Posted on 03/17/2006 8:07:04 PM PST by george76
Wolves, wolf-hybrids suspected culprits in bloody predations...
his herd of 700 sheep.
But something had gotten there before him. Everywhere he looked, it seemed, there was a sheep that had been attacked and bloodied.
"It was terrible," he said. "Some of them just had a chunk of flesh tore out, in some cases clear to the bone, the size of an orange.
A few were bit in the neck."
A few of the sheep could be doctored, but many of them died... of the 60 that were attacked, 21 died and 39 were injured.
On top of that, the percentage of ewes with twins dropped from a typical 45 to 55 percent to around 20 percent, which will mean a serious blow to his business.
"I think that trauma had a lot to do with it,"
That attack and five others...wolves...
"It's lambing and calving time," ...
"There are a lot of people that can't sleep nights because they're worried about their livestock."
Wildlife Services, the federal agency that's paid to deal with wild animals that cause trouble, has been looking for the culprit for weeks. Initially, investigators thought domestic dogs were to blame.
But after inspecting bite marks and kill patterns from attacks in February and March, they decided it was probably a wolf or wolf-hybrid.
The tracks, although small for a wolf, are too big for a coyote, Sime said.
A trapper for McCone County reported that he saw a wolf in the area last month but, because wolves are a federally protected species, he was not given authorization to shoot.
The sheep deaths have also reignited long-running opposition to the wolf reintroduction program in Yellowstone National Park 11 years ago and even prompted a few accusations that wolves had been transplanted secretly to Eastern Montana.
(Excerpt) Read more at billingsgazette.net ...
They'll being killing children before anything is done about it.
OH NO, NOT ANOTHER BROKEBACK THREAD...
Another chupacabra show guaranteed on coast-to-coast/Art Bell
Brokeback Mountaineers?
Those people are just catching up to us here in the east. We had to give up on raising sheep years ago. Our coyotes are 3 or 4 times as large as those puny western ones. Unless you keep the sheep right under the porch or have a guard dog with them, the coyotes will wipe you out.
The investigative journalist will have an eye witness that'll say it looked like some kind of conspiracy with a government agency.
It's causing Bird Flu and it's Bush's fault!
</pyschotic episode>
"Guns prevent Predation. Any Questions? No? Good. On to Chapter two...."
These eco-terrorist with their wolf, coyote, and bear releases will be the end for many a family farmer and family rancher.
You rang? Sorry it took us so long, we were kinda "busy"...
No mention of any type of sheep dog , donkey, llama or other kind of protection being used with the sheep. I believe a rancher has a right to protect his livestock, but I think they should at least try preemptive measures.
**There is no arguing with this cowboy logic.**
** A few years ago, the Sierra Club and the US Forest Service were
presenting an alternative to Wyoming ranchers for controlling the
coyote population. It seems that after years of the ranchers using
the tried and true methods of shooting and/or trapping the
predator, the tree-huggers had a "more humane" solution. **
**What they proposed was for the animals to be captured alive, the
males castrated and let loose again and the population would be
controlled. This was ACTUALLY proposed to the Wyoming Wool and Sheep**
** Grower's Association by the Sierra Club and the USFS. All of the
ranchers thought about this amazing idea for a couple of minutes. **
** **
**Finally, an old boy in the back stood up, tipped his hat back and
said, "Son, I don't think you understand the problem. Those coyotes
ain't *uckin' our sheep - they're eatin' 'em."**
"Say, I've found a perfect spot to catch us a bear."
"How can you be sure?"
"I saw a sign that said Fine for Hunting."
Soitenly!!
Many ranchers do not go out of their homes unarmed.
They do not let the kids go out and play in their yards, unsupervised.
And no one goes out at night.
Not just wolf packs, but also bears, mountain lions...
Ted Turner should be tarred and feathered.
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