SPOKANE — Wildlife officials are considering killing wolves from two packs in northeast Washington after two separate series of attacks on livestock.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Tuesday that it was considering killing wolves from the Leadpoint and Dominion packs after investigations showed that wolves had killed cattle within both packs’ territories in Stevens County.
In the Dominion pack’s territory, near Colville, three calves were killed and four more were injured between July 19 and July 28.
In the Leadpoint pack’s territory, near the Canadian border and between the Columbia and Pend Oreille rivers, wolves killed two calves and injured another between June 28 and July 29. During that span, a wolf in the area was killed after reportedly chasing livestock.
Officials are discussing the incidents and the use of measures to prevent wolf-cattle interactions, according to WDFW. In the next few days, they expect to make a recommendation to the WDFW director on whether to kill one or more wolves.
Wolf removals in Washington are governed by a set of protocols that lay out when the state can consider killing problem wolves. Lethal removal can be used in response to three depredation events within 30 days, or four within 10 months.
The protocols also require that livestock producers use at least two non-lethal measures meant to deter wolves from interacting with livestock, such as range riding, using guard dogs and removing livestock carcasses, among other options.
WDFW’s latest population estimate found that the state has at least 260 wolves across 42 packs.
The annual count estimated the Leadpoint pack consisted of at least seven wolves. The agency began looking into conflicts in the pack’s territory on June 28, when an injured calf was found. An investigation found a wolf was responsible. The calf later died.
Last week, agency officials investigated the killing of another calf and found that it was caused by a wolf. A day later, a yearling female wolf was killed after it was reported to be chasing livestock. WDFW is investigating the killing.
On Sunday, WDFW investigated two injured calves from the same pasture as the previous conflicts. Only one was found to be injured by a wolf, according to WDFW.
The agency’s estimate for the Dominion pack was at least four wolves. Investigations in that territory began on July 19, when WDFW confirmed that a wolf had killed a calf.
On Saturday, the agency returned to investigate one dead calf and four injured calves, again confirming that wolves were involved. Another calf was found to be killed by a wolf on Sunday.
If the agency authorizes lethal removal in either case, it would mark the first time this year that it has OK’d killing wolves in response to livestock conflicts.
The last lethal removal came in August 2023, when the agency killed an adult male and yearling female in Asotin County.
