Annual Washington wolf population report shows growth in wolf packs and breeding

[MADMAX]

Annual Washington wolf population report shows growth in wolf packs and breeding pairs in 2022

OLYMPIA – Washington's wolf population continued to grow in 2022 for the 14th consecutive year.

The Washington Gray Wolf Conservation and Management 2022 Annual Report was released today by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and shows a 5% increase in wolf population growth from the previous count in 2021. WDFW also documented Washington's first pack to recolonize the south Cascades this winter.

"The growth we're observing in the North Cascades continues to be encouraging and having a pack become established in the South Cascades is a big step toward recovery of wolves in Washington," said WDFW Director Kelly Susewind. "The goal has been for wolves to spread into all three recovery zones, and we are pleased to see their progress in recolonizing their former range."

As of Dec. 31, 2022, WDFW and Tribes counted 216 wolves in 37 packs in Washington. Twenty-six of these packs were successful breeding pairs. These numbers compare with the previous year's count of 206 wolves in 33 packs and 19 breeding pairs.

Eight new packs formed in 2022 including the Big Muddy pack in Klickitat County, the Napeequa and Maverick packs in Chelan County, the Chopaka and Chewuch packs in Okanogan County, the Wilmont pack on the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation (CTCR) in Ferry County, the Five Sisters pack in Stevens County, and the Mt. Spokane pack in Spokane County.

Wolves are counted annually through activities like track, aerial, and camera surveys. As in past years, survey results represent minimum counts of wolves in the state due to the difficulty of accounting for every animal – especially lone wolves without a pack.

Because this is a minimum count, the actual number of wolves in Washington is higher. Since the first WDFW survey in 2008, the state's wolf population has grown by an average of 23% per year.

Most wolf packs were not involved in documented livestock depredation in 2022. Eighty-one percent were not involved in any known or probable livestock depredations, while 19% of known wolf packs were involved in at least one confirmed depredation. Only three packs were involved in two or more depredations. Fifteen cattle and two sheep were confirmed killed by wolves, and one was likely killed by wolves. Also, nine cattle were confirmed as injured and two were likely injured by wolves in 2022 by seven packs.

"Implementation of proactive, nonlethal deterrence efforts by livestock producers, community partners, range riders, and WDFW staff has minimized documented livestock depredation and removal of wolves, all while our wolf population continues to grow," said WDFW Wolf Policy Lead Julia Smith.

Since 1980, gray wolves have been listed under state law as endangered throughout Washington. In January of 2021, wolves were federally delisted from federal Endangered Species Act protection and WDFW resumed statewide management of the species. On February 10, 2022, wolves were federally relisted in the western two-thirds of the state and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) once again has the lead role in the recovery of wolves in the North Cascades and the Southern Cascades and Northwest Coast recovery regions.

Contributors to WDFW's annual wolf report include the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, the Spokane Tribe of Indians, Swinomish Tribe, Yakama Nation, and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.

[Magnum_Willys]

I wish they celebrated an attempted recovery of our depleted game animal populations with such zeal.

[Oh Mah]

Anyone good enough in math to figure this equation out?

How many wolves are need to have a 5 percent increase if 1 pair having a litter of 6 pups is a gain of 400% ?

[Skyvalhunter]

Well the WDFW seems to be quite joyous of this. While for me it turns my stomach. 36 packs, that's a whole lot of ungulates going down.

[MADMAX]

And everything else they can catch and eat

[Oh Mah]

27 breeding pairs is 54 wolves, cant call them breeding pairs if their not breeding so if each pair had just 1 pup each that would be a gain of 50%.

5% is an impossible lie unless there are 1000s of wolves in this state that do not breed.

[idaho guy]

27 breeding pairs is 54 wolves, cant call them breeding pairs if their not breeding so if each pair had just 1 pup each that would be a gain of 50%.

5% is an impossible lie unless there are 1000s of wolves in this state that do not breed.

That growth rate seems absurdly low. The stats I have seen is uncontrolled wolf population grows about 40-50 percent. Which makes sense if you left a male and female dog in the backyard how many dogs would you have in 1 year? First year of full trapping and hunting season Idaho took out something like 300-400 wolves and idaho fish and game guy told me that might keep our population even (if we were lucky). Total numbers of wolves seems way low also 

[Bob33]

Anyone good enough in math to figure this equation out?

How many wolves are need to have a 5 percent increase if 1 pair having a litter of 6 pups is a gain of 400% ?

How many die each year?

[Oh Mah]

the number of deaths should not account for much since they say the rate of packs has grown 4 packs which is a almost 9% gain. they are not telling the truth about these wolf numbers to be certain.

[huntnphool]

the number of deaths should not account for much since they say the rate of packs has grown 4 packs which is a almost 9% gain. they are not telling the truth about these wolf numbers to be certain.

 +1!

[RB]

I wish they celebrated an attempted recovery of our depleted game animal populations with such zeal.

 

[zwickeyman]

We all know 5% is BS. Everything we have read the last 15 years shows an unchecked population averages closer to 26% a year growth. Their BS makes me sick, So glad I moved to Idaho and feel sorry for all the Wa hunters and game

[boneaddict]

Sickening BS

[mburrows]

Straight up lies.

[TVHunts]

Straight up lies.

   EXACTLY!