Overview

• Thermal drones equipped with loudspeakers broadcast AC/DC’s Thunderstruck, fireworks, gunshots and the ‘Marriage Story’ fight scene to startle wolves away from livestock.
• In Oregon’s Klamath Basin, cattle losses fell from 11 in a 20-day span to two over the next 85 days after drone patrols began.
• USDA district supervisor Paul Wolf has overseen the drone hazing study since 2022 to develop non-lethal predator deterrents.
• The program adheres to Endangered Species Act mandates by offering an alternative to lethal wolf controls.
• Ranchers in Oregon and California report sharply reduced calf losses and praise the drones as a sustainable wildlife management tool.