The pack is blamed for six cattle depredations since last November, including three in a 30-day period this summer.
The killing of the wolf was delayed by about two weeks due to a temporary restraining order that was lifted Friday morning by a Thurston County Superior Court judge.
Two out-of-state environmental groups are suing WDFW over its lethal removal protocols, agreed to by instate ranchers, hunters, wolf advocates and the agency.
The wolf was shot east of Danville, hard by the US-Canada border, in the Togo territory.
Efforts to remove the animal, meant to try and prevent future livestock attacks, began Friday night and continued Saturday without a sighting of the collared breeding male.
WDFW plans to perform a necropsy on the carcass as soon as possible. They confirmed that it did have a rear leg injury, consistent with field staff observations following the reported self-defense shooting of the wolf by a local livestock producer Aug. 23.
A spokesman said the agency would have no further comment this weekend.
Staffers and local wolf advocates will continue to try and prevent more depredations by the rest of the Togos.
WDFW has removed wolves in Northeast Washington following depredations in 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017 and now 2018. Washington’s wolf population is strongest in this, federally delisted, corner of the state.
Knowing who the cattleman was and where he is located this is a vague description. If the wolf had ranged as far as they made it sound he was doing great on 3 legs.
