This update provides an overview of gray wolf conservation and management activities in Washington during February 2025.
Program updates and coordination
- WDFW is accepting limited applications for statewide contracted range riders. Applications and contract updates can be found in WDFW’s website.
- WDFW is awaiting direction from the current legislative session as to any funding appropriations for range riding services and other preventative tools. Current funding for these services is due to expire June 30, 2025.
- WDFW is awaiting direction from the current legislative session as to any funding appropriations for range riding services and other preventative tools. Current funding for these services is due to expire June 30, 2025.
WDFW encourages anyone who might have relevant information on poaching to report it confidentially by calling WDFW's poaching hotline, 877-933-9847, or by texting a tip to 847411.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is offering a reward in a second case of a wolf being killed illegally in Klickitat County. More information is included in a press release on the incident. USFWS is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest, a criminal conviction, or civil penalty assessment in this case. Non-profit organizations such as Conservation Northwest, Washington Wildlife First, and Center for Biological Diversity are offering an additional $ 30,000 ($ 10,000 from each of these three organizations) in reward money.
The first case of a wolf being killed illegally in Klickitat County happened in October of 2024. There is also a reward offered in that case. You can read more about that in this press release.
Gray wolves are listed as endangered under state law throughout Washington. In the western two-thirds of the state, they are also listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act. Under state law, the illegal killing of a wolf or other endangered fish, or wildlife species is a gross misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $5,000.- WDFW continues to support the Conflict on Working lands Conservation Innovation Grant (CoW-CIG) research team’s evaluation of the effectiveness of range riding at reducing conflicts between livestock and carnivores. The Conservation on Working Lands Conservation Innovation Grant (CoW-CIG) is a collaborative team consisting of livestock producers, Western Landowners Alliance, Heart of the Rockies, Defenders of Wildlife, Wildlife Services, and other state and federal wildlife agencies, and Utah, Colorado, and Montana state universities. The team is tasked with evaluating the effectiveness of several nonlethal tools at reducing conflict between livestock, wolves, and grizzly bears.
Outreach and education
WDFW biologists shared an update on wolves at the Asotin County commissioners meeting in February. A WDFW wolf biologist delivered a presentation on wolves at the Spokane Great Outdoor, and Bike Expo. An online event “Wolves in Washington - Updates from the WDFW and the Wolf Advisory Group” will be organized by North Cascades Institutes (NCI) on April 9th, 2025. The details of this event can be found in NCI’s website.
Current population status and proactive conflict mitigation
The year-end minimum population count for 2023 was at least 260 known wolves in 42 known packs including at least 25 successful 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. A link to the 2023 Annual Wolf report can be found in WDFW’s website. The year-end minimum population count for 2024 will be released in April 2025.
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 observation reporting page.
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
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory.
Big Muddy territory
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory.
Butte Creek pack
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory.
Carpenter Ridge pack
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory.
Chewuch pack
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory.
Chopaka pack
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory.
Columbia pack
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory.
Couse pack
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory.
Diobsud Creek territory
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory.
Dirty Shirt pack
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory.
Dominion pack
No activity to report.
Five Sisters pack
No activity to report.
Goodman Meadows pack
No activity to report.
Grouse Flats pack
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory.
Huckleberry pack
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory.
Leadpoint pack
No activity to report.
Lookout pack
No activity to report.
Loup Loup pack
No activity to report.
Maverick pack
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory.
Mt. Spokane pack
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory.
Naneum territory
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory.
Napeequa pack
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory.
Navarre pack
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory.
Onion Creek pack
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory.
Ruby pack
No activity to report.
Salmo pack
No activity to report.
Scatter pack
No activity to report.
Shady Pass pack
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory.
Sherman pack
No activity to report.
Sprague Lake territory
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory.
Stranger Pack
No activity to report.
Sullivan Creek pack
No activity to report.
Togo Pack
No activity to report.
Touchet pack
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory.
Tucannon Pack
No activity to report.
Vulcan pack
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory.
Wedge pack
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory.
Other Monitoring Activities Statewide:
WDFW biologists spent time searching for wolf sign and deploying cameras in Skagit County and the Teanaway area of Kittitas County in December. Biologists also spent time surveying areas south of highway 12 near Rimrock Lake.
Note: The Dollar Mountain, 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
- No wolf mortality was reported in February 2025. There have been two mortalities documented in 2025.
Depredation activity
In general, about 80% of known wolf packs in Washington have not been involved in any documented livestock depredation in any given year. WDFW staff documented no depredation events by wolves on livestock in February 2025. The average number of depredation events for the month of February is 0.4 based on depredation records from 2020-2024.
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 (PDF)).
| Pack | Depredation date | Depredation type | Proactive non-lethals | Ten-month window | Agency lethal removal actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | 8/06/24 | Confirmed injury of 1 calf | Yes | 6/6/25 | |
| 9/11/24 | Probable injury of 1 calf | Yes | 7/11/25 | ||
| 9/16/24 | Confirmed mortality of 1 calf | Yes | 7/16/25 | ||
| 10/27/24 | Confirmed injury of 1 calf | Yes | 8/27/25 | ||
| 10/27/24 | Confirmed injury of 1 calf | Yes | 8/27/25 | ||
| 10/27/24 | Confirmed injury of 1 calf | Yes | 8/27/25 | ||
| 11/06/24 | Probable injury of 1 calf | Yes | 9/6/25 | ||
| 11/06/24 | Probable injury of 1 calf | Yes | 9/6/25 | ||
| 11/06/24 | Probable injury of 1 calf | Yes | 9/6/25 | ||
| 11/06/24 | Probable injury of 1 calf | Yes | 9/6/25 | ||
| 11/06/24 | Probable injury of 1 calf | Yes | 9/6/25 | ||
| 12/29/24 | Confirmed mortality of 1 calf | Yes | 10/28/25 | Two wolves (an adult male and a yearling female) were lethally removed by WDFW on Jan. 13, 2025. Lethal removal authorization is expired with this. | |
| Couse | 6/27/24 | Confirmed injury of 1 calf | No | 4/27/25 | |
| 7/06/24 | Confirmed mortality of 1 calf | Yes | 5/06/25 | ||
| 7/08/24 | Confirmed injury of 1 cow | Yes | 5/08/25 | ||
| 7/08/24 | Probable injury of 1 cow | Yes | 5/08/25 | Agency Removal not authorized; One wolf was killed (WAC 220-440-080) | |
| 9/19/24 | Confirmed injury of 1 calf | Yes | 7/19/25 | Agency Removal authorized with an expiration date of Oct. 8 – no removal as of Oct. 7, 2024. | |
| 11/12/24 | Probable injury of 1 calf | Yes | 9/12/25 | ||
| Dominion | 7/19/24 | Confirmed mortality of 1 cow | Yes | 5/19/25 | |
| 7/27/24 | Confirmed mortality of 1 calf and injury of 4 calves | Yes | 5/27/25 | ||
| 7/28/24 | Confirmed mortality of 1 calf | Yes | 5/28/25 | ||
| 7/30/24 | Confirmed injury of 2 calves | Yes | 5/30/25 | ||
| 8/01/24 | Confirmed mortality of 1 calf and injury of 2 calves | Yes | 6/1/25 | ||
| 8/02/24 | Confirmed injury of 2 calves | Yes | 6/2/25 | ||
| 8/04/24 | Confirmed mortality of 1 calf | Yes | 6/4/25 | ||
| 8/06/24 | Confirmed injury of 3 calves | Yes | 6/6/25 | On 08/13, WDFW lethally removed an adult male wolf from the Dominion pack territory. With the removal of this wolf, the lethal removal authorization expired. | |
| Grouse Flats | 7/19/24 | Confirmed mortality of 1 adult cow | Yes | 5/19/25 | |
| 9/11/24 | Confirmed mortality of 1 calf | Yes | 7/11/25 | ||
| Leadpoint | 6/28/24 | Confirmed injury of 1 calf – died later | Yes | 4/28/25 | One wolf was killed on 07/26 (Investigation ongoing). On 08/12, WDFW Director authorized lethal removal of up to two adult wolves from this pack. As of 08/19, WDFW had not removed a wolf despite daily and continued efforts utilizing multiple different methods and the authorization expired on that day. |
| 7/25/24 | Confirmed mortality of 1 calf | Yes | 5/25/25 | ||
| 7/28/24 | Confirmed injury of 1 calf | Yes | 5/28/25 | ||
| 8/02/24 | Probable injury of 1 cow | Yes | 6/2/25 | ||
| Onion Creek | 8/10/24 | Confirmed mortality of 1 calf | Yes | 6/10/25 | |
| 8/15/24 | Confirmed mortality of 1 calf | Yes | 6/15/25 | ||
| 9/09/24 | Confirmed mortality of 1 calf | Yes | 7/9/25 | WDFW Director authorized lethal removal of up to two adult wolves from this pack. On 09/19, WDFW removed two wolves (an adult male and a yearling female) and the authorization expired. | |
| 9/30/24 | Confirmed mortality of 1 calf | Yes | 7/30/25 | On 10/2, WDFW Director re-authorized lethal removal of one adult wolf from this pack and later on that day, WDFW lethally removed one adult female, and the re-authorization expired. | |
| Sullivan Creek | 5/16/24 | Probable mortality of 1 calf | Yes | 3/16/25 | |
| 7/26/24 | Confirmed injury of 1 calf | Yes | 5/26/25 | ||
| 8/10/24 | Confirmed mortality of 1 calf | Yes | 6/10/25 | ||
| 8/12/24 | Confirmed injury of 3 calves | Yes | 6/12/25 | ||
| Togo | 6/28/24 | Probable mortality of 1 calf | Yes | 4/28/25 | |
| Unknown | 8/22/24 | Confirmed mortality of 1 calf | No | 6/22/25 | |
| Unknown (Overlapped area for Couse and Tucannon packs) | 10/13/24 | Probable injury of 1 calf | Yes | 8/13/25 |
Packs referenced in this update
- Beaver Creek ,
- Big Muddy ,
- Butte Creek ,
- Carpenter Ridge ,
- Chewuch ,
- Chopaka ,
- Columbia ,
- Couse ,
- Diobsud Creek ,
- Dirty Shirt ,
- Dollar Mountain ,
- Dominion ,
- Five Sisters ,
- Frosty ,
- Goodman Meadows ,
- Grouse Flats ,
- Huckleberry ,
- Keller Ridge ,
- Leadpoint ,
- Lookout ,
- Loup Loup ,
- Maverick ,
- Mt. Spokane ,
- Naneum ,
- Napeequa ,
- Nason ,
- Navarre ,
- Nc'icn ,
- Onion Creek ,
- Ruby ,
- Salmo ,
- Scatter ,
- Shady Pass ,
- Sherman ,
- Sprague Lake ,
- Stranger ,
- Strawberry ,
- Sullivan Creek ,
- Teanaway ,
- Togo ,
- Touchet ,
- Tucannon ,
- Vulcan ,
- Wedge ,
- Whitestone ,
- Wilmont