“Have Silverton reimburse any farmer who loses one of his livestock to a predator the cost of that animal and there will be no need for the dogs.”
And, who exactly, picks up that tab?
In the Northern Rockies where Canadian wolves were introduced into National Forest land the feds and environmental groups have tried to force a ‘compensatory loss fund’ down the throats of the ranchers.
As I understand it the funds are donated by members of an enviro group called “Defenders of the Wolves,” and perhaps others. Claims to the fund are administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The problem, beyond the ranchers just being too independent and p.o.’d to use it, is that like anything from the government it is a bureaucratic mess.
Trying to get money out of them is like dealing with the IRS.
They will say the kill site has been disturbed by weather or cattle or something else, or they will say the track evidence isn’t sufficient, or the tracks are there but the bite marks aren’t right, whatever. On and on it goes.
Of course in this case we are almost always talking about wolf kills on PRIVATE land, which makes it all that much worse.
The city who wants to prevent the sheep raiser from using dogs to protect his sheep.......Sorry, I thought I made that clear.
How would you suggest this farmer protect his herd from grizzlies?