UMATILLA COUNTY — A livestock producer has received permission from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to kill a wolf in Umatilla County.

ODFW on Thursday, Oct. 28, authorized the killing of one wolf after OR30 wolves continued to prey on livestock.

Fish and Wildlife will provide a kill permit to a livestock producer who requested the option after ODFW confirmed wolves last week preyed on a calf in a private pasture.

Since early June, OR30 wolves have depredated six times on private land pastures, resulting in the death or injury of five sheep and five calves. A previous removal permit for these wolves to a different producer expired on Aug. 31 with no wolves taken.

ODFW can authorize “lethal take” in chronic depredation situations when there is significant risk to livestock present in the area.

The permit allows the producer or their agent to kill one wolf on the private land they are using within the OR30 Wolves Area of Known Wolf Activity. The permit expires Nov. 22, when the one wolf is killed, or when the producer’s livestock are removed from the area, whichever comes first.

The permit limits the method of killing to shooting the wolf from the ground.

Under the rules, livestock producers must be using and document nonlethal methods appropriate to the situation before lethal control can be considered. Also, there can be no identified circumstances on the property (such as bone piles or carcasses) that are attracting wolves. During each livestock investigation as well as during each trip to the investigation sites, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife searched the immediate area for any bone piles, carcasses or other attractants and found none.

The producer has and continues to remove any dead, sick or injured livestock from their pasture to reduce the risk of attracting predators. They have maintained an increased human presence, working long hours (10-15 hours daily) to check livestock frequently using both horse and all-terrain vehicles.

Producers also have hazed wolves late into the night using firearms as noisemakers to scare them off. For several weeks, the producer has been camping on site to monitor and gather cattle.

Lethal action is authorized with the goal of putting an end to the chronic depredation but livestock producers also will continue to use nonlethal measures.