How to trick a wolf: Manipulating pack movements with
Biofencing
David E. Ausband,* Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, University of Montana,
Missoula, Montana 59812
Michael S. Mitchell, Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, University of Montana,
Missoula, Montana 59812
Wolves (Canis lupus) have a relatively wide distribution in the northern Rockies and can
conflict with livestock production in certain areas. Tools currently available to mitigate wolf/
livestock conflict can be short-lived in their effectiveness or altogether ineffective. Wolves
use scent-marking to establish territories and avoid intraspecific conflict. We hypothesized
that human-deployed scent-marks could be used to manipulate wolf pack movements in
Idaho. We deployed 64.7 km of biofence within three wolf pack territories during summer
2010. Location data from collared wolves showed little to no trespass of the biofence. Sign
surveys at predicted rendezvous sites yielded little to no recent wolf use of exclusion areas.
Lastly, a habitually depredating wolf pack was not implicated in any depredations. Our pilot
test provides preliminary evidence that wolf movements can be manipulated using human-
distributed scent-marks.