This update provides an overview of gray wolf conservation and management activities in Washington during December 2022.
Program updates and coordination
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
WDFW staff, Defenders of Wildlife, and Strategic Ranching held a workshop titled “Strategic Ranching on a Landscape with Wolves” to help Klickitat County livestock producers and land managers prepare for a future where wolves are established around livestock operations in the South Cascades. The workshop was held in December in Goldendale. Wolf Biologist Gabe Spence and Wildlife Conflict Specialist Todd Jacobsen gave a presentation on wolf status, biology, and the process WDFW uses to investigate wolf depredations at the workshop. The workshop was attended by 35 community members.
WDFW wolf and ungulate staff specialists gave a presentation on wolf recolonization in Washington and the status of ungulate herds to the Richland Rod and Gun Club in December.
WDFW’s Wolf Specialist gave a presentation on wolf recovery and ecology in Washington to the Spokane Audubon Chapter.
Current population status and proactive conflict mitigation
The year-end minimum population count for 2021 was at least 206 known wolves in 33 known packs including at least 19 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 2022 will be released in April 2023.
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.
Wolf biologists spent time prepping for winter capture and survey work this past month. It takes a significant amount of coordination and cooperation from private timberland companies, landowners, and other agencies for WDFW to conduct aerial capture work around the state. We appreciate all those willing to work with us to conduct this important work!
Beaver Creek pack
No activity to report.
Butte Creek pack
No activity to report.
Carpenter Ridge pack
No activity to report.
Columbia pack
WDFW biologists placed cameras for monitoring in the Columbia pack territory and conducted a tracking survey there this past month.
Dirty Shirt pack
No activity to report.
Dominion pack
No activity to report.
Goodman Meadows pack
No activity to report.
Grouse Flats pack
WDFW biologists placed cameras for monitoring in the Grouse Flats pack territory and conducted a tracking survey there this past month.
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.
Navarre pack
No activity to report.
Onion Creek pack
No activity to report.
Salmo pack
No activity to report.
Shady Pass 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.
Sullivan Creek pack
No activity to report.
Teanaway pack
WDFW biologists placed cameras for monitoring in the Teanaway pack territory and conducted a tracking survey there this past month.
Togo pack
No activity to report.
Touchet pack
WDFW biologists placed cameras for monitoring in the Touchet pack territory and conducted a tracking survey there this past month.
Tucannon pack
WDFW biologists placed cameras for monitoring in the Tucannon pack territory and conducted a tracking survey there this past month.
Vulcan pack
No activity to report.
Wedge pack
No activity to report.
Miscellaneous/lone wolves
WDFW staff continued to monitor a collared dispersing male wolf (originally from the Naneum pack) and an uncollared wolf (unknown age and sex) traveling in Yakima and Klickitat counties.
A collared wolf from Oregon dispersed into Washington and traveled throughout Garfield and Asotin Counties. The wolf has since moved into Idaho.
Note: The Frosty, Nason, Nc’icn, Keller Ridge, Strawberry, 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
- WDFW staff investigated a dead wolf in Asotin County that had dispersed into Washington from Oregon. No known cause of death could be determined; little of the carcass remained at the time of investigation. Because this event occurred in Washington, it will be counted in Washington’s mortality numbers.
- As of this update, WDFW has documented 27 wolf mortalities in 2022.
Depredation activity
In 2021, 76% of known wolf packs were not involved in any documented livestock depredation.
WDFW documented zero wolf depredation events in December, the same as 2017-2021.
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 |
|
Grouse Flats |
8/12/22 |
Confirmed mortality of steer |
Yes |
6/12/23 |
|
|
|
8/30/22 |
Confirmed mortality of steer |
Yes |
6/30/23 |
|
|
Leadpoint |
8/22/22 |
Confirmed mortality of calf |
Yes |
6/22/23 |
|
|
|
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 |
|
|
Lookout |
5/20/22 |
Confirmed mortality of two lambs |
Yes |
3/20/23 |
|
|
Smackout |
8/17/22 |
Confirmed mortality of calf |
Yes |
6/17/23 |
|
|
|
8/20/22 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
6/20/23 |
|
|
|
8/27/22 |
Probable injury of calf |
Yes |
6/27/23 |
|
|
|
8/28/22 |
Confirmed mortality of calf |
Yes |
6/28/23 |
|
|
|
8/31/22 |
Confirmed mortality of two calves |
Yes |
6/30/23 |
Juvenile male lethally removed 9/8/22 |
|
|
9/26/22 |
Probable mortality of calf |
Yes |
7/26/23 |
|
|
|
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 |
|
|
Stranger |
7/28/22 |
Probable injury of calf |
No |
5/28/23 |
|
|
Togo |
5/17/22 |
Confirmed mortality of calf |
Yes |
3/17/23 |
|
|
|
5/18/22 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
3/18/23 |
|
|
|
6/8/22 |
Confirmed mortality of calf |
Yes |
4/8/23 |
|
|
|
6/12/22 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
4/11/23 |
Yearling female lethally removed 6/14/22; adult male lethally removed 6/17/22 |
|
Vulcan |
4/30/22 |
Confirmed mortality of calf |
Yes |
2/28/23 |
|