Maybe there’s a different way to deal with predators?
According to an email from a reader, “I found this on Facebook and it makes perfect sense to me, especially when there’s much talk about wolves here in Lassen (County). Can this be reprinted in Lassen Times? I’m concerned and simply love my animal friends. It breaks my heart to think of them being shot or trapped.”
Meadowvale Farmstead and Creamery
Early this morning, a coyote streaked past headquarters, with two of our Anatolians hot on his heels. Most ranchers’ first instinct? Grab the rifle. But here at Meadowvale, we do things differently.
We’re a predator-friendly ranch and have been ranching this way in our family for nearly 40 years, both in the mountains of Colorado and Montana.
No shoot-on-sight. No fear-based decisions. Just respect, strategy and stewardship.
And here’s the wild part: We’ve never lost a calf to a predator. Not once. We’ve had thousands of calves over several decades of ranching and not a single loss to a coyote, wolf, bear or cat.
Why? Because we understand how nature works, and we choose to work with it, not against it.
Predators like coyotes and wolves are social animals. If you shoot the alpha female, the pack’s structure collapses. Suddenly, every female breeds. One litter turns into 10. Now you’ve got a population explosion and a lot of mouths to feed. That’s when they start showing up where they shouldn’t.
Same goes for bears and cougars. Take out a dominant older animal holding territory, and you create a vacuum for young, inexperienced animals to fill. They are often bold, reckless, and desperate. Like wayward teenage kids, these are the ones that cause trouble.
So how do we keep the local predators “polite”?
- We keep newborn calves close to home during calving.
- Our Anatolian LGDs set and enforce clear boundaries.
- We use electric fencing for the most vulnerable livestock.
- And most importantly, we don’t create problems by disrupting nature.
The result?
A balanced, respectful ecosystem that works with us — not against us.
