A man shot and killed one wolf to escape a pack of wolves that encircled him in northeast Washington. It happened in the Colville National Forest about 90 miles north of Spokane.
Authorities say the man entered the forest to check his trail cameras when he saw several wolves in front of him. He started to back up only to notice wolves closed in behind him as well. Feeling threatened, he yelled at them and then shot one that bared its teeth at him.
“The man called us as soon as he managed to get back to a place where he had cell service, and the incident was investigated by the county’s wildlife conflict specialist, Jeff Flood, and the state Department of Fish and Game,” Brad Manke, Stevens County Sheriff, told the Statesman Examiner. “Investigators went to the scene and found the dead wolf. From the evidence, they confirmed the man’s story and determined that he acted completely within the law because he was threatened.”
Earlier this year, the Washington Department of Fish and Game reported the state has a minimum population of 145 wolves, an 11 percent increase over 2018 and the largest number in modern history.