Today I received an email from a person in Oregon who asked me about wolves and predators in general. The email reads as follows:
"Hello Pete,
My name is ............... and I am a small time farmer near Bend, Oregon. Lately there have been reports of wolves in the areas[sic] and I was wondering what you think of it and also I thought it would be nice to hear your opinion on how to prevent predators from eating livestock."
First of all let me say thank you for reading the blog. It hasn't been updated in a while (due to my dissertation deadlines and my visit abroad) but that will change. Also thank you for asking about preventing depredation. In my opinion it's important that we coexist with predators and prey.
Firstly let's talk about the wolves. OR-7's pack has now been named the Rogues pack and it consists of OR-7, his mate and at least three pups. Since it's wolf breeding season it would be wise to expect more wolves and pups. Secondly a lone wolf has been confirmed wandering around the southwest Cascade areas. Now I am not wise to U.S.A geography so I am unsure how close that is to you. Regardless, it is great news. The fact that wolves have spread so far in such a small amount of time is a great testament to the conservation work done in the U.S.A. Of course people work to delist wolves from the Endangered Species List but fingers crossed that won't work. Take pleasure on the fact that your wilderness is being occupied with animals that were extinct in that area before. Teach your friends and family about the benefits of having wolves around and if you happen to see one snap a picture for me please!
Now lets get down to the depredation prevention methods. There are a few basic methods which one can employ to prevent livestock from getting predated on.
1) Keep your livestock inside every night. Most predators are nocturnal or might choose to hunt during night if they are hungry. Leaving lifestock out at night makes it hard for you to monitor but also provides the predators which more vulnerable prey as the prey can't see as well as they do.
2) Get in touch with your local wildlife agency. Usually some animals are collared so the agency can let you know if they are close to the area where your livestock graze. You can then move the livestock or keep an eye for any predators.
3)Invest in a livestock guardian dog. Depending on your budget you can invest in guardians that will either warn you of predators, fend them off or herd the cattle in an event of predators near by. Just know that these dogs aren't cheap and some predators might attack them. Livestock guardians shouldn't be left unsupervised for a long time.
4) Electric fences and flandry. Electrifying your fence not only prevents predators from entering fenced areas it also conditions them to be wary of fences and teaches them to avoid your area. Flandry is essentially red stripes hanged from a fence that are effecting at deterring wolves from entering or testing fences. They are cheap and are effective for some predators but not all.
5)Carry a gun but fire a warning shot. Most animals will be deterred by a warning shot which would scare them away from your livestock. If you have to shoot the animal make sure you do not break any laws by shooting endangered species or unlicensed.
6) Learn the predators. Study their ecology and behavior. By shooting a wolf you may end up breaking a pack which may lead to more lone wolves and more depredation. By shooting a bear you may orphan cubs that may prey on your livestock.
7) Check for special government incentives. Usually the government or other NGOs offers subsidization for livestock depredation and compensation for expenses when applying non lethal depredation control. Check with your local organisations to see how they can help.Ranging from money to volunteer work, every little help that is provided is weight off your shoulders. Also it is work checking for predator friendly schemes at which your livestock can be sold for a premium price if you go 100% predator friendly.
It is important to educate yourself and your family as well as your neighbors.Communities that apply the same management regulations ensure that they peacefully co-exist with predators and enjoy the wilderness they bring with them.
