Dead ewes and lambs attributed to wolves

UNION COUNTY – (Information provided by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife)

July 4, 2021 – Union County (Kamela area) 

Date Investigated: 7/4/21 

Cause of death/injury: Confirmed (9) 

General situation and animal information: On the morning of 7/4/21, a herder notified a ranch hand that sheep had scattered from around their bedding area near his trailer the previous evening. That same morning, a member of the public found two dead ewes and one dead lamb on the same large, timbered private-land pasture and notified the ranch hand. The ranch hand found an additional three dead lambs, one dead ewe, and two injured lambs. One of the injured lambs was not relocated until 7/7/21. Of the dead sheep, one was mostly consumed, two were completely intact, two were mostly intact, and two were partially consumed. All animals were estimated to have been injured or killed on the evening of 7/3/21. 

Physical evidence and summary of findings: A GPS location from a radio-collared Ukiah wolf around the time of the sheep injuries and mortalities was within 150 yards of three of the sheep carcasses. Tracks of multiple wolves were also found near several of the carcasses. One injured lamb and one dead ewe were examined on site on 7/4/21, the remaining dead sheep were partially shaved/skinned and examined on 7/6/21. The dead sheep had pre-mortem tooth punctures up to 3/8” in diameter on the neck, throat, groin, and/or hindquarters. Associated hemorrhage and tissue trauma extended up to 2” deep. One injured lamb had an open bite wound on the backside of the right hindquarter above the hock with exposed tissue damage. The other injured lamb had a bite wound to the throat. All sheep had premortem bite wounds indicating they were attacked by a predator. The size, location, and severity of 2 wounds were consistent with wolf attacks on sheep. This depredation event is attributed to the Ukiah Pack.

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Elkhorn Media Group