Protecting sheep from wolves in Idaho

Sheep rancher Phil Soulen estimates the toll gray wolves have taken on his sheep that graze in the Payette National Forest. He's had to deal with wolf depredation ever since
Canadian gray wolves were reintroduced to Idaho in 1995. He talked to the Capital Press in the midst of spring shearing of 10,000 head of sheep in 10 days near Letha, Idaho. Capital Press video by Patricia R. McCoy.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• agriculture
• sheep
• livestock
• Idaho
• wolf

[BIGSKYHAL50]

Well, good for you. Lucky you live in a country where you can make choices, and have enough food that it is possible to make choices. But lemme ask you this, if you had a store and the cops let 20 robbers out in you neighborhood, would you like it? Same idea here.......

[runningun1]

So in order to protect his sheep he should hire extra help, stay up all night, play sounds of other wolves which will actually bring in the resident pack of wolves for a fight and hope this works? How about we just get about 2 dozen Irish wolf hounds and train them to "in the cycle of nature" kill every wolf they come across. that way it will be much more of a fair fight than a 120 pould wolf against a sheep.

[ruj1970]

Funny how you always hear the ignorant wolf lovers say that wolves only kill to eat and survive. This guy lost 61 sheep in one night! Wolves do sport kill, it's just a fact. We have them delisted now and it's time to return their population back to the original recovery agreement.

[tasteegold7772]

i dont care about statistics %'s and all the other bullshit especially the "plight" of some rich ranchers bellyaching that they cant send their fifth child off to harvard this year..these wolves were on the land where these complaints are being filed loong before these ranchers were and thats that!!..you wanna encroach on their territory you gotta coexist or move the fuck on!..nature first..monetary greed last..and thats not ideology it's fact!

[arsimard]

@amberlyrosepaulson Actually, livestock are income, not just food. This rancher is protecting his income.  One sheep or lamb is worth alot of money, and you heard how many he has lost already. He has every right to protect his investment, and his income.

[MrAnimalControl]

@amberlyrosepaulson HAHA dream on. Kill the wolves.....

[PsychiatryExposed]

@lillobo1 You got it right. I live in Utah we got the sheep industry that has destroyed our awesome bighorn sheep. We have three subspecies here in Utah and they cannot get off the endangered species list cause of sheep. All in all Utah only contributes 0.93% to the total US livestock industry cattle included! Ick!

[lillobo1]

I work on a National Forest and I can tell you I wish there was no such thing as grazing on the Forests. I can't tell you how much damage I've seen as a result from cattle and sheep trampling through, crapping everywhere, destroying riparian areas, knocking fences down, etc.

[123456789mischief]

@XxSomeEmoFurryxX free range cattle is quite common and fences don't keep wolves or other preditors out. electric or otherwise. lived in northern BC watched wolves and such do some amazing things they are incredibly smart. they are not vicious but not cute cudly critters. what the inteligent people do is find a balance.

as for hunting for sport never understood that. food I have no problem with but sport? hey look at me I killed somthing and? what? Idiots.