Theses and Dissertations Collection

During 2009-2011, resource selection patterns of cattle (Bos tarsus) on mountainous terrain among four allotments in western Idaho was determined. Within these rangelands gray wolves (Canis lupus) have been documented and known to harass and prey on livestock. Using GPS location data on cattle, along with wolf presence data which correlates with Ausband et al. (2010) wolf rendezvous prediction model, resource selection patterns of cattle were overlaid on top of predicted wolf rendezvous habitat to find areas where cattle-wolf encounters may occur. Areas of likely cattle-wolf encounters can then be more intensely managed by producers to reduce possible harassment and depredation by wolves, along with narrowing the focus for finding missing and depredated cattle.