The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) released its annual survey, showing the wolf population in 2021 increased by just two individuals due to higher wolf mortalities.
ODFW counted 175 wolves in 2021, up from 173 in 2020, based on visual observations, tracks and remote camera photographs. ODFW noted the actual number of wolves might be higher, as not all individuals present in the state are located during the winter count.
At the winter count, ODFW documented 21 packs, with 16 of those packs meeting the criteria of breeding pairs. A breeding pair is defined as an adult male and female with at least two pups that survived the year of their birth. In addition, ODFW identified eight groups of two or three wolves. Wolves expanded into four new areas of resident wolf activity in Grant, Jefferson, Klamath and Union counties.
Wolf mortalities were higher this year, with 26 known mortalities—up from 10 in 2020—including 21 deaths caused by humans. Of the human-caused mortalities, four were by motor vehicle collisions, eight were poisoned, eight were removed by ODFW for depredation and one was killed by a rancher on private property near livestock.
“The wolf count did not increase as much over the past year as in previous years, and a higher number of mortalities that included the loss of breeding adults certainly played a role,” said Roblyn Brown, ODFW wolf biologist. “Despite this, we are confident in the continued health of the state’s wolf population as they expand in distribution across the state and show a strong upward population trend.”
Environmental groups were disappointed with the increase in the number of mortalities due to “deliberate poisoning” and removal by the department.
Sophia Ressler, a staff attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, said the poachings are a reminder more work needs to be done, and ODFW needs to do more to combat the killings and implement nonlethal measures.
“Coexistence with these amazing animals is the goal, and we’re still a long way from reaching that, but with lots of work, we hope to get there,” Ressler said.
Danielle Moser, wildlife program coordinator for Oregon Wild, said human-caused mortality is a factor prohibiting wolf recovery, and “There are certainly many more unaccounted for deaths and poachings of uncollared wolves.”
Brown did express concern about wolf poaching in Oregon, with losses that included an entire wolf pack last year. “We hope that anyone with information will step forward, which can be done anonymously, and claim the preference points or the monetary reward offered, which is now at $50,000 for the Catherine Pack.”
John Williams, co-chair of the wolf committee for the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association, told the Oregonian while the number of wolves remains unchanged from last year, ranchers continue to struggle with depredation.
“We need to normalize wolves so that we treat them as another animal on the landscape,” Williams said. “They aren’t going away, but we have to get to a point where we can manage them, and sometimes that means you have to take them out.”
Reported livestock losses and injuries in 2021 included three cows, 34 calves, 17 ewes, six lambs, nine goats and one herding dog. According to the report, 49 of those deaths or injuries were confirmed as wolf depredations, a jump from 31 wolf depredations in 2020. In 2021, 92 percent of the depredations occurred between July and November, with 86 percent occurring on private lands.
ODFW confirmed that 40 depredations occurred in the East Wolf Management Zone, where wolves are under state control, with eight packs designated as chronic depredators.
No wolves were taken under the caught-in-act statute that allows livestock producers to lawfully shoot a wolf caught in the act of biting, wounding, killing or chasing livestock or working dogs in certain circumstances without a permit.
The Oregon Department of Agriculture awarded $130,814 to 10 counties, down from $251,529 in 2020, for payments to ranchers for dead and missing livestock and nonlethal control measures. — Charles Wallace, WLJ editor
