The director of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) authorized staff to lethally remove wolves from a new pack that continues to prey on cattle on federal grazing lands in the Kettle River Range of Ferry County.
WDFW staff confirmed that on six separate occasions since Sept. 4, one or more members of the Old Profanity Territory (OPT) pack killed one calf and injured five others on a U.S. Forest Service (USFS) grazing allotment. The pack occupies the same general area as the Profanity Peak pack in 2016 that also preyed on cattle.
WDFW can consider lethal action against wolves if department staff confirms three predations by wolves on livestock within 30 days, or four within 10 months. Depredations confirmed by WDFW in the past week meet the first criterion.