This update provides an overview of gray wolf conservation and management activities in Washington during May 2020.
Program updates
- In May, WDFW Director Kelly Susewind appointed Region 1 Regional Director Steve Pozzanghera to an interim position stationed out of the Colville District Office. The appointment was made to assist Wildlife and Enforcement Program staff in Northeast Washington who work in the challenging and controversial environment of wolf conservation and management.
Steve will provide locally-based support and direction to Wildlife Program and Enforcement Program staff working with wolves in the quad-county/northeast region of Washington (Okanogan, Ferry, Stevens, and Pend Oreille Counties). Although this unique position is focused on WDFW’s District 1 area, the Department intends to develop a program that is consistent yet responsive to local as well as federal and state management needs, so Okanogan County was included.
While Steve is in his interim position in Colville, Regional Fish Program Manager, Chris Donley, will be the acting Regional Director in Spokane. Chris will be responsible for regional issues other than wolves. Prior to returning to Region 1 as Regional Director (end of October 2020), Steve will develop a permanent position description and long-term work plan. The goal is to advertise, recruit for, and fill a special assistant wolf position in Colville by December 2020.
- The Wolf Advisory Group held a virtual meeting on May 18-19.
Communication and coordination
No activity to report.
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
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
A Wildlife Conflict Specialist continued weekly check-ins with livestock producers who graze cattle on the 4-O Wildlife Area. All producers reported no wolf/livestock issues so far. The specialist checked the Grouse Flats area for signs of wolf activity and monitored grazing progress. The specialist did not see any signs of wolf activity near cattle and all observed cattle appeared to be calm and healthy. Wolf biologists captured and collared a wolf in this pack territory in May.
Huckleberry pack
No activity to report.
Kettle pack
Wolf biologists started trapping in the this area toward the end of May to attempt to collar a wolf in this pack territory.
Leadpoint pack
No activity to report.
Lookout pack
No activity to report.
Loup Loup pack
No activity to report.
Naneum pack
Range riders are working in the Naneum pack territory to proactively mitigate conflict in this area.
Salmo pack
No activity to report.
Smackout pack
No activity to report.
Stranger pack
Wolf biologists ran a trapline in this pack territory to attempt to collar a wolf. No wolves were captured during this attempt, but biologists will continue to monitor this area.
Strawberry pack
No activity to report.
Sullivan Creek pack
No activity to report.
Teanaway pack
Biologists checked cameras in the Teanaway pack territory and documented multiple wolves in this area.
Togo pack
Several wolves have been seen by both range riders and livestock producers. Toward the end of the month, wolf biologists began trapping in the this area to try to collar a wolf in this pack territory.
Touchet pack
No activity to report.
Tucannon pack
No activity to report.
Wedge pack
The Wedge pack was involved in depredation incidents on May 11 and May 19. WDFW staff are working with the livestock producer to mitigate further conflict. Toward the end of the month, wolf biologists started trapping in the this area to try to collar a wolf in this pack territory.
Miscellaneous/lone wolves
- A solitary wolf formerly of the Teanaway pack has been documented traveling alone since March. This wolf is associated with a probable livestock depredation event in April involving two calves in a private pasture. The wolf reappeared in the same area (near the Naneum pack territory) in May. No livestock depredations have been reported and the wolf has been actively hazed away from the private grazing areas where it has been seen. Two range riders and several agency personell have participated in monitoring this wolf and the Naneum pack wolves.
- Biologists documented wolf activity around Vulcan Mountain and Danville in Ferry County.
- Biologists spent time trying to trap in an area north of Lake Chelan where wolf activity was documented on remote cameras. No wolves were captured during this attempt, but biologists will continue to monitor this area.
- Biologists followed up on reports and placed cameras west of the Teanaway pack territory toward Snoqualmie Pass this past month; however, no sign was located in this 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 May.
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).
|
Pack |
Depredation date |
Depredation type |
Proactive non-lethals |
Ten-month window |
Agency lethal removal actions |
|
Togo |
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 |
|
|
|
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 |
|
|
OPT |
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 |
|
|
|
8/5/19 |
Confirmed kill of cow |
Yes |
6/5/20 |
Juvenile lethally removed 8/7/19, juvenile lethally removed 8/8/19, adult lethally removed 8/13/19, two adults and two juveniles removed 8/16/19 |
|
Grouse Flats |
7/8/19 |
Confirmed kill of calf |
Yes |
5/8/20 |
|
|
|
7/22/19 |
Confirmed kill of calf |
Yes |
5/22/20 |
|
|
|
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 |
|
|
Single wolf 32M |
4/24/20 |
Probable kill of calves |
Yes |
2/24/21 |
|