USDA is killing marauding wolves

Compensation eyed for livestock

By Anita Weier December 8, 2004

Gray wolves are the subject of hearings by the Department of Natural Resources. (AP Photo/Dawn Villella)

Wolf attacks on livestock have become an increasing problem in northern Wisconsin as the wolf population grows, but federal wildlife officials offered hope Tuesday for a solution.

David Ruid, a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, told the state Natural Resources Board that removing predator wolves from an area has helped.

"This year we implemented our control program on 19 farms and solved this on 17 of those," Ruid said.

He also verified that wolves are clearly to blame for most cattle kills.

"Our data suggests that in verified cattle depredations, wolves are responsible for 70 to 80 percent," with coyotes and bears causing a much smaller problem, Ruid said. "Based on the last three years, the probability is most likely that 77 percent were killed by a wolf."

Ruid and David A. Nelson, Wisconsin and Minnesota director for the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, presented statistics showing that 127 complaints of wolf predations in Wisconsin have been received so far in 2004, and 54 were verified. Livestock were confirmed killed or wounded on 20 farms. Twenty-seven wolves were captured, and 24 were killed.

"This is real - real people with real checkbooks paying real property taxes," Ruid said.

Members of the Natural Resources Board were impressed with the statistics, but are now faced with the huge problem of reimbursing livestock owners for animals that are killed.

"There isn't any more money," board member Stephen Willett said.

"We have to figure out how to do it," said board member Herb Behnke. He pointed out that in the case of one of the farms where calves had been killed, the animals were prime breeding stock.

The fact that the wolf is being removed from endangered species lists also limits funding sources, board member Jonathan Ela said.

The board was scheduled to vote today on whether to approve public hearings on a DNR staff plan for funding damages caused by wolves. The state has offered payments for damage caused by species listed as endangered or threatened since 1985.

"Claims have increased due to wolf damage, and there is significant public controversy about the wolf damage payment program. Though the end of state fiscal year 2003-04, the Bureau of Endangered Resources has settled 199 damage claims totaling $381,655," a memo to the board from DNR Secretary Scott Hassett stated. "A vast majority of these claims, 164, have been paid for damage done by gray wolves."

The proposed rule continues the practice of paying for missing calves on ranches with a history of wolf depredation. It differs from an existing program in that there are proposed caps for maximum payments per livestock animal type, with amounts yet to be set. There also would be a maximum reimbursement of $15,000 per claimant per year and a proposed claim deductible of $250.

Wolf damage payments from 1999 to 2004 have averaged $43,800 per year.

The Wisconsin wolf population has increased from 25 animals in 1980 to 373 in 2004, according to the DNR.

"The paramount issue in Wisconsin is compensation for missing livestock," Ruid said.

http://www.madison.com/tct/news/stories/index.php?ntid=20463&ntpid=0

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Contact the Wisconsin DNR here:

http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/WWWFeedback.html

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Contact David Ruid here

David Ruid E-Mail David.Ruid@usda.gov

Telephone Number 715-369-5221 Fax Number 715-369-1257

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