​April 10, 2025 – Whether reintroduced, like in Colorado, or naturally returning, like in California, gray wolves continue to expand throughout their historic range, bringing with them renewed conversations about how to reduce conflicts with livestock. Today, a new peer-reviewed study published in Rangelands addresses this very challenge and finds a promising solution that serves both ranchers and conservation efforts.

 

The study "The Expanding Use and Effectiveness of Nonlethal Methods for Mitigating Wolf-Cattle Conflict" presents new evidence that nonlethal methods may be more than twice as effective as lethal means in managing wolf-livestock conflicts. This challenges the long-held assumption that killing wolves is the best way to protect livestock—an approach that not only proves less effective but also harms both ranchers and wildlife.

 

“Lethal control has long been seen as the most effective way to end conflicts,” explains Brooke Jacobs, the study's lead author. “But our analysis found that nonlethal methods consistently outperform lethal control by a significant margin.”

 

Despite their effectiveness, nonlethal methods lack sufficient financial support. USDA Wildlife Services, the federal agency responsible for solving human-wildlife conflicts, allocates just 1% of its substantial annual budget ($286 million in 2023) to its Nonlethal Initiative. The authors advocate for increased investment in these methods so that both ranching operations and recovering wolf populations can succeed on the same landscapes.

 

“This research offers a practical path forward,” states Dr. Peter Kareiva, study co-author. “Nonlethal methods represent a true win-win solution—better protection for livestock while allowing wolf populations to recover. The challenge now is ensuring these methods are properly supported and adapted to individual ranches and locales.”

 

Study highlights:

 

• Nonlethal methods significantly reduce the risk of wolf-livestock conflicts—up to 100%, with an average effectiveness of 91%.

• In contrast, lethal methods have only shown a 39% reduction in risk.

• While effectiveness varies by region, several nonlethal approaches consistently show promise across diverse landscapes, particularly range riding, deterrents, and electric fencing.

• The USDA Wildlife Services Nonlethal Initiative completed over 2,000 nonlethal livestock protection projects from 2021 to 2023, indicating a federal shift towards nonlethal management.

To read the whole report, click here.