The notion that killing wolves is a solution to their “problems” is ridiculous. We know that it is wrong. Science proves it is not effective. What has been considered “management” is making matters worse for livestock producers. Nonlethal methods do work and coexistence is key!
Local ranchers wanted to know more about fighting back against wolves and less about coexisting with them during a seminar Wednesday about wolves and livestock.
Hosted at the Klamath County Fairgrounds, the event was meant to educate residents about nonlethal wolf deterrents and how the predators impact the health and behavior of livestock.
The seminar was organized by OSU’s Klamath Basin Research and Extension Center to highlight increasing wolf populations in and around Klamath County. Featured were speakers from Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and OSU Wallowa County Extension Service.
When asked how many wolves it will take to delist the species in Southern Oregon, Elizabeth Willy, with U.S. Fish and Wildlife, said there is no specific number and rather the matter is left to the discretion of federal regulators. She said an attempt was made in 2013 to delist gray wolves after reevaluating their populations, however these attempts were challenged and subsequently defeated in court.
“We’re trying to figure out — in headquarters they’re trying to figure out what the next steps are to move forward with evaluating the population status of wolves,” she said.
Tom Collom, with Oregon Fish and Wildlife, said federal delisting would not automatically mean ranchers could cull wolves. He said the state would still manage wolf populations and, in areas where wolf packs are currently numerous, Oregon is allowing kills only in instances of chronic depredations.
Collom said future wolf management policy could allowed limited takes but no such policy is being considered right now.
This news was frustrating for residents who believe they are being forced to live with wolves by policymakers who have no understanding of or investment in livestock production. Suzy Watkins, of Chiloquin, asked, if wolves will someday reach a population level where they can be culled, then why not start killing them now when wolves are already a threat?
Watkins posed this issue to Willy when she asked why wolves were reintroduced to the U.S. to begin with. Willy said it was the result of programs created through the Endangered Species Act allowing for repopulation programs.
“The point is to reintroduce those animals back into the landscape,” said Willy.
When Watkins asked why specifically wolves were reintroduced, Willy said she had already answered the question.
Deterrents do work
Despite frustration from ranchers who think it is time to start culling wolves, all three speakers said nonlethal deterrents are still effective and should be employed by livestock producers. Such methods include the proactive removal of attractants like carcasses and sick animals, the use of electrified fencing and fladry, or lines of rope with colored flags, livestock protection dogs, and devices that alarm or scare the wolves.
“All of these nonlethal measures can be used and are effective,” said Willy.
“I don’t think you can hear that enough,” said Collom of nonlethal deterrents. “They can and do work.”
Collom added there has not been a direct connection between rising wolf populations and the number of wolf kills and said this is a direct result of nonlethal deterrence.
Williams said it is important to alternate nonlethal deterrent methods after several months as wolves are intelligent and, after six or seven months, may learn to get around a particular barrier.
“Wolves are really, really, really smart,” he said. “In my mind they’re some of the smartest animals out there.”
The take-away
Following the seminar, Watkins said she is still frustrated local ranchers are being forced to live with wolves when the animal’s population is thriving in other areas.
“There are enough wolves in other states to keep them going for a million years,” she said.
Colleen Rambo-Garrett, who raises miniature donkeys on Harpold Road, said bringing wolves back has caused more damage than allowing them to remain extinct locally.
“It’s foolhardy to be reintroducing the wolf to a place where they haven’t been native for more than 100 years.”
Despite continuing frustration among ranchers, Ian McGregor, livestock and irrigation agent for the Klamath Basin Research Extension Service, said he believed the information shared during the seminar was beneficial.
“I certainly learned a lot from these presentations and I think it was great,” he said.
Looking forward
McGregor said he was astonished by the athleticism of wolves, particularly one example shared by Williams of a collared wolf that traveled 12 miles in one day. He also said he would encourage ranchers to act on the information shared about nonlethal deterrents.
“The nonlethal strategies have been debated but I think its 100 percent worth trying for producers so even if it does work at least you can say you tried it,” he said.
McGregor said it is likely such seminars will be held in the future as wolf populations in Klamath County are expected to continue increasing.
“In the future handful of years, we will be accumulating some more wolves in the county so I think it’s good to have events like these to know how we can legally manage the wolves and minimize the risk,” said McGregor.
OR-54, daughter of OR-7 was collared on Oct. 3, 2017. The wolf was last reported to have traveled to Northern California and returned to Jackson County in February.
Full article: https://www.heraldandnews.com/news/when-can-we-kill-wolves/article_eed956e2-431f-5a6f-8b7c-35ac98ec12e7.html
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Mankind isn’t alive, well and safe from disease epidemics because of a few pieces of silver and the hooved locust, an immense planet Earth killer, unnaturally devouring immense portions of America’s wild, natural ecosystems, all the reasons mankind is alive, has oxygen, water and good health. Only all wild, native species are the creators and saviors of all ecosystems, and the wolf, alone, is the salvation of Earth’s ecosystems as the wolf is the salvation of Earth’s flora and fauna or Earth’s trees, plants and animal biological diversity and bio means, “life”. When they reintroduced wolves back to the Yellowstone ecosystem, “Wolves restored this ecosystem from top to bottom”. American scientist With the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone, four trees not witnessed in seventy years re-appeared, and with more trees, the food, habitats, nurseries and life-support for all wild, native species or biological diversity and bio means, “life”, more and more biological diversity returned home to Yellowstone. Before wolves came back home, Yellowstone had only one beaver colony; today, because of wolves, they have ten. More and more streams shaded by trees, provided more fish in the healthier streams and rivers. With wolves, today, Yellowstone has more elk, not fewer, as wolves weed-out the sick and diseased ungulates. With wolf left-overs, countless species are fed healthier and better, like scavengers, wolverines and badgers. With more trees with berries, more bears came back home. Yes, wolves restored the Yellowstone ecosystem from top to bottom. And, wolves restore planet Earth from top to bottom as well!