The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has shot one wolf in the Smackout pack, but canceled plans to remove a wolf from the Leadpoint pack.

Both packs have been preying on cattle in Stevens County in northeast Washington, frustrating efforts by ranchers to protect calves and cows with range riders and other non-lethal deterrents.

In response to the predations, the department killed a Smackout pack wolf Monday. The female wolf was wearing a radio collar. The pack still has one collared wolf, Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman Staci Lehman said.

Radio collars help the department track packs. The department has no plans at this time to remove more wolves in the Smackout pack.

Fish and Wildlife Director Kelly Susewind called off plans Wednesday to kill one wolf in the Leadpoint pack after department employees spotted cattle carcasses in a pasture.

The previously undiscovered carcasses were spotted during the department’s aerial search for the Smackout pack. Leadpoint pack wolves killed a cow in the pasture Oct. 7, leading Susewind to reauthorize lethal control.

Spotting the carcasses caused the department to change course. Carcasses attract wolves and subtract from non-lethal efforts, according to the department.

Fish and Wildlife employees were gathering more information about the carcasses from the rancher and range riders, according to a statement Thursday.

The department already had killed two Leadpoint pack wolves in late September, but the attacks on cattle continued, prompting the second lethal-control order.

The pasture where the carcasses were found borders the pasture of the rancher who has sustained all other losses since the Leadpoint pack began attacking cattle in August.

“We understand that it’s unfortunate for the other producer impacted,” Lehman said.

During an earlier lethal-control operation against the Smackout pack, Fish and Wildlife accidentally shot a pup that may have belonged to the Dirty Shirt wolf pack.

Wolf packs saturate northeast Washington, according to the department.

The Smackout pack has killed or injured at least 10 calves since Aug. 17, according to the department. The Leadpoint pack has killed or injured at least five calves and three cows since Aug. 22.