PENDLETON, Ore. — Wolves from the Mount Emily pack killed an adult sheep last week on the Umatilla National Forest in northeast Oregon, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife has confirmed.
It’s the second time the pack has preyed on sheep in the area this year, so lethal control of the predators is an option under the state’s wolf management plan. But Russ Morgan, wolf program coordinator for the department in La Grande, said that’s not being considered.
“I can’t stress this enough; the goal of everyone involved is to stop that depredation,” Morgan told The East Oregonian newspaper on Monday. “It’s not a goal (to either) kill or don’t kill wolves.”
The emphasis remains on using non-lethal ways to minimize conflicts between wolves and livestock, Morgan said. For example, radio-activated noise boxes are designed to haze wolves away from ranches and public grazing allotments.
“We try to assess what is the best, most cost-effective and efficient tools to manage the problem,” Morgan said. “The real litmus we’re judging this against is what’s effective.”
Eastern Oregon moved to Phase II of the state Wolf Management and Conservation Plan in January after the region’s wolf population recorded at least four breeding pairs for three consecutive years. There were at least 77 known wolves statewide at the end of 2014.
Part of the change in regulations lowered the requirement for Department of Fish and Wildlife to consider killing wolves that regularly prey on livestock.
It used to take four confirmed attacks within a six-month period to meet the threshold. Now, it takes two confirmed attacks, and there’s no time limit.
Mount Emily wolves killed three sheep and a guard dog owned by the same producer in June, about five miles away from where the dead ewe was found last week. In both cases, wolf tracks were found and GPS-collar data indicated the pack was in the area.
The state lists wolves as endangered east of highways 395, 78 and 95, where the majority of the wolf population resides.
The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission will consider a proposal to delist wolves in eastern Oregon during meetings this fall.
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