Monthly Wolf Report- October 2023

Nov. 9, 2023

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

  • The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Police continue to investigate 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. 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. Rewards totaling $53,900 are available for information that leads to a conviction in the case of the poisoning of Stevens County wolves. 

Outreach and education  

A WDFW wolf biologist gave presentations to the Inland Northwest Wildlife Council, a wildlife capture and immobilization course, and approximately 250 students at Mt. Spokane High School this past month. Another biologist did an interview with a student from Eastside Preparatory School about wolf management in Washington for a class project. A WDFW wolf biologist also gave a presentation to a wildlife class at Skagit Valley College.  

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 
No activity to report. 

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

Butte Creek pack 
No activity to report. 

Carpenter Ridge pack 
No activity to report. 

Chewuch pack 
No activity to report. 

Chopaka pack 
No activity to report. 

Columbia pack 
No activity to report.  

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

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 
No activity to report. 

Goodman Meadows pack 
No activity to report. 

Grouse Flats pack 
An injury to an adult cow in the Grouse Flats pack territory was determined to be a confirmed depredation by wolves.   

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. 

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

Mt. Spokane pack 
No activity to report. 

Napeequa pack 
No activity to report. 

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

Onion Creek pack 
No activity to report. 

Salmo pack 
No activity to report. 

Scatter pack  
A dead calf in the Scatter pack territory was determined to be a confirmed depredation by wolves. Please see the September monthly update for the Department response to this depredation. No other depredations have been documented since.  

Shady Pass pack 
No activity to report. 

Sherman pack 
No activity to report. 

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

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

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 
No activity to report. 

Tucannon pack 
No activity to report. 

Vulcan pack 
No activity to report. 

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

Miscellaneous/lone wolves 

  • No activity to report.   

  • 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 October and the cause is currently under investigation.  

  • As of October, WDFW has documented 11 wolf mortalities in 2023 in Washington. 

Depredation activity 

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

WDFW documented two depredation events on livestock in October including one in the Grouse Flats pack territory and another in the Scatter pack that was mentioned in the previous monthly report. This is below the average (3) 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