Wolf populations continue to grow in the North State. This bodes well for the endangered species, but it’s also causing problems for cattle ranchers.
Gray wolves have been spotted in Modoc, Plumas, Shasta, Siskiyou, and Tehama counties.
This year, they’ve killed, or likely killed, 20 livestock animals. But officials say it isn't always easy to tell if a wolf did the killing.
"It's essentially like a murder investigation," said Axel Hunnicutt, state wolf coordinator for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).
"They're looking for bite wounds, scrape wounds, determining if there's … injuries that are present and they are wolf related."
Hunnicutt said baby cows are being born around this time, which could be one thing attracting wolves currently. But he said the wolf-livestock conflict has been increasing in general.
"The fact [is] that the state's population continues to grow and the number of wolves continues to grow, and the total area that they occupy continues to expand," Hunnicutt said.
Gray wolves are an endangered species, which means they are protected from being killed, trapped or even harassed. Since they first returned to California in 2011, their numbers have grown to at least 50, according to CDFW.
As their population increases, Hunnicutt said restrictions will likely change to allow ranchers to have nonlethal methods to keep wolves away.
"Like rubber bullets or bean bags or paint balls, things like that,” Hunnicutt said. “Those are currently illegal in California on endangered species. And so as we move through the conservation plan, that is probably the most likely next step is that we would get something like that."
He said CDFW tracks and monitors wolf populations.
Ranchers who lose livestock to wolves can apply for a state reimbursement for the market value of the animal lost.
