Confirmed wolf predations decline. Wolf Management in Wyoming. By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!
Confirmed livestock losses to wolves dropped by over 55% from 2006. 55 cattle (mostly calves) and 16 sheep we confirmed lost to wolves. For this 60 wolves were shot, mostly by Wildlife Services.
Of course there were some livestock killed, but not found, but we also have to assume that Wildlife Services did not cheat in counting the confirmed losses. The Wyoming wolf plan calls for paying sheep growers 700% the value of a lost sheep if it is a confirmed wolf kill. The justification is that there are 7 dead sheep for every one found. If this rate of unconfirmed loss was really true, Wyoming sheep operations would probably be the most sloppy on the planet. In fact, sheep are herded much more closely than cattle, and losses of sheep to predators are more likely, rather than less likely to be detected.
These are data then, about which the governor, state legislators and some of media act so hysterical.
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Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University with specialties in natural resource politics, public opinion, interest groups, political parties, voting and elections. Aside from academic publications, he is author or co-author of three hiking/backpacking guides, and he is President of the Western Watersheds Project.
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Such absurdity…! There’s NO WAY only 55 cattle and 16 sheep were killed by wolves in Wyoming in 2007. These numbers MUST be skewed. Everyone knows wolves are monstrous calf, cattle, lamb and sheep eating machines. We’re being lied to…!
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services? Hey, they’re the FEDS…! We can’t trust the FEDS….! Wait a minute. I think I hear Blackhawks approaching…
Nope. It was just Wildlife Services.
Something about having to shoot more maniacal, marauding, murderous wolves found on AMERICA’S public lands on behalf of PRIVATE livestock producers.
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Mack P. Bray
My opinions are my own
wildlifewatchers@bresnan.net
http://wildlifewatchers.jottit.com/
I am an avid reader of this site but I do not comment often.
That was pretty funny Mack.
No doubt one reason for the very generous multiplication formula proposed by the Wyoming G&F Department for compensation payments to ranchers for wolf depredations–7X–is due to the falling depredation numbers. Have to increase the per capita payments!
yeah…i just *loved* reading the part about wildlife services shooting the wolves…since when is shooting the only way to get a wolf into a safe environment?!?