This update provides an overview of gray wolf conservation and management activities in Washington during June 2020.
Program updates
WDFW staff are continuing to work on the development of draft alternatives for a post-recovery plan for wolves in Washington.
The University of Washington in collaboration with WDFW hired a postdoctoral scientist (who started June 1) to develop a spatially explicit integrated population model for gray wolves in Washington, making use of a variety of data collected in Washington over the past 12 years. The goal is to build a model that will allow for estimation of demographic rates and dispersal and provide projections of probability of extinction, expected time to recovery, distribution, and abundance under a variety of ecological and management scenarios, developed in collaboration with WDFW. This modeling tool will provide the basis for a status review of gray wolves in Washington. The final report and model from this project are expected in August 2021.
Communication and coordination
WDFW staff continued work on a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ferry and Stevens County Sheriff’s Offices regarding their offer to have their County Wildlife Specialist assist WDFW with wolf trapping. A draft of the MOU has been sent to the Attorney General’s Office for their review and input and the Northeast Regional Wolf Lead (NERWL) has provided updates to the Stevens County sheriff on two occasions. WDFW hopes to provide the draft MOU to the sheriff’s offices for their consideration in July.
The NERWL met with both the Stevens County Commissioners and the Cattle Producers of Washington to discuss and answer questions regarding the process for lethal removal recommendations to the WDFW Director.
The NERWL drafted a guidance document regarding wolf-livestock interaction protocol implementation as it relates to human presence and range riding as nonlethal deterrent measures. The document also provides clarity around what the Department considers to be “daily or near daily” as described in the 2017 Wolf-Livestock Interaction Protocol.
The NEWRL coordinated with the Confederated Tribe of the Colville Indian Reservation regarding the Tribe’s request for work on a non-disclosure agreement so that the parties can share location information for collared wolves.
Current population status and proactive conflict mitigation
The year-end minimum population count for 2019 was at least 108 known wolves in 21 known packs including at least 10 breeding pairs. The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation reported 37 wolves in five packs. 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 2020 will be released in April 2021.
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
No activity to report.
Butte Creek pack
No activity to report.
Carpenter Ridge pack
Wolf biologists checked cameras and scouted for sign to begin trapping in this pack territory.
Diobsud Creek pack
Wolf biologists checked and placed cameras for long-term monitoring in this pack territory.
Dirty Shirt pack
Wolf biologists checked cameras and scouted for sign to begin trapping in this pack territory.
Goodman Meadows pack
No activity to report.
Grouse Flats pack
No activity to report.
Huckleberry pack
No activity to report.
Kettle pack
Wolf biologists spent time trapping in the Kettles pack area; no wolves were captured. Trail cameras deployed for long-term monitoring and surveillance provided WDFW staff with more information regarding pack composition.
Leadpoint pack
Wolf biologists captured and collared a wolf in the Leadpoint pack territory in June. The Leadpoint pack was involved in injuries of three calves investigated on June 19. The pack was also involved in a fourth confirmed depredation (an injured calf investigated on June 28) belonging to the same livestock producer in the same private pasture.
Lookout pack
No activity to report.
Loup Loup pack
No activity to report.
Naneum pack
Wolves have been active in cattle grazing areas within this pack territory. A WDFW range rider, other WDFW staff, and livestock producers have been employing human presence in as many areas as possible. Wolves have been observed in cattle in both the east and west ends of the Naneum pack boundaries. Seven cattle depredations were reported in the Naneum pack area as possible wolf depredations. Of the seven incidents reported, three were confirmed cougar, two were probable cougar, and two were undetermined. In one case, a bear and a collared wolf were observed scavenging a cow carcass. A large sheep operation operating in the pack territory has not reported wolf activity, but has reported several confrontations between bears and guard dogs.
Salmo pack
No activity to report.
Smackout pack
No activity to report.
Stranger pack
Wolf biologists spent time trapping in the Stranger pack area; no wolves were captured. Trail camera pictures of wolves in the pack territory have been reported and confirmed.
Strawberry pack
No activity to report.
Sullivan Creek pack
No activity to report.
Teanaway pack
Wolf biologists spent time trapping in this area and captured and collared a wolf in this pack. A WDFW range rider is working in the area at this time as well as livestock producers checking and moving livestock. Both sheep and cattle are currently turned out in the pack territory. No wolf conflicts or observations have been reported.
Togo pack
Several wolf sightings have been reported in the Togo pack territory. See updates provided June 10 and June 19. Lethal removal efforts are ongoing in this pack area.
Touchet pack
No activity to report.
Tucannon pack
No activity to report.
Wedge pack
Wolf biologists captured and collared a wolf in the Wedge pack territory in June. The Wedge pack was involved in a livestock depredation investigated on June 17.
Miscellaneous/lone wolves
WDFW staff documented wolf sign and collected trail camera pictures of wolves on Vulcan Mountain in Ferry County. Recently retrieved trail cameras also showed photos of wolves in the headwaters of Gold Creek in the Methow periodically between September 2019 and June 2020. These cameras are about seven air miles northwest from cameras that detected wolves in the headwaters of Black Canyon Creek during the winter of 2020. It is unknown whether these wolves are part of the Lookout pack.
WDFW staff checked trail cameras south of I-90 near Bethal Ridge and Timberwolf Mountain, but no images of wolves were captured on camera and no wolf sign was detected in the area.
Note: The Frosty, Nason, Nc’icn, 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
There were no wolf mortalities documented in June.
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 2019, 85% 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 |
|
Leadpoint |
6/19/20 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
4/19/21 |
|
|
|
6/19/20 |
Confirmed injury of calves |
Yes |
4/19/21 |
|
|
|
6/19/20 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
4/19/21 |
|
|
|
6/28/20 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
4/28/21 |
|
|
Togo |
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 |
|
|
|
9/11/19 |
Probable kill of calf |
Yes |
7/11/20 |
|
|
|
6/6/20 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
4/6/21 |
|
|
Grouse Flats |
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 |
|
|
2/3/20 |
Confirmed kill of calf |
Yes |
12/3/20 |
|
|
Smackout |
4/3/20 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
2/3/21 |
|
|
Wedge |
5/11/20 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
3/11/21 |
|
|
|
5/19/20 |
Confirmed kill of calf |
Yes |
3/19/21 |
|
|
|
5/19/20 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
3/19/21 |
|
|
|
6/17/20 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
4/17/21 |
|
|
Single wolf 32M |
4/24/20 |
Probable kill of calves |
Yes |
2/24/21 |
|