Photo by John E. Marriott / WildernessPrints.com
While killing wolves in British Columbia is not new, with culling dating back over a century, the current winter “wolf reduction” program began in 2015 in the South Peace region as an effort to protect declining Central Mountain caribou populations. Since then, it has continued annually, with 362 wolves killed in 2025—marking the second-highest toll since the program began a decade ago. Only once has the number been higher: in 2020, when 472 wolves were killed under the same government initiative. This year’s total represents a sharp increase over the previous season’s tally of 248 wolves.
| Year | Herd | Ecotype | Wolves Killed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Pink Mountain | Northern Mountain | 38 |
| 2025 | Columbia North | Southern Mountain - Southern Group | 0 |
| 2025 | Central Selkirks | Southern Mountain - Southern Group | 6 |
| 2025 | Hart Ranges | Southern Mountain - Southern Group | 22 |
| 2025 | North Cariboo | Southern Mountain - Southern Group | 9 |
| 2025 | Klinse-Za | Southern Mountain - Central Group | 17 |
| 2025 | Kennedy Siding | Southern Mountain - Central Group | 1 |
| 2025 | Quinette | Southern Mountain - Central Group | 16 |
| 2025 | South Narraway | Southern Mountain - Central Group | 3 |
| 2025 | Chinchaga | Boreal | 32 |
| 2025 | Graham | Southern Mountain - Northern Group | 7 |
| 2025 | Itcha-Ilgachuz | Southern Mountain - Northern Group | 106 |
| 2025 | Tweedsmuir | Southern Mountain - Northern Group | 52 |
| 2025 | Barkerville | Southern Mountain - Southern Group | 0 |
| 2025 | Takla | Southern Mountain - Northern Group | 53 |
| Total | 362 |
The provincial government has been conducting the culling program as a means of protecting endangered mountain caribou herds. The program targets wolves, which are seen as primary predators of the caribou, and aims to reduce their numbers in areas where caribou populations are declining. According to the government, reducing the number of wolves gives caribou a better chance at survival, particularly in regions where habitat restoration is underway.
But many conservationists and animal welfare advocates continue to push back, saying the province is treating a symptom while ignoring the underlying cause: widespread habitat loss. Logging, mining, road construction, and other industrial activities have carved up the caribou’s historical range, leaving them more exposed and less resilient. Critics argue that focusing on wolf removal without prioritizing large-scale habitat protection sets caribou up to fail in the long run.
Concerns have also been raised about how the wolves are being killed. Most are shot from helicopters by government-contracted sharpshooters—a method that has long raised questions about its humaneness. Another tactic, known as the “Judas wolf” strategy, involves outfitting a wolf with a tracking collar so they can unwittingly lead hunters to their packmates.
Language used around the program has also been scrutinized. “Cull” is a word often used to soften the impact of describing the intentional killing of animals. Other terms, like “harvest,” “dispatch,” “manage,” or “lethal control,” are commonly used in wildlife policy documents to create distance from the harsh reality: these are government-sanctioned killings, often carried out from helicopters.
Since the start of the program in 2015, over 2,100 wolves have been killed by aerial shooting. When combined with wolves taken by legal hunting and trapping, the total number of wolves killed in B.C. in the past ten years exceeds 8,000. That’s nearly equivalent to the province’s estimated current wolf population, which sits around 8,500 individuals.
The province insists that the wolf cull is necessary to protect remaining caribou herds, but opposition remains fierce. Advocates for wildlife say long-term caribou recovery depends on restoring their habitat—not just removing predators. Without addressing the root causes of population decline, they argue, the cycle of culling will continue without achieving lasting results for either species.
As the number of wolves killed climbs year over year, so too do the ethical and ecological questions surrounding how British Columbia manages its wildlife.
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