Order to kill wolf expires

The authorization to kill one member of the Couse wolf pack in Asotin County has expired without an animal being killed.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife didn’t extend the authorization and announced Wednesday that it will instead monitor the pack’s behavior.

Fish and Wildlife Director Kelly Susewind authorized agency agents to kill one member of the pack on Sept. 29, in an effort to stop the wolves from preying on cattle.

The pack that roams the breaks of the Snake River and ridges of the Blue Mountains near Anatone has attacked livestock five times in the past 10 months. In July, Susewind authorized the lethal removal of two members of the pack. But an employee of a ranch shot and killed a male wolf that was attacking cattle before the order could be carried out. Susewind then rescinded the order and the attacks subsided for a few months. They started again on Sept. 19, when the pack was blamed for injuring a calf.