Wolves and Cattle Protected with GPS Technology

Cattle ranchers in Washington have turned to GPS tracking to help protect their livestock from wolf attacks. There is a growing wolf population in the state of Washington, and many wildlife and environmental activists are working to keep up that trend. Unfortunately, cattle ranchers and wolves have always been at odds. With a growing number of wolves, more cattle disappear, costing ranchers their livelihood.

One tried and true method of dealing with troublesome wolves has been to shoot and kill wolves that are attacking cattle. In 2012, government trappers and gunmen killed seven wolves from the Wedge pack for repeated attacks on a cattle ranch in Stevens County. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife received 12,000 emails in protest, calling for nonlethal solutions.

“I can’t fight that,” said cattle rancher John Dawson about the public response. “You have to meet in the middle; you have no choice. We put most of our cattle in wolf territory for the summer. I’ve been trying to learn as much as possible about wolves so we can meet them at the door.”

The Dawson ranch ran a successful pilot program using GPS technology and traditional range riders. A range rider costs $15,000 to $20,000 for the five-month grazing period, and is paid for by the state and individual ranchers. The range riders patrol the cattle on horse and ATV, watching out for wolves. They are also provided with daily updates of GPS data from local collared wolves, provided by the Department of Fish and Wildlife. When they see a wolf or pack, they scare them off with loud noises.

“We wanted to do what we felt was scientifically right, what was supported by the evidence, what people knowledgeable about cattle and wolf behavior were telling us,” explained Jay Kehne from Conservation Northwest, an environmental group based in Bellingham, WA.

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Wolves and Cattle Protected with GPS Technology