Living with Wolves: The cost to ranchers Play Video
Posted: Feb 16, 2010 8:10 AM
Updated: Feb 19, 2010 9:03 PM
There were 367 confirmed wolf kills in Montana in 2009, and there are at least six so far this year. But for one long-time cattleman near Drummond, the cost of wolves runs much deeper than an occasional cow carcass.
It's auction day on Ron Skinner's ranch in Hall, where fellow ranchers bought 174 of his cattle, but it's the money that got away that really hurts. "We had severe weight loss in calves that came out of wolf areas compared to calves where there are no wolves" Skinner explained.
Those heifer calves were an average of 97 pounds lighter than others and with the going rate of beef at 93 cents a pound, that's a $90.21 loss per animal. Then multiply that times 150 of them and that's a total loss of $13,531.
A more visually disturbing loss is wolf depredation according to Skinner. "I'm a purebred breeder. This was an embryo transplant heifer and she was worth a lot of money and we don't know what she would produce in her lifetime, but the compensation wasn't even close."
We came across a still-warm elk carcass on a nearby mountain, tangible evidence of perhaps Skinner's greatest problem. "The environmental damages and range management damages are worst than depredation" the rancher said.
Skinner leases this land to graze his cattle. But, he's not getting anywhere near his money's worth from it because wolves continually push the cattle off the grassy slopes, away from the feed, and back into over-grazed riparian areas below.
That forced him to buy 200 extra tons of hay this year, and Skinner says there are many other wolf-related effects on ranchers. There's stress, which can lead to lower pregnancy rates, young cattle that don't grade as high, extra manpower to monitor wolf activity, injury to livestock, damage to fences and danger to humans, like when wolves showed up in his corrals right next to his house driving the black bulls through the fence onto the highway at night.
"The first thing I did was get on the road with my flashers so somebody didn't get killed, and it will eventually happen" Skinner told us.
Despite the constant threat of wolves, Skinner carries on as a third generation Montana rancher with a wary eye on the future. "The real question is do you want ranchers to produce food for you? If we go through the economic pressures of wolves, some ranchers won't survive."
Wildlife officials killed off the 15-member Willow Creek wolf pack in 2008 after it continually preyed on sheep and cattle belonging to Hall ranchers. But, three new wolves returned this past summer, killing another calf and a heifer.
Barry at Feb 16th 2010 11:51 AM
So far your living with wolves series is excellent. It is important that the public knows the real truth. If you haven't done so yet please go to WWW.lobowatch.com and check out the website. I also urge you to contact "Toby Bridges" at wolfkill@lobowatch.com for a vast amount of researched information from the United States, Canada, Russia and I believe Finland and Sweeden.
BWC
hntrbill at Feb 16th 2010 12:39 PM
Great job Federal Governmnet....... Why don't you tree hugging, emotionally driven simpletons talk to the local population before you bring in and harbor an invasive Apex Predator spicies to not only devistate the Ranchers but also nearly eliminate the once healthy and ample wildlife herds.
I'm not sure who you yahoos think your kidding, but the wolves native to Montana are not of the Canadian strain you poisoned the land with now.
So much for the NEPA Process.
Shanda at Feb 16th 2010 12:50 PM
I absolutely agree with you! The FWP doesn't want to tell you what KIND of wolf they reintroduced here. Do they?
Thanks for making the point!
Toby Bridges at Feb 16th 2010 3:01 PM
Without a doubt, USFWS used sonme real "Bait & Switch" tactics with the variety of wolves they released here for their so-called Wolf Recovery Project.
The native wolf of this region was "canis lupus irremotus"...simply known as the "timber wolf". Those wolves generally topped out at about 80 pounds (mature males). What USFWS dumped on us were wolves from several area of northern Canada..."canis lupus occidentalis" ...or the Mackenzie Valley wolf, and "canis lupus griseoalbus"...or the wolf of northern Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. These are the true giants of wolves, with mature males toppng out at about 140 pounds...with some specimens exceeding 150 pounds.
These truly huge wolves require much more wildlife and livestock to keep fed. For USFWS to intentionally bring in much larger wolves, of a different kind, fully violates the intention of the Endangered Species Act...and my guess is it also violates federal law. (Where's good ol' judge Donald Malloy on this unethical practice?)
It's good that KPAX is presenting this series. Seems they are off to a good start. I certainly hope they also accurately cover other issues, like 1.) How wolves are now destorying our elk, deer and other big game populations; 2.) How FWP has covered for the damage wolves have already done; 3.) How that agency has been dishonest about the true number of wolves in Montana; 4.) How 63% of the wolves tested in Montana carried a parasitic tapeworm that can transmit a cyst causing disease to elk, cattle, and humans; 5.) How the loss of wildlife resources is causing outfitters to quit buisness, effecting many local economies; 6.) How fast escalating wolf numbers can affect spending quality time with your pets in the outdoors; 7.) How wolves kill as much game and livestock for sport as they do for nourishment; 8.) How the continued loss of our once prolific wildlfie will make a major dent in tourism...and the dollars tourist spend here.
For more on all of this, you might want to visit www.lobowatch.com.
SFW Prairie Tamer at Feb 16th 2010 4:16 PM
The fact is that wolves kill far more than they eat, and consider coyotes and even thier own pack members as a food source. Is this something we really need in Montana? Are wolves really benficial to our state? Smarten up, people! Once the elk and deer are gone, say goodbye to the revenue generated by hunting (one outfitter I know personally has gone out of business in the Hall area due to game depredation by wolves), and once the ranchers are gone I guess we will have to survive as servants for the ultra-wealthy out of state landowners who will ultimately wind up with these properties. Been to Ennis or Big Sky lately???