Free: Contests & Raffles.
state employee or a contracted private outfit? I don't think I could be for larger government.
Range riding in Washington — filed under: ranchlands, Washington's wolves Range riding is a powerful tool protecting livestock and wolves. Conservation Northwest and WA Department of Fish and Wildlife and a local rancher in 2012 established a pilot range rider project in northeastern Washington. Dawson Ranch, courtesy Inland NW Land Trust Dawson Ranch, courtesy Inland NW Land Trust From the fall 2012 edition of the Conservation Northwest quarterlyby Jay Kehne, Outreach associate, OmakWhen cattle ranchers John and Jeff Dawson turned their cattle out in the summer of 2011 to graze on their Colville National Forest allotment, they knew that the recently discovered Smackout Pack of wolves might cause them some problems. It was the Dawsons who actually first discovered the pack and reported it to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife with good intentions of doing what was right for both their cattle and the wolves.But these wolves turned out to be very wary, and the agency’s efforts to trap and collar them was at first unsuccessful. Having a collar on even one member of a wolf pack gives biologists and ranchers hope that by knowing where the wolves are in relation to cattle, “incidents” can be kept to a minimum. With the Smackout Pack avoiding all trapping locations, the Dawsons just had to hope that this pack would not start to consider calves as prey....When wolves and cattle overlap Wolves typically hunt by testing, or pushing, a herd of animals to run, and then singling out the weakest, youngest, or oldest animals to kill. As one Alberta rancher put it, “if a calf or yearling runs when pressed by a wolf pack... they die.” Yet recent efforts by groups of ranchers in places like Alberta, Montana, and Idaho show a solution. Having a human, especially one on horseback, in and around a rancher’s cattle for the entire grazing season can lower wolf/cattle incidents. It helps calm cattle and disrupts wolves hunting patterns. This practice is called “range riding” and after the first grazing season’s losses the Dawsons were willing to give it a try....Read more, pages 6-7More on non-lethal methods at work
After Confirming Wolf-Calf Attack In Wedge, WDFW To Focus On Minimizing RepeatBy Andy Walgamott, on July 25th, 2013WDFW won’t reappraise another recent depredation at a nearby ranch in the Wedge, but staffers will be working closely with a livestock operator who earlier this week lost a 100-pound, 1-month-old calf after a confirmed wolf attack.“Because a wolf did this one doesn’t mean a wolf did that one,” said the agency’s Steve Pozzanghera in Spokane early this afternoon.The other incident involved a less-than-24-hours-old calf that was basically eaten down to the spine and head. It was owned by the McIrvins of the Diamond M who believe a wolf grabbed it out of its enclosure. They questioned WDFW’s findings that it couldn’t be confirmed as a wolf. Both wolves and coyotes prey on calves and there was sign of both species in the area, Pozzanghera says.For the time being, WDFW will focus on minimizing the chances of another attack on the second rancher’s stock.A WDFW-contracted range rider is now patrolling the private pasture near McKinley Mt. just southeast of the tiny border crossing of Laurier where the attack occurred and 50 cow-calf pairs are grazing, and Pozzanghera says other horsemen and able-bodied volunteers will be put into the woods there to establish more human presence.“We believe this is a single wolf,” he said.It’s unclear if it is one of the two that were seen here just six short weeks after WDFW took out six members of the Wedge Pack last September for repeated depredations, or if it’s a transient animal. Unlike last summer when a WDFW trapper captured and attached a GPS device on the Wedge alpha male, no wolves in this country are currently collared.If any good came out of last summer, it’s that state biologists, game wardens as well as county deputies got a lot of first-hand lessons about what a wolf attack looks like while dealing with over a dozen injured or killed calves and cows owned by Diamond M.Speaking to this week’s depredation and what signs made it a confirmed attack, Pozzanghera said, “It’s the severity of the muscle damage of the injuries. You quickly rule out coyote to be able to inflict that level of damage.”The calf, which survived the attack but later died, also bore the classic hallmarks of a wolf attack — bite and claw marks in certain parts of the hide.“Compare all that to last year and this is in the wheelhouse of wolf attacks,” Pozzanghera said.WDFW’s depredation report reads:Classification justification: Significant traumatic injuries consistent in location and severity with wolf attacks confirmed in same area in 2012 grazing season. Orientation and location of injuries not consistent with predator signatures of bear or felid species. Injuries severe enough to exclude coyote predation.IMAGE AND COMMENT FROM WDFW INVESTIGATION INTO CALF DEPREDATION IN THE WEDGE. (WDFW)IMAGE AND COMMENT FROM WDFW INVESTIGATION INTO CALF DEPREDATION IN THE WEDGE. (WDFW)wedge 3IMAGE AND COMMENT FROM WDFW INVESTIGATION INTO CALF DEPREDATION IN THE WEDGE. (WDFW)wedge 1IMAGE AND COMMENT FROM WDFW INVESTIGATION INTO CALF DEPREDATION IN THE WEDGE. (WDFW)wedge depIMAGE AND COMMENT FROM WDFW INVESTIGATION INTO CALF DEPREDATION IN THE WEDGE. (WDFW)The operator, whose identity is being protected but who is a neighbor to the McIrvins (who we overheard were getting as many as 150 nasty calls a day last summer) and had a wolf in his calving pen in late winter 2012, is eligible for compensation. If requested, WDFW staffers could help him file a claim.He’ll probably take up the offer of extra eyes in the woods faster. The depredation may have been the end result of some recent unusual cattle behavior. From WDFW’s report:Additional comments or notes: Owner informed investigators that his cattle broke out of the allotment and private ground boundary fence and came to the ranch on Saturday, July 20th. While fixing the fence from the cattle break out, owners heard a single wolf howl at 4:55 PM on Monday, July 22nd. The howl came from the east and up the slope of McKinley Mt. owner also informed investigators he lost 12 calves in 2012 instead of the usual 1-2 over the years.For the time being, a state wolf hunt is off the table, Pozzanghera says.“While this is a significant hit to a small operator, this event does not trigger lethal removal,” he said.Instead, they will monitor the area for sign and hope for an opportunity to capture the wolf and collar it.Last October, as state wolf managers briefed the Fish & Wildlife Commission and a large public audience on the Wedge action, we reported:WDFW knows it needs to increase the use of nonlethal tools earlier in conflicts, [Dave Ware, Game Division manager] acknowledges.Then he says that lethal removals may need to be implemented earlier on if other measures don’t work.One thing they’ve learned this summer is the need to reduce the food needs of the pack, he says.
WHY SCCA IS OPPOSED TO WDFW MANAGEMENT CONTRACTS AND CONCERNS ABOUT NON-LETHAL METHODSPosted on November 29, 2012 by stevenscountycattlemen ImageNon-lethal methods are limited in their effectiveness. The effectiveness of non-lethal deterrents is limited in its ability to deter wolves on all levels. Cattlemen we talked to in Wallowa County in Oregon had the following feedback regarding non-lethal the methods they used:Fladry: Wolves have killed cattle both within and without fladry fencing. The largest area fencing can cover is 40 acres. Trampling of calves and smaller cattle within small fladry corrals is common.Range Rider program: The Range Riders are often good at finding dead cattle, but not at preventing attacks. A range rider may be effective for a limited time depending on the factors of terrain, the available GPS collar data and road access. The program is also cost prohibitive. At $22,000 per range rider (roughly $100 a cow in a recent test case), the total cost to protect Stevens County’s 23,000 head would be $2.3 million annually. For the region, the cost would be $7.5 million.Rag boxes: Rag boxes only go off when the wolf is within a certain proximity and essentially within a straight line of the box. In uneven terrain, it can be difficult to get enough coverage with the boxes to be effective.Guard dogs: Are impractical for cattle which don’t bunch up at night like sheep. Cows are also unlikely to be comfortable with the presence of a dog after being harassed by wolves.
It didn’t take Washington WDFW long to act like every other state fish and game agency, where wolves call home. They’re targeting the entire Wedge Pack of 8-11 wolves, including the pups, for death, over a few cow losses, cows that are grazing on THE AMERICAN PEOPLE’S PUBLIC LAND!!Here’s a message to subsidized, welfare ranchers. GET YOUR FRIGGIN COWS OFF OUR PUBLIC LAND! You are the problem, not the wolves. If you don’t like wolves, then round-up your cows and put them in a secure enclosure ON YOUR LAND with an electric fence. fladry, range riders and whatever else you have to do to protect your investment. It’s not the American people’s job to subsidize your poor animal husbandry practices.
I know the person who was hired in my area to pilot this program and I can tell you that he is a friend of the cattlemen and not some hippy from the city. I haven't talked with him much in the last couple of month or so since the cattle were brought in
Poll
