This is an update for the Couse wolf pack following the lethal removal authorization by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Director Kelly Susewind on Sept. 24, 2024.
WDFW Director Susewind approved lethal removal of one adult wolf from the Couse wolf pack in southeast Washington, in response to repeated depredations of cattle in Asotin County. The authorization is consistent with the guidance of the state's Wolf Conservation and Management Plan and the lethal removal provisions of the Department's wolf-livestock interaction protocol (PDF) (PDF).
WDFW has documented five depredation events in the Couse pack territory including one dead calf, confirmed injuries on a cow and two calves, along with probable injuries on another cow within a 10-month rolling window of time.
As of Oct. 1, WDFW has not removed a wolf from this pack territory despite continued efforts. Lethal removal operations are ongoing. The authorization for lethal removal expires on Oct. 8 or after a wolf is removed.
WDFW will provide a final report on this and any other lethal removal actions during 2024 in the Washington Gray Wolf Conservation and Management 2024 Annual Report, which will be published during spring 2025.
A summary of all documented depredation activity within the past 10 months is included in every monthly wolf update.
Previous updates
2024 Couse pack updates: