Northside wolves kill one yearling, possibly others in Grant County
By Logan Bagett on Friday, May 14th, 2021 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News Featured Stories More Top Stories
FOX, OR – A wolf attack has been confirmed by ODFW in Grant County, killing at least one yearling cow. A livestock producer in the Fox Valley area discovered several dead yearlings Saturday morning, and another on Monday morning. The situation was investigated, and one of the deaths is confirmed to be associated with the Northside wolf pack. Another death is probable and two other are possible to have been caused by wolves. Find the full report below:
(Release from Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife)
May 10, 2021 – Grant County (Fox Valley area)
Date Investigated: 5/10/21 Cause of death/injury: Possible/Unknown
General situation and animal information: A livestock producer discovered a dead
approximately 400-pound yearling cow on the morning of 5/10/21 in a 400-acre pasture on private land. The skeleton was intact except the right hind leg was removed. Most of the hide and tissues were scavenged or decomposed. The shoulder and neck had some remaining tissue.
The date of death was estimated around 5/5/21.
Physical evidence and summary of findings: The remains of the carcass were skinned and examined. There were no pre-mortem bite marks or tissue hemorrhage to indicate the calf was attached by a predator. No evidence was found to suggest the death was wolf-related, but due to the lack of hide and tissue the determination is possible/unknown.
May 8, 2021 – Grant County A (Fox Valley area)
Date Investigated: 5/8/21 Cause of death/injury: Confirmed
General situation and animal information: On the morning of 5/8/21, a livestock owner found a dead, approximately 400-pound yearling heifer in an 800-acre rangeland pasture on private land. The carcass was intact and had injuries on the hind legs and left front shoulder. The yearling had died during the early morning of 5/8/21.
Physical evidence and summary of findings: The carcass was partially shaved and skinned. There were bite punctures and multiple tooth scrapes associated with pre-mortem hemorrhage on the carcass indicating it had been attacked by a predator. Multiple bite marks and severe muscle trauma was present on the upper thighs of both hind legs, groin, and left elbow. Tooth scrapes were up to 1/4 inch wide and 2 1/2 inches long; associated underlying muscle trauma extended 1 inch deep. The location of injuries and severity of trauma was similar to other confirmed wolf attack injuries on cattle. The location of the attack was within the Northside Wolves AKWA.
May 8, 2021 – Grant County B (Fox Valley area)
Date Investigated: 5/8/21 Cause of death/injury: Possible/Unknown
General situation and animal information: On the morning of 5/8/21, while investigating a dead yearling (report May 8, 2021 Grant County – A), the livestock producer found the remains of a 300-pound yearling steer in the same 800-acre private-land pasture. The carcass was intact with all tissue on the left hind leg above the hock consumed and 70% of tissue on the right hind leg above the hock consumed. All tissue behind the ribs to pelvis was consumed. The majority of the hide was missing from the back half of the yearling. The date of death was estimated to be between 5/2/21 and 5/4/21.
Physical evidence and summary of findings: There was no evidence of predator attack on the carcass or the scene. The remaining carcass was partially skinned and shaved. No pre-mortem bite marks were found on the hide. No evidence was found to suggest the death was wolf-related, but due to the lack of hide and tissue the determination is possible/unknown.
May 8, 2021 – Grant County C (Fox Valley area)
Date Investigated: 5/8/21 Cause of death/injury: Other
General situation and animal information: On the morning of 5/8/21, while investigating two dead yearlings (reports May 8, 2021 Grant County – A, B), the livestock producer requested that ODFW examine the remains of a 400-pound yearling steer that had been found dead on 5/6/21 in the same pasture. The carcass was intact with most tissue behind the ribs consumed. The majority of the hide was still present. The date of the death was estimated to be between 5/4/21 and 5/5/21.
Physical evidence and summary of findings: There was no evidence of predator attack on the carcass orthe scene. The remaining carcass was partially skinned and shaved. No pre-mortem bite marks were found on the hide. No evidence was found to suggest the death was predator related. The cause of death is unknown, but was not wolf-related.
May 8, 2021 – Grant County D (Fox Valley area)
Date Investigated: 5/8/21 Cause of death/injury: Probable
General situation and animal information: On the morning of 5/8/21, while investigating three dead yearlings (reports May 8, 2021 Grant County – A, B, C), the livestock producer requested that ODFW look at an approximately 400-pound yearling steer that was sick in the same pasture. Upon reaching the area that the yearling was last observed the same morning it was found to have died. A gross examination revealed that the yearling was missing its entire tail and had a 9-inch horizontal gash through its hide and deep into the right flank. The carcass was completely intact. The date of death was 5/8/21.
Physical evidence and summary of findings: The carcass was partially skinned and shaved. The 9-inch gash was estimated to have happened at least three days prior to death based on fly larval stages. There was no pre-mortem hemorrhage around the wound. The left hind leg had pre-mortem hemorrhage, extending 1/2 inch into the muscle, but had no associated tooth scrapes on the hide. The right hind leg showed signs of significant infection, and shallow pre-mortem hemorrhage and hemorrhaging between muscle tissues but had no associated tooth scrapes in the hide. The hide around the groin area had multiple 1/16 to 3/16 inch pre-mortem puncture marks and different angled scrapes. Two 1/4 inch premortem puncture marks were also present. There was pre-mortem hemorrhage around the right front elbow that extended 1 inch into the tissue with one 1/4 inch wide mark and one 1/8 inch wide tooth scrape found on the hide. There was sign of infection, as well as pre-mortem hemorrhage around the left front elbow that extended 1/4 inch into the tissue. The location of trauma to the hind legs and elbows are consistent with previous confirmed wolf attacks on cattle; however, the severity and size of the trauma and lack of large tooth punctures and bite scrape marks are not. The scrape marks and associated trauma to the front right elbow indicate a predator attack but lack evidence to conclude wolf. That combined with a confirmed wolf depredation in the same pasture on 5/8/21, the determination is probable.
