotes. At
one point, two of them circled
off to the side while a third ran
at him. Scott said he shot that
one and the others ran away.
Scott went back to his
hunting camp and told com-
panions what had happened.
They returned to the shooting
scene and concluded the dead
animal was a wolf. The hunter
then notifi ed state police and
ODFW, which investigated.
Police later found a shell cas-
ing 27 yards from the wolf
carcass. The Union County
district attorney’s offi ce re-
viewed the case and chose not
to fi le charges.
The Portland-based con-
servation group Oregon Wild
raised questions about the in-
cident. Rob Klavins, Oregon
Wild’s fi eld representative in
Northeast Oregon, said he’s
seen wolves in the wild sev-
eral times and backed away
without trouble or harm. Even
the late OR-4, the fearsome
breeding male of the infa-
mous Imnaha Pack in Wal-
lowa County, retreated and
barked when it encountered
Klavins and a hiking party.
“This (hunter) may have
felt fear, but since wolves re-
turned to Oregon, no one has
so much as been licked by a
wolf, and that’s still true to-
day,” Klavins said.
“What has changed is
we now have wolves on the
landscape, 10 years ago we
didn’t,” Klavins said. “Es-
pecially in the fall (hunting
season), armed people are
going to be out encountering
wolves.”
Oregon Wild believes
poachers have killed several
Oregon wolves, and USFWS
on Nov. 6 offered a $5,000 re-
ward for information about a
collared wolf designated OR-
25 that was found dead Oct.
29 in South Central Oregon.
Klavins said wolf shoot-
ers might now use a “self-de-
fense” claim as a “free pass to
poaching.”
A3
Missing
elk
hunter
located
Blue Mountain Eagle
Grant County Sher-
iff’s Office Search and
Rescue personnel located
a missing elk hunter ear-
ly Sunday morning after
an all-night search in the
mountains southeast of
Dale.
John Day dispatch re-
ceived a cellphone call at
about 8:38 p.m. on Sat-
urday reporting a hunter
who had not come out on
a road as planned.
Deputy
Brandon
Hutchison and search
and rescue volunteers
responded to the How-
ard Creek area, off For-
est Service Road 10
about 11 miles from
Dale, and searched the
area through a snowy
night.
Leroy Needham, 83,
was located next to a
warming fire at about 4
a.m.
Search and rescue per-
sonnel sheltered in place
while waiting for day-
light. Needham walked
out and was reunited with
his family and his hunt-
ing party several hours
later.
Thank you, Veterans!
Thank you, for serving our
country and
protecting our freedoms.
We hon the men and women who serve and
protect the values of our nation.
Grant County Chamber of Commerce
301 W. Main St., John Day, OR 97845
541-575-0547 | gcoregonlive.com
John Day Elks Lodge #1824
140 NE Dayton St., John Day
541-575-1824
The Blue Mountain Healthcare Foundation would like to
thank the following individuals and businesses who
donated items to this year’s Annual Meeting, Dinner and
Auction held October 21st at the John Day Elks Lodge.
The generosity of our community is amazing and we are
truly grateful for each and every one of you who supported
such a great cause! Funds raised are being used for
upgrades at the Blue Mountain Care Center.
1188 Brewing Company
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Anthony Lakes Resort
Better Blooms
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House to Home
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JD Rents
22791
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KJDY
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Stylish 10
Subway
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Ugly Truth Bar & Grill
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22344