Gray Wolf Updates

Last week the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) published a report summarizing its management and conservation activities for gray wolves (Canis lupus) over the past 10 years.

“Ten Years of Gray Wolf Conservation and Management in California: 2015-2024” details CDFW’s wolf conservation and management efforts, including wolf monitoring techniques, wolf-livestock depredation investigations, wolf captures and population data for the state’s wolf packs known through 2024, including the minimum number of individuals, breeding pairs and litters produced.

Starting in 2026, CDFW plans to produce an annual report about its wolf management and conservation activities using a similar format to what is presented in this 10-year report.

CDFW has posted new depredation determination forms to the CDFW Gray Wolf webpage, under "Potential Conflict and Depredation". Twenty new depredation determinations have been added for May and June 2025. Any 'Confirmed' or 'Probable' depredations are eligible for CDFW's Wolf-Livestock Compensation Program.

• 5/7/2025 - Siskiyou County - Probable
• 5/8/2025 - Modoc County - Unknown
• 5/9/2025 - Lassen County - Confirmed
• 5/9/2025 - Plumas County - Confirmed
• 5/12/2025 - Plumas County - Confirmed
• 5/13/2025 - Plumas County - Non-Depredation
• 5/15/2025 - Plumas County - Confirmed
• 5/17/2025 - Siskiyou County - Confirmed
• 5/18/2025 - Plumas County - Confirmed
• 5/19/2025 - Lassen County - Confirmed
• 5/19/2025 - Plumas County - Confirmed
• 5/20/2025 - Plumas County - Confirmed
• 5/22/2025 - Sierra County - Confirmed
• 5/27/2025 - Plumas County - Non-Wolf Depredation
• 5/29/2025 - Sierra County - Probable
• 5/31/2025 - Lassen County - Confirmed
• 6/2/2025 - Plumas County - Non-Depredation
• 6/4/2025 - Lassen County - Confirmed
• 6/5/2025 - 1- Tulare County - Unknown
• 6/5/2025 - 2 - Tulare County - Unknown

CDFW has posted its Quarterly Wolf News Update: January - March 2025 (PDF), a new Approximate Area of Gray Wolf Activity Map (May 2025), and new depredation determination forms to the CDFW Gray Wolf Webpage, under 'Potential Conflict and Depredation'.

During the first quarter of 2025, CDFW confirmed the upgrade of three Areas of Wolf Activity in Shasta, Tehama, and Lassen counties to 'Pack' status. The three packs are the Ashpan pack (eastern Shasta County), the Ishi pack (eastern Tehama County), and the Tunnison pack (central Lassen County).

Thirty-three new depredation determinations have been added for March, April, and the beginning of May 2025. Eighteen of these investigations were determined to be 'Confirmed' wolf depredations. Any 'Confirmed' or 'Probable' depredations are eligible for CDFW's Wolf Livestock Compensation Program.

• 3/18/2025 - Lassen County - Confirmed
• 3/20/2025 - Lassen County - Confirmed
• 3/21/2025 - Lassen County - Possible
• 3/21/2025 - Lassen County - Non-Depredation
• 3/21/2025 - Siskiyou County - Confirmed
• 3/26/2025 - Lassen County - Confirmed
• 3/28/2025 - Plumas County - Non-Wolf Depredation
• 3/30/2025 - Lassen County - Possible
• 3/31/2025 - Modoc County - Non-Wolf Depredation
• 4/1/2025 - Lassen County - Confirmed
• 4/1/2025 - Lassen County - Confirmed
• 4/3/2025 - Modoc County - Non-Wolf Depredation
• 4/3/2025 - Siskiyou County - Non-Depredation
• 4/6/2025 - Siskiyou County - Non-Depredation
• 4/7/2025 - Plumas County - Confirmed/Non-Wolf Depredation
• 4/9/2025 - Lassen County - Confirmed
• 4/13/2025 - Lassen County - Confirmed
• 4/14/2025 - Plumas County - Confirmed
• 4/14/2025 - Plumas County - Confirmed
• 4/16/2025 - Modoc County - Unknown
• 4/16/2025 - Plumas County - Confirmed
• 4/16/2025 - Tulare County - Confirmed
• 4/23/2025 - Plumas County - Non-Wolf Depredation
• 4/23/2025 - Plumas County - Confirmed
• 4/25/2025 - Plumas County - Confirmed
• 4/25/2025 - Siskiyou County - Non-Depredation
• 4/27/2025 - Lassen County - Unknown
• 4/27/2025 - Lassen County - Confirmed
• 4/27/2025 - Modoc County - Non-Wolf Depredation
• 4/27/2025 - Siskiyou County - Non-Depredation
• 4/28/2025 - Tehama County - Non-Wolf Depredation
• 5/3/2025 - Siskiyou County - Confirmed
• 5/5/2025 - Plumas County - Confirmed