Leandra Merz, an assistant professor at San Diego State University, was the lead author of the new study. Specifically, it asked what impact gray wolf hunting has on livestock predation across the contiguous United States. The research couldn’t be more timely. Gray wolves have been under ESA protection for close to half a century, but as this recent discussion of the wolf wars—which have recently intensified after the removal of ESA protections—shows, management debates are nothing new. Results indicate that localized hunting of gray wolves can be effective at minimizing livestock losses. The effect is too little and too late to address the scourge that is seizing our communities.
The recently released final report analyzed data from 2005 through 2021 throughout the various regions. It attempted to discover the link, if any, between hunting wolves and protecting livestock. As you might guess from its name, the gray wolf is recovering so well after a successful reintroduction campaign across the Northern Rocky Mountains in the 1990s. In turn, states such as Idaho and Montana have instituted legalized hunting programs. The efficacy of these hunting initiatives are fiercely debated, and stakeholders across the board often dispute their effectiveness in regulating livestock predation caused by wolves.
Gray Wolves in the U.S.
Gray wolves have seen a remarkable reversal of legal fortunes in recent times. Under the ESA, they received the protection necessary to avoid extinction. In 2020, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service took an unprecedented step. The relevant populations of gray wolves had sufficiently recovered that those federal protections were lifted. In 2022, a court ordered that decision to be reversed. This reinstated the protections, as discussions around wildlife management and conservation remained contentious.
When gray wolves were initially reestablished to the Northern Rocky Mountains, their population boomed. Together, over the next twenty years, they grew at a historic pace. This legit revival has reopened a contentious debate over the proper balance between agricultural practice and wildlife protection. Ranchers have documented significant livestock losses due to wolf predation. For example, one Idaho rancher lost 65 sheep in a single night to a wolf pack.
Merz’s research further complicates this important, ongoing debate. Hunting can play a significant role in protecting livestock and providing economic relief. It’s not a perfect solution either.
“Hunting, on the whole, is not removing negative impacts associated with wolves. It does have some effect on rates of livestock loss, but the effect is not particularly consistent, widespread or strong,” – Neil Carter
The Research Findings
In this study, researchers used mathematical models to sift through available data on livestock predation and gray wolf hunting. It found that for each gray wolf killed by hunters, predation rates decrease on average by a mere 2%. This observation illustrates the minimal effect that hunting has on wolf abundance. This means about 0.07 domestic livestock animals protected for every wolf hunted.
These results suggest that hunting can deliver important and tangible benefits. It isn’t a good go-to first-line approach for allaying livestock depredation caused by wolves. Counties that participated in the study generally experienced the loss of three to four livestock per year from gray wolf depredation. This reality highlights another long-term challenge that ranchers are currently up against.
Merz recognized the challenge and delicacies required to identify successful solutions to this highly charged issue.
“If there were, we would have figured it out by now and we’d be using it,” – Merz
She challenged the arguments that hunting has historically been marketed as a means to address livestock depredation. It’s important to look at new ways of doing things.
Exploring Alternative Solutions
Given the risks involved with targeting wolves, nonlethal measures are being adopted widely by ranchers and wildlife advocates alike. Fenceline Fladry methods mix flags and fences that may be electrified. They’ve been shown to be effective in using non-lethal measures to prevent livestock from gray wolves.
Creativity is going to be key if we’re going to solve the challenging issues of livestock predation by wolves, Merz emphasized.
“But the upside is that people are really creative. We just need to be a little bit more creative in how we redistribute some of the costs and benefits,” – Merz
Moreover, she noted that stakeholders involved in wolf management are actively discussing hunting as part of this larger conversation about wildlife conservation and agricultural practices.
Carter further stressed the importance of reducing uncertainty about the existence and efficacy of public wolf hunting.
“In an issue that’s divisive and contentious, that uncertainty is something that we should try to minimize because we could be making decisions that are just not as efficacious as they should be nor in the public’s best interest,” – Carter
Science has clearly established that hunting is not necessary for population control. It should not take precedence over other strategies that can be more effective at protecting livestock.