Whaleback Wolf Pack Adds 10 New Pups as Activity Grows Near Mount Shasta

California’s gray wolves continue their slow comeback, and the latest update from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) shows that Siskiyou County remains a hotspot for wolf activity.

The Whaleback pack, based in eastern Siskiyou, had a busy summer and fall. According to CDFW’s July–October 2025 Wolf News Update, the pack produced ten pups this year, confirmed through genetic sampling and trail cameras at vacated den sites. Biologists tracked the family with help from several GPS-collared wolves, including breeding male OR85, breeding female WHA01F, and yearling WHA29F.

The pack’s growth marks another milestone in California’s wolf recovery, which began just over a decade ago after wolves naturally returned from Oregon. But with recovery comes conflict: the quarterly report notes eight confirmed and five probable livestock depredations linked to the pack during this period.

Oddly, CDFW’s separate 2025 Wolf-Livestock Depredation Report lists zero depredations in Siskiyou County for the year as of Nov. 1. Neighboring Modoc County, however, shows 88 incidents. Because wolves often roam across county lines, especially in the border region between eastern Siskiyou and Modoc, the discrepancy may reflect where cases were officially recorded.

CDFW says collaboration is key to reducing conflicts. The agency continues to work with ranchers, county officials, and federal partners to promote non-lethal tools like fencing, guard animals, and range riders. Regular interagency meetings and producer outreach aim to keep tensions down as wolf numbers grow.

Outside the Whaleback territory, CDFW detected only limited activity in southwestern Modoc County, where two wolves—including one collared male, DIS07M—were documented.

CDFW encourages residents to report sightings to help refine activity maps and guide management of this federally endangered species.