BEAR VALLEY — Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife investigators have confirmed two cases of wolf depredations on livestock in Grant County that took place in the last week of May.

ODFW confirmed a May 29 case in Bear Valley, attributed to the Murderers Creek wolves, after investigating injuries to a six-week-old calf on private land. A case attributed to the Desolation Pack on the Middle Fork of the John Day River was confirmed after investigating an attack on two four- to six-week-old calves injured on May 28, according to the latest ODFW report.

Ryan Torland, district biologist for ODFW, said the Desolation Pack consists of eight wolves, including a GPS-monitored collared wolf believed to be the alpha female of the pack, though it is not known if this particular wolf was responsible for the May 28 Middle Fork depredation.

Torland said a collared wolf from the Murderers Creek group is suspected in the May 29 Bear Valley depredation. This group, consisting of two wolves, is west of Highway 395, where wolves are protected from being hunted because they are considered endangered.

Three cases discovered in mid-May were classified as “possible unknown” wolf depredations after investigation. Those cases involved a two-month-old dead calf discovered at Luce Creek on private land on May 16, a dead yearling found on the Middle Fork on May 13 and a dead steer found on the Middle Fork on May 11. Another “possible unknown” depredation was investigated after a dead cow was found on the Middle Fork on April 3.

The Luce Creek discovery, south of the Clark’s Disposal transfer station near John Day, was attributed to a satellite-tracked collared wolf from the Lookout Mountain Pack, which had been living in the Baker Valley area. Based on bite marks and GPS data, ODFW district biologist Ryan Torland said the dead calf was fed on by this particular wolf, a male with black fur.

“That was our determination on this particular calf, and we obviously knew a wolf was there on scene, but we could not prove it attacked the animal while it was alive,” Torland said. “About half the carcass was consumed, so evidence (for a depredation confirmation) may be missing.”

Torland said the collared wolf had moved into a part of Oregon, west of Highway 395, where wolves are federally protected.