For centuries, ranchers in the American West have waged a relentless battle to protect their livestock from wolves. From guard dogs to electrified fences, the methods have evolved, but the problem has persisted. Now, in a twist that seems straight out of a Hollywood script, biologists near the California-Oregon border are deploying drones that blast AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck,” movie clips featuring Scarlett Johansson, and live human voices at these apex predators—all in an effort to keep cattle safe.
This unusual approach, which began as an experiment and continues as of August 31, 2025, is the latest in a long line of creative solutions aimed at reducing wolf attacks on livestock. According to the Associated Press, the team of biologists working in the region uses drones loaded with a variety of sound clips. Among the favorites: Johansson’s sharp proclamation from the 2019 film "Marriage Story," screaming, “I am not putting up with this anymore!” and the heavy metal licks of AC/DC’s classic track. If those don’t work, the drone operator can switch to other sounds—gunshots, fireworks, even a live microphone to improvise threats or warnings.
Why go to such lengths? The answer lies in the remarkable recovery of the gray wolf population in the western United States. Hunted nearly to extinction by the mid-20th century, gray wolves have made a comeback since their reintroduction to Idaho and Yellowstone National Park in the mid-1990s. Today, there are hundreds in Washington and Oregon, dozens in northern California, and thousands more roaming the Great Lakes region. This resurgence, as reported by the Associated Press, has led to a dramatic increase in conflicts with ranchers—who, for their part, have been forced to get more inventive than ever.
Traditional nonlethal methods—think electrified fencing, wolf alarms, guard dogs, horseback patrols, and even trapping and relocating wolves—have been employed with varying degrees of success. In some locations, when these measures fail, authorities have approved lethal control, as was the case just last week in Washington state. It’s a contentious issue, with environmental advocates and ranchers often at odds over the best path forward.
According to a 2022 review of state and federal data, gray wolves killed about 800 domesticated animals across 10 states that year alone. The economic and emotional toll on ranchers can be significant, and while compensation is available for proven wolf kills, there are other, less visible costs. Stressed cattle, for example, tend to have lower birth rates and tougher meat—losses for which ranchers receive no restitution.
Enter the drones. Developed by scientists with the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, these high-tech devices are equipped with thermal imaging cameras to spot wolves at night, when they’re most active. The hazing technique—essentially bombarding the animals with unfamiliar and startling sounds—was shown in a 2022 preliminary study to be particularly effective when human voices were added to the mix. The team reported successful interruptions of wolf hunts, sometimes with just a few well-timed blasts of sound.
Dustin Ranglack, the USDA’s lead researcher on the project, described his reaction the first time he saw the method work: a grin from ear to ear. “If we could reduce those negative impacts of wolves, that is going to be more likely to lead to a situation where we have coexistence,” Ranglack told the Associated Press.
The drones cost about $20,000 apiece and require professional training to operate, making them a significant investment. They also have limitations: they don’t work well in wooded areas, which are common in some ranching regions. Nevertheless, ranchers in Northern California who have hosted USDA drone patrols report that livestock deaths have dropped so far. Mary Rickert, a cattle rancher north of Mount Shasta who has worked in the business since the 1980s, is cautiously optimistic but remains wary about the long-term prospects.
“I’m very appreciative of what they did. But I don’t think it’s a long-term solution,” Rickert said, as quoted by the Associated Press. “What I’m afraid of is that after some period of time, that all of a sudden they go, ‘Wow, this isn’t going to hurt me. It just makes a lot of noise.’”
Her concerns aren’t unfounded. In Europe, for example, herders have long used visual deterrents like flapping flags to scare wolves, but over time, the animals learn that these objects pose no real threat. The question now is whether American wolves will eventually become desensitized to drones and their cacophony of sounds.
Still, environmental advocates see promise in the technology. Amaroq Weiss, a wolf advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity, explained to the Associated Press, “Wolves are frightened of novel things. I know that in the human imagination, people think of wolves as big, scary critters that are scared of nothing.” The advantage of drones, she said, is their ability to introduce new and different stimuli in various locations, keeping the wolves guessing—at least for now.
The summer of 2025 saw USDA drone pilots continuing their patrols at ranches with high levels of wolf conflict along the Oregon-California border, even extending south into the Sierra Valley for the first time in August, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The patrols, often conducted at night, involve playing three randomly selected sound clips, with the option for the operator to improvise if the wolves don’t immediately flee. Among the more memorable moments: Oregon-based USDA supervisor Paul Wolf (yes, that’s his real name) recounted an incident where a wolf initially seemed merely curious about the drone. That is, until the pilot spoke directly to it through the loudspeaker: “Hey wolf — get out of here.” According to Wolf, “The wolf immediately lets go of the cattle and runs away.”
Despite the apparent success, the future of drone-based wolf deterrence remains uncertain. The technology’s high cost, the need for specialized training, and its limited effectiveness in certain terrains mean it’s not yet a universal solution. For ranchers like Rickert, who face the prospect of closing up shop if wolf predation can’t be controlled, the stakes are high. She has even called for permission to shoot wolves that attack her animals or repeatedly encroach on her property—a stance that underscores the tension between wildlife conservation and agricultural livelihoods.
If the drones prove effective and their costs come down, perhaps one day ranchers will only need to ask the wolves politely to leave—maybe with a little help from Scarlett Johansson and a heavy metal riff or two. For now, though, the battle between cattle and wolves continues, with technology playing a starring role in the latest act.
