For Immediate Release

ODFW Continues Wolf Killing Campaign

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife will continue to kill members of the Harl Butte Pack, this time issuing kill permits to livestock managers. Killing wolves has not resulted in reducing conflict in the area.

5 wolves, including the breeding female from the Meacham pack, have been killed thus far in retaliation for incidents attributed to wolves: 10 dead cows and 2 injured ones in 2017. Oregon's last official count of adult wolves was 112. In the last year's for which we have statistics from the USDA, Oregon is home to over 1.3 million cows, 55,000 died from things like weather, disease, and domestic dogs before being shipped to the slaughterhouse.

Oregon Wild released the following statement from Steve Pedery, Conservation Director:

“For the fourth time in three months, under an outdated Wolf Plan, Governor Kate Brown's Department of Fish and Wildlife has announced that wolves will be killed to appease the livestock industry. 

The wildlands that the Harl Butte Pack and other wolf families call home is one of the wildest landscapes remaining in Oregon. If wolves are being killed for eating unattended livestock put right in front of them in a place like this, it's fair to ask if there is anywhere wolves will be allowed to thrive in our state?

Given that cattle companies get compensation checks and dead wolves when unattended livestock go missing in wolf country, there's no incentive to do things differently. Without her involvement, the direction of Governor Brown's Department of Fish and Wildlife is clear - killing wolves is the new definition of "conservation."

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