Oregon, Federal Wildlife Officials Offering $15,000 Reward In Shooting Of Wolf That Spent Time In California

An Oregon-tagged wolf that was reported to have migrated to Northern California before returning to the Beaver State was found dead in late 2022. Now, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Oregon Wildlife Coalition have teamed up to offer a reward for information that leads to solving the mystery.

Here’s more from Medford’s KTVL TV:

According to officials, the illegal killing of wolf OR-103 happened near Klamath Falls in Oct. 2022. It was first publicly reported by Fish and Wildlife on Dec. 15.

The federally protected wolf was accidentally captured by a USDA Wildlife Services trap in Deschutes County in 2021. He was radio-collared and released. OR-103 traveled to California before returning to Oregon last July.

Officials say due to an injury, OR-103 preyed on livestock, which are much easier to hunt than wild prey. The wolf was connected to multiple livestock predation reports over a few months. 

“OR-103 didn’t deserve to die like this, and I hope the people who know what happened will do the right thing and come forward,” said Amaroq Weiss, senior wolf advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Vigilante-style killings of wolves are both morally wrong and illegal.”

OR-103 was reported to have been responsible for multiple livestock deaths around Southern Oregon.