Monthly Wolf Report- January 2024

This update provides an overview of gray wolf conservation and management activities in Washington during January 2024. 

Program updates and coordination 

• WDFW is opening a public comment period for gray wolf rule making. Based on a population projection model developed at the University of Washington (UW) and other available information on gray wolves in Washington, WDFW staff recommends reclassifying wolves from state endangered (defined as seriously threatened with extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range within the state) to Sensitive status; described as “vulnerable or declining and is likely to become endangered or threatened in a significant portion of its range within the state without cooperative management or removal of threats” under WAC 220-610-110. The Department is seeking public comment on the proposal. More information on the proposal, how to provide input on it, the deadline to comment, and more can be found at Periodic Status Review: Gray Wolf - PublicInput. 

• WDFW is currently accepting limited applications for contracted range riders in areas outside of northeast Washington. Applications and contract updates can be found here: https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/at-risk/species-recovery/gray-wolf/updates/contracted-range-rider-rfq-2023-now-available   
  Questions about applying or need assistance with the application? Reach out to WildlifeConflict@dfw.wa.gov. 

• Currently in northeast Washington, due to a directive from the budget proviso, WDFW is working to transition contracted range riders to WSDA grant funded local non-profits providing non-lethal deterrent services. WDFW will continue to offer Damage Prevention Cooperative Agreements for Livestock (DPCA-Ls) in areas where these services are not provided and as funding allows. WDFW-contracted range riders will only be employed when a clearly identified gap exists that cannot be covered by one of the non-government groups providing range riding, or under a cost-sharing DPCA-L.   

• $53,900 reward offered for information about poisoned wolves (two new donors including the Humane Society and Woodland Park Zoo offered to increase the award in November) Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Police have been investigating 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.    
  
  Initially investigators found four animals in late February, and two more within a month during additional searches of the area. 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.  
  
  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. 

Outreach and education  

With wolf breeding season underway (from late January to March), wolves can become confrontational with domestic dogs and will sometimes challenge a dog over territory. As a dog owner- whether of herding, hunting, or just pet dogs- in areas where wolves live, there are some steps you can take to safeguard your dog(s). Those are detailed in our new blog on taking precautions with pet dogs in wolf country. 

Current population status and proactive conflict mitigation 

The year-end minimum population count for 2022 was at least 216 known wolves in 37 known packs including at least 26 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 2023 will be released in April 2024. 

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 reporting page here: 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 territory 
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory. 

Big Muddy pack 
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory. 

Butte Creek pack 
No activity to report. 

Carpenter Ridge pack 
No activity to report. 

Chewuch pack 
WDFW Biologists responded to public reports of wolf activity in this pack territory. 

Chopaka pack 
No activity to report. 

Columbia pack 
WDFW biologists collared an adult male wolf in this territory.  

Diobsud Creek territory 
No activity to report. 

Dirty Shirt pack 
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory. 

Dominion pack 
WDFW Biologists collared an adult female wolf in this territory. WDFW Biologists also investigated a wolf mortality in this territory. A juvenile wolf that was collared as a suspected member of the Smackout Pack in September of 2023 had left that territory and had been traveling with another adult collared wolf in the Dominion pack territory during the late fall and early winter. Collar data suggests that these animals were still traveling together when the pup was killed on January 10th or 11th. Sign at the scene and the disposition of the carcass indicated that this wolf was likely killed by a cougar.  

Five Sisters pack 
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory. 

Goodman Meadows pack 
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory. 

Grouse Flats pack 
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory. 

Huckleberry pack 
No activity to report. 

Leadpoint pack 
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in the pack territory. 

Lookout pack 
WDFW biologists collared a juvenile wolf in this pack territory.  

Loup Loup pack 
WDFW biologists collared an adult 2 adult male wolves in this pack territory. Unfortunately, one of the wolves died shortly after capture. The carcass was transported to the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (WADDL) at Washington State University, and preliminary results suggest that the wolf died from aspiration pneumonia. There is always risk anytime a wild animal is captured and many precautions are in place to minimize the risk of complications, however on rare occasions something like this can happen.    

Maverick pack 
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in the pack territory. 
 
Mt. Spokane pack 
No activity to report. 

Napeequa pack 
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in the pack territory. 

Navarre pack 
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in the pack territory. 

Onion Creek pack 
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in the pack territory. 

Salmo pack 
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory. 

Scatter pack  
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in the pack territory. 

Shady Pass pack 
WDFW biologists collared a juvenile female wolf in this territory.  

Sherman pack 
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this territory 

Smackout pack 
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this territory 
 
Sprague Lake territory 
No activity to report. 

Stranger pack 
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory. 

Sullivan Creek pack 
WDFW biologists recollared two wolves in this pack territory including an adult male and an adult female.   

On January 14, WDFW staff investigated a dead German shepherd on the edge of the Sullivan Creek pack territory. The owners had inadvertently left their dog out overnight. Neighbors found the dog the next morning.  Based on tracks, staff confirmed four wolves caught and killed the dog. See our blog above for information on keeping dogs safe in wolf country. 

Because the Sulivan Creek pack is in the area of Washington where wolves are federally protected, WDFW staff will meet with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) staff to discuss a confirmed livestock injury documented in December, the above-mentioned dog depredation, and recent wolf activity around livestock. USFWS was notified after each incident. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss ideas to minimize additional conflict. 

Teanaway territory 
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory. 

Togo pack 
No activity to report. 

Touchet pack 
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory. 

Tucannon pack 
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory. 

Vulcan pack 
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory. 

Wedge pack 
No activity to report. 

Miscellaneous/lone wolves 
WDFW biologist conducted monitoring activities in the historic Naneum pack territory of Kittitas County and in areas between Highway 410 and Highway 12 in Yakima County.   

WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in the historic Skookum pack territory. 

Note: The 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 

• Two collared wolves were found dead in January. One wolf in the Dominion territory that appeared to be killed by a cougar, and another wolf from the Loup Loup pack territory that died of capture related causes. More information can be found under the Dominion, and Loup Loup packs, above.  

• As of January, WDFW has documented two wolf mortalities in 2024. 

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 did not document any depredation events on livestock by wolves in January. This is average (0.4) for the month of January based on depredation records from 2019-2023. 

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	9/10/23	Confirmed injury of 2 calves	Yes	7/10/24
Dirty Shirt	8/28/23	Confirmed mortality of calf		6/28/24
Grouse Flats	9/8/23	Probable mortality of calf	Yes	7/8/24
	10/25/23	Confirmed injury of an adult cow	Yes	8/25/24
Onion	4/17/23	Confirmed mortality of calf	Yes	2/17/24
	5/12/23	Probable injury of dog	N/A	N/A
Smackout	9/1/23	Confirmed injury of cow	Yes	7/1/24
Scatter	4/8/23	Probable injury of alpaca (later died from injuries)	No	2/8/24
	4/8/23	Confirmed mortality of one miniature donkey and confirmed injury of second miniature donkey (later killed in event on 5/17)	No	2/8/24
	5/17/23	Confirmed mortality of miniature donkey	Yes	3/17/24
	6/1/23	Probable injury of colt	Yes	4/1/24
	10/7/23	Confirmed mortality of calf	No	8/7/24
Sullivan Creek	6/26/23	Probable injury of calf	Yes	4/26/24
	12/14/23	Confirmed injury of adult cow	Yes	10/14/24
Togo	6/27/23	Confirmed mortality of calf (euthanized due to injuries)	Yes	4/27/24
WA139 group	5/21/23	Confirmed mortality of two calves and probable mortality of one calf	Yes	3/21/24
	6/20/23	Confirmed mortality of heifer	Yes	4/20/24
	7/31/23	Probable mortality of calf	Yes	5/31/24
	8/15/23	Confirmed mortality of calf	Yes	6/15/24	Adult male and yearling female removed on 8/26/23
Unknown wolf/wolves (south Cheney area, Spokane County)	5/26/23	Confirmed mortality of calf	Yes	3/26/24
Undetermined pack (Stevens County)	8/12/23	Confirmed injury of calf	Yes	6/12/24
	9/5/23	Confirmed injury of calf	Yes	7/5/24