Monthly Wolf Report- November 2023

Dec. 7, 2023

This update provides an overview of gray wolf conservation and management activities in Washington during November 2023. 

Program updates and coordination 

  • Currently in northeast Washington, due to a directive from the budget proviso, WDFW is working to transition contracted range riders to WSDA grant funded local non-profits providing non-lethal deterrent services. WDFW will continue to offer Damage Prevention Cooperative Agreements for Livestock (DPCA-Ls) in areas where these services are not provided and as funding allows. WDFW-contracted range riders will only be employed when a clearly identified gap exists that cannot be covered by one of the non-government groups providing range riding, or under a cost-sharing DPCA-L.   

  • $53,900 reward offered for information about poisoned wolves - For the past year and a half, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Police have been investigating six wolf mortalities within the Wedge pack territory in Stevens County. WDFW Police began the investigation in February 2022, and it is ongoing. Toxicology results revealed all six wolves died from ingesting poison.    

    Initially investigators found four animals in late February, and two more within a month during additional searches of the area. The investigation remains active, and the Department encourages anyone who might have relevant information to report it confidentially by calling WDFW's poaching hotline, 877-933-9847, or by texting a tip to 847411.  

    Gray wolves are listed as endangered under state law throughout Washington. In the western two-thirds of the state, they are also listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act. Under state law, the illegal killing of a wolf or other endangered fish or wildlife species is a gross misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $5,000. 

Outreach and education  

A WDFW wolf biologist gave presentations to the Cascade High School Sustainability Club in Leavenworth. A biologist also presented information on conducting depredation investigations to the forensics class at Central Washington University.  A wolf biologist gave a presentation to the Friends of Oak Creek at the Elk Feed station in Naches Washington. A wolf biologist and a conflict specialist gave a presentation to the Columbia County Cattleman's Association.  

Current population status and proactive conflict mitigation 

The year-end minimum population count for 2022 was at least 216 known wolves in 37 known packs including at least 26 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 2023 will be released in April 2024. 

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 (learn how to differentiate between wolves and coyotes; use some way to measure the size of a track) and upload them to the wolf reporting page here: 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 territory 
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory. 

Big Muddy pack 
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory. 

Butte Creek pack 
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory. 

Carpenter Ridge pack 
No activity to report. 

Chewuch pack 
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory. 

Chopaka pack 
No activity to report. 

Columbia pack 
No activity to report.  

Diobsud Creek territory 
No activity to report. 

Dirty Shirt pack 
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory. 

Dominion pack 
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory. 

Five Sisters pack 
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory. 

Goodman Meadows pack 
No activity to report. 

Grouse Flats pack 
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory. 

Huckleberry pack 
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory. 

Leadpoint pack 
No activity to report. 

Lookout pack 
No activity to report. 

Loup Loup pack 
No activity to report. 

Maverick pack 
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory. 
 
Mt. Spokane pack 
No activity to report. 

Napeequa pack 
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory. 

Navarre pack 
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory. 

Onion Creek pack 
No activity to report. 

Scatter pack  
No activity to report. 

Shady Pass pack 
No activity to report. 

Sherman pack 
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory.  

Smackout pack 
No activity to report. 
 
Sprague Lake territory 
No activity to report. 

Stranger pack 
No activity to report. 

Sullivan Creek pack 
No activity to report. 

Teanaway territory 
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory. 

Togo pack 
No activity to report. 

Touchet pack 
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory. 

Tucannon pack 
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory. 

Vulcan pack 
No activity to report. 

Wedge pack 
No activity to report. 

Miscellaneous/lone wolves 
 
WA 139 Group 
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory. 

District 8 biologists initiated passive monitoring using trail cameras for wolves at eight sites south of I-90.  

Note: The Frosty, Nason, Nc’icn, Keller Ridge, Strawberry, Whitestone, and Wilmont 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 

  • One collared wolf was found dead in November and the cause is currently under investigation. 

  • One uncollared wolf was struck and killed by a vehicle in November.    

  • As of November, WDFW has documented 13 wolf mortalities in 2023 in Washington. 

Depredation activity 

In 2022, 81% of known wolf packs were not involved in any documented livestock depredation. 

WDFW did not document any depredation events on livestock in November. This is below the average for the month of November (1) from 2018-2022. 

Please report any suspected livestock depredations or the death or harassment of wolves to the WDFW Enforcement Hotline at 1-877-933-9847. 

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 

Columbia  

9/10/23 

Confirmed injury of 2 calves 

Yes 

7/10/24 

 

Dirty Shirt 

8/28/23 

Confirmed mortality of calf 

 

6/28/24 

 

Grouse Flats 

9/8/23 

Probable mortality of calf 

Yes 

7/8/24 

 

 

10/25/23 

Confirmed injury of an adult cow 

Yes 

8/25/24 

 

Onion Creek 

2/1/23 

Confirmed mortality of calf 

Yes 

12/1/23 

 

 

4/17/23 

Confirmed mortality of calf 

Yes 

2/17/24 

 

 

5/12/23 

Probable injury of dog  

N/A 

N/A 

 

Smackout 

9/1/23 

Confirmed injury of cow 

Yes 

7/1/24 

 

Scatter 

4/8/23 

Probable injury of alpaca (later died from injuries) 

No 

2/8/24 

 

 

4/8/23 

Confirmed mortality of one miniature donkey and confirmed injury of second miniature donkey (later killed in event on 5/17) 

No 

2/8/24 

 

 

5/17/23 

Confirmed mortality of miniature donkey 

Yes 

3/17/24 

 

 

6/1/23 

Probable injury of colt 

Yes 

4/1/24 

 

 

10/7/23 

Confirmed mortality of calf 

No 

8/7/24 

 

Sullivan Creek 

6/26/23 

Probable injury of calf 

Yes 

4/26/24 

 

Togo 

6/27/23 

Confirmed mortality of calf (euthanized due to injuries) 

Yes 

4/27/24 

 

WA139 group 

5/21/23 

Confirmed mortality of two calves and probable mortality of one calf 

Yes 

3/21/24 

 

 

6/20/23 

Confirmed mortality of heifer  

Yes 

4/20/24 

 

 

7/31/23 

Probable mortality of calf 

Yes 

5/31/24 

 

 

8/15/23 

Confirmed mortality of calf 

Yes 

6/15/24 

Adult male and yearling female removed on 8/26/23 

Unknown wolf/wolves (south Cheney area, Spokane County) 

5/26/23 

Confirmed mortality of calf 

Yes 

3/26/24 

 

Undetermined pack (Stevens County) 

8/12/23 

Confirmed injury of calf 

Yes 

6/12/24 

 

 

9/5/23 

Confirmed injury of calf 

Yes 

7/5/24 

 

 

Packs referenced in this update