This update provides an overview of gray wolf conservation and management activities in Washington during July 2019.
Program updates
WDFW announced scoping for an updated wolf conservation and management (post-recovery) plan. All materials, documents, media, and other information (including public scoping open houses scheduled statewide and ways to provide comment) relevant to wolf plan development will be made available here throughout the process.
Communication and coordination
This month, WDFW staff provided presentations about wolves in Washington at REI stores in Olympia, Tacoma, and Spokane. They also attended a panel discussion and film presentation of “The Trouble with Wolves” at the Patagonia Store in Seattle.
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
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
On July 22, WDFW staff were notified of a dead wolf pup in the Beaver Creek pack territory. The cause of death is under investigation.
Butte Creek pack
No activity to report.
Carpenter Ridge pack
No activity to report.
Diobsud Creek pack
No activity to report.
Dirty Shirt pack
A collared female wolf in the Dirty Shirt territory was likely killed by a cougar.
Goodman Meadows pack
No activity to report.
Grouse Flats pack
For information on the Grouse Flats pack, please see updates posted on July 12 and July 25.
Huckleberry pack
No activity to report.
Leadpoint pack
Biologists attempted to trap wolves in the Leadpoint pack territory in July, but were unsuccessful.
Lookout pack
No activity to report.
Loup Loup pack
No activity to report.
Nanuem pack
Livestock producers have been using approved nonlethal wolf deterrence measures including range riders on both sheep and cattle grazing allotments. No significant wolf conflicts have been reported in July.
Old Profanity Territory (OPT) pack
For information on the OPT pack during July, please see updates posted on July 9, July 10, July 16, July 23, and July 30, and July 31.
Salmo pack
No activity to report.
Sherman pack
No activity to report.
Smackout pack
No activity to report.
Stranger pack
No activity to report.
Strawberry pack
No activity to report.
Teanaway pack
Livestock producers have been using approved nonlethal wolf deterrence measures including range riders on both sheep and cattle grazing allotments. No significant wolf conflicts have been reported in July.
Togo pack
On July 24, WDFW was informed that a wolf in the Togo pack territory was shot in Ferry County in a reported caught-in-the-act scenario. A livestock producer shot the wolf as it was attacking a calf. The incident is under investigation by WDFW law enforcement. Based on evidence at the scene, the wolf was believed to be fatally wounded but it was not found after multiple attempts. Biologists set traps near the cow carcass but did not capture any wolves.
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
As stated above, a collared female wolf in the Dirty Shirt territory was likely killed by a cougar.
On July 13, WDFW lethally removed a radio-collared adult male member of the OPT wolf pack in response to a pattern of livestock depredation.
On July 22, WDFW staff were notified of a dead wolf pup in the Beaver Creek pack territory. The cause of death is under investigation.
As stated above, on July 24, WDFW was informed that a wolf in the Togo pack territory was shot in Ferry County in a reported caught-in-the-act scenario. A livestock producer shot the wolf as it was attacking a calf. The incident is under investigation by WDFW law enforcement. Based on evidence at the scene, the wolf was believed to be fatally wounded but it was not found after multiple attempts.
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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Togo |
9/7/18 |
Confirmed injury of calf, death later |
Yes |
7/7/19 |
Adult male lethally removed 9/2/18 |
|
|
10/26/18 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
8/26/19 |
|
|
|
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 |
|
|
OPT |
9/5/18 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
7/5/19 |
|
|
|
9/5/18 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
7/5/19 |
|
|
|
9/5/18 |
Confirmed kill of calf |
Yes |
7/5/19 |
|
|
|
9/6/18 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
7/6/19 |
|
|
|
9/7/18 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
7/7/19 |
|
|
|
9/11/18 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
7/11/19 |
Juvenile lethally removed 9/16/18 |
|
|
9/17/18 |
Confirmed kill of cow |
Yes |
7/17/19 |
|
|
|
9/21/18 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
7/21/19 |
|
|
|
9/21/18 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
7/21/19 |
|
|
|
9/21/18 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
7/21/19 |
|
|
|
9/21/18 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
7/21/19 |
|
|
|
9/21/18 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
7/21/19 |
Adult female lethally removed 9/28/18 |
|
|
10/5/18 |
Confirmed injury of calf, death later |
Yes |
8/5/19 |
|
|
|
10/7/18 |
Probable injury of calf |
Yes |
8/7/19 |
|
|
|
10/11/18 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
8/11/19 |
|
|
|
10/23/18 |
Confirmed kill of calf |
Yes |
8/23/19 |
|
|
|
1/4/19 |
Confirmed kill of cow |
No |
N/A |
|
|
|
1/4/19 |
Confirmed kill of calf |
No |
N/A |
|
|
|
1/4/19 |
Confirmed kill of calf |
No |
N/A |
|
|
|
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 |
|
|
Smackout |
10/14/18 |
Confirmed kill of heifer |
Yes |
8/14/19 |
|
|
|
10/21/18 |
Confirmed kill of heifer |
Yes |
8/21/19 |
|
|
|
10/31/18 |
Confirmed kill of heifer |
Yes |
8/31/19 |
|
|
|
11/1/18 |
Confirmed kill of heifer |
Yes |
9/1/19 |
Adult male lethally removed 11/8/18 |
|
Single wolf (Chiliwist area) |
11/27/18 |
Confirmed kill of calf |
No |
9/27/19 |
|
|
Grouse Flats |
9/2/18 |
Confirmed kill of calf |
Yes |
7/2/19 |
|
|
|
10/28/18 |
Confirmed injury of cow |
Yes |
8/28/19 |
|
|
|
7/8/19 |
Confirmed kill of calf |
Yes |
5/8/20 |
|
|
|
7/22/19 |
Confirmed kill of calf |
Yes |
5/22/20 |
|
|
Wedge |
6/12/19 |
Confirmed kill of cow |
Yes |
4/12/20 |
|