Wallowa County Wolves

[whiteeyes]

 

[Mark Brenckle]

Great video whiteeyes, thanks for posting that.

[rasbo]

JOSEPH, Ore. —
Oregon biologists have found a gray wolf in one of the state's four known packs, bringing the state's wolf count to 25.

The Oregonian reports that ( http://is.gd/k5Tqlt) photos captured by an Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife remote camera show that the state's Wenaha pack produced a pup earlier this year.

The pup is shown sniffing the snow and then testing the air.

"One could presume he's still traveling with an adult," ODFW spokeswoman Michelle Dennehy said, though the images show the pup alone.

The photos - from a camera in a forest in western Wallowa County - show a half-grown young wolf with a full coat of gray fur. They provide the first indication that the pack's alpha male and female reproduced.

Dennehy said the pup is believed to have been born last spring, likely in April.

The total of 25 wolves is "the number we can account for," Dennehy said, but there could be more wolves that state biologists don't yet know about.

With confirmation that the Wenaha pack had a pup, state biologists say all of Oregon's four wolf packs have reproduced this year.

The packs are all in the state's rugged northeastern corner.

The Imnaha, Wenaha and Snake River packs all dropped at least one pup, and the Walla Walla pack had at least three pups. Only the Walla Walla pack is considered a "breeding pair" for conservation purposes, meaning the pack produced at least two pups that survived through the end of the year into which they were born.

The largest pack in Oregon is the Walla Walla, with six wolves. The Imnaha, Walla Walla and Snake River packs each had five. Two other wolves roam northern Umatilla County, along with two "dispersers" in northeastern Oregon.

The first physical evidence that wolves had returned to Oregon by migrating across the Snake River from Idaho came in 2007, when a rancher found tracks on the south end of the Eagle Cap Wilderness.

[Mark Brenckle]

Rasbo - at least they can account for some of their wolves, I haven't seen that much detail from WDFW about any of the existing wolf packs in WA.

[buckhorn2]

Looks like the only way to convince biologists that wolves are a problem would be to put one of those collars on them and let them wander around on the ranchers property to see if wolves are whats eating his animals. Seems like biologists have tunnel vision from reading the same books listening to the same professers and then sticking there head in the sand there like alligators all mouth and no ears.

[rasbo]

Rasbo - at least they can account for some of their wolves, I haven't seen that much detail from WDFW about any of the existing wolf packs in WA.

what bothers me is,they only count the one pair as a breeding pair

[rasbo]

Looks like the only way to convince biologists that wolves are a problem would be to put one of those collars on them and let them wander around on the ranchers property to see if wolves are whats eating his animals. Seems like biologists have tunnel vision from reading the same books listening to the same professers and then sticking there head in the sand there like alligators all mouth and no ears.

they are doing that in oregon,but doubt you will see it here

[GrainfedMuley]

It is a good video.   Already posted.


http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,89195.0.html

[bearpaw]

just watched it for the first time, great video, thanks for posting....

[C-Money]

Watched for the first time! Had lunch with the first rancher they interviewed in the beginning of the video a few weeks ago. He has been getting hit hard. He has lost lots of livestock, and is being harrassed by the wolf groups for trying to get regulations put on wolves. We are north of his place, and its only a matter of time before our place starts seeing wolf activity. Sad, very sad we can not protect our livestock from these animals.

[bearpaw]

Sorry to hear C-Money, we've got a ranching family in northeast Wasington missing 27 head at this fall's roundup (including 5 bulls). Lots of wolf scat in the area full of cattle hair.

[C-Money]

Seeing the Rancher "speak" with the wolf "officials" at the end of the video makes me so sick. These guys are loosing animals/$$ to wolves and very few are "Confirmed" wolf kills. I recognize every rancher in that video, hard to see good folks who have followed all the rules and worked hard all there lives be forced to stand by and let the carnage continue. Coyotes are hard enough on calves, but we can do something to try to keep yote numbers down. With wolves, they are 100% harder on the herd and our hands are tied. Our farm is 3rd generation and is only 1500 acres. We are north of Enterprise and its only a matter of time. We dont have the room to run a big bunch of cows, so every one lost is felt, and is hard to absorb the loss. If the wolf folks are playing the game that they just are not sure if an animal death is wolf related, which leads to no reimbursement, ranching is screwed.