This update provides an overview of gray wolf conservation and management activities in Washington during July 2023.
Program updates and coordination
- The DRAFT Periodic Status Review for the Gray Wolf is available for public comment. The public is invited to comment on the draft by submitting written comments at publicinput.com/psr-gray-wolf, emailing comments to psr-gray-wolf@PublicInput.com or by leaving a comment via voicemail message by calling 855-925-2801 and entering project code 2573. WDFW will accept comments until 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 16, 2023. See the news release for additional information.
- WDFW is currently accepting limited applications for contracted range riders for the 2023 season. Applications and contract updates can be found here: https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/at-risk/species-recovery/gray-wolf/updates/contracted-range-rider-rfq-2023-now-available
Questions about applying or need assistance with the application? Reach out to WildlifeConflict@dfw.wa.gov.
- WDFW continues to support the Conflict on Workinglands Conservation Innovation Grant (CoW-CIG) research team’s evaluation of the effectiveness of range riding at reducing conflicts between livestock and carnivores. In July, WDFW staff met with the research team for a project status update. WDFW continues to support field work through coordination and refining data collection methodology. Staff are working with researchers to understand how historical datasets may further analyses. In Washington, range rider data collection predominantly resides with partnering NGOs.
- The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Police continue to investigate six wolf mortalities within the Wedge pack territory in Stevens County. WDFW Police began the investigation in February 2022, and it is ongoing. Toxicology results revealed all six wolves died from ingesting poison. The investigation remains active, and the Department encourages anyone who might have relevant information to report it confidentially by calling WDFW's poaching hotline, 877-933-9847, or by texting a tip to 847411. Rewards totaling $53,900 are available for information that leads to a conviction in the case of the poisoning of Stevens County wolves.
Outreach and education
- The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife prioritizes and promotes the use of nonlethal measures to deter wolves and other carnivores from depredating livestock. Our team at WDFW was excited to partner with Defenders of Wildlife, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to update and encourage consistent production of the Radio-Activated Guard box (RAG box), an innovative tool that plays loud sounds and flashes bright lights when a radio-collared animal approaches the box to scare carnivores away from small and medium-sized livestock pastures. Read all about this effort in a new blog post and learn how to set up and operate the new RAG box in this instructional video.
- A WDFW wolf biologist talked with approximately 40 students attending the Wilderness Awareness School camp in the Teanaway Community Forest and surrounding Forest Service lands. The students were learning about tracking, wildlife, and outdoor skills and the biologist spoke with them about wolves and other wildlife in the Teanaway.
- WDFW staff held a “Beverage with a Biologist” event at a brewery/family farm to discuss the presence of wolves in Spokane County, focusing on topics including biology, behavior, and conflict mitigation on private property to a group of about 70 residents of Greenbluff and surrounding communities. There was a lengthy group Q&A session following the presentation with the presenters and an opportunity for one-on-one conversations with biologists working within Spokane County on wolves and other projects.
Current population status and proactive conflict mitigation
The year-end minimum population count for 2022 was at least 216 known wolves in 37 known packs including at least 26 breeding pairs. Annual wolf population surveys are conducted in the winter because wolf populations experience the least amount of natural fluctuation during this time. Counting the population at the end of each year allows for comparable year-to-year trends at a time of year when the wolf population is most stable. The year-end minimum population count for 2023 will be released in April 2024.
Reports of remote camera images or videos, wolf tracks, or sightings from the public are extremely helpful in locating previously undocumented wolf activity and potential new packs on the landscape. Please take photos of wolves or wolf sign (learn how to differentiate between wolves and coyotes; use some way to measure the size of a track) and upload them to the wolf reporting page here: https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/at-risk/species-recovery/gray-wolf/observations
Definitions: A “pack” is defined as two or more wolves traveling together in winter, and a “breeding pair” is defined as at least one adult male and one adult female wolf that raised at least two pups that survived until December 31. In any given year, the number of packs will always be greater than or equal to the number of breeding pairs. The known territories and more information for each pack can be viewed by clicking the pack name.
Beaver Creek territory
No activity to report.
Big Muddy pack
No activity to report.
Butte Creek pack
No activity to report.
Carpenter Ridge pack
No activity to report.
Chewuch pack
A WDFW wolf biologist spent time scouting for wolf sign in this pack territory this past month.
Chopaka pack
No activity to report.
Columbia pack
No activity to report.
Diobsud Creek territory
No activity to report.
Dirty Shirt pack
A WDFW wolf biologist spent time scouting for wolf sign in this pack territory this past month.
Dominion pack
A WDFW wolf biologist spent time scouting for wolf sign in this pack territory this past month.
Five Sisters pack
No activity to report.
Goodman Meadows pack
No activity to report.
Grouse Flats pack
No activity to report.
Huckleberry pack
A WDFW wolf biologist spent time scouting for wolf sign in this pack territory this past month.
Leadpoint pack
No activity to report.
Lookout pack
A WDFW wolf biologist spent time trapping in the Lookout pack territory this past month and captured and collared two wolves in this pack. The two collared wolves included a 2-year-old female and a 9-year-old female.
Loup Loup pack
No activity to report.
Maverick pack
A WDFW wolf biologist spent multiple days scouting this pack territory for wolf sign.
Mt. Spokane pack
No activity to report.
Napeequa pack
No activity to report.
Navarre pack
No activity to report.
Onion Creek pack
No activity to report.
Salmo pack
No activity to report.
Scatter pack – new documented area of wolf activity
No depredation incidents have been reported or investigated since June 1. The livestock producer is working with the Northeast Washington Wolf Cattle Collaborative (NEWWCC) and WDFW to maintain range riding on the ranch that had experienced depredations earlier this year. The producer has signed a cost-share contract with WDFW to help fund other non-lethal deterrents.
Shady Pass pack
No activity to report.
Sherman pack
No activity to report.
Smackout pack
A collared female wolf from the Smackout pack was struck and killed by a vehicle in July. A WDFW wolf biologist spent time scouting for wolf sign in this pack territory this past month.
Sprague Lake territory
No activity to report.
Stranger pack
No activity to report.
Sullivan Creek pack
No activity to report.
Teanaway territory
A WDFW wolf biologist scouted and checked cameras as part of normal monitoring efforts in this pack area this past month.
Togo pack
No activity to report.
Touchet pack
No activity to report.
Tucannon pack
No activity to report.
Vulcan pack
No activity to report.
Wedge pack
No activity to report.
Miscellaneous/lone wolves
- WA139 group/Asotin County wolf activity: On July 31, WDFW staff investigated a dead calf on a U.S. Forest Service public grazing allotment in Asotin County. The investigation revealed evidence on the carcass consistent with a probable wolf depredation and wolf tracks nearby. This incident is the third depredation incident since May 21, 2023 attributed to the WA139 group. The local wildlife conflict specialist has continued to reach out to livestock producers across the area to let them know of activity in and around their active grazing pastures, allotments, and leases. WDFW staff will continue to work with livestock producers in this area and monitor the WA139 group.
- A WDFW wolf biologist checked trail cameras south of I-90 in the Taneum area this past month.
- Note: The Frosty, Nason, Nc’icn, Keller Ridge, Strawberry, Whitestone, and Wilmont pack territories are within Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation (CTCR) lands and are managed under tribal authority. Information regarding these packs is proprietary and reported at the discretion of the CTCR.
Mortalities
A collared female from the Smackout pack was struck and killed by a vehicle in July. As of July, WDFW has documented six wolf mortalities in 2023.
Depredation activity
In 2022, 81% of known wolf packs were not involved in any documented livestock depredation.
WDFW documented one wolf depredation event in July, lower than the average (6) from 2018-2022.
Please report any suspected livestock depredations or the death or harassment of wolves to the WDFW Enforcement Hotline at 1-877-933-9847.
Below is a summary of packs with documented depredation activity within the past ten months (some packs have depredation history prior to the current ten-month window; this timeframe is considered based on guidance from the wolf-livestock interaction protocol).
|
Pack |
Depredation date |
Depredation type |
Proactive non-lethals |
Ten-month window |
Agency lethal removal actions |
|
Leadpoint |
9/1/22 |
Confirmed mortality of calf |
Yes |
7/1/23 |
|
|
|
9/16/22 |
Confirmed mortality of cow |
Yes |
7/16/23 |
|
|
|
9/19/22 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
7/19/23 |
|
|
|
9/19/22 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
7/19/23 |
Adult male removed 9/27/22; adult female removed 9/28/22 |
|
|
9/30/22 |
Confirmed injury of cow and calf (calf died from injuries) |
Yes |
7/30/23 |
|
|
|
10/7/22 |
Confirmed mortality of cow |
No |
8/7/23 |
|
|
Onion Creek |
2/1/23 |
Confirmed mortality of calf |
Yes |
12/1/23 |
|
|
|
4/17/23 |
Confirmed mortality of calf |
Yes |
2/17/24 |
|
|
|
5/12/23 |
Probable injury of dog |
N/A |
N/A |
|
|
Smackout |
9/26/22 |
Probable mortality of calf |
Yes |
7/26/23 |
Juvenile male lethally removed 9/8/22 |
|
|
10/3/22 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
8/3/23 |
|
|
|
10/6/22 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
8/6/23 |
|
|
|
10/8/22 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
8/8/23 |
Yearling female removed 10/10/22 |
|
|
10/12/22 |
Confirmed mortality of calf |
Yes |
8/12/23 |
|
|
Scatter |
4/8/23 |
Probable injury of alpaca (later died from injuries) |
No |
2/8/24 |
|
|
|
4/8/23 |
Confirmed mortality of one miniature donkey and confirmed injury of second miniature donkey (later killed in event on 5/17) |
No |
2/8/24 |
|
|
|
5/17/23 |
Confirmed mortality of miniature donkey |
Yes |
3/17/24 |
|
|
|
6/1/23 |
Probable injury of colt |
Yes |
4/1/24 |
|
|
Sullivan Creek |
6/26/23 |
Probable injury of calf |
Yes |
4/26/24 |
|
|
Togo |
6/27/23 |
Confirmed mortality of calf (euthanized due to injuries) |
Yes |
4/27/24 |
|
|
WA139 group |
5/21/23 |
Confirmed mortality of two calves and probable mortality of one calf |
Yes |
3/21/24 |
|
|
|
6/20/23 |
Confirmed mortality of heifer |
Yes |
4/20/24 |
|
|
|
7/31/23 |
Probable mortality of calf |
Yes |
5/31/24 |
|
|
Unknown wolf/wolves (south Cheney area, Spokane County) |
5/26/23 |
Confirmed mortality of calf |
Yes |
3/26/24 |
|