Zach Urness

Statesman Journal

The wolf population in Washington is growing at a steady clip but its total numbers remain slightly smaller than those observed in Oregon.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife reported last week that the state is home to a minimum population of 90 wolves, 18 packs and eight breeding pairs. In 2015, Washington's population grew by 32 percent.

Oregon is home to at least 110 wolves, 12 packs and 11 breeding pairs. In 2015, Oregon’s population grew by 36 percent.

“Wolf populations in Washington are steadily increasing,” WDFW Director Jim Unsworth said in a statement. “This increase — and the wolves’ concentration in northeast Washington — underscores the importance of collaboration between our department, livestock producers, and local residents to prevent conflict between wolves and domestic animals.”

Oregon's wolf population jumped 36 percent in 2015

Washington’s wolf population is confined almost entirely to the state’s northeast corner — a similar story to that seen in Oregon. However, three packs have reached the state’s eastern Cascade foothills.

Despite their growing numbers, wolves were involved in fewer conflicts with livestock than in 2014, said Donny Martorello, WDFW wolf policy lead.

Martorello said the department determined wolves from four packs were responsible for killing a total of seven cattle and injuring one guard dog. In Oregon, state biologists determined wolves killed 14 animals in 2015.

A deep look at wolves in Oregon

Seven wolves in Washington died from various causes in 2015. Three of the seven were killed legally by hunters on the reservation of the Spokane Tribe of Indians, which authorized the harvest up to six wolves per year by tribal members. The four other deaths included one wolf killed in a collision with a vehicle, one shot in self-defense by a property owner, and one that died during an attempt to capture it. One wolf’s cause of death is unknown.

One major contrast between Oregon and Washington is the standard used to remove wolves from the state endangered species list.

In Oregon, wolves were considered for removal from the state endangered species list after hitting the trigger of four breeding pairs of wolves for three years in a row. After a biological review, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife did remove wolves from the list last November.

Wolves removed from state Endangered Species Act protection

In Washington, by contrast, wolves can be removed from the state endangered species list once 15 successful breeding pairs are documented for three consecutive years among three designated wolf-recovery regions.

Zach Urness has been an outdoors writer, photographer and videographer in Oregon for eight years. He is the author of the book “Hiking Southern Oregon” and can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on Zach Urness or @ZachsORoutdoors on Twitter.