Outline

Nonlethal control measures take advantage of wolves’ natural wariness and suspicion of anything new and different in their territory.

The WRWP is putting together equipment to go into "Band Kits" that will accompany each sheep band so herders and volunteers can deploy them when wolves are nearby.

Techniques

Human Presence

Increasing human presence at sheep bands is the most effective way to keep wolves away. This is why the WRWP is coordinating to have groups of volunteers to be on-call to go and camp with the sheep when wolves are nearby. The scent and sounds of humans make wolves wary. We need to build our volunteer base for this project to be effective. Please see our Volunteer page to get involved.

Wood River Wolf Project training session in 2016 at Lava Lake Main Ranch before the sheep are turned out to the desert. Photo: Sheri Holtzen

Animal Management

Don’t trail your sheep over the top of known den or rendezvous sites!
If possible, and range conditions permit, avoid areas of current and recent historical wolf activity during the grazing season.
Temporarily reduce the number of guard dogs per band during the wolf pupping season to avoid predator protective response - a natural, temporary impulse on the part of pack members to protect new pups from any perceived dangers.

Livestock Guardian Dogs

Livestock Guardian Dog (LGD) breeds have been used for centuries to protect livestock from predators. The most well-known of these breeds in the United States are the Great Pyrenees, Anatolian Shepherds, Akbash and Maremma. On sheep ranches, guard dog puppies are usually kept in a barn or a pen with a few ewes to ensure that they bond with sheep. They learn from their mother and other older dogs to sound the alarm when predators are nearby, and to fiercely guard their sheep.

Out on the range, guard dogs are often outfitted with collars spiked with long nails to help protect them if they should need to engage with wolves or other predators.

Guard dogs are often aloof toward strangers and their size alone is rather intimidating. Hikers and bikers may encounter guard dogs in the backcountry. Remember that when they bark aggressively they are doing their job; usually all that is needed to keep them at a distance is a very firm, loud “No!”

Guard dogs are invaluable partners in the effort to reduce conflicts between livestock and wildlife.

One of the Lava Lake Great Pyrenees guard dogs with a sheep band. Photo: Phoebe Bean

Spiked collars that the guard dogs wear.

Guard dog puppies are raised with the sheep so they will bond and learn to guard the sheep.Photo: Phoebe Bean — Guard dog puppies are raised with the sheep so they will bond and learn to guard the sheep.
Photo: Phoebe Bean

Tools

Foxlights and Spotlights

Foxlights keep predators away by using a computerized varying flash that uses 9 LED bulbs that project 360 degrees and can be seen from 1 kilometer or more away. These lights make it appear that someone is patrolling with a flashlight, which keeps predators away. There are battery-powered and solar-powered Foxlights and we are using both. They were invented by Ian Whalan, an Australian farmer who wanted to keep foxes away from his lambs. Our project coordinator Suzanne Stone brought the first Foxlights from Australia to the USA in 2015. The Wood River Wolf Project was one of the first test sites for Foxlights in North America. Foxlights are now being used all over the world to protect livestock from lions, snow leopards, wolves, foxes, and other predators.

High-powered spotlights, such as the one pictured on the left, are also an effective tool and can be used in addition to headlamps when the herders are keeping watch over the sheep at night.

Solar Foxlight Photo: U.S. Forest Service — Solar Foxlight
Photo: U.S. Forest Service

Brian Bean and Kurt Holtzen showing herders at Kowitz Sheep Company how to use Foxlights at a training session in March 2016. Photo: Avery Shawler

Sheep herders at Lava Lake Main Ranch learn how to use turbofladry during the March 2016 training sessions. Photo: Avery Shawler

Fladry and Turbofladry

Fladry is a string of flags on stakes or rope used to funnel wolves toward hunters in medieval times. Researcher Marco Musiani from the University of Calgary studied the use of fladry in eastern Europe and redesigned it as a nonlethal deterrent to help protect livestock and wolves from conflicts.

Dr. Musiani recognized that fladry takes advantage of wolves’ natural wariness and their suspicion of anything new and different in their territory. For reasons that we still don’t really understand, wolves shy from crossing a properly maintained fladry barrier, often for long enough to keep lambs and calves away from harm.

Like standard fladry, turbofladry consists of cording with colored flagging spaced evenly along its length. But turbo-fladry is strung on electric fencing material. It combines the effectiveness of non-electric fladry with the shock delivering power of an electric fence, so that if a wolf does overcome its initial fear of normal fladry and attempts to pass, a shock is delivered and reinforces the avoidance instinct. Rick Williamson, our project mentor and former USDA Wildlife Services nonlethal specialist, created turbofladry and his wife Carol built it for distribution worldwide.

Turbofladry is best used in in smaller setting such as lambing and calving grounds, corrals, small pastures, etc.

Patrick Graham, Lead Field Technician for the Wood River Wolf Project in 2012, walks us through the process of setting up fladry to deter predators.

Airhorn, boombox, and starter pistol with case, brush, and holster. Photo: Avery Shawler

Sound Devices

Noisemakers are highly effective tools if used on an irregular basis so the wolves do not become conditioned to one type. The Project uses three different tools in our Band Kit.

The starter pistol (often used to start races or to condition hunting dogs to gunshots) makes a very loud noise that simulates a real pistol. It does not actually fire anything and takes .22 blanks. It is a safer alternative to bringing actual firearms into the backcountry and firing them at night. Not only is it safer for the herders, volunteers, and working animals, but also it reduces the chance of accidentally starting a wildfire.

Boomboxes or any kind of wireless speakers are great because you can blast loud music to scare the wolves away. The noise of the music is unfamiliar to the wolves and will make them wary of approaching the sheep band.

Airhorns are another effective tool. They are extremely loud and jarring, and will keep wolves away.

How to Use Nonlethal Tools and Techniques Properly

Because wolves can become habituated to individual deterrents:

Do not use any one sound, motion or light deterrent for an extended period. The more exposure wolves have to one deterrent, the more likely they are to lose their fear of it.
Use a mix of deterrents that are suitable for the situation (e.g. terrain, livestock birthing, season, proximity to wolf dens, etc.).

Wood River Wolf Project Band Kits

We have carefully researched the best equipment at the best possible price to put together our Band Kits. The Band Kits contain equipment that help herders and volunteers keep wolves away from sheep bands. Here is a list of the current contents of a Band Kit.