Background
WDFW’s 2017 Wolf-Livestock Interaction Protocol prescribes a variety of management actions designed to influence pack behavior with the goal of reducing depredation on livestock while continuing to promote wolf recovery.
On July 20, WDFW notified the public that non-lethal deterrence measures were not achieving that goal in the Smackout pack territory, and that the department’s director had authorized incremental lethal removal of wolves to address recurrent depredations. That approach consists of a period of active operations followed by an evaluation period to determine if those actions changed the pack’s behavior.
Between July 20 and July 30, the department removed two wolves from the Smackout Pack and initiated an evaluation period July 31 to assess the effect of that action on the pack’s behavior.
This is a weekly update related to this management action. The protocol states that once a removal operation has begun, the department will update the public weekly on the number of wolves removed.
Evaluation
As of Aug. 17, the department had not documented any additional wolf depredations since the incident on July 22. The department may consider initiating another incremental lethal removal period directed at the Smackout pack, but only if WDFW finds evidence of a new depredation after the last removal period ended July 30.
Continued deterrence efforts
The livestock involved in the five Smackout pack depredations documented by WDFW since September 2016 belong to three producers.
Producer 1 – Wolf depredations to livestock occurred on Sept. 21 and 29, 2016, and July 18, 2017, on a federal grazing allotment. The producer continues to:
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Use a range rider, who is on the allotment daily and has a data sharing agreement with the department that enables the producer’s employee to track the movements of collared wolves in the pack. The producer has additional range riders who can fill in as needed. Range riders have firearms and pyrotechnics to haze wolves found near livestock.
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Maintain sanitation in the area. The range rider is removing sick or injured cattle from the range and securing or removing cattle carcasses from areas near livestock.
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Use fladry and other deterrence measures. The cattle are currently enclosed in a fenced pasture surrounded by fladry (a fence with streamers designed to deter wolves).
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During the last week, the local Wildlife Conflict Specialist also met with the U.S. Forest Service and the producer to discuss the grazing plan for the upcoming month.
Producer 2 – Wolf depredations to livestock occurred Sept. 28, 2016, on a federal grazing allotment. The producer continues to use a range rider under contract to WDFW, which shares data with that employee.
- Maintain sanitation by removing sick or injured cattle from the range, and by securing or removing cattle carcasses from areas near livestock.
Producer 3 – A wolf depredation occurred on July 22, 2017, in a private, fenced pasture near the producer’s residence. The producer is:
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Using Fox Lights (a type of strobe light designed to deter wolves and other large carnivores) around the pasture where the depredation occurred.
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Rotating Fox Lights to other pastures.
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Continuing to check the cattle daily.