WDFW removes wolf from Togo Pack

WLJ Aug. 01, 2025 1 minute read 2 comments

WDFW removes wolf from Togo Pack — Gray wolf walking across rocks in a flowing river.
Evelyn D. Harrison

On July 28, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Director Kelly Susewind authorized the lethal removal of one to two wolves from the Togo Pack in Ferry County following repeated livestock depredations.

By July 30, WDFW staff lethally removed one adult male wolf and initiated an evaluation period. The decision followed three depredation events in less than 30 days, including one dead calf, one injured calf and one probable calf death.

Despite non-lethal measures like daily range riding and carcass sanitation, attacks continued. WDFW found no further suitable deterrents and may resume lethal action if new depredations occur.

Share this article

Join the Discussion

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

2 Comments

Marie Buquicchio
August 8, 2025
Absolutely unacceptable! That wolf ~ nor should any wolf ~ be killed because it has to eat! Ranchers need to accept the fact that sometimes they will lose cattle! It is the cost of doing business! They get reimbursed! If range riders didn't do the trick, mules or guard dogs should have been tried. Wolves are necessary to the ecosystem, cattle are not!
Reply to Marie Buquicchio
Alan Sosa
September 22, 2025
So by your logic, Marie, if a wolf eats your dog or bites your kid, I should just send you a ‘thank you for your contribution to the ecosystem’ card instead of calling animal control? You’re out here acting like wolves are innocent little forest fairies when in reality, they kill for sport just as often as they kill for food — ask any rancher who’s walked up on calves ripped apart and left half-eaten. Ranchers do use guard dogs, range riders, and even mules, but wolves are smart predators, they adapt. And yes, ranchers get reimbursed sometimes, but it’s a nightmare of red tape, paperwork, and delayed payouts — it doesn’t cover the genetic loss of a top-quality breeding bull worth $10,000. Cattle are food for millions of people; wolves aren’t feeding anyone but themselves. Ecosystems need balance, sure, but pretending that wolves are more important than livestock that keep shelves full and families fed is straight-up nonsense.
Reply to Alan Sosa