RANGE RIDER [DOCUMENTARY | 29 MINUTES]

As wolves repopulate Washington State, conflict is heating up with rural ranching communities. Range rider Daniel Curry's job is to patrol wild areas on horseback, creating a buffer between wolves and the cattle herds that graze on public lands. When these wild carnivores are suspected of killing livestock, the consequences for packs can be fatal. As illegal poaching and state sponsored kills take their toll, can Daniel prove that coexistence between ranchers and wolves is possible?

Directors statement

The last wolf pack was killed in Washington in the 1930's. But since 2008, wolves have been repopulating the eastern portion of the state. While many see this as a success, some rural communities are less enthused. Wolves are skilled carnivores and cows are an easy meal. Over the course of three years, I embedded in the field with ranchers to document examples of conflict and co-existence with wolves. It was clear to me that range rider Daniel Curry broke all the stereotypes of the traditional cowboy. He has a love of all animals that has pulled him into the heart of the contentious battle between wolf advocates and ranchers. Daniel's fierce idealism has made him the target of animosity and threats in his own community.

My affinity for wildlife drew me to this story but it felt critical to take a balanced approach. I grew up on a dirt road in Vermont and watched three of our neighbors' dairy farms go out of business over a decade. Ranchers face real threats in continuing to run their family businesses and wolves present new challenges. The solution to this conflict is often presented as a black and white choice between removing either cows or wolves from the landscape. I admire Daniel Curry's complex relationship with both wildlife and ranchers and his desire to find a middle path.

Documenting this story was difficult and the journalistic process was often intimidating, including dozen's of cold calls, weeks living out of my car, hair-raising winter drives to remote homesteads, and all the uncertainty that comes with an independent, shoestring production. "Range Rider" offers a perspective on rural America that is often missing in mainstream media. While there was certainly polarization, I witnessed numerous examples of ranchers and conservationists willing to work together to find ways to co-exist with wolves. Despite our politics, I saw that it's still possible to build relationships across differences in order to tackle the most important issues facing our communities. 

Still photography by Natalie Rhea, Oliver Sutro & Colin Arisman

Range Rider was produced with the support of a generous grant from Peak Design and distributed by Patagonia Films.