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The Return of Wolves: An Iconic Predator’s Struggle to Survive in the American West
Uncover on-the-ground reporting on the conflict between conservationists, ranchers, and an iconic predator—and discover the solution that might appease them all.
The gray wolf has made an astonishing comeback in Washington. Nearly eradicated by the 1990s, conservationists and environmentalists have cheered its robust return to the state over the last two decades. But Washington ranchers are not so joyous. When wolves prey on livestock, ranchers view their livelihood as under attack.
In The Return of Wolves, journalist Eli Francovich investigates how we might mend this divide while keeping wolf populations thriving. He finds an answer in the time-honored tradition of range riding and one passionate range rider, Daniel Curry, who has jumped directly into the fray by patrolling the rural Washington landscape on horseback. Curry engages directly with farmers, seeking to protect livestock from wolves while also protecting and proliferating wolf populations. In The Return of Wolves , we meet an eclectic cast of players—local ranchers, politicians, environmentalists, and everyday folks caught in the middle—and find hope for the future of wolves, and perhaps for our divided nation.
The gray wolf has made an astonishing comeback in Washington. Nearly eradicated by the 1990s, conservationists and environmentalists have cheered its robust return to the state over the last two decades. But Washington ranchers are not so joyous. When wolves prey on livestock, ranchers view their livelihood as under attack.
In The Return of Wolves, journalist Eli Francovich investigates how we might mend this divide while keeping wolf populations thriving. He finds an answer in the time-honored tradition of range riding and one passionate range rider, Daniel Curry, who has jumped directly into the fray by patrolling the rural Washington landscape on horseback. Curry engages directly with farmers, seeking to protect livestock from wolves while also protecting and proliferating wolf populations. In The Return of Wolves , we meet an eclectic cast of players—local ranchers, politicians, environmentalists, and everyday folks caught in the middle—and find hope for the future of wolves, and perhaps for our divided nation.
240 pages, Hardcover
Published April 11, 2023
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224 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
December 12, 2023
A great listen, super informative and specific and well researched while still being very narrative and easily digestible
November 30, 2023
Just as much (or more?) about cattle ranching as about wolves. Some interesting insight into the politics and perspectives on the reintroduction of wolves in Washington State, particularly pertinent due to Colorado beginning the same journey recently. Also filled with tangential anecdotes, making this book fall into a trend I’ve seen otherwise in which it comes across that the author used all of their research whether it ultimately benefits the book or not.
May 23, 2023
Who would’ve thought that the resurgence and existence of wolves would be such a nuanced and political discussion? This book provides another perspective of the relationship of man versus nature, and how we must coexist to see any success for either front.
March 20, 2025
While this book did a good job of bringing up different sides of the "Wolf War" arguments and trying to explain the complexities of wolf politics, I wish Francovich had delved in more into some of his ideas and thought the organization could have been more logical.
For instance, an idea that could have been developed more was when he brings up that there's a chance elk were not hugely on the landscape when colonizers first arrived, and that perhaps wolves had been partially responsible for this. But he only quotes one source and then skips to the next topic--but this would be a huge deal if there is some support that wolves could decimate elk populations. However, it could have also been that the native humans or colonizers were responsible--Francovich doesn't explain fully.
As for organization, it felt like he would hop around stories frequently and sometimes I wasn't sure the relevance--such as the rancher who scammed hundreds of thousands of dollars by saying he had more cows than he actually did (what does this have to do with wolves?)
On the positive side, there were times when he would explain the ranchers side and I felt more empathy than I had before (imagine some white, privileged, college-educated person coming in and saying "blah blah wolf ecology studies" and perhaps even making you feel stupid, but you've been on that land for decades and have seen the wildlife interacting with your own eyes).
I also thought it was primarily going to discuss range riding but the book moves all over the place it feels at times; and I'm not sure how much I think range riding is 100% the answer since it seems extremely difficult to cover that much ground and be up at all hours with the cows. Overall, this book brings up some interesting things to think about and is worth a read but could have been more logically laid out.
For instance, an idea that could have been developed more was when he brings up that there's a chance elk were not hugely on the landscape when colonizers first arrived, and that perhaps wolves had been partially responsible for this. But he only quotes one source and then skips to the next topic--but this would be a huge deal if there is some support that wolves could decimate elk populations. However, it could have also been that the native humans or colonizers were responsible--Francovich doesn't explain fully.
As for organization, it felt like he would hop around stories frequently and sometimes I wasn't sure the relevance--such as the rancher who scammed hundreds of thousands of dollars by saying he had more cows than he actually did (what does this have to do with wolves?)
On the positive side, there were times when he would explain the ranchers side and I felt more empathy than I had before (imagine some white, privileged, college-educated person coming in and saying "blah blah wolf ecology studies" and perhaps even making you feel stupid, but you've been on that land for decades and have seen the wildlife interacting with your own eyes).
I also thought it was primarily going to discuss range riding but the book moves all over the place it feels at times; and I'm not sure how much I think range riding is 100% the answer since it seems extremely difficult to cover that much ground and be up at all hours with the cows. Overall, this book brings up some interesting things to think about and is worth a read but could have been more logically laid out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 24, 2023
Rewilding the wolves
This is a fascinating story of the wolves that were restored to the ecosystem the American Northwest. In 1995, after years of planning, a team of experts carefully relocated fourteen wolves from the Canadian Rockies to the Yellowstone National Park. The final result was wolves’ population grew and spread to the State of Washington. The news of their resurgence provoked reactions. For scientists, wolves represented a singular opportunity to observe, in real time, the consequences of a long-absent predator returning to an ecosystem. For activists, the return of wolves was a clarion call for conservation. For some ranchers and farmers, wolves became a prime example of government overreach, an attack on their values and way of life. For journalists, like Eli Francovich, who works for a newspaper in Spokane, Washington, this was the opportunity of a lifetime for investigative reporting.
The author was familiar with the story of Daniel Curry, a range rider who’s a job requires him to spend most of the year in the woods trying to keep wolves from killing cattle, and cattle from wandering into the mouths of wolves. The author details his experiences of working with Curry and how his efforts are balancing the wolf problem particularly in the State of Washington. The primary tension underlying the wolf wars is one that's common to all human-nonhuman relationships, the problem of coexistence. Do we have the will and wisdom to coexist with animals?
The reintroduction of wolves has fueled debates about the wolf's role in ecological rewilding and for the restoration of biodiversity. In today's fraught political climate, Eli Francovich’s captivating storytelling is peppered with fascinating insights into the human-wolf relationship.
This is a fascinating story of the wolves that were restored to the ecosystem the American Northwest. In 1995, after years of planning, a team of experts carefully relocated fourteen wolves from the Canadian Rockies to the Yellowstone National Park. The final result was wolves’ population grew and spread to the State of Washington. The news of their resurgence provoked reactions. For scientists, wolves represented a singular opportunity to observe, in real time, the consequences of a long-absent predator returning to an ecosystem. For activists, the return of wolves was a clarion call for conservation. For some ranchers and farmers, wolves became a prime example of government overreach, an attack on their values and way of life. For journalists, like Eli Francovich, who works for a newspaper in Spokane, Washington, this was the opportunity of a lifetime for investigative reporting.
The author was familiar with the story of Daniel Curry, a range rider who’s a job requires him to spend most of the year in the woods trying to keep wolves from killing cattle, and cattle from wandering into the mouths of wolves. The author details his experiences of working with Curry and how his efforts are balancing the wolf problem particularly in the State of Washington. The primary tension underlying the wolf wars is one that's common to all human-nonhuman relationships, the problem of coexistence. Do we have the will and wisdom to coexist with animals?
The reintroduction of wolves has fueled debates about the wolf's role in ecological rewilding and for the restoration of biodiversity. In today's fraught political climate, Eli Francovich’s captivating storytelling is peppered with fascinating insights into the human-wolf relationship.
November 26, 2023
I just finished reading The Return of Wolves: An Iconic Predator’s Struggle to Survive in the American West by Eli Francovich. This subject has always been a favorite of mine. I will give it four stars, with, as usual, my quibbles. The foremost quibble would be the end, where the author seems to hint at almost a mystical relationship among wolves, their prey and humans. The best part is his rare recognition that wolves are not an unmixed blessing to the wild.
The author focuses on eastern Washington State, an interesting amalgam of a conservative, anti-wolf minority ensconced in a deeply liberal, urban-dominated state. One of the original points he makes is that wolves may never have been as abundant as mythologized. After American Indian populations were severely reduced by epidemics of smallpox and other diseases, buffalo and wolf populations apparently had a temporary explosion, terminated by the spread of white man through the Plains and mountains to the West. While the goal of the National Park system is to "restore" nature to pre-settlement conditions, an important qualifier is that American Indians kept prey and thus wolf populations in check. The author discusses and almost advocates a system of "range-riding" on horseback to keep livestock depredations to a minimum, but at some point hints that it may be susceptible to fraud, or not scalable to widespread use.
The book, ultimately, taught me a lot but left me confused.
The author focuses on eastern Washington State, an interesting amalgam of a conservative, anti-wolf minority ensconced in a deeply liberal, urban-dominated state. One of the original points he makes is that wolves may never have been as abundant as mythologized. After American Indian populations were severely reduced by epidemics of smallpox and other diseases, buffalo and wolf populations apparently had a temporary explosion, terminated by the spread of white man through the Plains and mountains to the West. While the goal of the National Park system is to "restore" nature to pre-settlement conditions, an important qualifier is that American Indians kept prey and thus wolf populations in check. The author discusses and almost advocates a system of "range-riding" on horseback to keep livestock depredations to a minimum, but at some point hints that it may be susceptible to fraud, or not scalable to widespread use.
The book, ultimately, taught me a lot but left me confused.
June 7, 2023
I found this to be a fascinating book! I grew up in Wisconsin in the 1960's, and spent my childhood fishing and hunting there. After I retired, I followed my wife to Seattle for her career, and live there now. As I spend a lot of time in Eastern Washington fly fishing, I get to witness the "war" between the Seattle urbanites against the Eastern Washington farmers and ranchers over the subject of wolves. The urbanites have a vision of wolves as very noble, almost magical creatures who can do no wrong. The ranchers view wolves as bloodthirsty creatures ruining their livelihoods. And the conservation department is caught in the middle!
The author does an excellent job of examining both sides of the "war", without any perceived bias or opinion. Very well researched and written, and easily readable.
It reminds me of back in Wisconsin, when the Native Americans decided to exercise their rights to harvest walleyes by spearing. I remember my father, as a deputy sheriff, being sent to Northern Wisconsin to stand guard between the Natives and the local fishermen. Tensions were very high, and thankfully did not erupt into an actual "shooting war". I hope the same will happen here in Washington with the wolves. Both sides need to communicate and meet somewhere in the middle. Hopefully this book might help!
The author does an excellent job of examining both sides of the "war", without any perceived bias or opinion. Very well researched and written, and easily readable.
It reminds me of back in Wisconsin, when the Native Americans decided to exercise their rights to harvest walleyes by spearing. I remember my father, as a deputy sheriff, being sent to Northern Wisconsin to stand guard between the Natives and the local fishermen. Tensions were very high, and thankfully did not erupt into an actual "shooting war". I hope the same will happen here in Washington with the wolves. Both sides need to communicate and meet somewhere in the middle. Hopefully this book might help!
July 14, 2023
Really interesting and mostly well-written book.
Since wolves are also a hot topic here these days, it was interesting to hear some of the debate about it in the US. The idea of range riding was quite interesting, and Daniel Curry certainly made it seem like a fascinating and honorable job as well as how he was able to be a kind of thread running through the whole book.
Not sure exactly how well-founded in science it was, but the author did a good job of (at least sometimes) being clear when his sources were unpublished or debated.
There was one really weird section that should've been cut about some rando who "according to his mom" was bright and clever and good and had such a big future ahead of him when he decided to "go off grid" one winter and died. Interestingly every single action of his that we hear about where those of a complete dumbass. Didn't feel relevant at all since it was "eh, maybe?" if he actually died due to a wolf attack. But his mom thought so.
Since wolves are also a hot topic here these days, it was interesting to hear some of the debate about it in the US. The idea of range riding was quite interesting, and Daniel Curry certainly made it seem like a fascinating and honorable job as well as how he was able to be a kind of thread running through the whole book.
Not sure exactly how well-founded in science it was, but the author did a good job of (at least sometimes) being clear when his sources were unpublished or debated.
There was one really weird section that should've been cut about some rando who "according to his mom" was bright and clever and good and had such a big future ahead of him when he decided to "go off grid" one winter and died. Interestingly every single action of his that we hear about where those of a complete dumbass. Didn't feel relevant at all since it was "eh, maybe?" if he actually died due to a wolf attack. But his mom thought so.
December 28, 2024
Gray wolves have long been vilified in the American culture to the extent that they became an endangered species. This is a story of the beginning of the wolves' comeback after being introduced by conservationists in Yellowstone Park. However, not everyone is on board with the return of wolves. Ranchers remain unsure about their presence. But the author balances his story by trying to tell both sides of the issue. He is relatively successful. I learned a lot about the American West and the farmers and ranchers who depend on the land to make a living. I would have liked to learn more about wolves, but maybe that's a different story altogether.
November 27, 2022
This is a contemplative non-fiction that follows a range rider, whose job it is to reduce incidents of wolves preying on cattle and the tensions between ranchers and conservationists. This is an important topic and it is thoughtfully addressed on these pages. However, I wanted this book to be more direct. I found the storytelling hard to follow because it went back and forth in time and between information and anecdotes. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in return for my honest opinion.
September 24, 2023
3.5 rounded up. Picked this up not thinking too much about it but ended up enjoying it quite a bit. I learned some things and felt the author handled the nuances of this complicated issue. Some asides I thought were a bit unnecessary or not fully explained but it's hard to encompass such a complicated situation. This mainly focused on wolf expansion in Washington and the ending was open ended as the future of this is still unknown. Recommend to anyone interested in this or wildlife/human conflicts in general.
May 23, 2023
I've read a lot of books on this topic. I can't understand why the cattle ranchers don't look after their business inventory themselves. They should be out range riding rather than expecting the government to do it for them. Since the human species is spreading like cancer you can expect we are going to have to figure out a way to coexist with the other species. Like a virus, do we really want to kill our host which will kill ourselves?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 2, 2023
The author did a good job of presenting many different viewpoints. Also, the historical information that was provided helped me to gain insight into how different people developed their views of the issues associated with living with wolves. As a Colorado resident, where wolves are being reintroduced, I think many of my neighbors would benefit from reading this book.
August 31, 2023
Author is a friend of Kaitlin's and he wrote this book about the wolf troubles in eastern Washington. I can see both sides of the issue, I will always be soft hearted and want to support the wolf return and with it the profession of "Range Riding" by professional cowboys!
Easy read, just such a political issue for decades.
Easy read, just such a political issue for decades.
October 28, 2023
Even when you know everything is *political*, sometimes you fail to realize how political a rather small thing CAN BE. Next to water rights in the American West - I think wolves are next as to “most political” natural resource topic. Great listen! Great building up of the background of the native wolf’s interaction with humans.
September 27, 2024
This was an interesting exploration of wolf politics, and it definitely made me think about different aspects of the topic. I wish that there had more time dedicated to talking about the natural history of wolves and less about the individual people.
March 10, 2023
Fair, balanced, and nuanced take on wolf conservation.
May 30, 2023
Very engaging book. Interesting facts and varying perspectives are presented clearly, but no real solutions.
July 4, 2023
I supposed this book is exactly what you think it is. I did not realize this book was going to be of a slightly political nature. All at all there was a lot of good information if a little bit dry.
September 28, 2023
Still waiting on my religious experience with a wolf. Staring me down and all before trotting away.
January 14, 2024
Short enough to be a long essay, this covers the issues from a variety of perspectives, which I appreciate.
February 17, 2024
Reads like a book length newspaper article—in a good way.
July 18, 2025
Interesting topic with some good research. Honestly thought that he could have included more indigenous perspective since he references how they acted.
August 4, 2023
Evenhanded examination of the clash of two myths in Washington state. The first is the Garden of Eden that espouses a pre-human paradise, Nature in a state of static perfection. The second believes that small time cattle ranching can be a viable business. Neither is true and neither will prevail. Ah, Reality, you are a cruel mistress.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews