Coexisting with Wolves in Idaho - A Community Model for Resolving Conflict

Wolves (Canis lupus) were eradicated in the West by the 1930s but are again present today. While livestock losses to wolves represent a small fraction of overall livestock mortality, livestock producers, especially those with... [ view full abstract ]

Wolves (Canis lupus) were eradicated in the West by the 1930s but are again present today. While livestock losses to wolves represent a small fraction of overall livestock mortality, livestock producers, especially those with large-scale grazing operations on public lands, depend on wildlife and agricultural agency management resources to address conflicts. Nonlethal livestock protection methods have proven effective in preventing losses in small-scale operations but are often presumed ineffective or infeasible for large-scale, open-range grazing operations. We report the results of our 7-year case study where we strategically applied nonlethal predator deterrents and animal husbandry techniques to protect 10,000 and more sheep (Ovis aries) and several wolf packs on public grazing lands in central Idaho. We collected and compared data on sheep depredations in the 1,000 square mile study area versus the adjacent wolf-occupied area where sheep were grazed without the added nonlethal protections. Over the 7-year period, sheep depredation losses to wolves were 3.5 times higher in the Non-protected Area than in the Protected Area. Overall, sheep depredation losses to wolves in the Non-protected Area were 0.02 % of the total number of sheep present, the lowest loss rate among sheep-grazing areas in wolf range statewide. Furthermore, no wolves were lethally controlled within the Protected Area but repeatedly wolves were killed in the Non-protected Area. The Wood River Wolf Project's success was made possible by a community model of reciprocal conflict resolution. Our case study demonstrates that proactive use of nonlethal techniques strategically applied can minimize losses of livestock and wolves even in large open-range grazing operations.