Name Your Own Wolf Pack in Washington State!

Washington state citizens who spot new wolf packs get to name them. That's according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), who has already let a hiker, a rancher, and a hunter all name different wolf packs they've managed to spot while in the wild.

As of Sept. 26, the WDFW is aware of 13 packs of two gray wolves or more in the Washington state area, and they boast names such as "Smackout,"  "Strawberry," and "Dirty Shirt." These packs were confirmed not only by officials and field biologists, but several hard working or simply lucky enthusiasts as well.

"I was on fire I was so excited," Steve Gilbertson told The Associated Press (AP). "I'd seen tracks before. Finally, a photo."

According to the AP, Gilbertson, a mountain biker, hiker and photographer, started setting up motion-triggered cameras on his favorite trails in the Washington wilderness several years ago. But back in 2013, he finally snagged a shot of an actual gray wolf, and by mid-October he had a picture of a pair of wolves that had yet to be identified by experts.

WDFW biologists later verified the pack's existence, and Gilbertson found himself with the honor of naming the pack. The Carpenter Ridge Pack was named after Mike Carpenter, a late friend of the hiker's who had introduced him to the region in which the pack was found.

"Showing me that area near Boyer Mountain, where his family hunts, was one of the most significant things anyone has ever shared with me," Gilbertson told the AP.

And the fortunate wildlife photography enthusiast is not alone in his experience.  According to the AP, four packs in all boast a personal touch, with one, the Nc'icn pack, even being named by the local Colville Tribe. Interestingly, the name simply translates to "wolf" - easy to remember.

Scott Becker, coordinator of the WDFW's wolf research capture and radio-collaring efforts, added that the information that his agency gets from the public is "invaluable," as keeping track of where populations are healthiest lets the WDFW make some important decisions about where to keep the animals protected.

Nature World News has been reporting how the gray wolf is gradually making its way back into North American ecology after being utterly wiped out by overhunting in the 1920s. But in some parts of Washington populations are large enough to the point where they are a nuisance to local livestock farmers.

In 2011, the US Fish and Wildlife Service removed gray wolves from the federal list of endangered species in the eastern third of the state, but they are still protected under Washington state law.