Wolf attacks rise to 15 in eastern Washington

In the latest incident report, five calves were attacked by wolves at the Diamond M Ranch in northeastern Washington, bringing wolf-livestock conflicts to 15 in a three-month period. Three calves were found dead, and two more suffered severe injuries, according to ranch co-owner Bill McIrvin. The two calves that survived were discovered on Sept. 12 and 14. Both had suffered severe bites and torn flesh to their hindquarters, King said. One of the calves had parts of her reproductive and urinary tract torn from her body. She can no longer urinate properly. Diamond M has been working with the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) to implement non-lethal methods to prevent damage. It waited to turn calves out on summer range until they were 200 pounds. The ranch also employed more cowboys to patrol its grazing range. Despite these efforts, attacks to the herd have persisted, resulting in a state confirmation of 10 dead and five injured since June. The McIrvin’s herd records suggest there are likely a total of 40 dead from wolf attacks. The WDFW dispatched personnel to try and “incrementally” remove a few of the problem wolves in late August but deemed the radio-collared Alpha male and a breeding female off-limits. Despite nearly 20 days of pursuit by WDFW of the “Wedge” wolf pack, the Department efforts have not brought an end to the aggressive wolf pack behavior...more