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Washington OKs killing of more wolves in northeast Washington

A gray wolf photographed by a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife game-camera in Eastern Washington. (Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife)
By Michael Wright michaelw@spokesman.com(509) 459-5508
A gray wolf photographed by a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife game-camera in Eastern Washington. (Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife)

Another wolfpack is under the gun after a series of attacks on livestock.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife approved Thursday the killing up to two wolves from the Onion Creek pack in northeast Washington. 

Wolves from the pack have been deemed responsible for three dead calves in Stevens and Pend Oreille counties in the past month. 

WDFW said in a news release that the first death was recorded on Aug. 10. The next was on Aug. 15, and the most recent one was recorded Monday.

WDFW said in news a release that the affected livestock producers had tried to deter the attacks with non-lethal measures. Officials believe the cattle attacks would likely continue without authorizing the removal of two wolves.

The authorization for lethal removal lasts through midnight on Sept. 23.

The Onion Creek pack consists of at least 10 wolves, according to WDFW, and it roams a territory northeast of Colville.

It’s the third wolfpack WDFW has targeted this year for lethal removal after the killing of cattle. The other two – the Leadpoint and Dominion packs – are also in Stevens County.

Officials killed one wolf from the Dominion pack in mid-August. The Leadpoint pack made it through unscathed, with its lethal removal authorization expiring before a wolf could be killed.