Oregon wolf packs reproduce - and prey on calf
EUGENE, Ore. - A calf found severely injured in a grazing allotment on public land managed by the U.S. Forest Service was attacked by Oregon's Imnaha wolf pack, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife confirmed Friday.
Biologists expect to have a summary of the investigation this week.
The wolf population in northeastern Oregon has been on the grow this spring and summer.
On May 30, biologists observed at least four new pups in the Wenaha pack.
The Imnaha pack also produced at least four pups this year.
And in June, a trail camera captured an image of a lactating female wolf in an area of the Eagle Cap Wilderness Area where wolf activity hadn't previously been documented.
"The photo clearly shows that reproduction has occurred, but the current location and number of wolves in this area is unknown at this time," ODFW reports.
ODFW and all these well meaning environmentalists have no clue as to the long term damage or help their programs will inflict or provide. As a society, we are arrogant to think we possess the crystal ball that can tell us all there is to be know of the consequences of our constant meddling in natural affairs.
It looks like we are starting to establish a decent wolf population in the north-eastern part of the state, now if we can keep the ranchers from slaughtering them, we will really have something beautiful here. In the near future we could have a tourist trade specializing in wolf watching and eco-tours of wolf habitat add that to our rivers, lakes, lovely coast-line and charming communities and we wont even miss that timber money in a few years.
@Blahblahblah How long have you lived in Oregon? This state used to be run correctly or at least semi correctly, but that was over 30 years ago. Our mule deer herds are down, predator kill is up, and it really is going to be lovely when mis-managed forest all burn to the ground.
 @Blahblahblah Ranchers aren't just raising cattle to feed the wolves, you know. =/ They have every right to protect their herd. Meanwhile, elk and deer populations aren't doing too well, but oh yes, let's bring back the wolf.
Bear, Cougar and now Wolf populations increase dramatically - giving ODFW something to manage. But wait!  Deer and Elk populations are down and so are game tag revenues.  Who can do this math for them?  Of course, we all can but ODFW is too smart to listen.  Shortly they will be laying off employees like the Sheriff in Lane County; because eventually these bureaucrats run out of other peoples money.
 @thisBITES!Â
Why is deer and elk populations down? oh maybe..mismanagement of the land..BLM//Forest Service might have something to do with it... Disease plays a big part.. But it is not caused by predators.. whom ever believes that believes in old wives tales..there is chronic wasting disease running thru the herds as well as skin diseases,, If there were natural predators to cull herds,,maybe these diseases wouldn't decimate the herds.. Maybe,,just maybe, those diseases would be caught by natural predation before it has a chance to spread. to other deer and elk.
Â
@Whitehawk @thisBITES! http://www.aws.vcn.com/mountain_lion_fact_sheet.html
@Whitehawk @thisBITES! I agree that diseases take a toll on wild game, but so do cougars. We used to hunt cougars with dogs and kept their population under control. I have heard that a full grown cougar can take as many as one game animal per week, that is 52 animals a year. If there are a thousand cougars out there do the math. Now you get wolves involved, it can only get worse. It is a combination of mismanagement, weather, and desease that all take a toll. Mismanagement of predators probably is the largest of the three. Before we had all these Progressive scientists in the game management field, and all the out of state hunters, and all the outfitters we had larger and more plentiful mule deer herds. I grew up on a cattle ranch, hunted on horseback, and can recall seeing 50-100 mule deer in herds, with some big boys in amongst them. There was a 75 dollar bounty on female cougars then.
@thisBITES! You are right they have screwed everything else up, and as you said it won't be long now until they are also having to lay people off. Some day people are going to wake up and elect someone with some business sense, or at the very least common sense.