Summary of wolf predation on livestock in the Northern Rockies for 1998

3-8-99, updated 3-11

They're killing all the livestock and devastating the economy.  Sure enough <g>  Here are the final wolf predation figures in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming for 1998.

Idaho: 11 cattle; 5 sheep, no dogs

Montana: 9 cattle, no sheep, no dogs.

Greater Yellowstone: 3 cattle, 5 sheep, 3 dogs.

In each of the three areas, depredation was less than in 1997.

There have been depredations in each of the three areas so far in 1999. 

Folks should be aware the cattlegrowers near the Salmon/Challis areas of central Idaho are arguing that there were numerous unverified losses of cattle last summer. A study is underway. Next summer cow calves in the wolf areas will get radio tags so they can be located if they die, and the cause of death can be determined.

Here is the story on 1997.

I found data on total losses of livestock in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming in the Gray Wolf Reintroduction environmental impact statement.

For 1992 there were about 200,000 losses of cattle and calves in the three states and 300,000 sheep and lambs, from a variety of causes, prior to market. Table 4-10 on p. 4-33 of the 1994 Gray Wolf Reintroduction EIS reveals that predation was the cause of the loss of only about about 1% of these cattle, 3% of the calves, but 30% of the sheep, and 40% of the lambs. Coyotes were by far the most significant predator, except for cattle where mountain lions accounted for more than half the cattle losses.

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