The 2008 Joint Meeting of the Society for Range Management and the America Forage and Grassland Council.

Monday, January 28, 2008 - 4:00 PM

Sub-Lethal Influences of Wolf Presence on Cattle

Carolyn M. Nistler1, Elai Keren1, James E. Knight2, and Bret Olson1. (1) Animal and Range Sciences, Montana State University, 119 Linfield Hall, PO Box 172900, Bozeman, MT 59717-2900, (2) Extension Service, Montana State University, 203 Culbertson Hall, PO Box 172230, Bozeman, MT 59717-2900

Wolf populations in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming have been expanding steadily in recent years, partly because of introduced experimental populations in Yellowstone National Park.  Currently, the tri-state recovery area supports over 1300 wolves in 173 packs.  The return of the wolf in local ecosystems has re-established predation pressure on wild and domestic ungulates.  As wolf populations expand farther from Park boundaries, ranchers in Montana have become increasingly concerned with wolf depredation and sub-lethal effects on domestic livestock.  Ranchers and wolf managers alike question sub-lethal effects of wolves, particularly whether or not wolf presence influences calf weights.  We evaluated shipping data from 4 Montana ranches obtained from 1990 through 2004.   Factors included calf weights, precipitation, known wolf locations (via GPS, 1995-2004), and ranch (n=4).  In this preliminary study, cattle weights and precipitation were positively correlated.  Calf weights differed among ranches.  Calf weights were lower when wolves were in close proximity to two ranches, but were not affected by wolf proximity on the other two ranches.   Results of this project will begin an effort to address sub-lethal impacts of wolves on livestock.

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