Livestock owners are fucking lazy and stupid for the most part when it comes to wolves. Wolves are dogs, we know how to deal with dogs. They do the bare minimum to ensure their livestock is 'healthy' and alive long enough to get to the feedlot. Then, to prevent from having to tend their animals, they blame wild game and predators for spreading the diseases their livestock spreads, and slaughter them whole sale. When there's not enough food, the wolves wonder from their established territory and the ranchers kill them. Or, they don't even have to wait for food to be scarce, the owners put out lures and traps and kill them saying "They were on my land, hur dur hur."

You factor in acceptable losses to keep a herd healthy and keep up vigilant measures to protect them, only going after predators when the numbers are too low.