WDFW boss authorizes lethal wolf action
By Terry Murry on Thursday, August 1st, 2024 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
OLYMPIA – (News release from Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife) Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Director Kelly Susewind today (July 31, 2024) approved lethal removal of one adult wolf from the Dominion wolf pack in northeast Washington, in response to repeated depredations of cattle in Stevens County.
Director Susewind’s decision is consistent with the guidance of the state’s Wolf Conservation and Management Plan and the lethal removal provisions of the Department’s 2017 wolf-livestock interaction protocol (PDF) (PDF).
The rationale for authorizing lethal removal of Dominion pack wolves is as follows: WDFW has documented multiple depredation events in the pack territory resulting in three dead and six injured calves since July 19, 2024, all attributed to the Dominion pack.
At least two (in this case, more than two) proactive deterrence measures were implemented by the affected livestock producer prior to depredation events. They included range riding, human presence, removing injured cattle from the range, and carcass sanitation. Responsive deterrence measures include increased range riding and continuing to remove injured cattle from the range and carcass sanitation.
The Department documented these deterrents in the agency’s “wolf-livestock mitigation measures” checklist, with date entries for deterrent tools and coordination with the producer. The proactive and reactive non-lethal deterrence measures implemented by the livestock producer were those best suited for their operations in the professional judgment of WDFW staff.
The pack has shown an acute pattern of depredations that occurred during a relatively short period of time. WDFW staff discussed the recent depredations by the Dominion wolf pack and associated effectiveness of the nonlethal deterrence tools implemented by the affected producer and determined that range riding was daily/near daily, human presence occurred, and that the producer promptly removed injured animals from the allotment, and practices carcass sanitation and removal. Staff believes the only reactive deterrent that would be effective, due to the size of the grazing area, would be increased range riding.
Staff are working with Cattle Producers of Washington (CPoW) range riders in this area to increase coverage when possible, including potential overnight stays with the cattle. Depredations will likely continue given recent pack behavior and the limited effectiveness of reactive measures that could be implemented to protect livestock. Director Susewind agreed that removing one adult wolf from the Dominion pack could potentially change pack behavior and reduce the chance of future depredations.
MyCB file photo from WDFW
