ODFW Trying To Determine Which Pack Is Responsible For Recent Umatilla County Depredations

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildfire investigators say they know wolves are responsible for several attacks reported in Umatilla County last week, they just don’t know which pack. Investigators were called to the Ukiah Valley area Saturday, after a rancher found one dead and six injured calves on 200 acres of private pastureland. Two of the injured calves were euthanized because of their injuries. ODFW says all seven were roughly six months old, weighing between 450-550 pounds.

Portions of the three carcasses were shaved and skinned. All three calves had dozens of parallel pre-mortem tooth scrapes on the back of the hindquarters between the hocks and anus. Tooth scrapes were up to 3/16” wide and approximately 3” long. Numerous similarly sized tooth scrapes were found between the elbow and shoulder of all three calves. Tissue trauma associated with the tooth scrapes was up to 3 inches deep. Each injured calf was examined in a squeeze chute. The calves had numerous tooth scrapes up to 3/16” wide and 3”-5” long on the hindquarters between the hocks and anus. The location, size, number, and direction of tooth scrapes and/or severity of associated tissue trauma is consistent with wolf attack injuries on calves.

ODFW says it not clear what wolves are responsible for these seven depredations. No radio-collar locations from the Ukiah Pack have been in the area. It is possible the Fivemile Pack is using areas east of their estimated AKWA. In addition, recent reports suggest a new group of wolves may be present southeast of the depredation location.

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