The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) released the annual Oregon Wolf Conservation and Management report showing the minimum number of wolves at the end of 2023 was 178 wolves, the same documented in 2022.
The agency said the count does not incorporate the 10 wolves relocated to Colorado in 2023 to help establish a wolf population in the state. Of the documented 22 packs (a decrease from 24 the previous year), 15 packs qualified as breeding pairs, with an additional 13 groups of two or three wolves also identified.
ODFW reported from 2022 through December 2023, four breeding pairs were counted in the western portion of the state. However, in late December 2023, three Gearhart Mountain wolves, including the pack’s breeding female, were discovered dead east of Bly, resulting in the loss of the fourth breeding pair. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is investigating these deaths and has offered a $50,000 reward for information. Despite this setback, wolf expansion into the western portion persisted in 2023, with a 41% increase in population compared to 39% the previous year.
The eastern portion decreased by 11 wolves compared to last year, with 10 of those wolves translocated to Colorado. The wolf population in the northeast portion of the state has stabilized where most of the population has occurred. The southeast portion has experienced fewer wolf sightings due to a less suitable habitat.
According to ODFW, areas in the northeast part of the state remain a hotspot for livestock depredation. Despite adopting non-lethal deterrents, depredation in the area surged by 27%. In 2023, sixteen wolves from five packs were lethally removed due to chronic depredation in the eastern side of the state. The agency did not report the number of depredations last year in the report but said the overall number of depredations statewide decreased from 2022.
ODFW said that staff introduced procedural enhancements aimed at addressing wolf-livestock conflicts during the December 2023 Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting.
During the meeting, ODFW staff outlined recent process enhancements designed to manage wolf-livestock conflicts. Among the enhancements, field biologists can make on-the-ground decisions based on available information, provide clearer determination categories and streamline public notification through weekly updates.
Additionally, USDA’s Wildlife Services is augmenting Oregon’s wolf management efforts by deploying additional specialists focused on non-lethal resources to mitigate conflicts, investigate depredations, and lethally remove wolves following the Wolf Plan rules. ODFW also showed increased federal funding to the state fund, which compensates landowners for confirmed livestock losses and supports non-lethal deterrents.
ODFW reported in 2023 the Oregon Department of Agriculture’s compensation program disbursed grants amounting to $477,661 across 11 counties. The bulk of these funds (84%) were allocated for non-lethal preventive measures.
The agency said last year a wolf was shot, while multiple wolves suspected to have been poisoned in several cases are currently under investigation by Oregon State Police.
“The amount of poaching and other suspicious deaths is alarming, impacts our conservation goals and could affect our ability to manage wolves in Oregon,” said Bernadette Graham-Hudson, ODFW wildlife division administrator. — Charles Wallace, WLJ contributing editor
