Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife crews were called to a pair of depredations, within hours of each other in the southern part of the state last week. On the morning of Friday November 5th a ranch employee found a dead 350 pound weaned calf in private pastureland in the Bly area of Klamath County. Most soft tissues associated with the rear quarters and all internal organs were scavenged, but the majority of the hide remained. It’s believed the calf was attacked late Thursday.

Portions of the remaining hide were shaved and the entire carcass was skinned. Multiple bite scrapes and tooth punctures up to ¼ inch wide were observed along with tissue hemorrhage up to 1 ½” deep in remaining tissues above the elbow on the right front leg, around the base of the tail and inside of the rear legs above the hocks, back of the jaw line at the throat, and behind the shoulders along the spine. The size of tooth wounds and severity of trauma is consistent with wolf attacks on calves. GPS location data places a radio collared wolf within 60 yards of the carcass location around the estimated time of death.

And then on Friday evening, a USDA Wildlife Services employee found a dead 300 pound calf on private pastureland. ODFW believes that calf was killed just hours earlier.

The carcass was fully shaved and skinned. Multiple bite scrapes and tooth punctures up to ¼ inch wide were observed along with tissue hemorrhage up to 2" deep in tissues behind and above the elbow on both front legs, at the rear flank, back of the jaw line at the throat, lower neck, and top of back along the spine. The size of tooth wounds and severity of trauma is consistent with wolf attacks on calves. Both depredations have been attributed to the LAS13 AKWA wolf or wolves.

ODFW crews have been called to three confirmed and one probable wolf depredation during the final days of October and the first week of November.

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