This update provides an overview of gray wolf conservation and management activities in Washington during December 2019.
Program updates
WDFW has partnered with the University of Washington to develop population modeling tools needed to inform the periodic status review for gray wolves. The University of Washington is currently recruiting a postdoctoral scientist to conduct this work. The position advertisement is available here: https://wfscjobs.tamu.edu/jobs/postdoctoral-scientist-population-modeling-for-gray-wolves-in-washington-state/
Communication and coordination
WDFW staff gave Wolf 101 presentations in Environmental Advanced Placement classes at two Spokane high schools.
Current population status and proactive conflict mitigation
The year-end minimum population count for 2018 was at least 126 known wolves in 27 known packs including at least 15 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 2019 will be released in April 2020.
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
Wolf biologists worked in the Teanaway, Sherman, Dirty Shirt, Wedge, Togo, Leadpoint, and Salmo pack territories this past month to deploy cameras and begin track surveys for winter monitoring counts.
They also placed cameras and conducted snow track surveys near Entiat, Chiliwist, and Five Sisters following up on reports of potential wolves in these area. Biologists will continue to monitor these areas over the winter.
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 pack
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.
Leadpoint pack
No activity to report.
Lookout pack
No activity to report.
Loup Loup pack
No activity to report.
Naneum pack
No activity to report.
Salmo pack
No activity to report.
Sherman pack
No activity to report.
Smackout pack
No activity to report.
Stranger pack
The collared wolf from the Stranger pack that had dispersed into Idaho was legally harvested in Idaho. WDFW staff deployed fladry around a livestock producer’s twenty-acre calving pasture within the Stranger pack territory.
Strawberry pack
No activity to report.
Teanaway pack
No activity to report.
Togo pack
WDFW staff are making ongoing efforts to monitor the Togo pack composition and movements.
Touchet pack
No activity to report.
Tucannon pack
No activity to report.
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 the Colville Confederated Tribes (CCT) reservation and are managed under tribal authority. Information regarding these packs is proprietary and reported at the discretion of the CCT.
Mortalities
There were no wolf mortalities in Washington documented in December.
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 2018, 81% of known wolf packs were not involved in any documented livestock depredation.
There were no documented wolf depredations in December.
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 |
|
Togo |
7/24/19 |
Confirmed kill of calf |
Yes |
5/24/20 |
|
|
|
7/29/19 |
Confirmed kill of calf |
Yes |
5/29/20 |
|
|
|
7/31/19 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
5/31/20 |
|
|
|
8/11/19 |
Confirmed kill of calf |
Yes |
6/11/20 |
|
|
|
8/11/19 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
6/11/20 |
|
|
|
8/11/19 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
6/11/20 |
|
|
|
8/23/19 |
Confirmed kill of calf |
Yes |
6/23/20 |
|
|
|
8/31/19 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
6/30/20 |
|
|
|
9/10/19 |
Probable kill of calf |
Yes |
7/10/20 |
|
|
OPT |
7/6/19 |
Confirmed kill of cow |
Yes |
5/6/20 |
Adult male lethally removed 7/13/19 |
|
|
7/18/19 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
5/18/20 |
|
|
|
7/18/19 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
5/18/20 |
|
|
|
7/20/19 |
Confirmed kill of calf |
Yes |
5/20/20 |
|
|
|
7/22/19 |
Probable kill of calf |
Yes |
5/22/20 |
|
|
|
7/26/19 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
5/26/20 |
|
|
|
7/26/19 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
5/26/20 |
|
|
|
7/26/19 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
5/26/20 |
|
|
|
7/31/19 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
5/31/20 |
|
|
|
8/5/19 |
Confirmed kill of cow |
Yes |
6/5/20 |
Juvenile lethally removed 8/7/19, juvenile lethally removed 8/8/19, adult lethally removed 8/13/19, two adults and two juveniles removed 8/16/19 |
|
Grouse Flats |
7/8/19 |
Confirmed kill of calf |
Yes |
5/8/20 |
|
|
|
7/22/19 |
Confirmed kill of calf |
Yes |
5/22/20 |
|
|
|
8/30/19 |
Confirmed kill of calf |
Yes |
6/30/20 |
|
|
|
9/12/19 |
Confirmed injury of cow |
Yes |
7/12/20 |
Adult female lethally removed 9/25/19 |
|
Wedge |
6/12/19 |
Confirmed kill of cow |
Yes |
4/12/20 |
|