LA GRANDE — The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife on Thursday, Oct. 28, authorized the lethal removal of one wolf from the OR30 wolves in the Mount Emily Unit, according to a press release.

The state granted authorized the lethal action and will provide a kill permit to a livestock producer who requested the option after the state confirmed an additional depredation by wolves on a calf in a private land pasture last week.

The state has confirmed that 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.

The permit allows the producer or their agent to kill one wolf on the private land they are using within the wolves’ known area of 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 producer’s method of take under the permit is restricted to shooting the wolf from the ground.

According to the state’s wolf management plan, ODFW can issue a kill permit only if the affected ranchers have used, and documented, nonlethal methods to try to avoid wolf attacks. Also, there can be no identified circumstances on the property, such as bone piles or carcasses, that could be attracting wolves.

OR30 was first observed with another wolf in the Mount Emily Unit within the present known area of activity in spring 2020.

The new pair bred but only one pup survived through the end of the year. The group was not designated as a pack during the 2020-21 winter count because there were only three wolves. A pack is four or more wolves.