Contact Information: 

Dr. Julie K. Young 

Supervisory Research Wildlife Biologist

Predator Research Station

Utah State University

Room 163, BNR Building 

Logan, UT 84322-5295

Phone: (435) 797-1348 

FAX: (435) 797-0288

julie.k.young@aphis.usda.gov

www.aphis.usda.gov/wildlife_damage/

nwrc

Major Cooperators:

• Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

• Utah State University 

• Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

• Colorado Parks and Wildlife

• Wyoming Department of Game and 

Fish

• U.S. Army

• U.S. Forest Service

• Welder Wildlife Foundation

• Wildlife Conservation Society

• Wyoming Animal Damage 

Management Board

• Wyoming Department of Agriculture

Wildlife Services

Protecting People rotecting People

Protecting Agriculture rotecting Agriculture

Protecting Wildlife rotecting Wildlife

FY 2012

National Wildlife Research Center

United States Department of Agriculture

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

National Wildlife Research Center Scientists Study Predation and New Ways 

to Protect Livestock and People 

Wildlife Services’ (WS) National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) is the only Federal research organization devoted exclusively to resolving confl icts between people and wildlife 

through the development of effective, selective, and socially responsible methods, tools, 

and techniques. 

Data on carnivore population dynamics, ecology, and behavior are necessary to understand predation patterns on livestock, game species, threatened and endangered species, 

and in urban areas. These data are also needed for effective depredation management, 

but signifi cant gaps of knowledge exist with regard to predator-prey, predator-livestock, 

and predator-predator relationships. NWRC is adopting a multi-disciplinary approach to 

study interactions among predators and the impact of predators and predator removal on 

ecosystems, wildlife population dynamics, and livestock predation.

The development of new predator management tools to reduce livestock losses and 

protect public safety is also a high priority for NWRC. Livestock depredation costs producers approximately $138 million each year. For the sheep and lamb industry alone, predators account for approximately 36 percent of the total losses from all causes. Concerns 

for public health and safety, as well as animal welfare, have resulted in wildlife managers seeking methods to reduce the risk of confl icts associated with predators. Research 

conducted by scientists at NWRC’s fi eld station in Logan, Utah, is focused on fi nding new 

tools and techniques to reduce confl icts with carnivores. In addition, NWRC researchers 

are developing improved methods for capturing carnivores and monitoring their behaviors 

and movements. 

Applying Science and Expertise to Wildlife Challenges

Calf Mortality and Producer Detection Rates—To investigate factors infl uencing calf 

mortality and producer detection rates of predation, researchers monitored 930 radiotagged domestic calves at two sites in New Mexico and Arizona. Study areas differed in 

grazing practices, density of predators (mountain lions, black bears, coyotes, and Mexican 

wolves), and the amount of effort spent monitoring cattle. Calves killed by predators were, 

on average, 25 days younger than surviving calves. The results indicate that year-round 

calving, especially in areas with high predator densities, is subject to higher losses primarily because calves are exposed to mortality agents for longer periods rather than having 

higher natural rates of mortality. Researchers also found a signifi cant difference in producer detection rates of predation likely due to differences in the intensity of monitoring 

cattle. These fi ndings support changing husbandry practices to limit calving to a seasonal 

endeavor and indicate that paying producers to maintain sustainable predator populations 

may be a better compensation strategy than paying producers based on verifi ed losses. 

Snowmobile Trails as Corridors for Coyote Movement—Increased snowmobile use 

and subsequent snow compaction in Canada lynx recovery areas are a concern for agencies responsible for recovery efforts. Researchers observed that coyotes used compacted 

snow trails as transit routes for approximately 35 percent of their travel distance. Coyotes 

also traveled closer to snow-compacted trails than expected. By facilitating coyote access 

to winter lynx habitats, snowmobile use may inadvertently contribute to increased competition between the two species. These results support the need for wildlife management 

agencies to consider winter recreational use patterns that may infl uence the distribution of 

coyotes in lynx reintroduction areas. 

Predation on Endangered Black-Footed Ferrets—Researchers investigated whether 

landscape features could be used to predict predation risk from coyotes and great horned 

owls on endangered black-footed ferrets. Exposure to areas near likely owl perches 

Predator Damage redator Damage 

Management anagement

Groups Affected By These Problems

• Environmental organizations

• Land management agencies

• Livestock producers

• U.S. citizens, urban and rural 

residents 

• Wildlife managers
reduced ferret survival, but landscape features potentially associated with coyote movements had no appreciable effect on 

survival. These results suggest that future decisions concerning 

the location of reintroduction sites should consider the location 

and distribution of landscape features potentially used by great 

horned owls.

Sampling Wolves and Coyotes—Monitoring wolves and 

coyotes in the wild is challenging because they are notoriously 

wary of humans and novel items in their environment. To identify 

potential alternatives for sampling these animals, researchers 

tested whether lures and rubbing posts could be used to monitor coyote and wolf populations. The rub stations successfully 

gathered enough hair samples to extract DNA. The researchers 

note that rub stations can be strategically placed in the environment in accordance with specifi c sampling designs and provide 

an inexpensive way to monitor populations, estimate abundance, 

and explore genetic diversity. 

Improving Forensic DNA Identifi cation of Predators—WS 

operations personnel need to identify predator species from depredation events and forensic genetic techniques offer tremendous 

potential. Unfortunately, non-invasive DNA (e.g., saliva, feces) 

degrades rapidly and to varying degrees depending on fi eld 

conditions. Therefore, degradation of non-invasive DNA is the 

limiting factor for identifying predators from depredated carcasses. A study at the NWRC Utah Field Station in Logan, Utah, and 

the Wildlife Science Center in Columbus, Minnesota, is underway 

to determine degradation rates of DNA (saliva) left behind by 

predators on depredated sheep and calves and identify methods 

of optimal fi eld collection for depredation events that increase 

success rates of predator identifi cation in the laboratory. 

Livestock Protection Dogs in Areas with Wolves and Grizzly 

Bears—Livestock protection dogs have been used in the United 

States for decades as a non-lethal tool to protect livestock from 

coyote depredation. WS research is investigating whether select 

breeds of livestock protection dogs, such as the larger breeds 

still used in Europe, are effective at reducing livestock losses to 

larger carnivores, such as wolves and grizzly bear. Field work 

began in January 2013 and will continue for several years. The 

goal of the study is to identify the best breed(s) of livestock 

protection dogs to guard herds from grizzly bears and wolves and 

maintain this non-lethal tool for producers.

Selected Publications:

ATWOOD, T. C., J. K. YOUNG, J. P. BECKMANN, S. W. BRECK, 

J. FIKE, O. E. RHODES Jr., and K. D. BRISTOW. 2011. Modeling connectivity of black bears in a desert sky island archipelago. 

Biological Conservation 144:2851-2862.

AUSBAND, D. E., J. K. YOUNG, B. FANNIN, M. S. MITCHELL, J. 

L. STENGLEIN, L. P. WAITS, and J. A. SHIVIK. 2011. Hair of the 

dog: Obtaining samples from coyotes and wolves noninvasively. 

Wildlife Society Bulletin 35:105–111.

BARUCH-MORDO, S., S. W. BRECK, K. R. WILSON, and J. 

BRODERICK. 2011. The carrot or the stick? Evaluation of education and enforcement as management tools for human-wildlife 

confl icts. PLoS ONE 6:e15681.

BRECK, S. W., B. M. KLUEVER, M. PANASCI, J. OAKLEAF, 

D. L. BERGMAN, W. BALLARD and L. HOWERY. 2011. Factors affecting predation on calves and producer detection rates 

in the Mexican wolf recovery area. Biological Conservation 

144:930-936.

GESE, E. M., P. S. MOREY, and S. D. GEHRT. 2012. Infl uence of the urban matrix on space use of coyotes in the 

Chicago metropolitan area. Journal of Ethology 30:413-425.

POESSEL, S. A., S. W. BRECK, D. E. BIGGINS, T. M. 

LIVIERI, K. R. CROOKS and L. ANGELONI. 2011. Landscape 

features infl uence postrelease predation on endangered 

black-footed ferrets. Journal of Mammalogy 92:732-741.

SEIDLER, R. G. and E. M. GESE. 2012. Territory fi delity, 

space use, and survival rates of wild coyotes following surgical 

sterilization. Journal of Ethology 30:345-354. 

YOUNG, J. K., K. A. OLSON, R. P. READING, S. AMGALANBAATAR and J. BERGER. 2011. Is wildlife going to the dogs? 

Impacts of feral and free-roaming dogs on wildlife populations. 

BioScience 61:125-132.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is an equal opportunity employment provider and employer

Major Research Accomplishments:

• WS predation studies indicated that year-round calving, especially in areas with high predator densities, is 

subject to higher losses primarily because calves are 

exposed to mortality agents for longer periods of time 

rather than having higher natural rates of mortality.

• WS studies showed snowmobile use and subsequent 

snow compaction in areas may inadvertently allow for 

increased competition between lynx and coyotes by 

facilitating coyote access to winter lynx habitats.

• WS research observed that the survival of reintroduced endangered black-footed ferrets decreased 

when the animals were exposed to areas near likely 

great-horned owl perches. However, landscape features potentially associated with coyote movements 

had no appreciable effect on survival.

• WS research showed rub stations for coyotes and 

wolves provide an inexpensive way to gather hair and 

subsequent DNA samples for use in monitoring populations, estimating abundance, and exploring genetic 

diversity.

• WS study showed territory fi delity, space use, and 

survival rates of surgically sterilized coyote packs were 

similar to intact coyote packs. Because surgical sterilization of coyotes does not affect territory fi delity, survival rates, or home range maintenance, it may serve 

as an effective tool to reduce confl ict over long time 

periods. Previous WS research has shown that surgically sterilized coyotes had signifi cantly lower depredation rates of sheep compared to intact coyotes.