Patrick Graham

Patrick Graham, a photo by Semester in the West on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Patrick shoots off a starter pistol, a tool used for deterring wolves, to begin a race between two groups of Westies to erect and take down a portable electric fence—another tool used to scare off the predators.

Patrick Graham
Field Technician, Defenders of Wildlife
Blaine County, Idaho
September 3

Patrick, an avid outdoorsman from Vermont, now offers his services to the Defenders of Wildlife in Idaho in the struggle to manage returning wolves. He demonstrated to Semester in the West some of the methods for non-lethal wolf management in a livestock-grazing community. Besides physically demonstrating the set up of conventional fladry – the use of flags on a string to deter wolves – Patrick flashed his creative side by explaining some of his ideas for new means to deter wolves. One of these includes a remote-controlled concert style light show, including fog and lasers. He explained that if wolves are going to be part of the future ecosystems in Idaho, creative adaptation with livestock management will be the key to balancing rural life with the presence of a top predator. The work is hard, but Patrick seems confident that it can be done.

By Sam Hinkle and Chase Martin