This update provides an overview of gray wolf conservation and management activities in Washington during November 2019.
Program updates
The scoping comment period for an updated wolf conservation and management (post-recovery) plan closed Nov. 15. WDFW received more than 7,800 comments that will inform the scope of the post-recovery plan.
On Sept. 30, 2019, Washington Governor Jay Inslee sent a letter to WDFW asking for changes to the state's gray wolf recovery program, specific to the area of northeast Washington. WDFW Director Kelly Susewind issued a response (PDF) on Dec. 1, 2019.
Communication and coordination
WDFW staff gave a Wolf 101 presentation to the Kittitas Field and Stream club and local community in Ellensburg this past month. Wolf staff also talked with three classes at the Cle Elum-Roslyn High school about careers in natural resources and fish and wildlife management.
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
Biologists scouted areas north and south of Highway 12 in the South Cascades following up on recent public observation reports. Biologists did not locate any wolf sign, but they placed cameras to further survey the area. They also scouted areas north and south of Highway 2 near Steven’s Pass. Again, they did not locate any wolf sign, but they checked several cameras and deployed a couple more to continue to survey an area where the public recently reported 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
A collared wolf from the Carpenter Ridge pack dispersed into eastern Montana.
Diobsud Creek pack
No activity to report.
Dirty Shirt pack
No activity to report.
Goodman Meadows pack
A collared wolf from the Goodman Meadows pack dispersed into the Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia.
Grouse Flats pack
No activity to report.
Huckleberry pack
No activity to report.
Leadpoint pack
No activity to report.
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
A collared wolf from the Stranger pack dispersed into Idaho.
Strawberry 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
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
There were no wolf mortalities documented in November.
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.
There were no documented wolf depredations in November.
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 |
7/24/19 |
Confirmed kill of calf |
Yes |
5/24/20 |
Adult male lethally removed 9/2/18 |
|
|
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 |
|
|
|
9/10/19 |
Probable kill of calf |
Yes |
7/10/20 |
|
|
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 |
|
Wedge |
6/12/19 |
Confirmed kill of cow |
Yes |
4/12/20 |
|