Can Drone Delivered AC/DC Decrease Wolf Attacks On Montana Livestock?

Here's something I never thought I'd read... the USDA has been utilizing drones and loud rock n' roll to decrease wolf attacks on livestock. One of the most popular rock bands in the world might be music to our ears, but the wolves don't seem to appreciate rock legends as much as you and I.

According to articles from The Independent and The Wall Street Journal (paywalled), the USDA has been testing a hazing technique that blasts AC/DC from loudspeakers mounted on drones.

The drones have heat signature cameras that help the operators locate the wolves at night. Then, they swoop down and blast AC/DC tunes like 'Thunderstruck' and 'Back in Black', which reportedly causes the wolves to flee the area.

Does it work?

According to an abstract published at Sciencedirect.com, the drone-delivered rock music showed a significant decline in wolf livestock attacks during a test period in 2022 in Oregon. They note,

Livestock depredations went from 11 cattle killed in 20 days (0.55 depredations/night) down to two over 85 days (0.024 depredations/night) post drone introduction. Further experimentation is required to evaluate the hazing effectiveness, cost, applicability to other areas, habituation time, and long-term benefits, but initial results are promising.

Jim Rickert, a 77-year-old owner of a cattle ranch in California, told The Wall Street Journal last week, “Hopefully they’re gonna be successful, but I’m kinda betting on the wolves, truth be known.”

The wolf vs. rancher issue has always been a hot topic in Montana.

Wolves were nearly eliminated in Montana and much of the Rocky Mountain West. In the 1980s, they started to make a comeback, due to natural migration from Canada and reintroduction efforts by tribes and the federal government to Yellowstone National Park and wilderness areas in Idaho.

According to Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, the federal wolf recovery goal of 30 breeding pairs for 3 consecutive years in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming was met in 2002. A 10-year average indicates there are now 1,138 wolves in Montana.

Hunters harvested 308 wolves in Montana in 2024, and Wildlife Services notes the confirmed loss of 62 livestock to wolves during 2024, including 35 cattle, 16 sheep, 3 foals, and 8 livestock guard dogs that were killed by wolves. The Montana Livestock Board paid $86,974 to ranchers for livestock that were confirmed by Wildlife Services as killed by wolves or probable wolf kills last year.