Brighter news from Oregon on not allowing Hounds to chase and tree Cougars............On the opposite end of the spectrum is that the 24 Wolves occupying Oregon are in the crosshair of every Rancher and State Game Mgr

Dear Friends of Predator Defense,

It appears HB2337, the bill to reinstate cougar hounding in requesting Oregon counties, is dead.  Similarly HB3562, the bill to allow killing wolves in self defense (which is already allowed), is apparently dead.  Yesterday, May 23rd, was the deadline for bills to have a hearing scheduled on the committee's agenda to be heard by June 1.  If this requirement is not met, the bills are dead.  Neither of these bills appeared on the agenda.  Keep in mind that there are always ways to revive bills in Salem, but we will keep you posted.

Thank you for responding to yesterday's alert asking that the cougar bill not be heard.  Senator Dingfelder has always been a supporter of wildlife and we very much appreciate her.

Bad News:  State kills 2 Wolves in NE Oregon's Wallowa county

Last week the state killed two young wolves, a male and a female, on private property in a remote area of NE Oregon.  Authorities confirmed that 2 recent cattle depredations were due to wolves and immediately killed the two juvenile wolves indiscriminately, without knowing they were responsible for the attacks.  

Consider the following information carefully, and ask yourself what's wrong with this picture: Out of 40 thousand cows in Wallowa county, only 4 or 5 have been confirmed wolf kills.  Ranchers have been fully compensated for their 5 losses.   95% of cattle losses are due to neglect/poor husbandry, wolf predation accounts for a tiny fraction of the remaining 5% mortality.  While Oregon law prohibits ranchers from killing wolves unless 1). they have a permit (24 have been issued including for use on public lands where their livestock graze at taxpayer's expense) and 2). unless the wolf is caught in the act of predation; state authorities have no such prohibitions and are doing ranchers' killing for them.  There are only 24 wolves in Oregon.

Please contact Governor Kitzhaber and let him know how you feel about the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife's killing of these two young wolves.  

Governor John Kitzhaber, representative.citizen@state.or.us, 503-378-3111.  

Sally Mackler

Oregon Carnivore Representative
Predator Defense
PO Box 5446
Eugene, Oregon 97405
541-937-4261 Office
http://www.predatordefense.org/

Good News! first:  Ding Dong the Cougar/Wolf killing bills are dead!!  so far anyway, but remember nothing is for sure in Salem...