Video Posted by Life on the Range on YouTube.com
Part 4 of the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission wolf series focuses on the unforeseen impacts caused by wolves in Idaho.
The Life on the Range video crew learned about unexpected things like cows attacking herding dogs after being spooked by wolves, reduced weight gains by lambs and calves in wolf country, reduced pregnancy rates, mother cows getting killed by wolves, sometimes with no outside bite marks, elk hanging out in private ranchland meadows, seeing those places as a safe zone from wolves, a higher percentage of calves and lambs killed on public lands than expected, and more.
An Oregon State University study also documented that cattle repeatedly spooked by wolves can get Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, the same malady suffered by American combat veterans. A cattle-wolf interaction study documented 783 encounters in a single summer using GPS collars on wolves and cattle. Watch the video to see the details. It’s unclear how many ranchers in Idaho have been impacted by these issues because no research has been done on that question. About 435 ranchers in Idaho have been impacted by direct wolf predation, so it is likely that those producers have experienced some of the unforeseen issues as well.
S.S.S.
Wolves are very simply one of the Devil’s most efficient killing and maiming machines.
People actually had that figured out with govt Paid bounties for dead wolves.
Bounties were paid for decades to rid the USA of wolves.
And the afore did help to get some control over the vicious wolves.
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2 bad our liberal govt does not reintroduce the darn wolves into areas of human bunnyhuggers,
Then they All might get smarter… Including our govt.
In the meantime, IF you see a wolf or Wolf sign… Kill Every Wolf.
Elk use my meadows to stash their calves in riparian areas. I use guard dogs and am an active presence. I have learned to live with wolves. But I will never adjust to the impact they have on our elk and moose populations. I’ve always loved the babies and to see very few make it past the first year of life is sobering.
We have had calves dissapear. I am dreading the day when I cant gather cattle with my border collies because of wolf harrassment. But living on the western boundary of Yellowstone I’m proud of being resilient and responsible for making our situation work.
Here, there’s a ranch rule that anything that resembles a wild dog on Your operation simply is done away with.
I simply won’t tolerate danger of predators anywhere. On collared stuff…. Just Bernzamatic fry the collar.
And , keep in mind, bait also is perhaps more effective ( non detectable ) than lead.
If a predator harms an outsider ( hiker, fisherman, tourist, birdwatcher ) on your place you Are liable for their safety.
Soo get w it on killing Every harmful predator, like wolves.