CDFW News

CDFW Captures and Collars 5 Gray Wolves in Northern California

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 13:08:46 GMT

Media Note: Download Capture Photos and Video

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) recently completed helicopter capture operations resulting in the satellite collaring of five gray wolves in northern California.

Operations occurred between Jan. 12 and 20 in Lassen, Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou and Tehama counties. The wolves collared were associated with the Whaleback and Harvey packs.

Immediately after capture, each wolf was flown to a nearby field processing site and fitted with a satellite/VHF collar. CDFW veterinary and biological staff also collected standard biological data, including body measurements, DNA and blood samples. These data allow CDFW to monitor wolf health, screen for disease and assess genetic relatedness among individuals and packs. After collaring, each wolf was released on public land as close as practical to its capture location.

The five wolves collared during the operation included:

An adult male captured in northern Lassen County that was born into the Whaleback pack. Following release, collar data showed that the wolf returned to its natal Whaleback pack.
A previously collared, dispersing adult male from the Harvey pack that was captured in Modoc County. Its collar was replaced.
A Harvey pack female born in 2024 and captured in northwestern Lassen County.
Two Harvey pack females born in 2025 and captured in northeastern Shasta County.

Wildlife capture operations inherently carry risk to captured animals. During this operation a sixth wolf – an adult female from the Harvey pack – died after capture. Factors contributing to its death are being investigated.

Satellite collaring is a critical management and research tool that helps CDFW monitor wolf populations, better understand landscape use and movement patterns and reduce the risk of wolf–livestock conflict. The collars do not provide real-time data; instead, they collect multiple location points per day and generally transmit those stored locations to CDFW once a day. Each collar has an expected battery life of approximately two to three years and is programmed to drop off the animal before the battery is depleted.

Over the past decade, CDFW has successfully captured 38 gray wolves statewide for the purpose of collaring. Presently, there are 13 wolves carrying active collars. Within days of capture, the approximate locations of the newly collared wolves began showing on CDFW’s Wolf Tracker mapping tool. More information about California’s wolves can be found at CDFW’s gray wolf web pages.

Photo: A yearling female gray wolf from the Whaleback pack is released after capture and collaring in Siskiyou County in November. Photo courtesy of Malia Brytus/California Wolf Project

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Media Contacts:
Axel Hunnicutt, CDFW State Gray Wolf Coordinator, (916) 628-3543
Peter Tira, CDFW Communications, (916) 215-3848

Factual Information About Lake Tahoe’s Black Bears

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 13:31:44 GMT

Keep Tahoe Bears Wild!

The Tahoe Interagency Bear Team (TIBT) is a collective of bear experts across federal, state and local agencies who study and understand bears and have devoted much of their professional lives to ensure the health and well-being of the Lake Tahoe Basin’s black bears. TIBT provides proven and scientifically backed information about the real issues and solutions for living and recreating in bear country.

Tahoe bears may at times seem like a unique bear species due to their general lack of fear and boldness around humans (habituation), but these black bears follow the usual biological patterns of black bears across California and Nevada. Whether living in or visiting bear country here at Lake Tahoe or beyond, this information should clarify what human actions are needed to help wild bears survive and thrive.

Secure Crawl Spaces

Web cam photos and videos of bears denning under homes can perpetuate the myth that property owners and residents should allow bears to den under homes and in crawl spaces. It can also encourage unwanted behavior such as laying out hay or other materials for bears. However, most homeowners don’t even know a bear is under or around their home until it has already established a makeshift den.

Bears often damage the insulation, exposing pipes to freezing temperatures or even damaging them in the process. Once a bear gets established, it can be difficult to make it leave. This increases the chances of human-bear conflict and habituated behavior.

Bears under homes need to be addressed by trained agency professionals as bears can be dangerous and unpredictable. If disturbed, mother bears with newborn cubs may abandon the den, orphaning the cubs in the process. For this reason, only a wildlife professional should evaluate the situation and offer advice to homeowners.

It’s important to remember that bears have evolved to comfortably survive winter without human help, so it is essential to board up all crawl spaces around homes to discourage bears from denning underneath. The TIBT video “Securing Your Crawl Space” will show you how to go about this.

Deny Access to Human Food and Trash

Black bears are very resilient and adaptive animals, and, as opportunistic omnivores, they will take advantage of any available food source, including human-provided foods like garbage. Their highly developed sense of smell allows them to find these food sources, even when locked in a vehicle or home, which in turn may lead bears into conflict with people.

It is true that bears need a lot of calories, especially in preparation for winter, but giving them handouts will not set them up to thrive. Repeated exposure to human foods can lead to food-conditioned bears which then view human homes and neighborhoods as reliable sources of food.

When mother bears teach their cubs to access human foods, they not only continue the cycle of human food-conditioning, but the cubs are much more prone to be involved in conflict, including being hit and killed by vehicles.

Consuming human food and garbage is incredibly unhealthy for bears because the high sugar content can increase tooth decay and painful abscesses. Intentionally feeding bears is illegal in both California and Nevada.

As omnivores, a bear’s diet is about 85% plant-based, with the remaining portion coming from consuming insects, small mammals and carrion. Bears should be allowed to fulfill their very important and vital ecological role as seed dispersers, predators and scavengers.

Get ‘BearWise’ to Keep Bears Wild

Black bears are smart. They have learned how to unscrew lids and open sliding glass and vehicle doors. They are also strong. In order to access food, they can peel a car door down from the top or break through a typical home door or window. Even after an incident like the 2021 Caldor Fire, where a huge swath of vegetation was burned in the Sierra Nevada mountains, wildlife biologists saw bears find natural ways to survive like the resilient omnivores that they are.

On rare occasions, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) must remove bears that are putting human life and property at risk. No one, including agency biologists who have dedicated their lives and careers to protecting bears, want this outcome. It is only used with great discretion and as a last resort.

Bears are large, strong animals and once they become conditioned to human foods or comfortable around people and human surroundings, they pose a significant threat to human safety. For these reasons it is very important for people to be educated and dedicated to being “BearWise.” Learn how at the BearWise website.

It’s also important to note that except in the case of the immediate protection of human life, the only people who can legally interact with wildlife are designated state agency representatives or law enforcement professionals.

Slow Down for Bears, Wildlife

It can be exciting to see a big, beautiful animal like a black bear in a neighborhood, but it is not where bears belong. Human-developed areas pose many dangers to bears, particularly busy roads with cars, which bears must cross in order to get to the unhealthy human food and garbage in developed areas.

By allowing bears to comfortably live in or pass through neighborhoods, the chances that they will get struck and killed by vehicles increases greatly. If a bear is in your neighborhood, encourage it to move on by scaring it away so that it can lead a safer life away from developed areas and conflict. Slow down for bears and other wildlife in the Tahoe Basin. For more information on bear-vehicle collisions, see the TIBT video “When Bears and Humans Collide”.

The TIBT is dedicated to creating the best environment for bears to thrive and remain wild in an ever-growing, ever-changing environment like the Lake Tahoe Basin. CDFW and NDOW should be the only point of contact for any bear-related incidents or questions. CDFW and NDOW have trained black bear experts who can help navigate any human-bear conflicts.

We encourage the public to visit our website, TahoeBears.org, for accurate, science-based information about bears. To report bear incidents or conflict in the Lake Tahoe Basin, use the following:

In California, contact CDFW at 916-358-2917 or report online using the Wildlife incident Reporting (WIR) System.
Non-emergency bear collisions in California State Parks can be reported to public dispatch at 916- 358-1300.
In Nevada, contact NDOW at 775-688-BEAR (2327).
If the issue is an emergency, call the local sheriff’s department or 911.

Thank you for helping keep Tahoe bears wild and safe!

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Media Contact:
Peter Tira, CDFW Communications, (916) 215-3858

CDFW Launching Pilot Effort to Reduce Gray Wolf Attacks on Livestock

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 13:31:46 GMT

Working with local agencies, law enforcement and agricultural partners, the department will implement the effort in Sierra, Plumas and Siskiyou counties

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced today that it is launching a summer strike team in partnership with federal and local agencies to combat livestock depredations by gray wolves in Siskiyou County and the Sierra Valley (spanning both Sierra and Plumas counties). With landowner permission, the task force will provide round-the-clock CDFW staff support seven days a week for livestock producers experiencing frequent conflicts with wolves, among other program benefits.

“Today’s announcement showcases the power of collaboration in effectively and safely managing California’s growing gray wolf population,” said CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham. “This strike force allows CDFW to work more closely with our key partners and impacted ranchers and provide new tools to protect cattle and other livestock from harm. Together, we are doing everything we can to keep both livestock and wolves safe. Thank you to our partners in this effort for making this strike team possible.”

Recent depredation of livestock in the Sierra Valley and Siskiyou County signals the need for additional and increased support for livestock producers during the summer and fall of 2025. Interested producers are encouraged to participate in the program. The summer strike team will take a multifaceted approach to combat livestock depredations, including through:

In-person, on-the-ground support from CDFW staff. Working both day and night seven days a week, CDFW staff will be available to support ranchers facing livestock depredations. The strike team will use a combination of radio telemetry and real-time information from local ranchers to locate wolves (collared and uncollared) to proactively push them away from livestock.
Developing conflict risk management plans for participating ranchers. Livestock producers who volunteer to participate in the program and take any necessary training will have a plan tailored to their unique property and livestock needs to help mitigate future conflict through nonlethal methods. These plans may include a variety of tools, including livestock management, additional barriers, predator aversion devices or injurious harassment
Outreach, education and training. In partnership with experts in livestock production and management like the University of California Cooperative Extension, training and outreach events will be held in Sierra Valley to help provide producers techniques and strategies ranchers can take to reduce wolf-livestock conflicts through nonlethal practices.

CDFW is also working in conjunction with Sierra and Plumas counties to create a county agricultural protection position that will support depredation investigations and capture and collar methods, as well as develop carcass removal programs to mitigate wolf attraction to ranch properties.

The task force will be led by CDFW’s law enforcement and scientific staff and will increase CDFW presence in communities to effectively implement these measures. The program begins today (Monday, June 9) and is anticipated to run through the summer.

“This program is still in its early stages, so there will be a need to learn by doing together. More details will be shared as it progresses. But this is a good start, and I appreciate that,” said Plumas County Supervisor Dwight Ceresola.

Sierra Valley, which spans both Plumas and Sierra counties, has had higher-than-normal levels of livestock depredations by gray wolves in the Beyem Seyo pack over the past year. As ranchers move their cattle to the valley floor for summer grazing, additional support from this pilot program will be needed to protect livestock from wolves.

“I am thankful the state and county can do something together. We are hopeful that this additional presence will reduce the immediate losses and provide CDFW with a clear understanding of the day-to-day challenges ranchers have faced for months,” said Sierra County Supervisor Paul Roen.

Siskiyou County also has a higher level of livestock depredations compared to other counties, in relation to the Whaleback pack in particular. The county has made significant efforts in slowing depredations and working collaboratively with CDFW staff, including the hiring of a county wolf liaison, but the need for additional support remains. As part of this task force, CDFW will be providing enhanced information on wolf data to Siskiyou County staff, and Siskiyou will assist the department in investigating and collecting additional data.

"This pilot effort in all three counties is made possible through sustained coordination between county supervisors, county sheriffs, local ranchers and state and federal agencies. Importantly, it also reflects the growing calls from local sheriffs calling for CDFW to step up and help,” said Director Bonham. “I thank Sheriffs Mike Fisher, Todd Johns and Jeremiah LaRue for their help to get going on our efforts this summer. I also thank all the Northern California sheriffs and county supervisors who have been key voices for their communities.”

If you are a livestock producer in Plumas, Sierra or Siskiyou counties and are interested in learning more about the program or how to participate, please contact:

Morgan Kilgour, Region 2 Manager, CDFW — Morgan.Kilgour@wildlife.ca.gov
Tracy Schohr, UC Cooperative Extension Livestock and Natural Resources Advisor — tkschohr@ucanr.edu/916-716-2643
Paul Roen, Sierra County Supervisor — supervisor3@sierracounty.ca.gov
Dwight Ceresola, Plumas County Supervisor — ceresolasuper1@yahoo.com
Patrick Griffin, Siskiyou County Wolf Liaison — 530-598-6950

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Media Contact:
Katie Talbot, CDFW Communications, Kaitlin.talbot@wildlife.ca.gov

CDFW Releases New Wolf Location Mapping System

Thu, 15 May 2025 10:18:43 GMT

Online tool is designed to help livestock producers better understand the location of wolves in order to protect their herds

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced today the release of a brand-new mapping tool designed to provide regular location information on GPS-collared gray wolves in California to help prevent wolf-livestock conflict.

The Wolf Location Automated Mapping System, available to the public on CDFW’s website, shows the approximate location of GPS collared wolves across the state. The goal of the map is to better enable livestock producers to understand the movement of collared wolves near their properties and to assist them in mitigating wolf-livestock conflicts.

“California’s rural livestock producers living near wolves have faced real challenges as the wolf population grows in California. This is one more tool in our shared toolkit to protect their herds from wolf-livestock conflict,” said Charlton H. Bonham, CDFW Director. “CDFW is focused on transparency, best practices, and ensuring impacted communities have the knowledge they need to help prevent conflict. We will continue to partner with ranchers and communities to navigate a positive path forward.”

CDFW already provides regular and timely updates to livestock producers, law enforcement offices, and local officials regarding the movement of collared wolves near their communities, but this is the first time CDFW is providing automated data on wolf movements to the public.

CDFW’s GPS collars collect wolf location data roughly four times a day and transmit those locations to CDFW each morning. When received, the location data will be automatically transmitted to the online map. The most recently received location of an individual wolf is shown as a hexagonal cell and, when clicked, provides information about the wolf’s pack, the general area they are in, and the last transmission date. As wolves regularly travel hundreds of miles across the state, information on their location can be a critical tool for ranchers to protect their property and livelihoods.

“Knowing where California’s collared wolf population is means that ranchers have access to critical information,” said California Farm Bureau President Shannon Douglass. “We appreciate CDFW’s focus on transparency to help farmers and ranchers navigate the growing number of wolves in the state.”

The map provides information exclusively on collared wolves, a subset of the overall gray wolf population. As of May 2025, 14 wolves across California have GPS collars. Collaring wolves with GPS devices helps CDFW and the state better understand wolf populations, movement, and habitats.

“As wolves increase in number and range, California ranchers are in dire need of additional tools to protect the animals under their care. Knowledge is power, and this mapping tool will empower ranchers throughout wolf territory to better understand where wolves might threaten their livestock, enabling them to increase human presence and adjust their herd management as necessary to deter wolf attacks,” said Kirk Wilbur, Vice President of Government Affairs, California Cattlemen’s Association. “CCA appreciates the Department’s communication and transparency, which we hope will ease the burdens borne by cattle ranchers who steward California’s wolf habitat.”

The location of a wolf on the map is approximate and not reflective of the exact or current location of any individual wolf or pack. Generalizing the location data helps protect California’s gray wolf population, classified as both federally and state endangered, from potential harm, a crime punishable by law. It also helps prevent trespassing on private property. Data from specific areas, such as at known den sites where wolf pups are believed to be present, will not be available during certain times of the year. CDFW reserves the right to modify or discontinue the publication of the mapping tool if it is believed to result in any harassment of gray wolves or other wildlife or trespassing on private property.

For additional questions about this mapping tool, head to CDFW’s website.

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Media Contact:
Katie Talbot, CDFW Communications, (916) 204-1381

CDFW Announces Publication of the Black Bear Conservation and Management Plan for California

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 13:46:09 GMT

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is proud to present the Black Bear Conservation and Management Plan for California.

The plan, an update to the 1998 Black Bear Management Plan, draws upon the latest scientific tools and methods to conserve, manage, and monitor black bear populations in California.

California is home to an estimated 60,000 black bears, among the largest populations in the United States, along with 40 million people. Management of this iconic species is complex, and opinions can sometimes vary on how best to ensure the health of this species and minimize human-wildlife conflict throughout the state.

“The Black Bear Conservation and Management Plan for California aims to balance the many diverse viewpoints about black bears while greatly enhancing our ability to ensure healthy populations in the future,” said CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham.

The Black Bear Conservation and Management Plan was developed using the latest peer-reviewed scientific methods and a transparent public engagement process. A draft of the plan was released publicly one year ago and received comments and input from more than 5,000 individuals and groups, all of which CDFW worked to address in the final publication.

“This plan allows us to employ the best available science to understand populations and make informed management and regulatory decisions going forward to ensure black bears thrive into the future and can be enjoyed by all Californians,” said Arjun Dheer, CDFW’s Statewide Black Bear Coordinator.

The plan provides the foundation to meet two overarching goals:

Conserve and manage black bear populations that are ecologically functional, disease-resilient, and genetically diverse statewide and regionally, and conserve and enhance their habitats.

Provide opportunities for black bear hunting, viewing, and public education; minimize human-black bear conflict; consider animal welfare in black bear conservation and management; and be inclusive of all Californians in black bear conservation and management decisions.

Pursuant to these goals, CDFW is conducting intensive population monitoring of black bears across California using GPS collars, den checks, camera traps, hunter harvested tooth samples, and the collection of DNA samples from hair snare stations.

Due to California’s geographic size and ecological diversity, the Black Bear Conservation and Management Plan divides the state into nine Bear Conservation Regions where populations will be monitored and managed independently of other regions.

Publication of the plan does not change any hunting regulations or bear harvest limits. Any changes to hunting regulations or the statewide annual bear harvest limit will be conducted through the California Fish and Game Commission public process.

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Media Contacts:
Arjun Dheer, CDFW Wildlife Branch, (916) 268-2376
Peter Tira, CDFW Communications, (916) 215-3858