T he C olumbia P ress
2
April 27, 2018
Oregon’s wolf population grew 11 percent and breeding pairs increased
Wildlife biologists counted
124 wolves in Oregon during
the winter, an 11 percent
increase over the number
counted last year.
The count is based on veri-
fied wolf evidence such as vi-
sual observations, tracks and
remote camera photographs
and is considered the mini-
mum known wolf population,
not an estimate of how many
wolves are in Oregon.
Twelve wolf packs were
documented by the Ore-
gon Department of Fish and
Wildlife at the end of 2017.
Eleven packs were successful
breeding pairs, meaning that
at least two adults and two
pups survived to the end of
the year. It was a 38 percent
increase in breeding pairs
from 2016.
“The wolf population con-
tinues to grow and expand its
range in Oregon,” said Rob-
lyn Brown, ODFW wolf co-
ordinator. “This year, we also
documented resident wolves
in the northern part of Ore-
gon’s Cascade Mountains for
the hands of humans.
• Just over half the docu-
mented wolf locations were
on public lands, 44 percent
were on private lands, and 2
percent were on tribal lands.
Courtesy ODFW
An adult and pup from the Catherine Pack on private proper-
ty in eastern Union County in May 2017.
the first time.”
Other highlights from the
report:
• The 12 wolf packs docu-
mented had a mean size of
7.3 wolves, ranging from 4
to 11 wolves. Another nine
groups of two or three wolves
each also were counted.
• Known resident wolves
can be found in Baker, Grant,
Jackson, Klamath, Lake,
Umatilla, Union, Wallowa
and Wasco counties.
• Twenty-five radio-collared
wolves were monitored, in-
cluding 19 wolves that were
radio-collared during 2017.
• Four collared wolves left
the state (two to Idaho, one
to Montana, one to Washing-
ton).
• Thirteen wolf deaths were
documented, 12 of them at
i LLegaL taking of woLves
Four wolves were killed il-
legally in 2017, two in areas
of the state where wolves re-
main on the federal Endan-
gered Species List (west of
highways 395, 78 and 95).
Three of the poaching inves-
tigations are ongoing, with
rewards of $2,500 to $15,000
offered for information.
The fourth case, involving a
wolf trapped and then shot in
Union County, was prosecut-
ed.
The defendant was penal-
ized with 24 months of bench
probation, 100 hours of com-
munity service, a hunting/
trapping license suspension
of 36 months and a $7,500
fine paid in civil restitution
to ODFW. He forfeited the
firearm and all trapping-re-
lated items seized during
the investigation and was
sentenced to an additional
$1,000 court fine.
L ivestoCk depredation
ODFW investigated 66 re-
ports of livestock depreda-
tion by wolves and confirmed
wolves were the culprit in 17,
compared to 24 confirmed
depredations in 2016.
ODFW confirmed losses of
11 calves, one llama, one al-
paca and 23 domestic fowl to
wolves in 2017 (compared to
11 calves, 7 sheep, one goat
and one llama lost in 2016.)
During 2017, 24 percent of
known wolf packs depredat-
ed livestock, compared to 57
percent in 2016.
Since 2009, 75 percent of
confirmed wolf depredations
have occurred on private
land with most during four
months -- May, August, Sep-
tember and October.
“It is encouraging to see the
continued recovery of Ore-
gon’s wolf population into
more of their historic range,”
Gov. Kate Brown said.
“(Still), ongoing issues of
poaching and livestock dep-
redation must be carefully
considered as we explore
more effective management
and conservation practices.”
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