This update provides an overview of gray wolf conservation and management activities in Washington during April 2021.
Program updates
- WDFW is considering rule changes related to wolf management in WAC chapter 220-400 and filed a CR-101 on October 13, 2020. In association with this rulemaking process, WDFW is developing a draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) on the potential environmental impacts of alternatives considered for rulemaking. The draft SEIS is anticipated to be released in Fall 2021.
- The Wolf Advisory Group held two virtual meetings on April 7-8 and April 26. Meeting notes and associated materials are available on the Wolf Advisory group page under the Meetings tab.
Communication and coordination
- In northeast Washington, wildlife conflict specialists are preparing for the upcoming grazing season by meeting and coordinating with livestock producers and Forest Service personnel. Staff met with the Colville National Forest Range Manager on preparations for the 2021 grazing season including information on producer meetings and range rider deployments. Conflict specialists communicated with several landowners and producers throughout the month via phone calls, texts, and emails. Staff spoke with landowners and producers about Damage Prevention Cooperative Agreements (DPCAs), damage permit reporting, range riding options, pilot projects, and plans for the upcoming grazing season. Conflict specialists also continued to meet with NGOs providing range rider services in northeast Washington. Staff spoke with several current and prospective contracted range riders interested in renewing or applying for a contract.
- In southeast Washington, Conflict specialists met with the new Pomeroy District Ranger and the Forest Service Range Manger to give a briefing and update on WDFW’s grazing and wolf-related work. Staff discussed preventative measures, damage prevention contracts, and gave an update on current known wolf numbers. Wildlife conflict specialists also took part in a joint Forest Service/WDFW meeting with one of the producers grazing cattle on a USFS grazing allotment in the Umatilla National Forest. Conflict specialists have also been in contact with cattle producers to discuss several WDFW programs to assist producers and minimize wolf-livestock conflict, as well as provide updates on wolves and wolf activity. Conflict specialists also spoke with prospective contracted range riders to discuss pay rates and other relevant range rider job duties, as well as possible candidates who may be interested in becoming contracted range riders for Columbia and Walla Walla Counties.
- Wolf biologists presented the annual wolf update on the status of wolves in Washington to the Fish and Wildlife Commission on April 23rd. The wolf population grew by a minimum of 24% this past year and has at least 178 wolves in 29 packs based on this past winter’s survey efforts.
- The North Cascades Institute also sponsored a Zoom presentation on April 28 with WDFW biologists. They shared an overview of the status of wolves in the state, provided updates on current wolf packs, and took questions.
Current population status and proactive conflict mitigation
The year-end minimum population count for 2020 was at least 132 known wolves in 24 known packs including at least 13 breeding pairs. The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation reported 46 wolves in five packs. 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 2021 will be released in April 2022.
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 (use some way to measure the size of a track) and upload them to the wolf reporting page via the following link: 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 pack
No activity to report.
Butte Creek pack
No activity to report.
Carpenter Ridge pack
No activity to report.
Diobsud Creek area
No activity to report.
Dirty Shirt pack
No activity to report.
Goodman Meadows pack
No activity to report.
Grouse Flats pack
No activity to report.
Huckleberry pack
No activity to report.
Kettle area
No activity to report.
Leadpoint pack
WDFW wolf biologists captured, collared, and released an adult male wolf from the Leadpoint pack.
Lookout pack
No activity to report.
Loup Loup pack
No activity to report.
Naneum pack
The Naneum wolves are being attracted to a number of livestock grazing areas where domestic livestock carcasses have been dumped on mostly private land. No depredations have been reported; however, it is imperative that dead livestock and afterbirth are cleaned up (buried or hauled to a landfill) so that carcasses do not attract carnivores to areas with livestock grazing in pastures.
Navarre pack
No activity to report.
Onion Creek pack
No activity to report.
Salmo pack
No activity to report.
Sherman pack
No activity to report.
Skookum pack
No activity to report.
Smackout pack
No activity to report.
Stranger pack
No activity to report.
Strawberry pack
No activity to report.
Sullivan Creek pack
No activity to report.
Teanaway pack
The Teanaway wolves appeared to be expanding their traditional range this year in a slightly eastward move but staying mostly out of private lands.
Togo pack
No activity to report.
Touchet pack
No activity to report.
Tucannon pack
No activity to report.
Vulcan pack
WDFW wolf biologists captured, collared, and released an adult female wolf from the Vulcan pack.
Wedge pack
No activity to report.
Miscellaneous/lone wolves
No activity to report.
Note: The Frosty, Nason, Nc’icn, and Whitestone 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
No wolf mortalities were documented in April. As of this update, WDFW has documented two wolf mortalities in 2021.
Depredation activity
Please report any suspected livestock depredations or the death or harassment of wolves to the WDFW Enforcement Hotline at 1-877-933-9847.
In 2020, 76% of known wolf packs were not involved in any documented livestock depredation.
There were no documented wolf depredations in April.
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 |
|
Beaver Creek |
8/21/20 |
Probable injury of calf |
Yes |
6/21/21 |
|
|
Leadpoint |
6/19/20 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
4/19/21 |
|
|
|
6/19/20 |
Confirmed injury of two calves |
Yes |
4/19/21 |
|
|
|
6/19/20 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
4/19/21 |
|
|
|
6/28/20 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
4/28/21 |
|
|
|
8/3/20 |
Confirmed mortality of calf (calf died from injuries) |
Yes |
6/3/21 |
|
|
|
8/7/20 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
6/7/21 |
|
|
|
8/7/20 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
6/7/21 |
|
|
|
8/7/20 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
6/7/21 |
|
|
|
8/7/20 |
Confirmed kill of calf |
Yes |
6/7/21 |
|
|
|
8/10/20 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
6/10/21 |
|
|
|
8/10/20 |
Confirmed kill of calf |
Yes |
6/10/21 |
|
|
|
8/14/20 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
6/14/21 |
|
|
|
3/26/21 |
Probable injury of calf |
Yes |
1/26/22 |
|
|
Togo |
6/6/20 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
4/6/21 |
|
|
Grouse Flats |
8/12/20 |
Probable injury of calf |
Yes |
6/12/21 |
|
|
Smackout |
7/24/20 |
Confirmed kill of calf |
Yes |
5/24/21 |
|
|
Touchet |
1/16/21 |
Probable kill of calf |
No |
11/16/21 |
|
|
Wedge |
6/17/20 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
4/17/21 |
|
|
|
7/11/20 |
Confirmed injury of three calves |
Yes |
5/11/21 |
|
|
|
7/11/20 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
5/11/21 |
|
|
|
7/11/20 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
5/11/21 |
|
|
|
7/11/20 |
Confirmed injury of two calves |
Yes |
5/11/21 |
|
|
|
7/13/20 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
5/13/21 |
|
|
|
7/25/20 |
Confirmed kill of calf and injury of calf |
Yes |
5/25/21 |
Adult female lethally removed 7/27/20 |
|
|
7/29/20 |
Probable kill of calf |
Yes |
5/29/21 |
|
|
|
7/29/20 |
Confirmed injury of two calves |
Yes |
5/29/21 |
|
|
|
7/30/20 |
Confirmed injury of two calves |
Yes |
5/30/21 |
|
|
|
7/31/20 |
Confirmed injury of two calves |
Yes |
5/31/21 |
|
|
|
7/31/20 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
5/31/21 |
|
|
|
8/1/20 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
6/1/21 |
Adult male and female lethally removed 8/13/20 |