Washington State Authorizes Lethal Removal of One Wolf After Livestock Attacks in Stevens County
Why It Matters
The decision highlights a long-running conflict between livestock producers and wildlife managers across the rural Pacific Northwest, where ranchers say wolf predation threatens their livelihoods while state agencies work to maintain and expand wolf populations under conservation law.
What Happened
Washington’s Department of Fish and Wildlife has authorized the killing of a single gray wolf following at least three suspected attacks on calves in the Aladdin Valley, a forested rural area northeast of Colville in Stevens County.
On the weekend of May 17–18, wildlife officials investigated one calf that had been killed and two others that were injured. Investigators determined the wounds were consistent with wolf predation. Agency Director Kelly Susewind issued the lethal removal order the following Friday.
State managers say they do not know which specific wolf carried out the attacks. Three packs inhabit the area, and wildlife officials recently trapped and radio-collared one adult male wolf in the vicinity. The agency says it will try to avoid targeting pups, breeding adults, or collared animals during the operation.
The directive is considered consistent with Washington’s Wolf Conservation and Management Plan, in part because nonlethal deterrents — including foxlights — had already been in place on the property for more than a month before the attacks occurred.
By the Numbers
- At least 270 wolves and 49 packs were counted in Washington at the end of last year — the highest total recorded since monitoring began in 2008.
- Wolves in eastern Washington account for roughly 69% of the state’s total wolf population.
- Eastern Washington wolves were removed from the federal Endangered Species Act in 2011, though state law still classifies the species as endangered.
- The state pays up to $10,000 per livestock loss claim, though some ranchers decline to file.
- According to one wildlife advocate, approximately 80% of wolves the department has killed were targeted due to attacks on public lands.
Competing Views
Ranchers and conservation advocates remain sharply divided on the state’s approach. Kelly Shockey, district representative for the Washington Cattlemen Association covering Okanogan, Ferry, and Stevens counties, argued that removing livestock carcasses — which the agency requires — actually encourages repeat attacks by forcing wolves to seek fresh prey.
“When those wolves come back to look for more feed on that carcass, nine times out of ten, they won’t find it, so they’ll take another calf,” Shockey said.
On the other side, Amaroq Weiss of the Center for Biological Diversity warned that killing an adult wolf could destabilize the pack and potentially lead to more livestock predation, not less. “When you kill the mother or father… it can cause the pack to break up,” Weiss said, arguing that inexperienced juvenile wolves may be more likely to target livestock.
Francisco Santiago-Ávila of Washington Wildlife First called on the agency to be more open about its findings, arguing that a lack of transparency has forced advocacy organizations to pursue legal action to obtain basic information about wolf management decisions.
Zoom Out
Wolf recovery has been a flashpoint across the Mountain West and Pacific Northwest for decades. While federal protections for wolves in the region have been scaled back over time, state-level rules in Washington continue to restrict lethal action, leaving ranchers in eastern Washington — where wolf density is highest — with limited options when attacks occur.
The tension reflects a broader national debate over how to balance predator recovery goals with the economic realities facing agricultural communities. Similar disputes have played out in Idaho and Montana, where wolf populations have also grown significantly since reintroduction efforts began in the 1990s.
What’s Next
Wildlife agents are expected to carry out the authorized removal in the Aladdin Valley area. The agency has said the killing of one wolf will not threaten the overall recovery of the species in Washington. Ranchers and wildlife advocates alike are likely to watch closely whether the attacks continue — and whether the agency’s response is deemed sufficient by either side of the ongoing debate.
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