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

CDFW has released an automated wolf location mapping system that is now active on its Gray Wolf page. Additional information on the tool is provided in a press release that was issued earlier today.

This tool shows the approximate location of GPS collared wolves across the state. The goal of the map is to better enable livestock producers to understand the movement of collared wolves near their properties and to assist them in mitigating wolf-livestock conflicts.

CDFW has posted a press release announcing the state's wolf population entering phase two of population recovery. Other topics regarding wolf management and conservation are included in the release.

CDFW has posted new depredation determination forms to the CDFW Gray Wolf webpage, under "Potential Conflict and Depredation". Seven new depredation determinations have been added for March 2025. Three of the confirmed depredations are attributed to the Diamond pack in Plumas County. Any 'Confirmed' or 'Probable' depredations are eligible for CDFW's Wolf Livestock Compensation Program.

• 3/7/2025 - Plumas County - Confirmed
• 3/7/2025 - Siskiyou County - Probable
• 3/13/2025 - Plumas County - Confirmed
• 3/13/2025 - Siskiyou County - Non-Depredation
• 3/14/2025 - Lassen County - Confirmed
• 3/15/2025 - Lassen County - Probable
• 3/16/2025 - Plumas County - Confirmed

CDFW has posted new depredation determination forms to the CDFW Gray Wolf webpage, under "Potential Conflict and Depredation". Nineteen new depredation determinations have been added for October and December of 2024, and January, February, and March of 2025. Five of the confirmed depredations are a result of a group wolves in Modoc County who have dispersed from the Whaleback pack, the group is currently represented as an Area of Wolf Activity on the agency's current Approximate Area of Gray Wolf Activity map. Any 'Confirmed' or 'Probable' depredations are eligible for CDFW's Wolf Livestock Compensation Program.

• 10/18/2024 - Siskiyou County - Unknown
• 12/07/2024 - Siskiyou County - Confirmed
• 12/17/2024 - Siskiyou County - Non-Depredation
• 12/17/2024 - Siskiyou County - Non-Depredation
• 12/18/2024 - Siskiyou County - Confirmed
• 12/19/2024 - Siskiyou County - Non-Depredation
• 12/23/2024 - Modoc County - Confirmed
• 12/31/2024 - Shasta County - Non-Wolf Depredation
• 1/26/2025 - Tulare County - Non-Wolf Depredation
• 1/29/2025 - Plumas County - Confirmed
• 2/9/2025 - Modoc County - Confirmed
• 2/15/2025 - Modoc County - Confirmed
• 2/18/2025 - Modoc County - Non-Wolf Depredation
• 2/18/2025 - Siskiyou County - Confirmed
• 2/26/2025 - Modoc County - Confirmed
• 2/28/2025 - Shasta County - Confirmed
• 3/1/2025 - Modoc County - Confirmed
• 3/4/2025 - Tulare County - Possible
• 3/5/2025 - Siskiyou County - Confirmed

CDFW has posted its Quarterly Wolf News Updates: October - December 2024 (PDF), a new Approximate Area of Gray Wolf Activity Map (February 2025)(PDF), and an updated version of the Known Wolves - February 2025 (PDF).

CDFW's most recent Quarterly Wolf News Update: October - December 2024, highlights known packs, areas of wolf activity, a summary of wolf-livestock depredation investigations, and program communications for the quarter.;

The new map of Approximate Area of Gray Wolf Activity, reflects known wolf activity as of February 2025 based on CDFW's monitoring of the species in the state. CDFW relies on help from the public to determine the presence of new wolf activity in the state and encourages the public to report potential wolf sightings on it's Gray Wolf Sightings Report page.

CDFW has posted a press release covering the recent successful helicopter capture and collaring of wolves in Northern California. Other updates regarding gray wolves in California are included in the release.

CDFW has posted new depredation determination forms to the CDFW Gray Wolf webpage, under "Potential Conflict and Depredation". Fourteen new depredation determinations have been added for October and November 2024. Four of the confirmed determinations are a result a new pair of wolves in Lassen County, the group is currently represented as an Area of Wolf Activity on the agency's current Approximate Area of Gray Wolf Activity map. Any 'Confirmed' or 'Probable' depredations are eligible for CDFW's Wolf Livestock Compensation Program.

• 10/24/2024 - Lassen County - Confirmed
• 10/28/2024 - Lassen County - Confirmed
• 10/30/2024 - Tulare County - Probable
• 11/1/2024 - Tulare County - Confirmed
• 11/5/2024 - Sierra County - Unknown
• 11/7/2024 - Lassen County - Confirmed
• 11/12/2024 - Lassen County - Confirmed
• 11/16/2024 - Lassen County - Confirmed
• 11/19/2024 - Lassen County - Confirmed
• 11/23/2024 - Siskiyou County - Confirmed
• 11/24/2024 - Siskiyou County - Confirmed
• 11/27/2024 - Siskiyou County - Confirmed
• 11/28/2024 - Siskiyou County - Confirmed