On September 5-7, 2018, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) documented five livestock depredations by an unnamed wolf pack in Ferry County (see update on June 1, 2018, here). The wolves are occupying the same general area as the Old Profanity Territory (OPT) in 2016 and the northern portion of the Sherman pack territory in 2017. WDFW officials confirmed that one or more wolves from the OPT pack were responsible for the deaths of one calf and injuring four calves on a U.S. Forest Service grazing allotment.
Identifying the new pack
The department documented the presence of a new pack in the area in May. The department notified the producer and shared the general location of the suspected den site with them. The department notified the public about the unnamed pack on June 1, 2018. The estimated pack size from recent surveys indicate the OPT pack has three to four adults and likely no more than two pups.
Implementation of non-lethal deterrence measures
Given the history of wolf-livestock conflict in the area, the department coordinated with the producer and a WDFW contracted range rider on the deployment of non-lethal deterrents for the 2018 grazing season. That plan included:
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Using range riders,
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Calving away from areas occupied by wolves,
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Delaying the turnout of cows and calves until July 10, so calves are larger,
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Removing or securing livestock carcasses that may attract wolves, and
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Removing sick or injured livestock from the grazing allotment.
The department believes the use of range riders is one of the best proactive deterrents for this particular operation and the remote, rugged, large acreage open range country. A typical day for a range rider includes locating livestock, checking them for stress or injury, moving the animals to different locations (if agreed to by the producer) based on grazing needs and/or carnivore activity, locating smaller groups of livestock that may wonder too far from the rest of the herd or desired grazing locations, and communicating with the producer and WDFW regarding livestock behavior, predator signs, depredations and other relevant information.
Even though grazing allotments can cover thousands of acres, livestock movements are associated within smaller pastures and usually reflect the type of forage available at different elevations. Range riders focus their activities in the areas where the livestock are actually present. Areas where wolf-livestock conflict occurs is usually smaller than the full allotment, and wolves can be effectively influenced by the presence of range riders.
From fall 2017 through the 2018 grazing season, WDFW contracted for range riding services in this area. Range riders started in April 2018 patrolling the allotments where cattle were going to be turned out, checking for predator sign. Range riders spend five days working in April, 24 days in May, and 54 days in June (note, multiple range riders sometimes work on the same day). Range riders worked other allotments during some of these days as well. After turnout, range riders worked 64 days in July (range rider days are not available yet for August and early September). The department verifies the provision of range riding services through field inspections and phone conversations, and receives monthly logs from WDFW range riding contractors.
The producer’s calving operation takes place in the Columbia Basin, away from the allotment and from the territory of other wolf packs. The cow-calf pairs are trucked to the allotment, where they are released for the grazing season, which runs from May through September/October.
The producer calves early so calves are larger, and delayed the turnout of livestock until July 10, 2018 (normally June 1st turnout when calves are generally larger -- over 200 lbs.), and ungulate fawns/calves are on the landscape to provide alternate prey for wolves. WDFW personnel who worked in the area confirmed cattle were present on the landscape consistent with the date described by the producer.
Time line of events
On June 2, 2018, WDFW staff trapped and placed a Global Positioning System (GPS) collar on an adult male wolf in the OPT pack. By utilizing the GPS point locations during the month of June and most of July, WDFW determined a possible den location on United States Forest Service (USFS) grazing allotment, north and adjacent to the allotment where the depredations occurred. Range riders began receiving location data from the collared male wolf starting around July 23, 2018 and utilized this information to check for wolf activity. GPS location data from the collared male wolf suggested a possible rendezvous site had been established by the pack about two and a half miles northwest of the den location during the first two weeks of August. This location was north of the allotment where the wolf depredations occurred. By mid-August, the GPS locations from the collared male suggested a high use area, most likely a new rendezvous site, roughly five and half miles southeast from the previous possible rendezvous site. This area is located in the grazing allotment where the wolf depredations occurred. The identified high use area of the OPT pack was in an area where the livestock have been grazing within the allotment. Based upon this information, WDFW staff ramped up coordination with the producer and contract range riders to manage the potential for wolf-livestock conflict.
The Ferry County Wildlife Specialist started going to point locations of the collared OPT male wolf after the removal of the Togo wolf. He found a calf carcass on August 20th, which was determined by WDFW staff to be an unknown cause of death. A WDFW contract range rider located two calf carcasses on August 26th and after investigation, were determined to be an unknown cause of death. The August 20th depredation remains consisted of a portion of one leg bone, portion of lower spine and pelvic bones and one hoof. No meat remained and bones were chewed into smaller pieces. Remains of this calf were left on site. The August 26th depredations were of two carcasses. Carcass one remains were chewed up rib bones, leg bones, small portion of hide, portions of head and jawbone. The leg bones and small portion of hide was removed from the landscape and soaked in water for further investigation. No meat remained on the rib bones or head and jawbones and were chewed up so left on site. Carcass two remains were portions of a head and jaw. Remains were left on site as no meat remained and it was chewed up. All three depredations were unknown cause of death.
Little wolf sign was present in this portion of the grazing allotment prior to cattle turnout (July 10, 2018), although GPS locations of the collared male started to accumulate in this area around the middle of August. Range rider presence increased in this new high use area checking cattle behavior (evening, night, and daily) and monitoring salting sites for cattle activity.
In both cases, these carcasses were found by range riders actively following collar locations to ascertain if there was an increase in wolf-livestock overlap to monitor and respond to the potential for wolf-livestock overlap and then taking action to reduce the likelihood of conflict. While finding carcasses after they have been scavenged might suggest lack of diligence, the opposite is true here. This landscape is vast and finding a dead calf is not easy. Often it is based upon smell after decomposition begins, or the presence of scavengers is noted. Also, a carcass can be reduced to a bone pile relatively swiftly.
After the August identification of dead calves and the GPS collar data locations demonstrating high wolf/livestock overlap, the producer and range riders responded by ramping up their presence, including range rider shifts throughout the day and during nighttime hours. The producer and range riders started to started push livestock west towards adjacent grazing allotments August 21st and that effort continues.
The observed activity was in an area where the prior Profanity wolf pack (in 2016), and the prior Sherman wolf pack (in 2017), previously depredated on cattle. Data collected in August of 2018 reflected this was a new high use area in mid-August by the current OPT wolf pack. WDFW contract range riders reported little wolf activity in this area prior to cattle turnout July 10, 2018.
Salt licks are located throughout the grazing allotments in approved locations by the USFS. Salt licks are present in the current location of the cattle and in multiple locations throughout the grazing allotments to assist in moving and holding cattle in new locations. Livestock have grazed these allotments for generations (75 years), with salt blocks in the same location every year to assist with cattle movements.
In conference with the producer, the department discussed whether salt blocks should be removed from locations with high wolf-livestock overlap as this has been a concern in past wolf depredation scenarios in this area. They concluded that this would likely be of little help in the present circumstances. Even when salt blocks are moved, cattle continue to visit and linger at these sites due to the amount of salt in the ground from years of salting. The herd memory of salt blocks also tends to home them to these sites, and if salt blocks are missing, the experience is that cattle actually linger while searching for the salt blocks.
Furthermore, the presence of salt blocks at alternate locations means there may be other reasons cattle return to an original location rather than being attracted to the salt blocks alone. The grazing pattern is to start cattle in the lower country and move to the higher country towards the end of summer and early fall. The producer and range riders continue to push cattle west towards the adjacent allotments with approximately 20 head of cattle remaining in the high wolf use area.
Wolf depredation on livestock
On September 4, 2018, range riders contacted the Ferry County Wildlife Specialist, who coordinated with WDFW staff about two injured calves in the OPT pack area. WDFW staff investigated on September 5, 2018 and confirmed the injuries on both calves were caused by wolves. That afternoon, a dead calf was located in the same vicinity of the other injured calves and an investigation by WDFW staff confirmed wolves had killed it.
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Depredation #1: The calf suffered bite lacerations and puncture wounds to the right hindquarter, hamstring, and flank. Bite lacerations and puncture wounds were also present on the left flank and just above the left hock. Locations of injuries are consistent with wolf attack on cattle. Based in the evidence and factors from the investigation, WDFW staff conducting the investigation classified the injured calf as a confirmed wolf depredation.
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Depredation #2 – The calf suffered bite lacerations and puncture wounds to the left hindquarter and the front shoulder under the leg. Locations of injuries are consistent with wolf attack on cattle. Based in the evidence and factors from the investigation, WDFW staff conducting the investigation classified the injured calf as a confirmed wolf depredation.
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Depredation #3 – The dead calf had bite puncture wounds and hemorrhaging to rear right leg. Multiple sets of wolf tracks present at the carcass. Multiple wolf-livestock interactions occurred near carcass. Based in the evidence and factors from the investigation, WDFW staff conducting the investigation classified the dead calf as a confirmed wolf depredation.
On September 6, 2018, another injured calf was located and the subsequent investigation by WDFW staff confirmed that wolves had injured it. On September 7, 2018, range riders located a fifth calf and WDFW staff also confirmed that the calf had been injured by wolves in the OPT pack. One injured calf was removed from the grazing allotment. Further medical attention was not needed for the remaining injured calves. The September 6 confirmed wolf mortality of a calf remains were placed in the Department of Transportation Trout Lake carcass pit.
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Depredation #4 - The calf had bite lacerations and bite puncture wounds to both hindquarters and groin areas. On right rear leg, hemorrhaging to underlying tissue as indicated by swelling and limping. Location of injuries consistent with wolf attack on cattle. Based in the evidence and factors from the investigation, WDFW staff conducting the investigation classified the injured calf as a confirmed wolf depredation.
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Depredation #5 - The calf had multiple bite lacerations to the rear legs with most of the injuries on the inside of the legs. The most severe injury was on the rear left leg. The calf had multiple puncture wounds and a large lump of swelling on the leg. Necrotic muscle tissue caused by the bite was removed. Based in the evidence and factors from the investigation, WDFW staff conducting the investigation classified the injured calf as a confirmed wolf depredation.
Responsive deterrence measures
Responsive deterrent measures were implemented after the first known depredations including increasing the number of WDFW contract range riders focusing on the high wolf-livestock overlap area, spending additional time at salting areas within high wolf -livestock overlap area, and continuing to attempt to push cattle to different allotments.
Fox lights were placed at two salting areas September 9, 2018 and two at a cattle-gathering site on September 10th. Fox lights have not been utilized at salt sites before, so department staff thought this would be a responsive deterrent measure to attempt even though the majority of the cattle are being pushed to neighboring allotments.
The depredations in this area happened in quick succession, and department staff have spent several days gathering information, assisting the producer, providing reports, and considering next steps.