California ranchers learn to live with wolves after century-long absence

A historic moment unfolded in 2011 when a lone gray wolf named OR-7 crossed from Oregon into California, becoming the first wolf to enter the state in nearly a century. The 2½-year-old male’s arrival marked a remarkable conservation milestone, as gray wolves had been completely eliminated from California by the 1920s through systematic hunting and eradication campaigns.

OR-7’s epic 3,000-mile journey through the wilderness brought him directly onto cattle ranches in northern California, including the property of Mark Coats in Siskiyou County. For Coats, who has raised cattle for over five decades, the wolf’s presence represented an entirely new challenge. “My neighbor came over and said, ‘Mark, there’s a wolf on your ranch. Don’t shoot it. They’ll put you in jail,'” Coats recalled. That night, he discovered OR-7’s distinctive footprints on his land.

The wolf’s arrival sparked panic among local ranchers who had generations of experience dealing with coyotes, black bears, and mountain lions, but no knowledge of coexisting with wolves. This moment highlighted a critical conservation challenge: how can endangered species recovery succeed alongside traditional ranching operations? OR-7’s presence and the wolf packs that followed have forced California’s agricultural communities to develop new strategies for protecting livestock while supporting the recovery of this iconic predator.

The story represents both the success of wildlife conservation efforts and the complex realities facing rural communities as ecosystems restore their natural balance after decades of species absence.