Two new studies of gray wolves in California suggest that wolves eat cattle more than anything else and the presence of the predators causes significant stress among livestock.
If you've followed Ranching in the Sierra Foothills for very long, you'll know that I've written about livestock guardian dogs (LGDs) frequently. I've owned LGDs for 20 years; I've researched their effectiveness and behavior for nearly 9. As a sheep (and recently, goat) producer in the Sierra foothills…
Tina Saitone, a University of California, Davis, professor and Cooperative Extension specialist in livestock and rangeland economics, sought to quantify the direct and indirect costs after the California Department of Fish and Wildlife launched a pilot program to compensate ranchers for wolf-related losses.