Posted on 07/28/2018 5:33:15 AM PDT by reaganaut1
When the Trump administration announced a plan last week to overhaul the Endangered Species Act, the frantic reactions were illustrated with pictures of humpback whales and baby bald eagles. But a much better way to understand what Republicans have in mind is to consider Wisconsin’s wolf problem.
Paul and Judy Canik raise bighorn and hair sheep near the small town of Butternut. Their herd has grown to about 400, each sheep worth around $1,500. Guarding the prized flock are nine Spanish mastiffs, worth $2,500 apiece. While checking on their animals two years ago, the Caniks found that 17 pregnant ewes and one dog had been killed by wolves. All that remained of the dog was its skull. This was the second mastiff wolves had eaten on their property. Last fall on the nearby farm of Daniel and Kathy Postical, wolves killed three angus beef calves.
The Caniks “worry all the time” and count their sheep every day. “There’s a place for wolves, but not here on the farms,” says Ms. Canik. “In summers like this with the windows open I can’t sleep when I hear the dogs barking.”
Since gray wolves in Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota are protected under the Endangered Species Act, farmers are forbidden to shoot the predators that devour their livestock. The penalty for “knowingly violating” the law can reach $50,000 and a year in prison. But after decades of federal protection, the wolves have more than rebounded.
In 2011 the Fish and Wildlife Service determined that the wolves had recovered sufficiently in the Great Lakes region and could be delisted. For a short time, states like Wisconsin gained the authority to manage their wolf populations. But in 2014 a federal court put the wolves back under protection.
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
Good to know the Trump administration is going to review and revise the Endangered Species Act. The leftists will howl loudly - evidently they already are. But the ESA is out of control. An understatement.
The sheep herders need to trade their mastiffs for Kangals and fit them with spiked collars.
Very good. This is important.
I was talking with a local (NC) farmer this week about his “guard donkeys”. Many cattle farmers in the area have these “guard donkeys” to protect their herds from coyotes and feral dogs.
He said that the donkeys do an awesome job of protecting the herd. They’ll “eat anything”, so they are cheap to feed. His three provide complete protection for his dairy cattle.
They removed those pesky Canadian Geese back in 2011 - but it sure took them long enough.
Declare the wolves to be "illegal aliens" so Wisconsin can just ignore the federal laws.
Hopefully he’ll remove the damn cormorants from protection by the Migratory Birds Act. In 2016 environmentalists successfully got a judge to prevent our Michigan DNR from controlling their nesting sites.......All they can do now is “observe”.
I used to raise sheep in Wisconsin. Eagles were the nastiest predator. Eagles swoop down and peck out the eyes. The eagle then tears strips of flesh from the back and hind legs. The sheep eventually dies from sepsis and shock. Then the eagle starts on another.
When we used to have horses we also had a single gelded miniature donkey. When we got him I didn’t know how good of a guard he would be. We kept him in the paddock with the horses. From time to time stray dogs and coyotes would spook the horses. It was really funny to see these big horses running away from the dogs, but Joey (the little donkey) kicked the crap out of them. It wasn’t unusual to find a badly injured or dead dog or coyote in the pasture, Joey’s handiwork.
The damn things have been seen in Northern Illinois.
Some clients of mine once told me that their donkey murdered one of their goats and tossed it in a ditch. In fact the donkey unmatched the goats stall and let it out then when the goat went out in the pasture he killed it.
Wolves...other than a grizzly or brown bear, they have no predators. They breed and quickly get out of control.
No different than the hog and coyote problems in the Southeast. No predators to keep the numbers down, they’re everywhere.
And, unlike hogs and coyotes, wolves are some smart and cunning mofo’s.
two years ago they checked on herd and.....
the problem’s been going on for more than 2 years. There are always ways to do what you should in any situation, these owners can get more creative not just fault the govt/laws.
The donkey killed the goat.
I don’t think the word murder applies but to humans.
There are a few of those around me in southern Indiana. Those who do swear by them.
Kill the wolves that hang around human activity.
Don’t kill the ones that stay away.
Both.
They’ll evolve.
You forgot the suppressor on the rifle.
YEP!
GOOD DOG!
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