In the mountains of the Sawtooth National Forest in central Idaho, wolves and livestock share the same rugged landscape.
For many, that overlap has long been framed as inevitable conflict. But since 2008, the Wood River Wolf Project has proven that another path is possible.
Born from a moment when killing wolves seemed the only response, the Project was created by an unlikely coalition — livestock producers, wildlife advocates, scientists, and county, state, and federal agencies — to test a different approach. Instead of killing wolves after a conflict occurred, we focused on preventing conflict before it began.
Through proactive, science-based, nonlethal deterrence strategies, the Wood River Wolf Project team works side by side with sheep producers in Blaine County to reduce livestock losses while safeguarding stable wolf packs and other native wildlife.
Nearly two decades later, the results are clear: near-zero sheep and wolf losses, and a model of coexistence that has influenced conservation efforts far beyond Idaho.
Coexistence is not theoretical here.
It is practiced daily — on the ground, in the field, and in partnership with the community.
History
Now entering its 19th year, the Wood River Wolf Project stands as one of the longest-running and most successful coexistence initiatives in the American West. For nearly two decades, we have demonstrated that ranchers and wolves can share the same landscape — and that proactive, nonlethal deterrents effectively protect livestock, wolves, and other native predators.
What began as a bold experiment in Blaine County has become a proven model of collaboration, science, and trust across the globe.
Our project area spans approximately 282,600 acres of rugged terrain within the Sawtooth National Forest — a vast and challenging landscape where sheep, wolves, elk, and people all intersect. It is here, season after season, that coexistence is put into practice and made real. More »
How You Can Help
The Wood River Wolf Project exists because people like you believe wolves belong on this landscape.
Your support directly protects wolves by sustaining field monitoring, proactive nonlethal deterrence, and rapid response efforts that prevent conflicts before they escalate. This work helps ensure that wolves remain a living, vital part of the Sawtooth ecosystem.
Every contribution strengthens nearly two decades of proven coexistence work — work that has helped end aerial gunning in our area, prevent wolf trapping and snaring on public lands, and demonstrate that protecting wolves and rural livelihoods can go hand in hand.
The Wood River Wolf Project is a primary program of the International Wildlife Coexistence Network, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, which serves as our fiscal sponsor.
Help support the Wood River Wolf Project