WDFW reauthorizes lethal action in OPF wolf pack

SPOKANE—Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Kelly Susewind reauthorized WDFW staff to lethally remove wolves from the OPT pack on July 10. The OPT pack has repeatedly preyed on cattle on federal grazing lands in the Kettle River range of Ferry County.

In 2018, the pack was involved in a total of 16 depredations in under two months. At that time, the WDFW lethally removed two of the wolves. Action was paused in Nov. of 2018.

Between April and July 2019, WDFW staff counted a total of nine wolves in the pack. WDFW confirmed a total of 20 depradations since Sept. 2018 and 15 in the last 10 months, according to a WDFW media release.

“This is a very difficult situation for all those involved, especially given the history of wolf-livestock conflict in this area,” Susewind said. “Our goal is to change this pack’s behavior.”

A full update on planned and past actions can be found at https://bit.ly/2JPwoSO.