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Calf lost to wild animals By Darrell Ziegler Council for Huron-Kinloss received another report from the township’s livestock evaluator Paul Murray, of a domestic animal being killed following a wild animal attack. Council approved a $500 payment to Lloyd Graham, in compensation for the loss of a calf, which was killed by wolves at his township farm before the start of the new year. On November 20, 2006, following compensation being approved for two lost ewes for the amount of $200 each to Herman Van Meeteren and Sharon Bouwman, Murray said that these types of attacks have been increasing recently. Clerk Sonya Watson told council at the November meeting that there was a $50 bounty on coyotes and that “a group of hunters has been contacted to go out to track the animals when the snow flies.” The following day, Tuesday November 21, Sharon Bouwman contacted the township office to inform them that there were three coyotes in her driveway that morning. She asked that something be done sooner, instead of waiting for the snow to be on the ground. Following Bouwman’s call, Watson contacted a trapper, who said he would attempt to rid Bouwman of the coyotes, which have been killing her sheep and lambs all summer. Bouwman lost at least 15 animals to coyotes in 2006. At the Sept 18 meeting of council, Bouwman was compensated $156 for the loss of a lamb and neighbouring landowner Steve Write, was allowed $133, also for a lamb. The two live in the Langside area in the former Kinloss Township. At the same meeting, compensation for the amount of $472.50 was paid to Robert Emerson, to cover the loss of a calf. All three animals were killed following attacks by coyotes. In August, 2006, Bouwman lost an 80-pound sheep and said that about 12 lambs were simply carried off by coyotes this summer, as they were never found. “They just disappeared,” Bouwman said. “They were small enough that they could easily be carted off. They ate the others in the field. All that was left of the larger one was the head, spine and wool.” Murray says it’s not uncommon for an animal as small as a lamb to be carried off and eaten elsewhere. Bouwman received no compensation for the 12 lambs however, as livestock is evaluated by the animals worth if it were sold on the market for meat. “These lambs weren’t worth very much, as they didn’t weigh very much,” she said. Lost sheep and lambs were up in 2006, with Murray filling out at least a dozen reports, while some years, there have been none. “The incidents are not isolated to one particular area, but spread around the township,” he said. Lost calves were also up. Murray has been the township’s adjudicator since 1992 and has never investigated a lost calf until the four that were killed this year. Murray believes there is no need for alarm regarding public safety. “I wouldn’t think there is a risk to people. It’s like a bear or any other animal, just leave them alone and they will carry on their way,” he said. Although attacks are up in the township, other townships have it worse. The Municipality of Brockton had over 40 attacks in 2006. Murray said that farther North, wolves and coyotes have been known to “go into a dairy barn and take down the hind-quarter of a cow while it’s tied up. They can get pretty nervy.” Sharon Bouwman agrees. “The first one I lost in the spring was only a few feet behind the barn,” she said. Bouwman purchased a lama to help scare off the coyotes, but said she will likely have to do more to keep the predators at bay. “Having a lama is good, but if it’s on one side of a hill and the lambs are on the other, the lama won’t do much good. We’ll buy more fencing, divide the fields up into smaller fields and keep the lama in with them.” Bouwman takes other precautions, such as leaving the lights and radio on in the barn and keeps the yard lights on, but she worried about what would happen this winter. “Ewes start to lamb in October and finish around March. If they get into the barn, we’re going to be in serious trouble.” Wally Motz is a Point Clark resident and a director for the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters. He knows the area well, along with the behavior and habits of the animals that make their homes here. Motz and the Federation have long supported Sunday hunting as a way to keep these types of problems in check, along with the problems caused by the large deer and geese population in the area. In April 2006, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) and the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH), sent a letter to Huron-Kinloss council asking them to reconsider an earlier council vote against the idea. Once again, the idea was turned down. “There’s a 12-month season on coyotes, If a hunter happens to see one, he can shoot it,” said Motz. The trouble is, I can go out six days a week if I want because I’m retired, but those who work all week, can only hunt on Saturday. Maybe if they were allowed to go out on Sunday, it may help in this situation.” Motz said trapping them is also not an easy task and did not believe it would help the problem. “You can try trapping them, but they will out-smart you or I.” “If they, (the township) hire a trapper, they are wasting their money. You pretty much have to know exactly where he’s crossing a fence line for example, then try to trap it. You’ll never get it into a cage; you’d have to use a leg hold trap. The trouble with that is, he’d likely just chew his leg off.” |
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