Looking for Wolf-Livestock Conflict Solutions

Moose, WY – Removing a few problem wolves from a pack can dampen a wolf pack's taste for livestock, at least in the short term. That's according to research presented at a public meeting in Grand Teton National Park this past week. Liz Bradley has studied wolf-livestock conflicts and found that wolves generally kill livestock in areas of elk populations. She also says wolf packs that kill cattle have a high probability of killing again, around 68%. But she found that repeat attacks usually didn't occur again for eight months. Bradley says that means partial pack removal may help ranchers get through grazing seasons. Another finding was that wolves kill more livestock if their dens are nearby. She says plugging dens in those areas is one way to reduce conflicts.