Sierra Valley is “Under Gray Wolf Siege" According to County Sheriff

After putting the call out on social media, one California county Sheriff is pleading with the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife to answer his desperate petition for help. 

Following a rash of incidents that include upwards of 18 confirmed wolf attacks on livestock and big game animals this month alone, the Sierra Valley Sheriff’s Office is sounding the alarm on an elevated level of gray wolf activity in the northern California county.

“Over the past 28 days, ranchers and residents in Sierra Valley have been under siege from escalating gray wolf activity,” the Sheriff’s Office wrote in a Facebook post. “While the presence of wolves in the valley is not new, this spring has seen a dramatic increase in attacks.”

Fortunately, these attacks have been reserved for livestock and big game animals rather than humans, at least for the time being. According to the agency, reports of multiple cattle depredations along with incidents involving wolves killing elk literally on people’s doorsteps have residents feeling edgy about their presence as of late.

Located just west of Reno and smack dab in the middle of the Plumas and Tahoe National Forests, Sierra County remains one of the least human-populated counties in the state but is home to the Diamond and Beyem Seyo wolfpacks who are both seemingly enjoying free run of the place.

The news out of the Sierra Valley is somewhat timely considering the release of a study recently penned by researchers down at UC Davis. In that study, researchers went on to quantify the economic toll the recent wolf resurgence has had on cattle ranchers, and found that a single wolf can cause upwards $69,000 to $162,000 in annual losses due to direct predation and indirect effects like reduced calf weight and pregnancy rates. The study, which did a great job highlighting the challenges California (and likely other) ranchers are facing, still advocated for non-lethal methods of management, a recommendation the Sierra County Sheriff’s Office is saying is no longer viable.

“The incidents began early this month with six calves attacked and wounded. This was quickly followed by two additional calves that were attacked so severely they had to be euthanized,” the post read. “During a visit by Sacramento news media to one of the affected ranches, two wolves were observed and recorded in broad daylight among cows and calves. Although efforts were made to haze the wolves from the pasture, they returned within an hour and attacked two more calves.”

The call for help from a local Sheriff’s Office is nothing new, in fact, it seems to be a growing trend across the American west. Just last month, Catron County, New Mexico issued a state of emergency over Mexican wolves, following in the footsteps of an Oregon county that did the same thing regarding a collared wolf in February.

In addition to being unflinched by human presence or pressure, the Sierra County Sheriff’s Office has also grown weary about the proximity some of these attacks have had to human residences. 

“On Saturday night, following the Loyalton Fire Department's Spaghetti Feed at the Sierra Brooks lodge, the Sierra County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call around 11:00 p.m., reporting a suspected wolf attack on a deer in a resident’s side yard, just 100 yards from the Sierra Brooks Lodge,” the Sheriff’s Office stated.

Another horrific attack took place in the early morning hours on Monday atop another resident's front door step, leaving a gruesome scene of splattered remains and bloody wolf prints behind.

“This morning, at approximately 7:30 a.m., Sheriff Mike Fisher received a call from a local resident reporting that his son had discovered evidence of an animal attack on their front porch around 12:30 a.m. The resident provided photographs showing bloody wolf tracks on the porch,” the post read on Monday morning. “Sheriff Fisher coordinated with CDFW and responded to the scene. Upon investigation, it was determined that at least two wolves were involved in the attack. It is believed that an elk, while being chased by the wolves, ended up at the residence’s doorstep before ultimately being taken down and killed approximately 50 yards from the house,” Fortunately, no human injuries occurred. The resident, awakened by the commotion, initially believed someone was attempting to break into the home through the front door.”

Despite the photographic evidence and claims from the local sheriff, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife has yet to report or confirm any of the April incidents on their website. In fact, over the course of 2024, the agency investigated hundreds of reports of alleged depredation across the state and yet reported just one incident in Sierra County last year.

With wolves constantly on the move, it’s understandably difficult to keep track of each and every wild canine. But as the evidence continues to pile up, local officials and residents alike are expecting more than just half-hearted allocations from wolf-livestock compensation funds, which in the case of California, are continuing to shrink.

“The suspected wolf attack in Sierra Brooks, combined with the confirmed elk attack just feet from a residence, underscores a growing and alarming trend: these wolves are demonstrating very little fear of humans and are moving closer and closer into our residential areas and communities. This escalating behavior represents a serious public safety concern that cannot be ignored by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.”