State OKs killing more wolves that attacked cattle in northeastern Washington

OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife on Wednesday authorized the killing of members of a new wolf pack that have attacked cattle in northeastern Washington.

"WDFW staff have confirmed that on six separate occasions since Sept. 4, one or more members of the Old Profanity Territory (OPT) pack killed one calf and injured five others on a U.S. Forest Service (USFS) grazing allotment" in Ferry County, a news release said.

It's the second time in a month that the Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Kelly Susewind has approved the lethal remove of wolves.

Susewind authorized "incremental" removal of one or two wolves. Efforts to trap or shoot the animal will begin after Thursday afternoon.

Earlier this month, an agency marksman shot and killed a male member of the Togo wolf pack.

Two environmental groups won a temporary restraining order to stop the killing of that pack, but a judge declined to extend that order Aug. 31.

The presence of the new OPT pack was documented after WDFW completed its annual survey of the state’s wolf population in March. The survey identified 22 wolf packs and a minimum of 122 wolves in the state. Annual surveys have shown the population growing at a rate of about 30 percent each year.