Interesting article on Wolves and livestock

This article starts out with the words Wolves are Opportunists.  With that I can agree!

What’s become clear in the past 15 years, he said, is that wolves look at livestock as another native prey species.

In Canada and in the northern Rocky Mountains, studies have shown that cattle in tighter groups are attacked by wolves less often than cattle that are widely dispersed.

Kaminski said wolves will test the response of animals, approaching them aggressively and then backing off, trying to spur the animals into fleeing. This behavior would likely be happening days or weeks before ranchers find a kill.

Kaminski said conflicts between ranchers and wolves have been going on for centuries.

“In Canada they shoot wolves on sight while interacting with cattle. The difference between there and here is they’ve been doing it for years and it isn’t working,” he said. “Wolves are still attacking.”

Kaminski recommends ranchers keep their animals in tight groups, especially at night, rather than allowing them to disperse.

He also said one of the most effective ways to reduce wolf depredation is to avoid falling into predictable patterns of grazing, and to keep cattle away from places where carcasses are buried or otherwise disposed of.

“Wolves will spend 50 percent of their time in boneyards used by ranchers,” Kaminski said.

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