Friday, December 24, 2010

USDA Blames Wolves - Questions as Livestock Losses Skyrocket

At the request of the Montana Cattlemen’s Association, the USDA Wildlife Services bureau recently released statistics that show a huge increase in the number of livestock killed by all of Montana’s major predators, from coyotes to black bears to wolves. But the report has drawn skeptics, including a former Wildlife Services supervisor who says the numbers are misleading and come at a pivotal time in wolf politics, with several bills circulating in Congress to remove the animal’s federal protections. John Steuber, Montana’s Wildlife Services director, blames wolves for the across-the-board depredation increases. His bureau investigates, documents and tries to prevent livestock attacks in Montana. He said wolves have hamstrung his agency by requiring too many resources and limiting what kinds of deterrents – such as a certain pesticide – can be used due to federal protections. The result, Steuber said, is that predators other than wolves now have more opportunities at livestock, which he said is reflected in the report. The report compares livestock depredations in 2006 to 2010, divided into categories of coyotes, wolves, grizzly bears, black bears, mountain lions, red foxes, ravens and eagles. Livestock animals are listed by type and quantity killed and injured. The findings are dramatic...more

1 comment:

D.M. McGowan said...

I would like to know the methods used to collect data quoted. Has it changed between '06 and '10?
Here in the Peace Country we lose mountains of feed to Mule and White Tail Deer and Elk (Wapiti). A few years ago, in an attempt to calm local ranchers Fish and WIldlife held a meeting to explain what they were doing. During this meeting they explained that there were no more than 5000 Mule Deer in the South Peace between Chetweynd and the Alberta border.
That same winter more than 500 were killed along one 15 mile stretch of highway that doesn't amount to 5% of the area mentioned in F&W's South Peace as origionally quoted.
It came out that they were checking populations with hellicopters.
In othere words, they had no idea how many deer were in the South Peace.
Dave
www.dmmcgowan.blogspot.com