Background Info

Gray Wolf Introduction
 

  Gray wolves lived in Oregon over 1000 years ago. They were not feared but respected by the Native Americans. One tribe even thought that wolves were gods. This all changed when the Europeans came to the Northwest. 
  

 Unlike the Native Americans the Europeans killed the wolves after they ate their livestock. After a short time a bounty was put on the wolves heads. Soon there were no wolves left in Oregon.
  

 In 1995, 14 wolves were captured in Canada and released into Yellow Stone National Park. Over time, these wolves re-populated the park. After the park had a steady population of wolves, they started moving away from the park. This is called natural dispersal. In this process, there are now wolves in Idaho.

   In Washington there are no wolves but occasionally a wolf will come into the state from Idaho or British Colombia. In Idaho there are about 65 wolves that live there. There are more in British Colombia because fewer wolves were originally killed so there are still some existing packs.

   At present, there are no wolves living in Oregon. There are occasionally wolves that come to Oregon from Idaho but they don’t technically live in Oregon. These wolves are occasionally seen but not too often.

    The first wolf siting in Oregon was in 1999. This was a wolf that roamed from Idaho. This wolf was most likely a lone wolf. There have been more sightings every year that are like the first one.

   The first siting sparked major interest in the Gray Wolf. There are multiple sides to the argument. One is that wolves will bring balance to the environment and will help keep populations of deer or other animals at a safe number. Another side to the argument comes from many ranchers. They say that the wolves will kill their livestock. The wolves may kill livestock but only if there is none of their natural prey around.

   There is a group called the Defenders of Wildlife that support the wolf repopulation. They will pay the ranchers for their losses if a wolf kills a cow sheep or other animal. This helps everyone because the ranchers get their money back and there are still wolves alive.

   Coyotes are a larger problem than wolves. In every state, even those populated with wolves, coyotes kill the most livestock out of every predator. Many ranchers come out to their fields in the morning to find that there is a sheep or cow that was killed by a coyote. There are also many precautions set up at most ranches such as fences guard dogs and/or lamas. These will stop wolves as well as coyotes.

    Many people picture wolves as savage bloodthirsty animals. This is not true. Wolves are beautiful animals that deserve respect not fear. Even little children are told wolves are bad. Take the stories Little Red Riding Hood and The Three Little Pigs. They put wolves as the antagonist. This may leave a permanent impression. Horror movies also depict wolves in false ways. The Werewolf is an example of this.

    Wolves are even afraid of humans. Unless there are pups nearby, a wolf will runaway from a human. Wolves also do not eat children. There has not been a recorded fatality from a wolf anywhere in over 200 years.

   Having wolves in Oregon can actually make money. People may come to see them like tourists go to South American countries to go bird watching. Wolves will also kill weaker deer so the population of will be stronger.

   It is illegal to kill a wolf because they are protected under the endangered species act. If someone does kill a wolf, they will be put in jail and charged a fine. If a wolf does cause reoccurring problems, it is possible to get a permit to trap the wolf and relocate it or if absolutely necessary, kill it.