In landscapes where carnivores and people overlap, conflicts and human-caused mortality result. Since carnivores such as grey wolves (Canis lupus) can use a variety of habitats, it is arguable that population persistence is largely governed by the choices people make, their behaviors, and their land use practices. This long-term applied research and conservation effort in Western Montana's Blackfoot Valley relies on a systematic approach that involves local people and communities in research, planning, and conservation. We used an integrative, multi-method approach relying on one-on-one meetings, workshops, field tours, and group meetings to actively engage the local community in data collection, community-based monitoring, and participatory projects to mitigate livestock losses to wolves. We used intensive livestock and wolf monitoring in an attempt to reduce the frequency of encounter rates among wolves and livestock and a host of tools including permanent and temporary electric fencing and livestock carcass removal. Although we cannot claim causation from our efforts, results are encouraging. Confirmed livestock losses to wolves from 2006-2016 have been 2.3 depredations/year across nearly 50 ranches on roughly 800,000 acres.� Less than three wolves per year have been removed due to these conflicts for the same period as the population increased from one confirmed pack to approximately twelve.� Important lessons learned from this effort are the following: 1) develop community-supported goals; 2) focus on changing practices and behaviors not values; 3) create inclusive decision-making forums that emphasis common not special interests; 4) recognize livelihood interests; 5) provide economic incentives; 6) work across jurisdictional boundaries at the correct biological scale; and 7) cultivate the trust and support of key project partners.� We discuss these lessons for mitigating livestock losses to wolves in a rural agricultural setting and the importance of moving from an expert dependency model of conservation to one of peer education and stewardship.
Oral presentation and poster titles, abstracts, and authors from the Society for Range Management (SRM) Annual Meetings and Tradeshows, from 2013 forward.