Wolves in Northern California are nothing new—just ask any rancher in the region. But over time, these predators have grown bolder and more comfortable around humans, sparking concerns not just for the wellbeing of livestock but for public safety as well.
Jessica Vigil, manager of Dixie Valley Ranch outside of McArthur, CA, has witnessed firsthand how wolf behavior in Northern California is changing.
The ranch has implemented non-lethal deterrents as recommended by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), but these measures have proven no match for the intelligence of a wolf. “In the big scheme of things, it’s just not real life,” Jessica told WLJ.
She continued that they have been lucky to prevent some depredations, but the wolves still find a way to bypass deterrents to get to livestock. The ranch had almost resigned itself to accepting the reality of ranching among wolves, until a disturbing encounter in early March. Jessica received a call from a family living on the ranch that not only were there wolves present, but they were right outside the house windows. And this wasn’t an isolated incident. The wolves returned the following week, venturing dangerously close once again and even dragging away a dog food bin from the kennel.
“That’s when it changed for us,” she said. “I contacted our sheriff because I figured any attention would help.”
Dixie Valley Ranch then hosted a meeting at the ranch on March 20 with neighboring ranches, the county sheriff, CDFW staff and local political representatives to address safety concerns. The Lassen County Sheriff’s Office shortly after penned a letter to the CDFW concerning the threat of wolves in the area.
“Residents of nearby ranches are seeing wolves becoming more aggressive,” Sheriff John McGarva wrote. “Residents have videos showing wolves attempting to charge them in an aggressive manner. While I understand this may be a protective action by the wolf, this behavior is causing a growing concern that the wolves will escalate their behavior and possibly start attacking the residents of the local ranches.”
McGarva also noted that wolves have begun eating items considered outside of normal behavior such as human trash and waste, showing that wolves are learning a human scent leads to a reward. He concluded his letter by saying the wolf situation has reached a boiling point and it’s time to explore options for wolf depredations if they become public safety threats.
Proactive management efforts
Jessica emphasized the need for proactive measures to prevent escalating wolf interactions with humans, as well as livestock.
While some wolves are collared and their whereabouts are known, reports on their movement are often delayed by up to 24 hours after an incident. In a recent event, news of a wolf that bypassed a deterrent and killed twin calves on the ranch wasn’t shared until the evening after the calves were discovered.
She also emphasized the importance of transparency. “There’s just so much secrecy and I think that’s one of the ways that we could maybe mitigate some of the problems.”
In addition, California’s current Wolf Management Plan is nearly a decade old. “We have been stressing that they need to update the plan because it’s not pertinent,” Jessica said.
Word has been circulating for more than a year that updating the plan is in the works. “I know bureaucracy takes a long time, but we are caught in the experiment, and we have no answer as to how to navigate it,” she said.
Dixie Valley Ranch has worked with CDFW since the beginning to implement the approved non-lethal deterrents. These include red fladry, noisemakers, lights and electric fencing. “All of these deterrents they say you can only use for a little bit and then you have to change them, otherwise the wolves get used to them,” Jessica said.
Last fall, the ranch made the decision to bring cows up into a feedlot surrounded by hot fence for spring calving. Following the recent depredation of the twin calves, they added hog panels to the wooden braces.
“Any producer knows that it’s kind of the worst-case scenario to have cows be calving in close quarters like that,” she said. But after having wolves kill several cattle last fall, it was a choice the ranch felt was necessary.
Despite following all recommended deterrent measures, wolves continue to encroach on human-occupied spaces. The current management plan must be updated before the situation escalates further, as shown by wolves venturing close to homes. The recommendation to add sirens and lights around homes is impractical, especially for families with children, Jessica said.
As a potential solution, Jessica would like to see wolves delisted at the federal level, although she recognizes that it is an uphill battle that is furthered by the issue of delisting at the state level.
The divide between those affected by wolves and pro-wolf advocates remains vast, and bridging that gap is challenging, Jessica said, especially when public safety concerns go unrecognized. As wolves become bolder, the risk to rural residents grows. — Anna Miller, WLJ managing editor
