Source: UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA submitted to
CONTROL OF LIVESTOCK DEPREDATION BY WOLVES
Sponsoring Institution
Other Cooperating Institutions
Project Status
TERMINATED
Funding Source
STATE
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0202294
Grant No.
(N/A)
Project No.
MONZ-0432
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Program Code
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Jan 1, 2000
Project End Date
May 30, 2004
Grant Year
(N/A)
Project Director
Pletscher, D.
Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA
COLLEGE OF FORESTRY AND CONSERVATION
MISSOULA,MT 59812
Performing Department
COLLEGE OF FORESTRY AND CONSERVATION
Non Technical Summary
Wolves sometimes prey on livestock in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. Effective methods of reducing wolf-livestock conflicts are needed to help both livestock producers and conservation of wolves.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
12308401070100%
Knowledge Area
123 - Management and Sustainability of Forest Resources;

Subject Of Investigation
0840 - Fur-bearing animals;

Field Of Science
1070 - Ecology;
Goals / Objectives
1) Evaluate wolf removal in response to livestock depredation in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. 2) Evaluate wolf translocation in response to livestock depredation in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. 3) Assess factors related to wolf predation of cattle in fenced pastures in Montana and Idaho.
Project Methods
1) Compile and analyze U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service data on wolf removal conducted from 1987-2002. 2) Compile and analyze U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service data on wolf translocation conducted from 1987-2002. 3) Visit cattle ranchers in communities with wolf problems in Montana and Idaho and collect/analyze data on various factors related to both ranches that experienced wolf depredations and nearby ranches that did not have depredations.

Progress 01/01/00 to 05/30/04

Outputs
Wolf populations are recovering in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming as a result of dispersal from Canada and reintroduction into Yellowstone National Park and central Idaho. Wolves sometimes kill livestock, causing much controversy and concern over how best to manage livestock depredations while still promoting wolf recovery. I evaluated wolf-livestock conflicts and management methods used by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from 1987-2002. First, I examined the effects of wolf removal (lethal control or translocation) on reducing livestock depredation. After partial or complete wolf pack removal, depredations usually ceased for the remainder of the grazing season. However, most packs that were partially removed (68%) depredated again within the year. Rate of recolonization of territories where entire packs were removed (n = 10) was high (70%) and most recolonizations (86%) occurred within a year of pack removal. Most recolonized packs depredated (86%). Packs that had alphas removed were no less likely to depredate again within the year than packs with non-alphas removed. Second, I examined wolf pack establishment, depredations, survival, and homing behavior of translocated wolves to evaluate the effectiveness of translocation as a non-lethal method. Most translocated wolves (67%) failed to establish or join a pack after release and 27% resumed depredating. Still, 8 new packs were established as a result of translocations. Translocated wolves had lower annual survival (0.60) than other radio-collared wolves (0.73). Mortality of translocated wolves was primarily human-caused, with control by government agents comprising the largest source of mortality. Release area was the most important factor related to wolf survival. Wolves showed a strong tendency to home. Third, I examined factors related to wolf depredation of cattle in fenced pastures. I compared 34 pastures that had experienced depredations to 62 nearby pastures that had not experienced depredations in Montana and Idaho. Pastures where depredations occurred were more likely to have elk present, were larger in size, had more cattle, and grazed cattle further from residences than pastures without depredations. Greater vegetation cover, closer proximity to wolf dens, and physical vulnerability of cattle were also appeared to be important.

Impacts
This project has lead to a better understanding wolf/livestock conflicts and the extent to which different management methods have helped reduce conflicts.

Publications

  • Bradley, E. H. and D. H. Pletscher. 2005. In review. Assessing factors related to wolf depredation of cattle in fenced pastures in Montana and Idaho. Wildlife Society Bulletin.
  • Bradley, E. H., D. H. Pletscher, E. E. Bangs, K. E. Kunkel, D. W. Smith, C. M. Mack, T. J. Meier, J. A. Fontaine, C. C. Niemeyer, and M. D. Jimenez. 2005. In press. Evaluating wolf translocation as a non-lethal method to reduce livestock conflicts in the northwestern United States. Conservation Biology.
  • Bradley, E. H., D. H. Pletscher, E. E. Bangs, K. E. Kunkel, D. W. Smith, C. M. Mack, J. A. Fontaine, C. C. Niemeyer, T. J. Meier, and M. D. Jimenez. 2005. In review. Effects of wolf removal on livestock depredation in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. Wildlife Society Bulletin.