Below is a news release from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

11/4 update:
A King County Superior Court judge denied the request for a preliminary injunction to prevent the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) from lethally removing one wolf from the Sherman pack in Ferry County. 

Washington Wildlife First and other parties sought to block the removal, in which WDFW approved on Oct. 9. The authorization subsequently expired on Oct. 15. Information about the authorization appears in a separate update. Judge Suzanne Parisien of King County Superior Court found that petitioners had not established a likelihood of prevailing on the merits of the case. 

WDFW’s 2011 Wolf Conservation and Management Plan (PDF) and wolf-livestock interaction protocol (PDF) provide guidance on addressing wolf-livestock conflict, including lethal removal to address patterns of depredation, such as when department staff confirms three depredations by wolves on livestock within 30 days or four within 10 months, where non-lethal deterrents could not prevent wolf-livestock conflict.

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10/22:

A King County Superior Court commissioner entered a temporary restraining order that prohibits the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) from lethally removing one wolf from the Sherman pack in Ferry County.

As a result, the department cannot remove a wolf from the Sherman pack as authorized by WDFW Deputy Director Amy Windrope on Oct. 9, 2025. Information about the authorization appears in a separate update.

Washington Wildlife First and other parties filed the initial petition for injunction and motion for a temporary restraining order after the department announced the deputy director’s authorization.

King County Superior Court commissioner Mark Hillman found that the petitioners had met the criteria for temporary injunctive relief. The court will hold a preliminary injunction hearing on Oct. 28, 2025.

WDFW’s 2011 Wolf Conservation and Management Plan and wolf-livestock interaction protocol provide guidance on addressing wolf-livestock conflict, including lethal removal to address patterns of depredation, such as when department staff confirms three predations by wolves on livestock within 30 days or four within 10 months, where nonlethal deterrents have not prevented wolf-livestock conflict.

Previous Sherman Pack updates:

(Photo credit: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife)