A gray wolf.

The Togo wolf pack in northeast Washington has killed another calf, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife has confirmed, forcing the department to re-evaluate whether to cull the pack.

The pack has attacked three calves in the past 30 days, crossing the threshold for the department to consider removing one or two wolves to curb the predations.

The other predations were confirmed May 17 and May 18. The latest calf killed belonged to a different rancher. All the attacks were on private land.

The pack has killed at least three calves and injured three others since Aug. 6.

The department also considers lethal control after four attacks in 10 months. The May predations crossed that threshold. The department, however, decided not to remove any wolves.

Fish and Wildlife officials were meeting Thursday to discuss a recommendation to Director Kelly Susewind.

The Togo pack territory in Ferry County is the only one that Fish and Wildlife classifies as a “chronic-conflict zone” because of the frequency of attacks on livestock. 

Susewind has authorized culling the pack five times since 2018. The department has removed one wolf in the five tries.

Susewind authorized lethal control last summer. The department didn’t kill a wolf, but said the ground search for the pack may have discouraged it from attacking more cattle.

The pack renewed the attacks in private pastures patrolled by ranchers and state-funded range riders, which the department says is the best non-lethal way to prevent wolf-livestock conflicts.

If the department goes ahead with lethal control, it typically plans to kill one or two wolves and pausing to see whether attacks on livestock stop.

The department counted seven wolves in the Togo pack at the end of 2021.