Multiple Wolf Packs Attack and Kill Cattle in Oregon

A number of livestock depredations cases have occurred in Oregon by several wolf packs cross the state that resulted in cattle injuries and deaths.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) has confirmed several cases where wolves attacked livestock during the end of October.

On Oct. 22, a wolf attack was confirmed in Grant County, near Logan Valley, after a four month old, 300 lb. calf was found by a rancher in a private irrigated pasture with injuries. The rancher discovered the calf on Oct. 11 with an open wound on its back right leg. Multiple tooth scrapes and lacerations were also observed. ODFW says that there are no known wolf packs in the area, but there have been reports of a lone wolf roaming.   

A day later on Oct. 23, ODFW reported that hunters had found a dead, nine month old calf weighing 700 lb. in Wallowa County, near Howard Butte. The hunters found the calf on a private pasture and observed a pack of five or six wolves within 100 yards of the carcass. After a necropsy it appears that wolves were not responsible for the death because all of the bite marks were after the calf died. No bite marks were consistent with a predator attack. The death was listed as “other” by ODFW.

The next day on Oct. 24 it was confirmed by ODFW that three calves were killed by wolves in Klamath County, near Wood River Valley. In the describing ODFW classified the calves as Calf A, B and C.

• Calf A was found dead on Oct. 24 in a private pasture. The calf was 600 lb. in weight with a carcass that was intact. However, the abdomen was open and the right flank was being fed on. ODFW estimates the calf died during the night. The discovery of this calf led the producer to unbury two other calves, Calf B and C, which had been removed from the same pasture the day before.
• Calf B was estimated to have died on Oct. 22 and had similar feeding from the flank.
• Calf C was mostly consumed and was estimated to have died on Oct. 21.

Necropsies and evidence from the kill sites of all three calves showed evidence of a predator attack by wolves.  Trail cameras in the area have showed the Rogue Pack of wolves to be 2.5 miles from the pasture on Oct. 23 and the pack has previously preyed on cattle at the same property. All three calves are considered to be separate attack incidents.

The Rogue Pack would kill again, this time a 675 lb. calf during the evening on Oct. 26. ODFW confirmed the kill the next day saying “extensive feeding was observed on the muscle tissue of the hindquarters and pelvic area but remainder of carcass was largely intact.” The impacted producer reports that a ranch hand had seen five wolves on Oct. 25 in a nearby pasture and the calf is estimated to have been killed on that date. ODFW is attributing the depredation to the Rogue Pack.