The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife expects wolf activity to spring up around the Teanaway and Smackout Pack areas.
“(We’re) a little nervous about those two because they’re large packs overlapping quite a few cattle allotments,” said game program manager Dave Ware. “Those two things together tend to mean the wolf may end up taking some livestock.”
The department has been working with livestock operators and cooperators, several of whom are under damage prevention agreements, Ware said. The department has employed range riders and is using fencing and flags as prevention measures to keep wolves and livestock separate.
Ware said the department has a good level of participation from ranchers to help keep wolves and livestock separated. WDFW continues to contact property owners it believes livestock are in risk of wolf conflicts.
The department is sharing collared wolf location information with nearby ranchers.
“We always caution them that you still have to be vigilant, just because the wolf that’s got the radio isn’t near your grazing allotment, there could be others from that pack that are,” Ware said.