This update provides an overview of gray wolf conservation and management activities in Washington during March 2021.
Program updates
- WDFW staff are developing the 2020 annual wolf report. The report will be released in April and the public can listen to a presentation about the report during the April 23 Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting.
- Interested in becoming a range rider for WDFW? WDFW is excited to announce that the new Contracted Range Rider Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for the 2021 season is now available. More details are available here.
Communication and coordination
- WDFW staff facilitated another external range rider coordination meeting for District 1 with representatives from Cattle Producers of Washington (CPOW), Northeast Washington Wolf-Cattle Collaborative (NEWCC), and the Colville National Forest. Director Susewind attended the meeting to answer questions and outline expectations for daily/near daily range riding. The direction provided by Director Susewind to the non-government organizations (NGOs) and the Forest Service regarding range riding expectations was consistent with what WDFW staff have previously shared with these cooperators.
- The North Cascades Institute is sponsoring a Zoom presentation on April 28 with WDFW biologists. They will share an overview of the status of wolves in the state, provide updates on current wolf packs, and take questions. Participants will learn how they can stay updated, get involved, and how the Washington Wolf Advisory Group (WAG) is working to promote equitable, inclusive, and respectful dialogue and decision-making among people with diverse interests in wolves to foster durable peace by transforming the root causes of social conflict and providing recommendations on wolf recovery, conservation, and management. Sign up to attend here.
- At WDFW, a lot of science happens behind the scenes, often in partnership with regional research facilities. The Washington Predator-Prey Project (PPP) collaboration with University of Washington grad students is one example. The PPP looks at the effects of carnivores on deer and elk populations in Washington. Study results will be used to inform wildlife management decisions for the future. More information on the PPP is at https://predatorpreyproject.weebly.com/.
Current population status and proactive conflict mitigation
The year-end minimum wolf 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 late 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
No activity to report.
Diobsud Creek pack
No activity to report.
Dirty Shirt pack
No activity to report.
Goodman Meadows pack
No activity to report.
Grouse Flats pack
No activity to report.
Huckleberry pack
No activity to report.
Kettle pack
No activity to report.
Leadpoint pack
WDFW staff responded to a report of an injured bull within the Leadpoint pack territory. One calf was classified as a probable wolf depredation. The bull was classified as a non-depredation. Additional deterrents and next steps were discussed. More details are available here.
Lookout pack
No activity to report.
Loup Loup pack
No activity to report.
Naneum pack
No activity to report.
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.
Sullivan Creek pack
No activity to report.
Teanaway pack
No activity to report.
Togo pack
No activity to report.
Touchet pack
No activity to report.
Tucannon pack
No activity to report.
Wedge pack
No activity to report.
Miscellaneous/lone wolves
Wildlife conflict specialists received a report from a Columbia County livestock producer about possible wolf sign near their calving pasture. Non-lethal deterrents including range riding, human presence, carcass sanitation, and fox lights are currently employed/deployed around the pasture area; a game camera will also be loaned to the producer for monitoring purposes. No known wolf packs have been documented 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
An adult male wolf of unknown pack origin was killed by a vehicle between Colville and Kettle Falls in March. As of this update, WDFW has documented two wolf mortalities in 2021.
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 2020, 76% 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).
|
Pack |
Depredation date |
Depredation type |
Proactive non-lethals |
Ten-month window |
Agency lethal removal actions |
|
Beaver Creek |
8/21/20 |
Probable injury of calf |
Yes |
6/21/21 |
|
|
Leadpoint |
6/19/20 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
4/19/21 |
|
|
|
6/19/20 |
Confirmed injury of two 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 |
|
|
|
8/3/20 |
Confirmed mortality of calf (calf died from injuries) |
Yes |
6/3/21 |
|
|
|
8/7/20 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
6/7/21 |
|
|
|
8/7/20 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
6/7/21 |
|
|
|
8/7/20 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
6/7/21 |
|
|
|
8/7/20 |
Confirmed kill of calf |
Yes |
6/7/21 |
|
|
|
8/10/20 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
6/10/21 |
|
|
|
8/10/20 |
Confirmed kill of calf |
Yes |
6/10/21 |
|
|
|
8/14/20 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
6/14/21 |
|
|
|
3/26/21 |
Probable injury of calf |
Yes |
1/26/22 |
|
|
Togo |
6/6/20 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
4/6/21 |
|
|
Grouse Flats |
8/12/20 |
Probable injury of calf |
Yes |
6/12/21 |
|
|
Smackout |
7/24/20 |
Confirmed kill of calf |
Yes |
5/24/21 |
|
|
Touchet |
1/16/21 |
Probable kill of calf |
No |
11/16/21 |
|
|
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 |
|
|
|
7/11/20 |
Confirmed injury of three calves |
Yes |
5/11/21 |
|
|
|
7/11/20 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
5/11/21 |
|
|
|
7/11/20 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
5/11/21 |
|
|
|
7/11/20 |
Confirmed injury of two calves |
Yes |
5/11/21 |
|
|
|
7/13/20 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
5/13/21 |
|
|
|
7/25/20 |
Confirmed kill of calf and injury of calf |
Yes |
5/25/21 |
Adult female lethally removed 7/27/20 |
|
|
7/29/20 |
Probable kill of calf |
Yes |
5/29/21 |
|
|
|
7/29/20 |
Confirmed injury of two calves |
Yes |
5/29/21 |
|
|
|
7/30/20 |
Confirmed injury of two calves |
Yes |
5/30/21 |
|
|
|
7/31/20 |
Confirmed injury of two calves |
Yes |
5/31/21 |
|
|
|
7/31/20 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
5/31/21 |
|
|
|
8/1/20 |
Confirmed injury of calf |
Yes |
6/1/21 |
Adult male and female lethally removed 8/13/20 |