In late October, a rancher in northeast Washington shot and killed a wolf in the act of attacking livestock and then reported the incident to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). WDFW Enforcement investigated and found the actions to be warranted.
In areas of Washington where wolves are not listed under the federal Endangered Species Act, the law states the owner of domestic animals (or an immediate family member, agent, or employee) may kill one gray wolf without a permit issued by the WDFW director if the wolf is attacking their domestic animals. The incident occurred outside any known pack territories and the wolf killed was an unmarked adult female.
In early November, a different livestock producer in Ferry County less than three miles from the already mentioned attack contacted WDFW about an injured calf. WDFW followed up and confirmed it is wolf deprecation and implemented various deterrence measures.
(Photo source: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife)