By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
As if Washingtonians didn’t have enough to argue about, a report by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife has revealed the wolf population has rebounded and increased more than 17 percent, causing hunters and ranchers to revive talking about de-listing and setting up controlled hunting seasons.
On the other side of that coin, wolf advocates are fiercely defending the wolf population, which appears to have hit 270 animals which include 49 packs across the state, and 23 breeding pairs. No packs or breeding pairs have been found in southern Washington, and the theory is they have been discouraged from moving south by Interstate 90.
A fairly bitter fight has erupted on social media.
Wolves are blamed for livestock losses, and what appears to be predation on deer and elk herds in the state. Many in the hunting community believe wolf reintroduction is being promoted by people who ultimately hope to ban or severely limit hunting by humans because they would be viewed as competition to the wolves for the available prey base. Already on the Colville Reservation, tribal permits have been issued for wolf hunting. According to the WDFW report, a dozen wolves were killed by permit hunters on the reservation.
According to KCPQ News, state wildlife managers continue to “prioritize collaring efforts in ‘recolonization fronts’ and areas with the highest risk of livestock conflict to ensure continued coexistence as the population trends toward long-term stability.”
Critics of the wolf program contend that the wolves now expanding in Washington are not native species, but larger gray wolves relocated from Canada. They were never historically in Washington, many argue.
Northwest Sportsman editor Andy Walgamott has kept a close eye on the wolf controversy for several years. His latest report can be read here. According to Walgamott, “A total of $2 million was spent on wolf management in 2025, mostly for management and research and including $92,400 for lethal removals, $146,000 for range riders, $102,000 for cooperative agreements with ranchers for nonlethal measures, and $90,400 for livestock loss claims.”
Evergreen State hunters are growing alarmed about the potential for decimation of deer and elk herds, and the primary target for where these wolves are roaming would be deer, both mule deer and whitetails. The state’s major elk herds are in the south, in Yakima county, southwest Washington, and the Blue Mountains in southeast Washington.
Wolves have also been raising alarms among hunters in other states, as far east as Minnesota and Michigan.
