Wolf Management: Non-lethal Control
1. Introduction
How should wolves be managed to prevent them killing livestock? Some people will say wolves should never be managed. Others will say all wolves should be shot. An in-between position is usually adopted in relatively enlightened practice. So what are the non-lethal means to control predators or more specifically wolves.
Two points are worth mentioning at the outset. One or a combination of non-lethal methods may be useful in specific situations. But no single method or combination works all the time in every place. There are too many variables for any to be widely effective. It is best to choose a number of methods of control depending on local circumstances and be prepared to adapt and change as necessary.
The other point is that financial costs of control should balance financial benefits. This seems obvious but is not always applied, as testified by the hugely disproportionate expense to kill foxes in Britain and coyotes in the US. A large investment in control is an economic waste for consistently low or no livestock losses. Only regular and costly losses might justify a commensurate expense of control.
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