A wolf from the Snake River Pack passed a remote camera

Wolf depredations spike in Jackson, Klamath Counties

JACKSON COUNTY, Ore. – After a significant lull, wolves are once again attacking cattle in southwest Oregon.

Throughout 2020, the Rogue Pack was blamed for killing over a dozen cattle in Jackson and Klamath Counties. However, there weren’t any confirmed attacks in the area throughout most of 2021.

That all changed in late October when a rancher found a dead 500-pound calf that was partially consumed by wolves in Klamath County.

A few days later, three 10-month-old, 650-pound steers were found dead in the Rancheria area of Jackson County.

All four of the depredations were attributed to the Rogue Pack.

On the morning of October 29, a ranch manager in the Bly area found a dead calf on a small private pasture. Most of the carcass was missing, making it a “possible” but unconfirmed wolf attack.

That discovery was followed by yet another dead calf in the same area. GPS location data placed collared wolf LAS13M within 700 yards of the calf around the time it died. LAS13M dispersed from the Lassen Pack in late summer 2020. This depredation was blamed on LAS13M or wolves that are roaming with him.

Another confirmed attack on a young steer happened around the same time in Jackson County. It was attributed to the Rogue Pack.

Since the federal delisting of wolves on January 4, 2021, livestock producers can shoot wolves that are actively attacking their cattle in certain situations.

Livestock producers in eastern Oregon can shoot and kill wolves that are chasing livestock under certain circumstances. However, producers in western Oregon cannot unless the Oregon Department of Wildlife determines a chronic depredation situation exists.

For more information about how ODFW is managing Oregon wolves, visit https://dfw.state.or.us/news/2021/01_jan/010421.asp

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