Wolves are opportunistic hunters and tend to prey mainly on younger, older, and debilitated animals. In some instances, wolves have been known to kill and feed on domestic livestock and poultry, including cattle, sheep, and chickens. Wolves will also scavenge carrion and eat smaller animals. Despite their hunting abilities, the majority of wolf hunts are unsuccessful. and Canada, wolves often prey on elk, deer, and moose. In the central and northern Rocky Mountains of the U.S. With their large size, powerful jaws, large teeth, speed, endurance, and habit of hunting in packs, wolves are keenly adapted to hunt large prey. One or more rendezvous sites are used over the summer until the pups have matured. A rendezvous site is where the pack will take young wolves before they’re able to travel and hunt with the pack. Wolves often develop dens in underground burrows, but also use abandoned beaver lodges, hollow trees, and shallow rock caves.Īs pups grow older, they are taken from the den to a protected location known as a rendezvous site. Most packs produce one litter annually, typically consisting of four to six pups. Wolves usually mate in mid to late February, and the pups are born about two months later. Pack sizes can range widely, but a typical pack in the northern U.S. The pack also shares pup-rearing responsibilities, including hunting and tending pups. The pack often hunts, feeds, travels, and rests together, although they may split up from time to time to patrol their territory or search for food. Other breeding age adults may be present, but usually only one pair will breed in each pack in any given year. The pack usually consists of a dominant breeding pair (an alpha male and alpha female), their offspring from the previous year, and new pups. Gray wolves are highly social and live in packs. These tend to be remote, relatively unpopulated areas with extensive public lands, few roads, and few or no livestock. Wolf populations fare best in areas away from humans and their activities. In the northwestern states and western Canada, wolves are most common in relatively flat forested areas, rolling hills, or open spaces such as river valleys and basins, where prey animals are easier to chase and catch. Wolves are highly adaptable and can live in a variety of habitats if sufficient prey is available. Howls are audible for up to five miles, and tend to be long and drawn out compared to the shorter yapping sounds made by coyotes. Howling is a common behavior that helps pack members communicate and stay together. See the Living with wildlife section and Preventing conflict section to learn more. Wolf observations, including sightings, photos of animals or tracks, and location, can be reported online through the wolf reporting portal. Depredations can be reported by phone at 87. Wolves are shy by nature and typically avoid human contact. Wolf sightings and suspected wolf depredation on domestic animals in Washington should be reported to state authorities who will investigate incidents and take appropriate action to resolve problems. Because wolves are listed as a federal and state endangered species, it is illegal to kill, harm, or harass them. Infrequent reports of animals continued in the following decades, suggesting that individuals continued to disperse into Washington from neighboring states and British Columbia.Īs of February 10, 2022, gray wolves are federally delisted in Washington east of Highway 97 from the British Columbia border south to Monse, Highway 17 from Monse south to Mesa, and Highway 395 from Mesa south to the Oregon border (eastern one-third of WA) but are federally listed as endangered west of these highways (western two-thirds of WA). By the 1930s, wolves were considered eradicated from the state. Wolves were formerly common throughout most of Washington, but declined rapidly because of trapping, poisoning, and hunting as ranching and farming by European-American settlers expanded between 18. 16, 2023. See the news release for additional information. WDFW will accept comments until 11:59 p.m. The public is invited to comment on the DRAFT Periodic Status Review for the Gray Wolf by submitting written comments at /psr-gray-wolf, emailing comments to by leaving a comment via voicemail message by calling 85 and entering project code 2573. Monofilament recovery and recycling program.
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