Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Oregon Wolf Numbers Reach the Triple Digits

Oregon wildlife officials announced on Monday that the state wolf population has grown by 36 percent last year. Conservative estimates now place wolf numbers at around 110, although experts suspect the real count is actually much higher. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) confirmed at least 11 breeding pairs with 33 pups surviving through to the end of last year.

“As predicted, Oregon’s wolf population has continued to expand its range and grow in number,” said Russ Morgan, ODFW wolf coordinator. “While northeast Oregon continues to have the highest number of wolves, there is also continued movement of wolves into southern Oregon.”

Wolves are a hot button issue in Oregon, much like in other states where the species has a significant population. Last year officials voted to remove wolves from the state’s list of endangered species, provoking protest from animal rights activists and a lawsuit to reinstate protections for the animal. Ranchers on the other hand, are concerned that eastern Oregon’s growing wolf numbers could prove to be a threat to their livelihood. There were nine confirmed cases of wolf depredation on livestock last year as well as two probable cases, totaling 14 animals killed, including one working dog. In contrast, the same number of depredation cases in 2014 left 32 animals dead, the highest in Oregon’s recent history.

“It’s really difficult to tell why depredations are down one year and up the next, and that trend could reverse at any time,” Morgan told the Statesman Journal. “I would say that many livestock producers have taken really good, non-lethal steps to minimize depredation and some of those efforts many be paying off.”

However, the number of wolves participating in attacks on livestock is worrying. The ODFW reported that at least 29 percent, or nearly a third, of wolf packs in Oregon have been involved in depredation of livestock. The majority of the cases occurred on private land during summer months, and the ODFW distributed $174,428 to address wolf-livestock conflict. Ranchers and their supporters are currently fighting to put a cap on how many wolves the ODFW should allow in the state.

Of course. You'll find the large majority of wolf huggers living between Portland and Eugene where the wolves aren't.

It's sad when organizations that signed off on plan thresholds sue when those targeted numbers are attained. Those documents should be treated more like contracts than guidelines. Hunters are likely the only economically viable option for managing our wolves, and that might actually be an over statement. Yes, we ran the wolves out once, but it took year round efforts, aerial programs, and poisons to accomplish that.

I'd also agree that more effort should be put into stocking our urban reaches with predators. There's probably more emotional attachment to Fluffy the cat than Elsie's calf on an eastern Oregon ranch. Might get more support for control efforts then.

Great idea.

36% population growth indicates that those wolves are very well fed and I assume little or no reductions by humans. 20% - 25% is the 'normal' number that comes to mind.

I'll bet the actual population is higher than 110 too.

NW Oregon can house a few thousand wolves in that thick stuff for years without anyone seeing one. They can wander around the suburbs in many places and still stay well hidden.

Its a sad shame what they did here in montana in the mid ninetys. You oregon sportsman have no idea what you in for. Way to many bunny,wolf and tree huggers on the westside they have all the money to fight any type of control of the wolf population. I hope I am wrong on this but if you have any hope you better unite now and start the fight.

Yes. At the 36% rate, that amounts to a doubling of the population every 2.25 years. We'll need some mode of control in short order if that keeps up.

More like within Potland, Scrw'em ( the Capitol) and EwwwwGene...

plenty of conservatives OUTSIDE those city limits...

Was up in Potland last week, got home, popped the hood to check the oil, and there standing on top of the engine ( plastic cover over the engine), shocked was a rat the size of a kitten and twice as long starring back at me...

jumps down the firewall and I could see it standing on the frame of the car, freaked out...

don't see RATS around here.. but sure do up in Potland....Gresham actually....

but I know what type of rat it was... it was an Oregon demo-cRAT...

weird experience, but factor in having been in Potland, where it got into the engine bay... nothing unusual here... a lot of weird things happen up that way...

I am sure a local coyote will have him snagged for a meal in a couple of days...

So we're paying ODFW to bring in wolves that kill our game herds, and we're also paying for the damage the wolves do.

Perfect.

But hey, the good news is a bunch of wolf biologists in Portland have great gvt jobs with full bennies.

Send all of our local packs to down town Olympia WA.-IE Smackout. Please see the Spokesman Review Website for the map of the packs). Muddy

We are seeing less numbers of elk in certain units and more wolves. Where I usually hunt elk herds are smaller in numbers and less vocal during the rut. Only time we see large numbers is in the winter when snow pushes them down to winter grounds, in the Zumwalt Prairie, and on Bartlett Bench, which burnt up this summer. 4 years ago I had a damage control hunt on Bartlett Bench at which time there were around 500 elk coming across the Washington/Oregon border. I am sure the habits of that herd have changed forcing them to other areas for the wolves to change their normal range patterns to intercept them. Would like to have things the way they were say 5yrs ago. May never see that again in my life time. Very sad! 58gscott

Mudhen: That is SAD news indeed!
I went along on my first Mule Deer Hunt in eastern Oregon more than 60 years ago!
My grandfathers both killed Wolves thereabouts, probably more than 100 years ago, FOR A REASON!
Mule Deer were thick as fleas on a hound dog back then.
Sad and sorry state of affairs ahead for Oregonians.
After seeing what the transplanted and now OVER-POPULATED Canadian Wolves have done to the Elk, Moose, Mule Deer and Bighorn Sheep herds here in many areas of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming I know for a fact the folks in Oregon are going to suffer.
Both the Hunters and the ranchers.
The Wolves here in SW Montana have the Elk herds so stressed that calf survival rates are way down.
There ARE lots of Elk though in some small areas (especially in the last 5 years or so!) BUT... these populations seek sanctuary from Wolf predation on private ranches where the Elk then cause major problems and for the very most part they don't get Hunted!
The Elk in my regions have completely abandoned their normal winter ranges and their normal rutting areas!
And they hang out in large herds (1,000 to 2,000 animals!) now all summer, fall and winter! Instead of their previously normal groups of 15 to 40!
NOTHING good will come from the infestation of Wolves to Oregon!
Sad.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Amen to that. I'd like to get my grubby little hands on the bastards that provided two mates for the wandering Oregon wolf we ended up with in Southern Oregon.

"He found a mate." Found, yeah right, my ass.

Fireball2,

Yep wolves helping with bigger gov't -although just about anything seems to create bigger gov't these days.
I do want to thank them for their service though !

Just when I think VG can't get any dumber. Lets look at a few things.

First you granddaddy killed off a lot of things-elk, bison, eagles, hawks and ducks. Was this done for the same "reason" as wolves?

If you voted for Debbie Barrett and I am sure you did, you and here are responsible for killing more elk then predators in Montana will ever do. Her HB42 mandating FWP to manage elk at or below elk objective numbers set by social tolerance is bring up shoulder season where FWP will try and kill 40k elk in Montana. Right now 44 HD's are over objective with a 6 month season coming.

Declining Bighorn Sheep numbers have nothing to do with wolves, plain and simple. If you think so, you have not been paying attention. Contact with domestic sheep and the disease that comes with it is the reason.

Blaming calf survival on stress really shows how much you don't know. The 3 year elk study done in the Bitterroot show this. Calf survival hinges on lots of things but stress isn't one of them. Lions, bears, and weather are factors.

Plenty of studies out there show mule deer populations are habitat related and population fluctuate in 10 year cycles. Read up and you will learn.

Wolves are giving the Ecosystem the balance it needs.

The benefits of having a large Apex predators shouldnt be judged by some marginal Cattle freeloaders or a lazy Elk hunter.

Sure there will always be 'colateral damage' but the overall improvement in biodiversity far out ways the small minority.

Apex Predator = humans.

Stevil,



If evolution is true the wolves lost. If creation is true the wolves lost. The only reason Oregon has them is because the top predator allows them.

The wolf introduction had nothing to do with balancing nature. It was intended from day 1 to reduce game animals to the point where hunting would have to be eliminated. Those aren't my words. They're from the animal rights people themselves.