#22 Kurt Holtzen

Kurt Holtzen is a senior field advisor for the Wood River Wolf Project, based in central Idaho. He has 20 years of agriculture experience and a decade of experience observing and tracking wolves in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem. He performs predator surveys, wildlife camera monitoring, and investigates depredations as part of a larger effort to conserve wolf populations in an area with an abundance of livestock. Kurt’s experience photographing wildlife in Yellowstone altered his impression of wolves and their role in the ecosystem, leading him to his current work in carnivore coexistence.

We discussed wolves' ecological niche and relation to their prey, the politics of wolf management, and some of the non-lethal methods that are being used to deter them.

To see more of Kurt’s work, follow @wilderness_trails_project on Instagram and check out the Wood River Wolf Project.