After staff documented a third consecutive year of seven or more breeding pairs in Eastern Oregon, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife implemented Phase III of wolf management.
Phase III focuses on conservation of wolves while addressing instances of wolf-human conflict. This includes continuing to emphasize the use of non-lethal deterrents, the use of controlled take in certain situations, and expands livestock producer options for investigating potential wolf depredations of livestock.
The current plan states that controlled take of wolves can be allowed in two specific circumstances: 1) if wolves are determined to be causing declines in ungulate populations such as deer and elk or 2) in specific cases of chronic livestock depredation.
In February 2017, The Oregon Court of Appeals granted the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s application to file a friend-of-the-Court brief in a lawsuit by animal rights groups seeking to eliminate state wildlife management in Oregon.