Host Dave Schlom is joined by two University of California at Davis researchers and the state's gray wolf coordinator to learn more about how California's steadily growing wolf population is affecting cattle ranchers and communities in rural Northern California. UC Davis agriculture and rangeland professors Tina Saitone and Ken Tate discuss the results of a study they conducted using game cameras, fecal and hair analysis, and more to discover the true cost of wolves preying on cattle. It's the root cause of conflict that has led to states of emergency being declared in some Northern California counties.
Then Dave is joined by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's state gray wolf coordinator Axel Hunnicutt to learn about the animals biology and behavior including what to do if you encounter wolves out in the wild. After being extirpated from the state in the 1920s, the wolf began a literal come back with the first animal, OR 7 wandering into the northeast corner of the state from Oregon in 2011.
Now there are around 70 individuals in the state and the packs are both growing and expanding in territory. It's a complex issue that Blue Dot takes an objective dive into.
