Monthly wolf report- February 2024

March 6, 2024

This update provides an overview of gray wolf conservation and management activities in Washington during February 2024.

Program updates and coordination

A public comment period for gray wolf rule making is open now. Based on a population projection model developed at the University of Washington (UW) and other available information on gray wolves in Washington, WDFW staff recommends reclassifying wolves from state endangered (defined as seriously threatened with extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range within the state) to Sensitive status; described as “vulnerable or declining and is likely to become endangered or threatened in a significant portion of its range within the state without cooperative management or removal of threats”.. The Department is seeking public input on the proposal. More information on it, how to provide input, the deadline to comment, and more can be found at Periodic Status Review: Gray Wolf - PublicInput.
WDFW will start accepting limited applications soon for contracted range riders in areas outside of northeast Washington. Applications and contract updates for the 2024 season will be available in April.
Questions about applying? Reach out to WildlifeConflict@dfw.wa.gov. Due to a directive from the budget proviso, WDFW is working to transition contracted range riders in northeast Washington 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.

WDFW encourages anyone who might have relevant information on poaching 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

In early February, WDFW Communications staff published a blog called Taking precautions with dogs in wolf country. The blog was featured by the Department in paid social media ads targeted to north central Washington communities.

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
No activity to report.

Carpenter Ridge pack
No activity to report.

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

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

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
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory.

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
WDFW biologists captured and collared a wolf in the Leadpoint pack.

Lookout pack
No activity to report.

Loup Loup pack
No activity to report.

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

Mt. Spokane pack
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this pack territory.

Napeequa pack
No activity to report.

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

Onion Creek pack
No activity to report.

Salmo pack

No activity to report.

Scatter pack

Biologists captured and recollared a wolf in the Scatter pack.

Shady Pass pack
No activity to report.

Sherman pack
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this territory.

Smackout pack
WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in this territory.

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
Biologists captured and collared a wolf in the Togo pack territory.

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

Tucannon pack
No activity to report.

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

Wedge pack
No activity to report.

Miscellaneous/lone wolves
WDFW biologist conducted monitoring activities in the historic Naneum pack territory of Kittitas County and in areas between Highway 410 and Highway 12 in Yakima County.

WDFW biologists conducted monitoring activities in the historic Skookum pack territory.

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

No wolf mortalities were documented in February.
As of the end of February, WDFW has documented two wolf mortalities in 2024.

Depredation activity

In general, about 80% of known wolf packs in Washington have not been involved in any documented livestock depredation in any given year.

WDFW staff did not document any depredation events on livestock by wolves in February. The average number of depredations for the month of February is 0.4 based on depredation records from 2019-2023.

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	5/12/23	Probable injury of dog	N/A	N/A
Smackout	9/1/23	Confirmed injury of cow that later died	Yes	7/1/24
Scatter	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
	12/14/23	Confirmed injury of adult cow	Yes	10/14/24
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