Following months of escalating livestock losses across the Sierra Valley, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), working alongside the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), lethally removed four gray wolves from the Beyem Seyo Pack. State officials say the action followed intensive non-lethal efforts that failed to stop a pattern of predation threatening both livestock and long-term wolf recovery.
According to CDFW, from March 28 through Sept. 10, wolves from the pack were responsible for 70 livestock deaths—accounting for 63% of the confirmed or probable wolf-caused losses statewide during the same period. Another 17 losses have been confirmed since Sept. 10. Drones, fladry, diversionary feeding, ATV and on-foot monitoring, bean-bag hazing and round-the-clock field presence all proved insufficient to deter the animals.
“This decision was not made lightly nor was it easy,” said CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham, noting that coexistence with wolves remains a priority. “The Beyem Seyo Pack became so reliant on cattle at an unprecedented level, and we could not break the cycle, which ultimately is not good for the long-term recovery of wolves or for people.”
The wolves lethally removed included the pack’s breeding pair and two juveniles. During the operation, a juvenile male was mistakenly taken due to its close resemblance to the breeding male. CDFW also discovered two other juveniles who had died of unknown causes prior to the action. CDFW said operations are ongoing to safely capture the remaining juveniles for relocation to wildlife facilities to prevent the learned livestock-hunting behavior from spreading across the state’s wolf population.
CDFW officials said these wolves had become habituated to cattle as a primary food source, teaching that behavior to their offspring. That pattern raised concerns about future conflicts, ecological disruption and threats to wolf recovery, as increased interactions with humans heighten risks for both communities and wolves.
The action followed the conclusion of CDFW’s Summer Strike Team program, which deployed more than 18,000 staff hours across 114 days to protect livestock and support ranchers in the Sierra Valley. Eighteen ranches participated, benefiting from deterrence tools, carcass management support and access to compensation programs for verified depredations.
Concern and relief
The lethal removal of the four wolves has drawn sharply different reactions.
Pamela Flick, California director for Defenders of Wildlife, told the Sacramento Bee the decision was “a tragedy that could have been avoided.” Flick argued that if “coordinated nonlethal methods had been employed when the wolves first began attacking cattle in January 2024,” the animals might not have become so dependent on livestock.
“Despite the extraordinary efforts initiated by CDFW in June 2025, it was simply too late in coming,” Flick said.
Ranchers, however, expressed deep relief to the news outlet after months of sleepless nights spent protecting their herds.
“It was a huge sigh of relief for the people who’ve been living out on their fields all night,” Sierra County Supervisor and rancher Paul Roen told the outlet.
California Cattlemen’s Association President Rick Roberti noted ranchers endured “a very difficult time” and praised the community for its restraint as wolf attacks escalated.
“It was a very difficult time, and I’m glad not one of my neighbors or friends got hurt or did something they would have got in trouble for,” Roberti said. — Charles Wallace, WLJ contributing editor
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