A report of injured and killed livestock north of Susanville has led the Lassen County sheriff to renew calls for state intervention as wolf activity moves closer to homes.
Deputies with the Lassen County Sheriff’s Office were called on January 1 to the Willow Creek Ranch on Horse Lake Road after a report of wolf attacks involving a horse and a calf. U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Wildlife Services was already on scene investigating.
Deputies contacted ranch owners Wyatt, Brad, and Jack Hansen, who led them to their horse, named Smoke, in a pasture just west of the main home. Deputies found blood and wolf tracks throughout the pasture, with a blood trail stretching from the southern fence to the eastern fence. About a dozen yards from the fence was a children’s playground used by those who live at the home.
An exam showed the horse’s right hind quarter was covered in blood, with a deep avulsion about six inches long and four inches wide. The horse was still alive but bleeding. Deputies said the horse would later be euthanized. Federal trappers confirmed the evidence showed a wolf attack.
The calf was found dead in a pasture east of the main home, where the main ranch was clearly visible. Deputies said the calf weighed about six hundred pounds and had bite wounds on the rear inside hind quarter and near the left ear.
Based on tracking software, deputies said wolves from the Harvey Pack were nearby in Rice Canyon the day before and were likely responsible. A second attack was reported Jan. three at the Hagata Ranch southeast of Willow Creek Ranch, where a calf appeared to have been eaten or violently attacked. That incident was also attributed to the Harvey Pack.
In a letter dated January 5 to California Natural Resources Agency Secretary Wade Crowfoot, Sheriff John McGarva summarized a broader pattern across Lassen County. He wrote that the county has experienced 45 attacks, with 42 confirmed to be caused by nearby wolf packs, most of which are tied to the Harvey Pack.
McGarva said the Hansens alone have experienced 11 attacks and that seven kills by the pack occurred in late October in the Termo Grasshopper area. He wrote that as cattle are moved closer to homes during winter, wolves have predictably begun encroaching on residential areas of ranches.
The sheriff noted he requested intervention from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife in March 2025, but said issues in Lassen County were not addressed. In the letter, he requested assistance again, writing that the pack has become an increasing threat and warning that the situation could pose a public safety risk without action.
