Washington reports Wolf Numbers up 30% for 2014

According to a March 2nd news release from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), Washington's wolf population grew by 30% and formed four new packs last year.  As of December 31st 2014, there are at least 68 wolves in Washington, up from 52 in 2013.
    
According to Donny Martorello of the WDFW, "while we can't count every wolf in the state, the formation of four new packs is clear evidence that wolves are recovering in Washington.  Since 2011, the number of confirmed wolf packs has more than tripled in our state."  

Martorello said the number of packs would have been higher if not for the loss of a pack last spring; one of its two members was struck and killed by a vehicle while the other was accepted for care by Wolf Haven International in Tenino after it was found living among domestic dogs in a small town in Pend Oreille County, according to the release.  

At least nine other wolves died in Washington last year.  Three were killed by poachers, three died of natural causes, two died of unknown causes while one breeding female was obliged to be killed in an effort to stop the Huckleberry pack from preying on Stevens County sheep.  

The Huckleberry pack raised the number of livestock killed by wolves to a new record, accounting for 33 of the 35 sheep killed or injured in 2014.  

WDFW's new director, Jim Unsworth said, "I've been involved in wolf management for more than a decade, and the issues are much the same from state to state.  Conflicts with livestock are bound to rise as the state's wolf population increases, and we have to do everything we can to manage that situation. So far, wolf predation on livestock has been well below levels experienced in most other states with wolves."

Also of note from the release:

Stephanie Simek, WDFW wildlife conflict manager, said WDFW continues to emphasize the importance of preventive actions in minimizing wolf attacks on livestock. She said WDFW is:

• Expanding partnerships with ranchers to avoid conflicts with wolves. The department has stationed wildlife conflict specialists in communities where wolves are recovering to work with individual producers.
• Expanding its "range rider" program, where ranchers can turn for help if they need assistance guarding their livestock. Range riders have been used by several producers, and the state program will provide an increased human presence in grazing areas.
• Informing livestock owners of the availability of a new carcass pit in Ferry County where they can dispose of dead livestock and other attractants.
• Continuing to offer cost-sharing agreements for ranchers who seek help in funding preventive measures to protect their animals.

 Martorello said the scarcity of snow made it more difficult to track wolves late last year, complicating the 2014 survey. As a result, the survey likely underestimates the number of wolves, packs, and breeding pairs, he said.
Martorello noted that the number of confirmed successful breeding pairs in the annual wolf survey has remained the same for the past three years, despite a significant increase in the number of individual wolves. Since 2012, WDFW has documented a total of five breeding pairs between the Eastern Washington and North Cascades recovery regions.

"Given the continued growth of the state's wolf population, there's a good chance that we have breeding pairs east of the Cascade Range we haven't found yet," he said.

No wolf packs or breeding pairs have yet been documented in the South Cascades/Northwest Coast recovery region.

Under the state's Wolf Conservation and Management Plan, wolves can be removed from the state's endangered species list once 15 successful breeding pairs are documented for three consecutive years among the three designated wolf-recovery regions.