County approves wolf depredation payments
By Terry Murry on Friday, February 5th, 2021 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
PENDLETON – The Umatilla County Board of Commissioners has approved paying out $59,270 to livestock producers for lost livestock and measures to prevent depredation. While the payments do cover missing or killed cattle or sheep, that’s not all.
“They’ll have reimbursement costs like, ‘Ok, I had a guy on horseback riding and checking the herd,’ and that kind of stuff,” Umatilla County Commissioner John Shafer said. “They (the producers) have to have really good notes and documentation.”
Shafer said wolf depredation is another thing about rural Oregon that city dwellers just can’t understand.
“Unfortunately, that’s one of the things we deal with is wolves,” Shafer said. “They just don’t see the devastation it causes to livestock.” Terrill Thomas received the largest amount, at $12,424.18 to cover depredations in 2019, a range rider, and bone pile removal. Cunningham Sheep had the second largest — $12,281.45 – for 2019 depredations, a range rider, and dog maintenance.
Photo via Oregon Cattlemen’s Association
