Background
WDFW’s 2017 Wolf-Livestock Interaction Protocol describes tools and approaches designed to influence pack behavior with the goal of reducing the potential for recurrent livestock depredations while continuing to promote wolf recovery.
On August 25, WDFW notified the public that nonlethal deterrence measures were not achieving that goal in the Sherman pack territory, and that the Director had authorized incremental lethal removal of wolves as another tool to address recurrent depredations.
That approach consists of a period of active removal operations followed by an evaluation period to determine if those actions changed the pack’s behavior. Between August 25 and September 1, the department removed one wolf from the Sherman pack. On September 2, WDFW initiated an evaluation period to assess the effect of that action on the pack’s behavior.
Continued deterrence
Range riding activity has continued in the grazing allotments. The producer rotates one to three WDFW contract range riders throughout the grazing allotments to maintain human presence around the cattle. The range riders started patrolling the area on May 9, before the cattle were turned out, to check for carnivore activity and to proactively increase regular human presence. They have continued to patrol the area occupied by cattle on a near-daily basis, and communicate frequently with the producer. In late July, three additional range riders rotated shifts to patrol the surrounding grazing allotments. Five people, including the producer, his family, and employees, also work cattle throughout the allotments Any noted wolf activity in the area or changes in cattle behavior are shared with WDFW by the range riders.
Evaluation
The department has not documented any wolf depredations by the Sherman pack since the evaluation period began, with the last known wolf depredation on August 28. The evaluation period is ongoing. Per the protocol, the department may consider initiating another incremental lethal removal period if a wolf depredation is documented and likely occurred during the evaluation period.
Report available on Smackout wolf pack lethal removal action
This report describes the management actions taken by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife from September 21, 2016 through September 21, 2017 to address recurrent livestock depredations by the Smackout Pack. While much of this information has been posted on the department’s website, this report consolidates that material and provides a broader context for WDFW’s management activities.