Wildlife agents investigate possible wolf-killed cow
K.C. Mehaffey, Wenatchee World writer, on an investigation into a possible wolf depredation in the Methow Valley.
TWISP — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will investigate whether wolves killed a cow southwest of Twisp.
If verified, it would be the first known livestock killing by wolves in Washington state in more than 70 years.
But officials may never know what killed the cow, found on or near state land known as the Golden Doe Ranch between Twisp and Carlton.
"It’s being investigated right now. We don’t know if it was a wolf depredation. Maybe it was scavenged," Tom Buckley, spokesman for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said Thursday.
Sgt. Jim Brown, who heads state Department of Fish and Wildlife enforcement in Okanogan County, said his officer thinks tracks and other evidence suggest wolves were eating the cow.
Officials say because the cow died a few days ago it may be too difficult to determine whether it was killed by wolves, or died for some other reason.
"We may never determine the actual cause of death, but we’ll make that attempt," Buckley said.
He said if officials confirm that wolves killed the cow, Defenders of Wildlife, a national conservation group, might compensate its owner.
