The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife called out two a pair of attacks on livestock this week.  On Monday, investigators were called to the Ft. Klamath area of Klamath County where two nine-month-old steers were found dead in a 200-acre private-land grass pasture.  The carcasses were mostly consumed with adequate hide present for the investigations.  It was estimated the steers died two to three nights prior to the investigation.

 

Investigators say there were pre-mortem bite scrapes measuring up to 3” long and 3/16” wide with associated underlying tissue damage.  One steer had damage at the elbow and the other steer had bites at one elbow and above both hocks.  The severity, size, and locations of these wounds are consistent with injuries to cattle attacked by wolves.

 

The depredation has been attributed to the Rogue Pack.

 

Then on Tuesday, crews were called to the Red Hill area of Wallowa County, where an 8-month-old, 670-pound calf was found against a fence in a 4,000-acre public-land allotment.  The livestock owner brought in the right hind leg that was intact below the hock and the remaining hide from the right hindquarter for examination.  The calf was estimated to have died within a week of the investigation.

 

Physical evidence and summary of findings: The remaining hide was shaved and examined.  There were several punctures with sharp, uneven edges on the inner and outer right hindquarter that did not appear to be from predator bites.  No premortem hemorrhaging was found and there was no tissue to examine above the hock. There were also scrapes in both areas, but no evidence that they were pre-mortem.  The size, number, and direction of the scrapes and severity of the damage is not consistent with a wolf attack.

 

Due to the lack of evidence, ODFW labeled this attack as "possible/unknown". 

 

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