Stock photo of a wolf.

State wildlife officials say the Imnaha wolf pack has claimed another victim, this time a 500-pound calf on private property near Harl Butte, about 17 miles east of Joseph. The calf belonged to Dan and Cynthia Warnock.

Wallowa County Chief Deputy Fred Steen arrived on scene Tuesday after conferring with a representative of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. After performing an on-scene necropsy, Steen said he believed the calf fell victim to wolves. “There was plenty of evidence in that direction. There was trauma to what was left of the carcass, tracks, telemetry,” Steen said.

ODFW wildlife biologist Mike Hansen also was on the scene Tuesday and confirmed the depredation Wednesday afternoon. Hansen noted that two radio-collared wolves from the Imnaha pack were in the area around the same time. Hansen estimated the calf died Saturday or Sunday.

Hansen said he was required to make non-lethal recommendations to prevent additional depredation in the area. These included establishing human presence, removing attractants such as carcasses or bone piles and moving the cattle to a different pasture so wolves don’t consider the area as a food source.

“There’s not a lot of non-lethal options for open range land,” Hansen said. “I’m sure he (Warnock) knows this anyway — I’ll just be reiterating to him.

Cynthia Warnock said range rider Wayne Bronson happened on the calf remains and left the area in search of cellphone service to inform Dan Warnock, who was on horseback in the area to gather the cattle and take them homeward. Dan Warnock found the carcass on his own shortly afterward.

Because the Warnocks have to move their cattle off of an allotment over the weekend, the Harl Butte cattle will stay in their current location until early next week. Cynthia Warnock said they’re periodically checking the cattle, but the radioed wolves are no longer in the area. “We’re assuming they’re in the Big Sheep Creek area somewhere,” she said.

Cynthia Warnock said the county’s compensation committee meets at the end of the year to send its report to the Oregon Department of Agriculture, and she’s not sure it’s the option the family will take. According to the Oct. 26 market report, a 500-pound calf is bringing over two dollars per pound, or about a $1,000 loss on the animal.

“We have the option of taking tax credits or the compensation, but we haven’t made that determination yet,” Warnock said.

For more on this story, check wallowa.com for updates and see our Nov. 4 print edition.