Wolf killed in Asotin County after chasing cattle

A ranch hand shot and killed a wolf that was chasing cattle in Asotin County on Monday night.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is investigating the incident. Livestock producers in eastern Washington are allowed by state law to shoot up to one wolf caught in the act of attacking their animals.

A spokesperson for the agency called it a routine follow-up investigation.

“It’s not like we are questioning it. It’s a very standard procedure, all of them are investigated,” said Staci Lehman at the agency’s eastern region office based in Spokane.

She said officers from the agency are meeting with the producer and employee to walk through the incident, which happened near Anatone. Lehman said the agency won’t release further details about it until the investigation is complete.

The male wolf was a member of the Couse Pack that roams the canyons and timber ridges connecting the Blue Mountains to the Snake and Grande Ronde rivers. The Couse Pack, while relatively new, has a history of livestock attacks.

The agency confirmed a calf in the pack’s territory was injured by a wolf on June 28 and Lehmen said another calf there was recently killed by a wolf.

Last summer, the agency killed two wolves from the pack following repeated attacks on livestock. The pack, once known as Washington Group 139, became an official pack this spring following completion of the agency’s annual wolf survey and report.

Wolves in the eastern third of Washington are not protected by the federal Endangered Species Act but are by a state version of the law. The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission is scheduled to meet next week to determine if the status of wolves should be downgraded under state law. The department is recommending wolves be reclassified from endangered to sensitive.

Barker may be contacted at ebarker@lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2273.