Oregon wolves kill second cow this week, say state wildlife officials

For the second time this week, a rancher's adult cow has been killed by wolves in northeastern Oregon's Imnaha pack. "We are seeing a significant change in their behavior – they are going after larger animals," Michelle Dennehy, spokeswoman for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife in Salem, said today. The latest killing was the sixth confirmed livestock loss to wolves since Oct. 5 and the 20th since the spring of 2010, she said. Last year, Imnaha pack wolves generally restricted their prey to small calves, and most of their activities occurred during the spring. Now, the pack appears to be shifting to larger yearlings and adult cows, and are killing later into the winter...more