Wolf Population Growing In Oregon, Expanding West

According to the Oregon Wolf Conservation and Management report released Friday, at least 204 wolves called Oregon home at the end of 2024.  Not only did the wolf population increase from the 178 reported a year earlier, but seven breeding pairs were documented in the West Zone, west of Highway 97-20-395.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife said the annual count is based on verified wolf evidence, such as visual observations, tracks, and remote camera photographs.  ODFW added 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 the West Zone 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.

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. ODFW said proactively managing wolf-livestock conflict to reduce impacts to livestock continues to be a high priority for the Department.

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.

For additional details and/or numbers, check out 2024 Annual Wolf Report online.

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