State authorizes killing of up to two wolves in southeastern Washington

Washington state officials have approved the killing of up to two wolves in southeastern Washington after the animals were linked to a series of cattle deaths.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Wednesday that Director Kelly Susewind authorized lethal removal for one to two wolves in the WA139 group in Asotin County.

The decision came just a few days after WDFW announced it was considering the action because of six cattle deaths in the county since May 21. The deaths came in four separate depredation events, and affected four different livestock producers.

Wednesday’s announcement said each of the producers tried nonlethal measures to scare off the wolves, including range riding, carcass removals, radio-activated guard boxes and temporary fencing to reduce pasture sizes. The efforts failed.

Staci Lehman, a spokesperson for WDFW, said the agency believes the wolves would continue attacking livestock even if producers continued the nonlethal prevention work.

“It already hasn’t deterred these wolves, so chances are good that they’re going to continue with these depredations,” Lehman said.

The removals are unlikely to harm the population’s recovery, according to WDFW. A 2022 count found that Washington had at least 216 wolves.

The WA139 group is a new wolfpack that emerged this year after a collared wolf split off from the Tucannon pack, according to a WDFW news release from last week that detailed the depredations.

WDFW officials tracking the wolf’s movements eventually learned there were other wolves with it.

Lehman said the group consists of four or five adult wolves and an unknown number of pups.

The pack has been splitting its time between Asotin County and Wallowa County, Oregon. It was in Oregon early this year and was apparently involved in the deaths of seven cattle there, according to WDFW. One of the wolves was killed by a rancher in Oregon.

Since late April, the pack has been back in Washington. The first depredation in Washington linked to the pack came on May 21, involving four calves. A WDFW investigation confirmed the wolves killed two of the calves and probably killed a third. The fourth died of an unknown cause.

Then in June, officials confirmed wolves killed a heifer on private land in the county.

Another calf was killed at the end of July, and a fourth depredation was investigated last week.

The four separate incidents triggered the consideration of lethal removal. State policy allows WDFW to consider the action when the agency documents four depredations within a 10-month period.

The removal authorization expires either after two wolves have been killed or after Sept. 6. It could be extended if more depredations happen or if other circumstances are identified.

Lehman could not say how WDFW would go about killing the wolves.