More on Wolf Issue

More on the Wolf Issue. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Line On Agriculture.

The gray wolf is a beautiful creature when it is roaming in the wild but it is also a vicious attacker. Packs of wolves can easily take down much larger animals and while yes, it is a natural process when it comes to cattle it quickly cuts into a ranchers livelihood. Rancher Tommy Allen has not had any of his cattle attacked like his neighbors but says that wolf packs are becoming much braver around humans.

ALLEN: They’re right outside of town where there are a lot of pets and dogs and it’s only a matter of time before they come down and start eating the cats and dogs and everything else around the houses.

The gray wolf is a federally protected animal so ranchers cannot protect their herds from predation. These wolf packs are growing and expanding their hunting grounds.

ALLEN: The elk that used to be up in the mountains have moved down and hung out a lot lower and the same includes the moose now and all different types of critters due to the fact of the pressure from the wolves. They’re chasing them to town and then the wolves keep following them to town.

The only way a rancher can take action is to document either a kill or harassment four times. And a rancher would have to be with his herd just about 24/7 to be able to do that. A few video cameras have been set up along known trails to monitor the animals.

ALLEN: What are the odds of actually being up there and seeing it? A lot of these pastures are two-thousand acres, three-thousand acres. How do you happen to catch one in the act let alone through all the trees see it happening and get it on video to prove it. That’s a tough deal.

This is an extremely volatile issue that needs a better answer.

That’s today’s Line On Agriculture. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.