WDFW concludes action to remove Northeast Washington wolf pack

[bearpaw]

http://wdfw.wa.gov/news/sep2712b/

WDFW concludes action to remove Northeast Washington wolf pack

OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) concluded its action to eliminate a pack of wolves in Northeast Washington today after an agency marksman killed the pack’s alpha male just south of the Canadian border.
 
WDFW Director Phil Anderson said the wolf was shot this morning from a helicopter. Its death brought to six the number of wolves from the Wedge Pack removed in the past three days, including the alpha female.
 
“Directing the pack’s removal was a very difficult decision, both personally and professionally, but it was necessary to reset the stage for sustainable wolf recovery in this region,” he said. “Now we will refocus our attention on working with livestock operators and conservation groups to aggressively promote the use of non-lethal tactics to avoid wolf-livestock conflict.”
 
With the latest operation concluded, Anderson said the department would continue to monitor wolf activity in the Wedge region as it is doing in other parts of the state.
 
The department initiated removal of the Wedge Pack late last week in an effort to put a stop to its persistent attacks on livestock from the herd of the Diamond M Ranch in northern Stevens County. Since July, the wolves had killed or injured at least 17 calves and cows from the herd.
 
The pack takes its name from the triangular shape of the Washington state portion of its range, which is bordered by the Columbia and Kettle rivers and Canada. Its elimination leaves the state with seven confirmed wolf packs and four suspected packs, most of which range in the remote, rugged forests of Northeast Washington.
 
WDFW began to lethally remove wolves from the pack in early August, as its pattern of predation began to escalate despite non-lethal efforts by the rancher and the department to prevent the attacks. A WDFW marksman killed a non-breeding member of the pack on August 7, and about two weeks later, biologists found the decomposed carcass of a young wolf within the Diamond M herd’s grazing area. The young wolf had not been shot, and the cause of death could not be determined.
 
Teams of WDFW staff remained in the Wedge through August, trapping extensively and tracking the movements of the alpha male, which had been fitted with a location-transmitting radio collar.
 
However, Anderson said none of the rancher’s or the department’s efforts to change the pack’s behavior succeeded, and attacks on the Diamond M herd increased through mid-September.
 
“Ultimately, it became clear that this pack was preying on livestock as its primary food source, and that our actions had not changed that pattern,” Anderson said. “The independent wolf experts we consulted agreed with our staff that removal of the pack was the only viable option.”
 
With the support of key conservation and livestock organizations, the department announced on Sept. 21 it would remove the pack to create the opportunity for wolves that are not habituated to preying on livestock to re-colonize the region.
 
Anderson said he looked forward to continuing to work with interested groups on a broad range of non-lethal management strategies under the terms of the Wolf Conservation and Management Plan approved by the state Fish and Wildlife Commission in December 2011.
 
WDFW is urging livestock operators to enter into cooperative, cost-sharing agreements with the department that specify non-lethal measures they will use to minimize wolf-livestock conflict.
 
“Lethal removal will remain a wolf management option, but we will use it only as a last resort, after all reasonable non-lethal options are exhausted,” Anderson said.
 
He said he respects the opinions of the many citizens who contacted the department to share their support for or opposition to its actions. “We know these issues spark strong feelings among Washington residents across the state, which is why we are committed to conducting our business openly and transparently,” he said.

[NWBREW]

It's a start but didn't WDFW say earlier there was more then 6 to that pack? OR  did they think that was close enough. I would think that to be sure they have removed the whole pack there must be no wolves there for 3 years.

[pianoman9701]

They were originally to take out 8 wolves. The greenies win again.

[bearpaw]

I don't know for sure how many wolves were in that pack, but the numbers suggest they may have left a few or a few broke away from the pack when all the human wolf monitoring activity started. We'll see what turns up over time.

That GMU has heavy human activity regardless of how they describe it as being so remote. There are quite a few people who live there and nearly the whole area is grazed. My grandad homsteaded in the wedge back in 1919 and there were already plenty of people living there back then, there are a lot more people today who live or recreate there.

THere are wolves on the east side near Northport. Trail cam photos shown below on the Northport side.

[Skyvalhunter]

Recreate, interesting choice of words.

[bearpaw]

Recreate, interesting choice of words.

Fishermen, hunters, and lots of people go camping all summer in that GMU, it is a dusty madhouse on the major holidays.

[CAMPMEAT]

They were originally to take out 8 wolves. The greenies win again.

I bet the greenies are doing a happy dance ........... 

[boneaddict]

I was pleasantly surprised at how fast they went at it, and impressed.  Now back to reality.   They should have continued to track the alpha and use his signal to hone in on the rest.  Removing him this early in the game was dumb.  I knew they wouldn't get the lot of them.   

[Bob33]

They were originally to take out 8 wolves. The greenies win again.

There are 8 fewer. Seven were shot and one found dead.

[pianoman9701]

They were originally to take out 8 wolves. The greenies win again.

There are 8 fewer. Seven were shot and one found dead.

According to the release:
"WDFW Director Phil Anderson said the wolf was shot this morning from a helicopter. Its death brought to six the number of wolves from the Wedge Pack removed in the past three days, including the alpha female."

The one found dead was last Spring. Recently when the WDFW announced its plan to remove the pack, they said that they wanted to take out eight members. Where did you get those additional numbers, Bob?

[Wyoming08]

  This I believe deserves an AT A BOY    for the WDFW. They got after it.
  FINALLY!!!
Bearpaw, What are you doing starting this thread at  3:22:10 AM?  WDFW concludes action to remove Northeast Washington wolf pack
« on: Today at 03:22:10 AM »

Thats a bit early to isn't it?   

[JLS]

One was shot by agency personnel in August and one was found dead very shortly after that.  Makes 8.

[pianoman9701]

One was shot by agency personnel in August and one was found dead very shortly after that.  Makes 8.

OK, but were these deaths after the original announcement of the pack removal? By WDFW own numbers, they've only taken out 6 since that announcement. I must be missing something here. Let me know thanks.

[Curly]

WDFW does deserve a little credit.  But only a little.  They did come-up with a stupid wolf plan afterall.............so it's hard for me to give them credit........  plus they didn't finish the job either.

[JLS]

One was shot by agency personnel in August and one was found dead very shortly after that.  Makes 8.

OK, but were these deaths after the original announcement of the pack removal? By WDFW own numbers, they've only taken out 6 since that announcement. I must be missing something here. Let me know thanks.

The one was killed in August in an attempt to change the packs behavior, and the remains of the juvenile were found shortly after that.  Then the decision was made to remove the entire pack.  If the pack was 8 to start with, doesn't this finish the job?