Oregon State Wildlife Officials Kill Two Wolf Pups from a Helicopter

Oregon state wildlife officials responded to a rancher’s request  for help after a wolf depredation that resulted in killing two young pups in Baker County. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife officials had issued the permit just days earlier. The adult wolves in the Lookout Mountain pack are a collared breeding pair and were not allowed to be killed under this permit. Instead, they opted to kill the pups. 

“We are enraged by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s aggressive action to kill vulnerable 14-week-old gray wolf pups in response to livestock conflict,” said Sristi Kamal, senior representative for the Northwest Program at Defenders of Wildlife. 

In July, the Lookout Mountain pack attacked five cows. As a result, the state allowed for the killing of four uncollaRed Wolves in order to “reduce the pack’s food needs and disrupt the pack’s behavior so they don’t associate livestock with an easy meal”.  

“The use of lethal measures is never a long-term solution to depredations and killing pups is simply unacceptable. Defenders will continue to work with livestock producers to help implement proactive non-lethal practices and strategic grazing practices. It is possible for people and wolves to share the same land and ODFW must step up to their role to facilitate coexistence. They can, and they must,” said Kamal.   

The Lookout Mountain pack were four members strong at the end of 2020 (the breeding pair and two yearlings) and in spring of 2021 they successfully produced a litter of seven, bringing the pack size to 11. ODFW has killed 2 members (both pups) of those 11 so far this season.  

Oregon state laws allow ODFW to issue kill permits to producers if a pack reaches chronic depredation status (as described in the Oregon Wolf Plan) and an affected producer requests  such a permit. Kill permits are usually valid for a certain amount of time during which livestock producers or their agents are allowed to shoot permitted number of wolves. ODFW can support the producer with agency resources and staff such as helicopter and aerial shooting.