This is a weekly update for the area of new wolf pack activity in southeast Washington’s Columbia County following the authorization of lethal removal permits by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Director Kelly Susewind.
On Nov. 10, Susewind authorized permits for the removal of up to two wolves from an area of new wolf pack activity that is north of the Touchet pack territory and west of the Tucannon pack territory. This action was in response to repeated depredations of cattle on private grazing lands in Columbia County under the guidance of the state's Wolf Conservation and Management Plan and the lethal removal provisions of the department's wolf-livestock interaction protocol.
On Dec. 8, a juvenile male wolf was legally killed under an authorized permit. As a result, the issued lethal removal permits have now been rescinded. WDFW has not documented any additional wolf depredations in this pack area since Nov. 15.
In addition, on Dec. 5, WDFW law enforcement received notification of a dead wolf along the side of a road in the area of new wolf activity in Columbia County. Upon retrieval and investigation, it was clear the wolf (a female yearling) had been killed by a vehicle while crossing the road.
If WDFW documents additional livestock depredations indicating a renewed pattern of depredation, WDFW may initiate another lethal removal action following the guidelines of the Wolf Plan and wolf-livestock interaction protocol.
Previous updates
2021 Columbia County area of new wolf activity updates
- Sept. 14 monthly update
- Oct. 11 monthly update
- Nov. 2
- Nov. 8 monthly update
- Nov. 10
- Nov. 18
- Nov. 22
- Dec. 1
WDFW will provide a final report on this and any other lethal removal actions during 2021 in the Washington Gray Wolf Conservation and Management 2021 Annual Report, which will be published during spring 2022.
A summary of all documented depredation activity within the past 10 months is included in every monthly wolf update.