The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced that Washington’s wolf population grew by at least 28 percent last year. By the end of 2016, the state was home to a minimum of 115 wolves, 20 packs and 10 breeding pairs documented by WDFW field staff during surveys conducted late last year.Wolf counts are expressed as “minimum estimates,” due to the difficulty of accounting for every animal, especially lone wolves without a pack. Eastern Oregon recently entered Phase III of their wolf management plan.
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation staunchly supports the active state management of all wildlife including wolves as per the North American Wildlife Conservation Model.
View the entire 2016 wolf population report here.
The report notes that WDFW paid a total of $77,978 in 2016 to compensate ranchers for their losses.