p. 2

Since 1987 total confirmed minimum livestock losses in NW Montana totaled 82 cattle, 68 sheep, 7 dogs, and 2 llamas. Depredations averaged 6 cattle, 5 sheep, and less than one dog annually. Agency control killed about 3 wolves a year…. Minimum confirmed livestock losses have annually averaged about 4 cattle, 28 sheep, and 4 dogs in the Yellowstone area and 10 cattle, 30 sheep, and 2 dogs in central Idaho.

Annual livestock losses in each of the Idaho and the Yellowstone areas prior to wolf reintroduction from all causes, a small fraction of which were predator caused, were reportedly 8,000 to 12,000 cattle and 9,000 to 13,000 sheep annually. Between 300,000 and 400,000 sheep and cattle graze summer pasture on public lands in each recovery area.

wolf depredations and control remain inordinately controversial.

$150,000 in compensation has been provided to producers in MT, ID, WY since ’87.

In a recent two year study, "Calf survival was 95% and 98%. Wolves killed calves that were the lowest weight, less guarded by people, nearest to an active wolf den, and in the heaviest forest cover, suggesting that wolves tested and hunted cattle like wild prey and attacked the most vulnerable animals."

p.3

In general, research indicated that wolves often lived near livestock (primarily cattle) and other domestic animals but conflicts were uncommon considering the potential for depredation.

exposed carrion can attract wolves to areas with livestock and increase the encounter rate between wolves and livestock.

Wolf depredations on livestock are an insignificant impact to the livestock industry in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming and the vast majority of ranches never have problems, but a few individual small livestock producers can be greatly impacted.

The Service has permitted livestock producers to shoot wolves actually seen attacking livestock, and in a few chronic cases… to shoot wolves on sight.

p.4

Aversive Stimuli: Conditioned Taste Aversion "is more useful for reducing consumptive behaviors of particular foods rather than for limiting killing behavior by predators…. Andelt et al. recently demonstrated the effectiveness of electronic domestic dog collars for conditioning coyotes, and this work has been expanded to wolves."

Disruptive Stimuli: "very limited in usefulness because of the effects of habituation…. behavior contingent activation appears to be very important for developing long-lasting disruptive stimuli applications. "