Wildlife Services: Helping ProducersManage Predation

United StatesDepartment ofAgriculture

Animal andPlant HealthInspectionService

Program Aid No. 1722

Extreme weather, treacherousterrain, and disease claim the

lives of countless livestock eachyear, but just as fearsome is thethreat posed by predators, such ascoyotes, cougars, wolves, andbears. Despite producers’ bestefforts to protect their livestock,hundreds of thousands of sheep,cattle, and goats fall victim to pred-ators each year. In fact, predatorscause some of the most significantlosses to the sheep industry nation-wide. Livestock losses attributed topredators cost U.S. ranchers andproducers more than $71 millionannually, according to statisticscompiled by the U.S. Department ofAgriculture’s (USDA) NationalAgricultural Statistics Service(NASS).

When their losses become toogreat, producers turn to Wildlife

Services (WS), a program within theUSDA’s Animal and Plant HealthInspection Service (APHIS), forassistance. WS has the Federalauthority, expertise, and researchcapability to resolve wildlife con-flicts and help manage damage.This assistance can prevent preda-tion and preserve the livelihood offarmers and ranchers across theNation.

Identifying the Problem

Livestock, especially young lambsand calves, are the target of a vari-ety of predators, including coyotes,cougars, bears, wolves, foxes, andraptors. Coyotes, however, areresponsible for the majority of live-stock predation in America. NASSsurveys found that coyotes accountfor 65 percent of all cattle and calf

Photo credits: The images of theAkbash dog and the adult sheep with asingle lamb were taken by APHIS pho-tographer Laurie Smith. The remainingimages come from the APHIS photoarchives.

Cover photos: For many small farmersand ranchers, preventing livestockdepredation can mean the differencebetween success and financial ruin.

In addition to coyotes, livestock produ-cers also have to worry about attacks bycougars, wolves, and bears.

Issued October 2002

This brochure supersedesAgriculture Information BulletinNo. 650, “A Producers Guide toPreventing Predation of Livestock,”published in July 1992 and slightlyrevised in March 1994.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture(USDA) prohibits discrimination in allits programs and activities on thebasis of race, color, national origin,sex, religion, age, disability, politicalbeliefs, sexual orientation, or maritalor family status. (Not all prohibitedbases apply to all programs.)Persons with disabilities who requirealternative means for communica-tion of program information (Braille,large print, audiotape, etc.) shouldcontact USDA’s TARGET Center at(202) 720–2600 (voice and TDD).

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In the United States, coyotes are responsible for morelivestock losses than all other predators combined.

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Livestock HusbandryKeeping livestock confined in

pens or corrals may prevent preda-tion, but it’s not very practical inmost cases. Corralling livestockonly at night, however, may be morefeasible and is also effective inreducing losses because manypredators, such as the coyote, oftenhunt at night. Lighting the corralcan further reduce the possibility ofa predator attack.

Producers need to be especial-ly vigilant in the spring. The factthat spring lambing coincides withcoyote birthing can lead to highpredation because coyotes need tofeed their pups. To counteract thisthreat, more and more producersare turning to shed lambing. Beforea ewe gives birth, she is movedindoors to a confined space, whereshe will remain with her lambs forseveral weeks. In addition to pro-tecting against predators, shed

lambing can also reduce newbornlosses due to inclement weather.

Because of their size and lackof strength, young livestock areespecially vulnerable to predatorsduring the spring and summer.Shed lambing serves to give them afighting chance. In addition, pro-ducers can avoid using pastureswith a history of predation.Pastures closer to buildings andhuman activity can be safer foryoung livestock. Pastures withrough terrain or dense vegetationborders tend to provide predatorswith advantageous cover. Someproducers also put bells on theirsheep to discourage predators andalert herders or ranch hands to dis-turbances in the flock.

Guard AnimalsIn increasing numbers, live-

stock producers are using guardanimals in their pastures and on

losses to predators and 61 percentof sheep and lamb predation. Whilesome ranchers and livestock pro-ducers experience only minimallivestock losses, others must dealwith serious predation. In WesternStates like Idaho and Utah, wherelivestock usually graze on openrangelands, lambs and calves areespecially vulnerable to predators.

Small farmers and ranchersoften feel the impact of livestockpredation more significantly thanlarger livestock operations. About75 percent of WS’ cooperativeagreements in the Western UnitedStates are with small farmers andranchers trying to minimize theirlivestock losses to predators.Ongoing research conducted byprogram specialists indicates that,without protection measures andassistance from WS, these ranch-

ers’ livestock losses could be threeto five times higher.

Managing LivestockPredation

Ask any farmer how many measureshe or she has in place to protectlivestock from predators: most willrattle off half a dozen or more non-lethal controls. Combining variouslivestock techniques and tools toreduce predation is known as inte-grated damage management. WSrecommends that producers employa variety of measures, such as fenc-ing, guard animals, and shed lamb-ing, to protect their livestock. Incombination, such measures can beeffective in reducing predation. Butnot all methods are applicable inevery situation.

Sheep grazing on open rangeland are especiallyvulnerable to predator attacks because coyotes,wolves, and cougars roam the same territory.

Ranchers experience the majority of livestock losses inthe spring and early summer, when young lambs are toosmall to fend off predator attacks.

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Fencing around pastures can offer some protectionagainst predation, but many predators learn to digdeeper or climb higher to defeat a fence.

size of the pasture, before decidingwhether to build a fence. Fencingis most likely to be cost effectivewhen the potential for predation ishigh and fencing can be incorpo-rated with other means of predatormanagement. For example, guarddogs and fencing used togetherachieve a higher rate of successthan either alone. Effective fencing,however, can impede the move-ments of other wildlife and shouldbe installed only after a professionalwildlife assessment.

Frightening DevicesLoud noises, lights, and repel-

lants can also be helpful in scaringoff predators. Cougars, wolves,coyotes, and other animals areeasily frightened by strange odors,sights, and sounds. Using thesemethods in combination can work

even better. For example, produ-cers can use propane cannons,sirens, and radios with sound ampli-fiers to scare away predators lurkingaround pastures or open range-lands. While these measures canbe effective, their benefits are oftenshort lived because predators canadapt to new repellants and devicesquite rapidly. WS is researchinginnovative ways to use noise andsound to deter predators. Thatresearch is discussed later in thisbrochure.

WS Helps Producers

By the time livestock producers andranchers request assistance fromWS, they have already employedsome or all of the nonlethal meas-ures just described but are continu-ing to experience predation. In

open ranges to prevent predatorattacks. Guard animals includedogs, donkeys, llamas, and mules.Dogs are by far the most popular ofthe protective animals, althoughllamas, which guard by intimida-tion, are also gaining favor withproducers.

The most effective guard dogsare Eurasian breeds, such as theAkbash and Great Pyrenees. Agood livestock guarding dog stayswith the animals without harmingthem and aggressively repels pred-ators. A guard dog is not a herdingdog but rather a full-time memberof the flock that has bonded withthe animals in the herd, usuallysheep. The protective behaviors ofguard dogs are largely instinctive,but they can be effective in prevent-ing predator, especially coyote,attacks. Guard dogs don’t solvethe problem, however; they just pre-vent isolated attacks. In their

efforts to protect livestock, guarddogs are also vulnerable to attackthemselves. The number of dogsneeded to protect a flock dependson its size, the local terrain, and thelivestock species onsite.

FencesExcluding coyotes by putting

up fencing, especially in large areas,is expensive but can offer someprotection. Many coyotes, however,learn to dig deeper or climb higherto defeat a fence. To be effective,the fence should be about 5.5 feethigh to keep the predators fromjumping over, and a buried wireapron or barbed wire at groundlevel can discourage digging.Producers can also install electricfencing to keep predators fromclimbing over.

Livestock managers shouldcarefully consider a variety of fac-tors, such as the type of terrain and

Guard dogs, like the Akbash, stay with the flock at alltimes and can be very effective in preventing depredation.

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When trying to determine what type of predator killed asheep, WS specialists look to the carcass for clues.Coyotes are known for grabbing sheep at the throat inorder to crush the animal’s trachea.

to benefit all of America. Whilethese dollar estimates are conserva-tive, these studies highlight theimportance of WS’ work.

WS Predator ManagementResearch

WS’ efforts in the field to preventpredation are aided by the criticalresearch that is conducted at WS’National Wildlife Research Center(NWRC). Based in Fort Collins, CO,NWRC is the only Federal facilitydevoted exclusively to wildlifedamage-management research.NWRC’s predator ecology field sta-tion in Logan, UT, is dedicated tolearning more about why predators,such as the coyote, behave the waythey do. Researchers theorize thatif they can better understand theanimals, that understanding will

help them to address the problemof predation. Researchers atNWRC headquarters and the Loganfield station are conductingresearch to prevent predation andchange predator behavior.

More than 75 percent of theCenter’s budget is dedicatedtoward developing nonlethal,socially acceptable means forresolving wildlife conflicts. No otherfacility in the world is betterequipped for such research.

Working with radio-collaredwolves in the Western UnitedStates, NWRC researchers useadvanced radio technology to moni-tor wolves moving in and out oflivestock areas. When wolvesencroach on pastures protected byWS-installed monitoring devices,the signals from these collars canbe used to trigger frightening

many cases, these measures bythemselves are not sufficient to pre-vent predator attacks.

WS has the knowledge andskill, as well as the equipment, totrack, capture, and remove preda-tors from locations where they arecausing serious damage. Whennotified of an attack, WS-trainedspecialists arrive on the scenewithin 24 hours to examine the car-casses and identify tracks in thearea in order to determine whethera coyote, cougar, or other predatoris responsible for the animals’death. This information helps WSidentify and remove only thosepredators that are causing damage.

A 2001 review of WS practicesby the General Accounting Officefound that the lethal management ofpredators is a necessary and legiti-

mate means of protecting livestockwhen nonlethal means prove inef-fective, impractical, or unavailable.The removal of these predatorssignificantly reduces predation intargeted areas, saving producersthousands of dollars’ worth oflosses. In addition to assistingproducers, WS also helps protectthe ecosystem from possible dam-age due to the inappropriate or ille-gal practices that amateurs mightapply.

Benefit–cost analyses con-ducted on predator managementoperations have shown that forevery dollar spent on livestockprotection, WS saves producersbetween $2 and $7 in losses. Forevery dollar saved by WS’ efforts, atleast 3 additional dollars are gener-ated that extend beyond agriculture

Ranchers and producers depend on WS for assistancein resolving livestock depredation complaints.

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devices such as sirens and flashinglights. As mentioned earlier, preda-tors quickly become habituated tosuch sights and sounds, but NWRCscientists are working to developnew methods that will remain effec-tive for longer periods.

NWRC researchers are alsoworking with infrared detection sys-tems, similar to the motion detec-tors used in security systems, thatwill set off alarms when predatorsapproach. Because motion of anytype would trigger the sensors,even predators without radio collarswould be discouraged from attack-ing nearby livestock.

Some of the most promisingpredator research has been in thearea of reproductive inhibition, andNWRC is a leader in this field.NWRC researchers have found thatcoyotes with pups to feed are muchmore likely to attack livestock. In aresearch trial, sterilized coyoteskilled one-sixth the number oflambs killed by nonsterilized packs.The sterilized coyotes also main-tained their territories, preventingother coyotes from moving in andfeeding off the livestock. Whilesterilization may cause fewer live-stock losses, the development ofpractical and acceptable methodsto achieve sterilization in wild coy-otes requires additional research.For more information on this sub-ject, request a copy of the book

Contraception in Wildlife (TechnicalBulletin 1853) fromUSDA APHIS WS NWRCLibrary4101 LaPorte AvenueFort Collins, CO 80521–2154

Creating a Balance

As predator populations continue toexpand and livestock producersstrive to make a living, WS’ assis-tance is in constant demand.Through research and conflict man-agement, WS works to create abalance that allows livestock opera-tions to coexist with predators.Using an integrated approach forresolving livestock predation, WSemploys a variety of nonlethal and,when necessary, lethal methods tostop the damage caused by preda-tors. The skill and knowledge ofWS-trained specialists providewildlife damage-management solu-tions that are helping to preserve away of life for both livestock pro-ducers and wildlife.

Additional Information

For more information about WS pro-grams and predation management,contact WS at (301) 734–7921. Youcan also visit the program’s Website athttp://www.aphis.usda.gov/ws.

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