The June 29 issue of the Free Press included the first in a series of articles on the ongoing and costly issue ranchers are experiencing with livestock losses due to predator kills.
The initial stories discussed recent changes to wolf hunting and trapping regulations, and touched on the shift in responsibilities the province has made for predator control.
The provincial government recently assigned the Conservation Officer (CO) Service to take over the livestock predator control program from the British Columbia Cattlemen's Association (BCCA).
100 Mile House CO James Zucchelli says the province has made livestock predator conflicts the CO's second priority, following any human safety issues within their mandate.
The COs were previously assigned to handle cattle-wolf conflicts, he says, until that role was taken over in 2002 by the BCCA and its
trapping and hunting specialists.
Since then, the COs have continued their mitigation work for predators of smaller livestock, such as sheep/coyote conflicts, until recently being placed back at the helm of responsibility for cattle predators.
"Now, we are put back in the role of doing verifications and mitigation for cattle versus wolves," Zucchelli says adding the COs received equipment and underwent four days of training last fall.
They respond to complaints, he explains, and then verify the wolves are preying on the cattle before any mitigation is done.
The COs do not target any wolves that are not predating livestock, Zucchelli adds, stressing the importance of this distinction.
"There are packs in areas that live side-by-side with cattle and are not causing problems. We're getting back in touch with the ranchers, who are the eyes and ears on the ground."
Funding support
The Ministry of Agriculture recently allocated $200,000 for predator control, to be administered by the BCCA.
Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Donna Barnett handed over the funds recently to BCCA general manager Kevin Boon.
"This funding will help find ways to reduce the instances of livestock-predator conflicts, which is a problem I have been working on for some time now," says Barnett.
Boon notes the funding will likely be used to support the COs with their new responsibilities, as opposed to passing the money over to them.
The recent changes for predator control is "a very positive step forward," he says, adding that while he is putting a lot of faith in the CO service, they've been very forthcoming in working with BCCA to find out everything they need to know.
"It's a big job, and not something they can just jump into. We see this money as something we can use to help transition into that."
The COs are still the first point of contact, but Boon notes that when they are unavailable to respond to a predator problem, the officers will contact BCCA to send in one of their trappers or wildlife specialists (trained hunters).
"This money would be utilized to get the [trappers or hunters]. We see this as a backup for [the COs], to see that our ranchers and producers get the service they need to protect our livestock."
He explains the previous funding for BCCA's current pilot project runs out in December, so the association wants to ensure it gets the most out of the one-time payment of $200,000.
"We're not so concerned about who does it, as much as that the job is done. We really appreciate what the government has done here, they've recognized there is a problem."
Initial results
105 Mile Ranch cattleman Wendell Monical has had numerous cattle killed by wolves in recent years, including several this season.
"[Zucchelli] is doing an excellent job. We have had three kills up there at the north end of the ranch, and he is working very hard at it, and I think he is a very capable person."
The local CO will likely get the job done, Monical says, despite the difficulties of hunting wolves the rancher never actually sees.
"He's out there sometimes even in the evening with a [wolf] call trying to call them in. It's way better than what we had before. This man is putting the effort in ... he's very, very dedicated."
Boon adds that while wolves predating on cattle has been a real issue for ranchers, the BCCA's mandate is not to "just kill wolves," but rather to restore some balance.
He says there are currently a lot more predators than what is "healthy for nature," and the moose and caribou populations are also being "hit really hard."
