Oregon reports 15% rise in wolf population in 2024; number of packs also on the rise
SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The minimum known count of wolves in Oregon at the end of 2024 was 204 wolves, up from 178 last year, according to the Oregon Wolf Conservation and Management annual report released Friday by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The population also hit an important threshold, with seven breeding pairs documented in the West Zone (west of Highways 97-20-395).
The annual count is based on verified wolf evidence (like visual observations, tracks, and remote camera photographs). The number represents the minimum number of wolves in Oregon, as not all individuals present in the state can be located during the winter count.
A total of 25 packs were documented (up from 22 last year), and 17 of those packs met the criteria as breeding pairs, with another 18 groups of two or three wolves also identified.
Wolves continued to expand westward in Oregon, with new packs and breeding pairs in the West Zone, which is still in Phase 1 of wolf management.
Under the Wolf Plan, ODFW must document four breeding pairs for three consecutive years to move to Phase 2 and seven breeding pairs for three consecutive years to move to Phase 3. Phases 2 and 3 offer more flexibility for responding to livestock depredation under the State’s Wolf Plan, once wolves are delisted. (Currently, wolves west of Hwys. 395-78-95 remain listed as federally endangered and federal, not state, regulations are in effect.)
With seven breeding pairs documented in the West Zone in 2024, Phases 2 or 3 could be reached as early as 2027. But for a poaching incident in 2023 that reduced the number of breeding pairs that year, the West Zone would have moved to Phase 2 this year.
Seven wolf deaths are under investigation by law enforcement (Oregon State Police or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service). Wolf poaching continues to be a major concern for ODFW, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and law enforcement, as well as a focus for the Fish and Wildlife Commission.
A total of 26 wolf mortalities were documented during the year in the East Zone, including 22 that were human-caused. One dispersing wolf was killed in a motor vehicle collision on I-84.
A total of 11 wolves were lawfully removed under ODFW authorizations to resolve chronic livestock depredation. Another three wolves were killed by livestock producers when they were “caught in the act” of chasing or attacking livestock.
There were 69 confirmed events of livestock depredation in 2024, a slight decrease from 73 in 2023. Consistent with the Wolf Plan, livestock producers implemented non-lethal measures to minimize depredation prior to any department approval of wolf lethal removal. Proactively managing wolf-livestock conflict to reduce impacts to livestock continues to be a high priority for ODFW.
The Oregon Department of Agriculture’s compensation program awarded grants totaling $789,565 to 13 counties in 2024. The majority of the funds (61%) were used for non-lethal preventative measures, but all requests for compensation of confirmed and probable depredations were granted in full.
ODFW staff will present the Wolf Annual Report to the Fish and Wildlife Commission at their April 18 meeting in Winchester Bay. Staff will report in further detail on focus areas the commission identified, including addressing poaching, managing conflict with livestock and improving population monitoring.
For more information, see the 2024 Annual Wolf Report online. For photos of wolves, visit ODFW’s flickr page.
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News release from the Center for Biological Diversity:
Oregon’s Wolf Population Rises 15% But Illegal Killings Continue
Ongoing Poaching Thwarts Stability of Packs
PORTLAND, Ore.— Oregon’s wolf population grew by 15% in 2024, marking the first year of double-digit growth since 2019, according to a report released today by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. The known population was 204 wolves at the end of 2024, but the number of poachings and authorized killings remains concerning.
“I’m relieved to finally see a noteworthy increase in Oregon’s overall wolf population but we’re not in the clear by any means,” said Amaroq Weiss, a senior wolf advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Far too many wolves are being killed illegally and, while state officials are concerned about wolf poaching, they continue to authorize high levels of legal wolf killing over livestock conflicts.”
Oregon’s overall population increased from 178 wolves in 2023 to 204 wolves in 2024. There were 25 reported packs in 2024, up from 22 the year before. The number of successful breeding pairs also increased from 15 to 17. Also identified were 18 small groups of two or three wolves.
Today’s report documents a total of 26 known wolf deaths in 2024. People killed 22 wolves, with seven known to have been killed illegally. This is the fourth year in a row with high levels of illegal wolf killings, with at least 51 wolves known to have been poached since 2012. Scientific research has shown that for every illegally slain wolf that’s found, another one to two wolves have been killed and remain undiscovered.
In 2024 the department issued kill orders on members of eight packs in response to conflicts with livestock. As a result, 11 wolves were killed in 2024 in Wallowa, Union, Baker and Grant counties by the agency or by USDA Wildlife Services staff. Ranchers killed an additional three wolves caught in the act of attacking livestock. This total of 14 wolves killed for livestock conflicts in 2024 nearly matches the 16 wolves killed for conflicts in 2023, which was twice as high any previously recorded calendar year since record-keeping began at the start of Oregon’s wolf recovery in 2008.
Of the seven known wolves killed illegally in 2024, one was poached in the area of Oregon where wolves are still fully protected under the federal Endangered Species Act. Six additional poachings occurred in the federally delisted portion of Oregon. Four of the poached wolves were poisoned, leading to gruesome, painful deaths. The eight wolves poached in 2021 and most of the wolves poached in 2023 also were poisoned.
Oregon lost an additional five wolves last year to other causes. One died wolf died after being struck by a vehicle and four died of natural or unknown causes.
Oregon’s state wolf plan has recovery objectives for each half of the state. While eastern Oregon has met the plan’s goals with respect to number of successful breeding pairs for a set number of years, western Oregon has lagged behind. The increase in packs and breeding pairs in western Oregon bodes well for meeting goals, but success will depend on ensuring the level of human-caused mortality does not increase there.
“I’m grateful that Oregon’s wolf population has regained some resiliency and I hope it stays that way because killing wolves breeds more conflict and encourages poachers,” said Weiss. “High wolf mortality can also prevent wolves from recovering statewide if breeding animals are killed. This year’s encouraging growth indicates things are going in a better direction, but success requires ending the epidemic of killing.”
Background
Wolves in the eastern third of Oregon were stripped of federal protections by Congress in 2011. In 2015 the state Fish and Wildlife Commission removed wolves from the state endangered species list even though wolves are still absent from nearly 90% of the state’s suitable habitat. In 2019 the commission revised the state wolf management plan to open the door to potential wolf hunting and trapping.
Wolves throughout the western two-thirds of Oregon were stripped of federal protections by the Trump administration in January 2021. These protections were restored by a federal judge in 2022 based on a lawsuit filed by Earthjustice on behalf of the Center and other partners.
