'That'd be my biggest worry, even more than the mortality issue.'
'Once get in and start harassing the cows, especially on a regular basis, weight gains go away, conception rates go down,' says rancher Jack Hanson. they're going to come after your livestock.' 'If they don't have the wildlife populations. 'The wolves have to eat,' rancher Daren Hagata says. Plus California lacks the robust deer and elk populations such as those in Oregon and Idaho, so ranchers think their herds will be the top option on the wolves' menu.
Federal and state laws prohibit lethal recourse against wolves. 'You wonder if they're in the middle of your livestock, and we're charged with the husbandry and care of those animals.'Īrea livestock producers feel their hands are tied if wolf numbers continue growing. 'They're mostly nocturnal hunters, so it's tough sleeping at night,' Swickard says.
