On October 6, 2015, a Grant County man reported to the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife in Canyon City that he had shot and killed a wolf while hunting coyotes south of Prairie City in Grant County. The man met with ODFW personnel and the Oregon State Police near Prairie City and a deceased wolf was recovered from private property in that area. The Oregon State Police have completed an investigation of the incident and delivered a prepared report with all the facts surrounding the incident to the Grant County District Attorney’s Office for review. Wolves are protected by the state Endangered Species Act throughout Oregon and it is unlawful to shoot one, except in defense of human life. (Livestock producers in the eastern third of the state may also take wolves in certain situations; see the ODFW Wolf Plan for boundaries and details. http://www.dfw.state.or.us/Wolves/management_plan.asp) The wolf was a dispersing male originally from the Umatilla River pack in northeast Oregon. Any questions regarding the incident should be directed to the Grant County District Attorney’s Office.
