Living With Wolves

Northeast Oregon rancher Eric Porter had a horse killed on his place last week. Those who saw the horse dead in the pasture feel that it was most likely a wolf that killed the animal.

 

Porter: “There was two horses there. The other horse will fight dogs — maybe the wolf run off. The other horse was fine but this horse here was bitten in the flank and his innards came out and he died a considerable time later.”

 

One of the burdens of owning livestock and ranches in wolf territory is the constant worry and concern for your animals. Porter shares

 

Porter: “I guarantee you that our life has been hell since the introduction of the wolf. When when we bring our calves in the fall for a month before we ship them — I bet I don’t sleep for more than two hours at a time. You are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

 

He lost a calf last spring that Oregon Department Fish and Wildlife did not confirm as a wolf kill.

 

Porter: “There was wolf tracks all around it. There was no doubt — and we got there before the calf died. It had its hind end chewed out. Then right after we got there it died. Wolf tracks all around it but still they wouldn’t confirm it.”