Welcome Shasta pack!

When I was originally writing this, wolves were still not a thing in California. Apart from 0R7, there have been reports of another wolf sighting in July but nothing else. Right now, California has welcomed wolves back into it’s beautiful northern part. California Fish and Wildlife officials have found pictures of at least two adults and five pups. The pack has been officially called the Shasta Pack and this is beautiful news indeed.  It just goes on to show that effective wolf management can go a long way to help species recovery.  But it’s an uphill battle from now on in California and I wanted to just write some advice on how to properly manage wolves in order to achieve a beautiful balance in your state.

1)      Don’t panic: Wolves are not man eater or man hunters by nature. The beautiful Mt.Shasta landscapes are not dangerous because of wolves. Wolves will often shy away from humans so you are safe. If you have a dog with you, make sure they are on a leash and that they don’t wander off too much from you. Keep a noise making device to scare off wolves in case they attack your dog. However given the fact that it’s just eight wolves, it is highly unlikely that this will be the case. States which have hundreds of wolves only get 1-2 dog fatalities a year and usually it’s from dogs allowed to roam.

2)      It’s just eight wolves: It’s a small pack in a vast wilderness. As of now, there is no reason to worry about livestock or human conflict. The only thing I can see driving them to hunt livestock is fire(that would move them from their territory) or lack of food(which is unlikely).

3)      Listen to the science: Please. This one is important. If Californians want to coexist with wolves, listening to science is pretty much a given. Oregon has been doing very well so far, with the wolf numbers increasing, non-lethal measures in place as well as proper compensation in case of livestock depredation.

4)      Keep your livestock in check. If you happen to live anywhere near the Shasta pack’s territory, then it’s a good idea to keep a better eye on your livestock and consider non-lethal methods. It’s highly unlikely that your livestock will be predated but you want to avoid it as much as possible.

5)      Cherish what you have. Wolves haven’t been in California for about 90 years. Now they have returned. If you are interested then keep track of them and make sure people understand that the wolves returning is a good thing.

Enjoy California and please be environmentally responsible. I will try and get myself more involved with the Shasta Pack and I will keep you updated.