Conferences
Ranching with Wolves: Navigating Cohabitation in Sierra Valley, California
Tracy Schohr
Summary
Early in 2025, the Beyem Seyo wolf pack began routinely preying upon domestic livestock in Sierra Valley (~120,000 acres) in northeastern California. In response to significant impacts on livestock operations and emerging threats to rural health and safety, local leaders mobilized a coordinated and targeted community based response. By mid-summer, the Beyem Seyo pack had become habituated to livestock as its primary food source and was frequently observed during daylight hours in proximity to residences.
University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) provided support to ranchers and local elected officials in the region, while consulting with wildlife agency staff. UCCE coordinated educational sessions on non-lethal wolf-livestock deterrents, regulatory compliance, and mental health. UCCE’s efforts were directed toward reducing predation, tracking wolf impacts, and strengthening community connections and peer-to-peer support.
Despite heroic efforts by ranchers to protect their livestock and assistance by state and federal agencies to deter wolf depredation, livestock predation continued to escalate. Confirmed and probable wolf depredations and attacks in Sierra Valley region from March 7, 2025, to October 10, 2025, totaled 91 head of cattle. Ultimately, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), in consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), made an unprecedented decision to euthanize the wolf pack.
As wolf populations increase and expand in distribution, approaches implemented by UCCE in the Sierra Valley region may serve as a model for addressing the social, economic, and political challenges associated with livestock–wolf cohabitation.
Details
| Conference | 2026 Extension Risk Management Education National Conference |
| Presentation Type | Poster |