Wolves kill 2 bred cows in Wallowa County

“I fed and went back to make sure they all fed. I went way back to a pond and made a big circle looking for wolf tracks,” he said.

During his reconnaissance, he discovered two dead cows. One had twins ripped from its uterus. The calves were found about 30 yards from their mother.

“It was pretty messy,” Patton said.

When he discovered the kills, he saw several wolf prints and evidence of a struggle in the damp ground.

“You can see where those cows fought a long time,” Patton said.

Ironically, Patton hadn’t been too worried about the wolves the past couple of weeks.

“The last two weeks I was told they were hanging out several miles north from here so I thought I could take a breath,” Patton said.

Patton said he’s seen wolves about four times, most dramatically last March when he faced several of them in his calving pen. Patton successfully hazed the wolves by shooting a pistol in the air. Tracks of 10 wolves were sighted after that incident. But until Tuesday morning he hadn’t seen one since last spring.

“I saw what could have been a wolf when I was driving close to the cows. By the time I got the binoculars out, he was gone,” Patton said.

Last spring, more than two months after facing wolves in his calving pen, Patton had a confirmed calf loss to wolves. Because his ranch is located on a well-traveled wolf route between the forest and the prairie, he has been in regular contact with ODFW.

“I’m on a pretty easy route,” Patton said.

ODFW outfitted Patton with a telemetry receiver that picks up signals from collared wolves, a radio-activated guard box that makes loud noises when triggered by a collared wolf and he is on the list to have fladry installed — electrified, flagged fencing. Perhaps most importantly, he cleaned up old cattle bone piles on both his land and his neighbor’s.

“I think it made a difference. The wolves were picking at the bone piles,” Patton said.

After the piles were cleaned up, he said the wolves traveled through his property farther away from his ranch house.

Patton re-visited the site of the kills Wednesday morning with John Stephenson of USFW. He said there were distinct wolf tracks in the snow made by approximately seven wolves. It also appeared that one of the cows had been eaten on Tuesday night.

“The wolves were on it last night, but didn’t eat as much as the day before,” Patton said.

Even Wednesday morning, the wolves were still nearby. While driving to the site, Patton said he and Stephenson picked up a signal from one of the collared wolves.

Rod Childers, Oregon Cattlemen’s Association wolf committee chairman, said he asked Stephenson to request lethal control. The Pattons’ cows are the first confirmed depredations since September, so there’s no assurance the agency will take lethal measures yet.

“I asked Stephenson to consider lethal control based on what has happened with the Imnaha pack since last spring,” Childers said.

Wildlife Service agent Marlyn Riggs has investigated 26 suspected wolf kills and injuries, Childers said. He has confirmed 13 kills; two were disputed by ODFW and one was considered a probable by the state agency.

Now that wolves are protected under the Endangered Species Act, U.S. Fish and Wildlife makes the ultimate decision when it comes to lethal control.

“We’re saying enough is enough,” Childers said.

Patton has requested compensation for his cows. At the present time, Defenders of Wildlife is the only organization offering compensation for wolf-caused depredations on livestock. Childers said he is working with USFW to get information ready to submit to Defenders including a mortality form and pictures.