Posted By: 86Winchester On: 8/23/2010

Title: Can Wolves Cohabitate with Wildlife, Livestock.and Humans......NO

The Introduction of Canadian Wolves in Yellowstone allowed them to disperse to the 4 winds. Wolf numbers multiplying in the thousands are spreading to every state.
Major losses of big game by wolf depredation threaten hunter opportunity because of low to non-existent calf to cow ratios.
Major Livestock losses toll into the hundreds of thousands of dollars without compensation to family ranchers. For every confirmed wolf depredation there are seven more wolf depredations that are not confirmed.
Family ranchers fall by the wayside, go out of business and are in fact "collateral damage" to the recovery of Federal wolves on the landscape.
Below is an example of losses to family ranchers due to Mexican Wolf Recovery in New Mexico.
Comparability of Confirmed Wolf Depredations to Actual losses
Wolves Dening in Calf Core Areas
Catron County, New Mexico

Page 1
In 1998 Mexican gray wolves were introduced into Arizona. Shortly after Mexican wolves disbursed across the state line into New Mexico. Wolves were also trans-located into New Mexico from Arizona; among them were problem wolves that had confirmed livestock kills. The problem wolves continued to kill livestock on family ranches in New Mexico.
Throughout the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area (BRWRA) there are major livestock losses beyond those that have been confirmed by US Fish and Wildlife Service, Wildlife Services and Catron County. Family ranchers have gone out of business due to severe livestock losses without compensation.
This study of five ranches in the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area in Catron County, New Mexico concern Mexican wolf packs dening in/near calf and yearling core areas and the comparability between them in livestock losses. Findings of confirmed and probable wolf depredations did not reflect actual livestock losses. Also noted are negative effects beyond wolf-caused mortality in the form of wolf caused chronic stress. Wolf caused stress in cattle produces; death, loss of body condition, cows birthing weak calves, pre-mature birth of calves, abortion of calves, immune suppression, decreased pregnancy rates-open cows, increased susceptibly to disease, alters demeanor of cows from dossal to aggressive, and weight loss. The final analyses of the five study ranches; A, B, C, D, and E with wolves’ dening in calf/yearling core areas are; total combined livestock losses = 638.632 head, total combined dollar value losses = $376,397.70, two of the five ranches went out of business and a third ranch sold off their livestock in the fall of 2009 and did not stock cattle in 2010.
In Catron County, livestock tax revenue is 46% of the tax base. The loss of livestock tax dollars to the county and schools is disastrous.
Adaptive Management Oversight Committee (AMOC) members have challenged wolf-livestock depredation findings of Wildlife Services. Investigative findings have been changed from confirmed to probable and probable to possible. Also, AMOC members have assigned depredation strikes to wolves contrary to Wildlife Services findings of identified depredating wolves. This was done by AMOC members to protect female wolves and wolves with 2 strikes against them. The arbitrary action’s of AMOC members have caused compensation loss to the resource owner and has kept habituated livestock depredating wolves on the landscape.
In this research, the ranches are located across Catron County and consist of five (5) ranches; four (4) are cow/calf operations and one (1) yearling operation. All have one denominator; they all had Mexican Wolves dening in calf/yearling core areas.

One factor remains constant among all ranches across Catron County; when wolves den in calf core areas; there are major livestock losses with few carcasses found resulting in a low number of confirmed or probable depredation investigation findings by USFWS, WS, and Carton County.
Catron County has compiled information from numerous ranches with wolves’ dening in calf/yearling core areas and investigations which indicate;
1. wolves subsistence exclusively on small calves
2. high exposure to wolf depredation during the period when wolves were most active providing sustenance to dening female and offspring
3. Intensive localized wolf depredation of small calves.
4. after wolf initial gorging (20lbs) off calf and returning to the den, the calf carcasses are scavenged and consumed by coyotes requiring wolves’ to advance their frequent kill sequence
5. Wolves’ utilize 20 pounds per calf depredation, coyotes utilize remainder of carcass
6. wolf killing steadily in an area invariably causes a coyote swarm to that area
7. few calf carcasses are found for investigation
8. carcass remains are mostly consumed destroying evidence
9. handicapped wolves with missing limbs/feet target livestock as wild game is difficult to capture
10. when wolves den on a ranch the USFWS blame ranchers for not preventing livestock depredations
11. USFWS demand ranchers to change their entire husbandry scheme to accommodate the presence of wolves, if the rancher refuses, no compensation is paid on Wildlife Services findings on confirmed or probable livestock depredations by Defenders of Wildlife
12. ranchers cooperating with the USFWS wolf recovery agencies continue to have livestock losses
The information provided in this document indicates the true livestock loss and effects on family ranchers for sustainable economic viability. Confirmed and probable findings do not reflect the true number of livestock losses. Wolf caused stress disrupts the cows breeding cycle; this calf loss is measured in monetary value as if the wolf depredated the calf. To mitigate the takings of private property by the United States Government by Federal Wolves without compensation, there is need to re-evaluate confirmation standards and the compensation scheme as a whole. The facts contained must be considered in the wide spectrum of negative impacts to livestock and livestock producers.
Jess Carey
Catron County Wolf Investigator

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