State confirms wolf depredation in Clover Valley
A veteran rancher with private land and a public grazing allotment in Western Lassen County is pulling up stakes and moving all his livestock out of Lassen County due to the interaction between his cattle and wolves from the Lassen Pack.
Wally Roney, a multiple-generation rancher who owns property in the Clover Valley area off County Road A-21, said he believes he’s lost five cows, mostly yearlings, to wolf depredation, despite the inability of California Department of Fish and Wildlife investigators to confirm a single wolf kill until Oct. 13 — the first in the state this century.
Jordan Traverso, a spokesperson for CDFW, referred the newspaper to its website reports for details.
“The thing you need to know,” Roney said, “is they (CDFW) notified me of the presence of the wolf they had collared at each one of those kill sites prior to me finding the dead animals.”
When asked why he thought the CDFW had not reported the cattle deaths as wolf kills, Roney said, “You just identified it. They’re not consistent, and they don’t want people to know the truth.
That’s pretty simple. The only thing I can say and accurately tell you is what they told me. They told me the exact point that wolf was at prior to the kill. I had been to each one of those points the night before, and then they called me and told me she’d been there. I went and checked, and I had a dead animal on all five points. It doesn’t get much simpler than that.”
Roney said when he asked investigators why they couldn’t confirm wolf kills of some of his cattle when they had notified him the female wolf with a GPS transmitter was in the area the night before he found a dead animal, he said they told him “it was coincidental.”
“I feel sorry for the citizens of Lassen County,” Roney said. “They’re going get what they want. Well, guess what? They’re killing my cows. They’ve been killing them all summer. I now have the first verified kill in California. And I’ll tell you this, it took a little bit to get it verified.”
Roney said he’s in the process of moving his cattle out of Lassen County “prematurely” to the Central Valley, and he wonders about his ability to use his private property as rangeland in the future.
“That’s the reason we have the property up here, so we can use it,” Roney said. “Now all of sudden we’re finding, no, we can’t use it. We can’t afford to feed the wolves.”
And Roney said his only alternative is to move his cattle out of Lassen County.
“I’m going to move my cattle, but I’m not sure I’m going to be able to come back and even use my private property because I refuse to feed the wolves or the wolf-dogs,” Roney said.
And he expressed his concern for the future.
“We’re going to have a real problem, or potentially a big problem, here in Lassen County,” Roney said. “I’m taking the food source away from them. I’m moving my cattle right now.”
According to Roney, he’s frustrated because, “I sure as heck don’t have the support of Lassen County behind me. That’s what’s disappointing.”
While the Lassen County Fish and Game Commission plans to discuss a way to repay ranchers for losses to wolves, Roney said that would make things worse because of the way wolf depredations are confirmed.
Roney also expressed his concern about wolf-dog hybrids in Northern Lassen County, and the county government’s failure to regulate them.
Roney said, “I’m after the true facts, whatever they are. We’ve got to deal with the facts, not their bullshit … The thing that’s really got me upset is they know there are 114 of them (wolf-dogs) in Lassen County” near Ravendale. “I can’t tell the difference (between the wolf-dogs and wolves) … Nobody wants to solve the problem.”
As an example of the misinformation he gotten from state officials, Roney said, “They also claim these wolf-dogs don’t like coyotes, but we’ve seen them play with the coyotes for half an hour. It’s like you can’t believe anything they say. You know, they say something, and then we see just the contrary.”
Roney’s wife Billie also expressed her frustration at seeing the wolves or wolf-dogs near the cattle.
“They’re not scared of us,” she said. “They weren’t that far from where we were shipping our cattle, and the only right we have is to watch them? It’s wrong. It’s just wrong on so many levels.”
To make her point, Bille Roney shared several cell phone photos with the newspaper of the wolves in an open meadow watching the ranchers load their cattle onto trucks in broad daylight.
Another rancher in the area who’s familiar with the wolves and the state’s tracking of them believes the Lassen Pack will move to lower ground in Plumas County once winter comes and deep snow falls in the area.
So, how did these wild wolves find their way into Lassen County?
This information comes from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife website at wildlife.ca.gov/conservation/mammals/gray-wolf.
The gray wolf (Canis lupus) is a native species that was likely extirpated from California in the 1920s (the last known wild wolf was shot and killed near Litchfield in 1924), and from most of its range in the United States by the mid-1930s. A small population began naturally recolonizing Northwestern Montana, reaching about 65 wolves by 1994. Then in 1995 and 1996, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reintroduced two populations of wolves, one in Central Idaho and the other in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.
Gray wolf populations have since expanded rapidly. At the end of 2014, Washington estimated a minimum wolf population of 68 animals, and Oregon estimated 81 as their minimum population.
Little is known about the historic abundance and distribution of wolves in California. The human population and human development have increased dramatically since wolves last occurred here, so CDFW is uncertain about where and how many wolves will establish when they naturally recolonize the state.
The gray wolf is federally listed as an endangered species and is protected by the Endangered Species Act in California. Under the Act, it is unlawful to “take” any listed wildlife unless permitted by regulation (50 CFR 17.21). The term “take” means to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture or collect or to attempt to engage in any such conduct. Harass is further defined as “an intentional or negligent act or omission, which creates the likelihood of injury to wildlife by annoying it to such an extent as to significantly disrupt normal behavioral patterns which include, but are not limited to, breeding, feeding or sheltering” (50 CFR 17.3).
Penalties associated with the Act may include up to a $100,000 fine, up to one year imprisonment or both.
To report wolf activity or sightings — Call the California Department of Fish and Wildlife at 225-2300.
To report a dead, captured or injured wolf — Call the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at (916) 414-6660
To report possible wolf-caused livestock depredation — Call Wildlife Services at (916) 979-2675, 336-5623 or CDFW at 225-2300.
The caller should follow these instructions to protect the scene:
·Avoid walking in and around the area.
·Do not touch anything and keep all people and animals from the area to protect evidence.
·Place a tarp over the carcass.
·If possible, use cans or other objects to cover tracks and scats that can confirm the depredating species.
County records first confirmed wolf kill of livestock in California this century
This information from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife recounts wolf activity in the state since OR7 became the first wild wolf in California since 1924.
December 2011 — A lone male wolf from the Imnaha Pack in Northeastern Oregon, known as OR7 (nicknamed Journey by elementary school students in the state), entered California northeast of Dorris, a small town in Siskiyou County. During his travels he traversed the Lassen and Plumas National Forests and moved as far south as Tehama, Shasta and Butte counties. OR7 returned to Oregon in April 2013.
Nov. 10, 2015 — Ranch hands discovered five wolves feeding on a dead calf in Lassen County. Investigators later found a cow carcass nearby. Investigators believe the cow many have been dead for two weeks. The cause of the deaths could not be determined.
May 2016 — U.S. Forest Service biologists discover evidence of wolves in the Lassen National Forest. A 75-pound female wolf, named LAS01F, was captured and fitted with a radio collar to track her whereabouts.
July 2017 — CDFW confirms the presence of the Lassen Pack, the second known family of wolves in Northern California. Biologists suspected the presence of a new wolf pack in 2016 and installed trail cameras. DNA testing revealed the male wolf is from the Rogue Pack in Oregon, but the female’s origin is unknown. The Lassen Pack is believed to contain a breeding pair and three pups.
Sept. 19, 2017 — A dead calf is reported on private land in Western Lassen County. No evidence of a chase or kill scene was observed. Examination of the hide and tissue beneath it did not reveal wounds consistent with depredation by wolves or another carnivore, but the GPS-collar reported LAS01F was at the site about 9 p.m. Sept. 18. According to investigators, the calf was not killed by a predator, but “wolf, coyote and mountain lion tracks were observed near the carcass, and available evidence suggests wolves fed extensively on the carcass … ”
Sept. 27, 2017 — CDFW staff informs a rancher in Western Lassen County that GPS-collar locations reveal LAS01F near his private land in Western Lassen County. The rancher reports finding two calf carcasses that day and a third on Sept. 30. DFW investigators report, “no evidence of a chase of kill scene was observed.” According to their report, “The cause of death is unknown, and there was no specific evidence indicating the animal was attacked or killed by a predator. However, because so little of the carcass remained by the time of investigation, it could not be determined whether or not the animal was attacked or killed.”
Sept. 30, 2017 — A dead calf is reported on private land in Western Lassen County. CDFW staff was already scheduled to investigate two other cattle carcasses on the same property the following day.
Investigators found “no evidence of a chase or kill scene,” but the GPS collar reported LAS01F was near the site about midnight Sept. 27. Investigators determined there was “no evidence the calf was killed by wolves … but wolf and coyote tracks were observed near the carcass, and available evidence suggests the adult wolves of the Lassen Pack fed on the carcass … ” Investigators determined there was no evidence predators killed the other two cows either.
Oct. 13, 2017 — Lassen County is the site of the first confirmed wolf kill in the state this century. A rancher in Western Lassen County reports seeing “five wolves in close proximity to a cow carcass on private land.” The rancher reported the 600 pound calf was alive the previous evening, and he suspected wolf depredation. Investigators found an area that included “kick marks and disturbed ground consistent with a struggle. Wolf tracks were observed within the area. The hide contained numerous pre-mortem bit(e) marks on the right front shoulder and both rear flanks and legs … The locations and extent of pre-mortem bit(e) wounds are consistent with that of a wolf attack. LAS01F was at the carcass location for at least six hours the night the cow died, and wolves were observed at the carcass the following morning. These factors are sufficient to confirm this incident as a wolf depredation.”
I’m curious about the source for the number of Wolf Dogs. 114 is a huge number and if true, there is more of a problem in the county than is being let on.
I agree about the wolf dogs. That seems wrong. I am also glad that California is abiding by the ESA. More states need to do this and all wolves need to go back on the Federal list. Finally ranchers need to get off public lands. Consider it part of your losses when wolves kill less than any predator and 1 cow out of every 44,853 isn’t bad odds.
Totally disagree. The ranchers have a right to make a living. And what about public safety? Wolves do kill people; confirmed attacks in Alaska. Coyotes do kill people; confirmed attacks in Canada. This will be a public menace that the state has created. Let the lawsuits begin.
Thank you!!
Hey….bees kill more than 30 people a year. Dogs kill over 50. Snakes, spiders, gators, ants…the list goes on. Shall we kill all of them?
Can’t believe the fearful atmosphere you Californians live in.
GET TOUGH!! Wolves belong in our ecosystems.
Well put, Jerry.
Those redneck wolf-haters are just as stupid as Donald Trump.
Let’s move those wonderful creatures to your neighborhood, shall we? Then let’s see how wonderful and sympathetic you will be when Muffie and Mittens disappear and then Junior is dragged off and his carcass is found. Wolves are APEX predators and they will kill people.
We’re not in the 1800’s Century anymore!
It’s time to trade in the cattle for cubicles and computers!
Want to make a living?
Get a REAL job!!
Wolves and other wildlife have been on this Earth
long before man even existed and the indigenous
tribal nations revere them as brother and protector,
and therefore, very sacred!
In addition, wolves are Nature’s first dogs,
for they are a direct ancestor to the domesticated dogs we know today!
If I was your dog and I see you killing my ancestor,
I would retaliate and rip your body to shreds!
Think about it!
(provided that if you even have a brain)
Creator put them here on this Earth for a reason to keep our
planet’s ecosystem balanced, not to be trapped and shot down in cold blood
by a mere handful of 19th Century neanderthals
who left their brains in their primitive broken-down buckboard wagons!
And only Creator decides what stays and what goes, NOT MAN!!
NO MORTAL MAN IS SUPERIOR TO GREAT SPIRIT!
Sorry bubba, but I side with my Indian sisters and brothers,
and their spiritual faith, not the inbred redneck
yahoos and their ruthless wild-west mentality!
Cattle are the invasive species, not wolves nor coyotes!
And beef is nothing but garbage, plain and simple!
If you’re a cattle rancher, I don’t want your stinking meat!
Beef is unclean!
(and among other things, I’m also a vegetarian and a non-conformist)
Cattle has no place on public land and if push comes to shove,
I will fight the wild-west infidels to the death
to make sure our sacred land and waters are not
ruined by livestock and a handful of redneck Bundy wannabes!
And wolves DO NOT kill people, so get off this
“Little Red Riding Hood” felgercarb!!
Trophy hunters and trappers are a public menace!!
The KKK, NRA, Fascists, and Nazis are a public menace!
Donald Trump, Mike Pence, Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell,
Scott Pruitt, Jeff Sessions, and all the other pinko-Nazi
wildlife-hating scalawags are a public menace, NOT WOLVES!!!
The vast majority of the people in this nation
want the wolves, buffalo, grizzly bears,
and other wildlife LEFT ALONE!!!
Hoka Hey!!!
Have you noticed the FIRES in California lately….Real JOB…While you sit around on your backside pushing pencils and watch your boob toob/computer monitors…The rancher helps to feed the nation….What do you do to help feed the nation…Ya you’re a veggie eater..but not everyone eats grass/roots like you do….Do you grow your own veggies and don’t you just hate it when the tomato worm comes in and kills your fruit…or the rabbits eat your lettuce/carrots…oh ya…you buy your veggies from the grocery store and have NO idea where it comes from…People Like yourself are the reason that our forests are going up in smoke…Don’t touch that tree don’t touch that grassy area let them all dry up and burn up…It just irritates the crap out of me when someone steps up on their soap boxes and points fingers at others…How many of those left over fingers are pointing back at you…Your solution is to remove the rancher and his cattle so that the wolves can roam freely and eat whatever they want and take over the land…what good would that do the population and their survival…I have nothing against the wolf living and let live…but not at the expense of our lively hood and ability to support my family…Rant OVER…!!!!!!
I’m confused are you Native or just believe you understand some generic version of being Native?
Yeah, lay off wolves. They are God’s creatures, too. Where does this hatred of wolves come from? It is diabolical. Silly human race.
Why don’t we bring back the Central Valley Grizzly Bear while we’re at it. I mean what could possibly be more exciting than running for your very life when you’re at a CalTrans rest stop on Interstate 5 and one of those “magnificent animals” get a whiff of the potato chips on your breath? How about a few freakin’ dinosaurs too?! There’s a REASON why they were essentially extinct in the Western US. They aren’t cuddly little puppies they are an apex predator capable of pulling down a 750 pound elk, how much trouble do you think they’re gonna have with a defenseless human hiker or a fisherman? Always the pasty armchair liberals who defend the wolves, folks that never even go into the woods. Get a clue you dopes!
If ranchers have a right to make a living on public lands, then why not pot growers? Or other plant or animal entrepreneurs? One group has been wrongfully been using public lands that should be set aside for natural resources, which includes all wildlife, including wolves and all other predators. Coyotes, wolves, mountain lions will do all they can to avoid people, so killing is not only very rare, If there is an altercation, it’s usually do to human stupidity. We do not allow private breeding of wildlife (deer farms, mountain lion farms or bear farms). Why on earth are wolf hybrids allowed to be bred. We could see this train wreck coming for years. It now appears it’s here.
Clover valley is private land
Wolves have killed two people, one in Alaska, one in Canada. A 2002 report prepared for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game found no human deaths in North America attributed to wild, healthy wolves since at least 1900.
In 2011, a spokesperson for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said that no wolves have attacked humans in the Rocky Mountain states. The Oregonian newspaper investigated the claim. A reporter contacted the International Wolf Center in Ely, Minnesota, where a spokesperson stated that wolves have not attacked humans in the lower 48.
The National Canine Research Council reported 41 confirmed or potential fatal dog attacks in 2014 and 32 verified fatalities in 2013.
Records at the International Hunter Education Association show that during one six-year period 265 people died in hunting accidents.
An article from The Interstate Sportsman reports that each year in this country 1,500 to 1,800 people drown, and 800 to 875 die in boating accidents.
Dog attacks, drowning, and hunting and boating accidents claim far more lives than wolves have or ever will. Yet I don’t hear anyone demanding that we eradicate all dogs or ban hunting, swimming, or boating so that we can protect ourselves from such dangers.
https://www.thedodo.com/how-many-people-killed-by-wolves-1413351180.html
It is his private property!!! Read
Kichil, Everything you say is absolutely correct. This rancher as well as others in the area have been aware of the presence of this pack for sometime now! They need to take responsibility and start using approved proactive measures that you mention. We all know that cattle and sheep die from natural causes on a regular basis and at a much higher rate than predator kills. If their carcasses are not removed it is only natural that every predator around will take advantage of a free and easy meal. Just as we deal with our local black bears and consider them our natural neighbors, so should the residents of wolf country. This wolf pack is only 150 miles from my home. They are welcome to come to Tahoe and eat as many tourists as they want!
You are an idiot
Public land designations like national forests were meant to encourage and support multiple use and especially for local users like ranchers, loggers & miners. There predators need to be transplanted to wilderness areas in places like Alaska away from the public who using local national forest lands. People worry about even going out to cut wood, drive back roads for simple enjoyment for fear of being attacked by wolves, mountain lions & bears. The ESA is no friend when individuals can’t protect themselves or property from predators for fear of going to prison.
Actually I live in the Tahoe national Forest and I’ll go out into the forest hoping to see Mountain lions and bobcats and perhaps a fox if I’m lucky. As for black bears, they come by to visit me on a regular basis at my home. It is really not that hard to coexist with wild life! We are the intruders in their territory, not the opposite!
Are you serious??????? So wild animals that are necessary to our ecosystem should be removed so you can cut trees? What a joke…………. Go live in the city. I hike all the time with no fear of being attacked as I take precautions that are not lethal.
NOT true and such exaggerations simply fuel the fires of ignorance. The original purpose of saving national lands was not for consumption–it was for conservation and preservation. Greed took over, along with corrupt politics. We are having to live with the collateral damage. Very few people ever “worry about” going into the woods. The odds of being attacked by any apex predator are slim, if at all. Mountain lions, coyotes, bears, wolves, etc., will all run the opposite direction, unless the human gets between the mom and the offspring. The ESA is keeping ecosystems balanced and in turn the biodiversity will keep humans alive.
The kills were on private land, not public land. And if California was abiding by the ESA the Fish and Game Commission would not have listed wolves as endangered over the objection of its own department and its own counsel. There is no credible evidence of wolves ever having been established in California and at the time of the “listing” there were no wolves known to be in California – – OR7 was being tracked in Oregon at the time.
Contrary to the deniers, it’s scientifically well established that wolves were historically in CA, and the listing came about because OR 7 was in CA–he went back to OR later. The department created the Wolf Management Plan–there was no department or counsel opposition, other than disgruntled staff trophy and recreational hunters who try to sabotage the plan below the radar. Typical of most hunters, they don’t want wolves to kill elk or other mammals because they want to kill them. None of them spoke out publicly, and they may, in fact, be continuing their work to jeopardize the process.
The ranchers states this is his private land.
…because you didn’t read the part that this happened on private property…
I also wouldn’t be bitching if I ate cows or used any products that contain products made from cattle.
Ranchers should not be complaining about wolf kills on public lands. That would seem a cost of doing business, especially if they’re not paying to lease the land. It would seem cows killed on private land should be compensated for, if the ranchers have done all that is reasonable to protect their live stock.
Wolves are wild and it’s expected they will kill animals that can’t protect themselves. Perhaps it might be a good time to look at how livestock is treated? Perhaps better fencing and more attention might help?
We want wild wolves, coyotes, bears and mountain lions in our state – large predators are necessary for healthy land, they make entire ecosystems rebound, (this is one place trickle down works). Their existence creates a healthier environment both physically and psychologically for all of us.
As for wolves and coyotes going after pets. We have lost three cats to coyotes over the years. I don’t blame the coyotes, I blame myself for allowing my cats to roam. I have learned that cats belong inside, or protected in a fully fenced area. If everyone took responsibility for their cats, we’d save millions upon millions of birds every year.
So when is the first human child or adult going to be killed or infected with rabies by these precious beasts? I guess the department of fish and game, peta, and wolf lovers have declared war on our ranchers and sheep herders. Sad day for American justice.
There was a guy living up in Termo-Ravendale area breeding wolves and wolf-dogs for many years. He let them run everywhere. This number does not surprise me at all.
In a June 11, 2013 report to the Board of Supervisors county staff estimated about 100 wolfdogs at Debbie Grandmotherwolf Valenta’s High Desert Wolfdogs at Ravendale. In a September Youtube by a PR group out of Malibu asks for help relocating 120 wolfdogs from her facility saying the population needs to be reduced to 70. At a meeting in Susanville some permittees were told the 114 (?) number and that she had been ordered to reduce the population to 25 and get a kennel permit. There is allegedly another “breeder” over toward Chester.
We have set up wildlife cameras over the years for work all over this area. We have gotten the lassen pack but have never gotten a picture of a “wolf dog.” Gotta call bs on that one.
Attacks by wolves on private property should be dealt with by the property owner. If the attacks are on range land that has been permitted, again should be dealt with by the animal’s owner. Thereby if a person that chooses not to deal with their animals being killed may do so. Otherwise the rancher/animal owner should be paid by the State dept of F & G, and the Fed. F & G triple of what the current market value of the livestock.
If there is NOT the characteristic bruising under the hide from wolf bites, than wolves did NOT kill the cattle. Period. That bruising is obvious. Cattle die from many different sources, usually not wolves, and that was the case for most of these. In other words, livestock died, were not removed thanks to an oblivious rancher, and wolves were baited in to scavenge. Wolves that are allowed to scavenge on livestock due to poor animal husbandry practices are more likely to then target that same livestock for predation, because wolves, unlike most ranchers, learn swiftly. That’s survival. Guess what, that is EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED. This man should NEVER be rewarded in the form of payment for having baited wolves, coyotes and puma. He is creating conflict with a regionally endangered species with his unattended herd. Sloppy, bad business. And he’s making up outlandish stories intending to hype up fear and aggression toward wolves through an imaginary adversary. 114 wolfdogs? I mean, in this comment thread people are hysterical. Desperately grasping for that ONE time that wolves may have killed ONE person in Alaska when their own domestic dogs kill 30 or so people every single year. And “formerresident”, no one has been killed by rabid wolves in North America in all of verifiable history. What does any of this have to do with steak? Every time a human slaughters a cow do you start bringing up murder statistics? Or vicious ebola victims who just want a hug? You’re all seriously mad.
When the forest takes your cattle, learn from your mistakes, and I’m not talking about becoming criminals you whack jobs. Do you shoot at clouds when lightning kills 23 head in one blast? Train up some dogs and a range rider and do your job. It’s your business. You’re certainly not talking this Californian into any sympathy when we have A SINGLE family of wolves in the entire state and 5,150,000 damn cattle threatening critically endangered species, entire watersheds, and absolutely trashing the public lands I cherish. I stopped eating beef because of people like this. SO fed up.
Thank you for your comments that are so true and that, hopefully, will educate and dispel the mad myths that are posted here.
Ernie Jay,
Let’s meet up for lunch. I’d like to talk about starting a comic strip about a crazed cloud shooter public lands rancher. And then, if there’s time for desert and coffee, maybe you can give me advice on getting a permit for a no-till biodynamic veggie farm out on those same public lands.
Thanks for the sober and passionate viewpoint.
m-at-mooney.la
Wow. Very well said.
BTW, the wolf photographed above this article is not OR7. That is OR27, breeding feeling of the Catherine pack. Minam was her natal family.
I am just courious as to what protection was in place for the cattle? Range rider? Donkey? Llama? Anything at all? If not then shame on him for not trying to protect his cattle knowing there are wolves in the area.
Good luck in the Central Valley, Wally! Your neighbors there won’t be quite as forgiving as the Forest Service when your cattle are found on a different pasture than where they’re permitted to be!
In Santa Cruz County we struggle to coexist with our coyote population. They are opportunist and see our animals, companion animals and food animals, as easy prey. Our fences have become more elaborate, cats now have to have, ‘catios’. A wire outdoor cage so they can have some fresh air without becoming a meal. Yet not many who are native to this area are calling for the coyotes to be eliminated. It’s a game of protecting what we love from what they want. The mountain lions are becoming more numerous also. It gave me pause to imagine adding wolves to the mix. I believe they would breed with the coyotes and local dogs. That frightens me a bit. Two years ago we had a coyote the size and shape of a german shepard. Not afraid of humans. Where did he come from?
I lived in Lassen County for a while. The local ranchers almost always blamed the “government” for every lost or dead head of cattle. This was “pre-wolf” so they blamed coyotes and lions. The ranchers’ attitude was that if they found a dead cow or steer that was partially eaten some “Federal” predator animal must have killed. it. In the old days, such a claim resulted in a government payment to a rancher under the law of “wink and nod.” The Lassen, Syskiyou, and Modoc grazing are are rough, rocky and dangerous high desert. Cattle die of many causes and the local predators, which were there before the ranchers, will eat dead animals that they did not kill. When I lived there, wolf-dogs and coyote packs were a real problem with harassment and killing of livestock. IMHO, this is just another “Clive Bundy” incident.
Several people have mentioned that the dead cattle were found on his private land. The article isn’t really clear about that fact as far as I was able to see. The rancher seems to say he fears to use his private grazing land because the wolves are on the public lands and have access to his land, too. Since he pays so little for the public grazing lands that he uses, maybe that should be figured into the value of his loss. I believe the current amount is $1.69 per month per animal. Because the money the government earns from this fee is far short of what it pays to maintain the land, the tax payers supply the rest. So each taxpayer is supporting these ranchers so that privately owned cows can graze on public lands.
And this reliance on the taxpayer means the BLM has to rely on Congress to get funds – and arguably there’s not enough for the grazing program to effectively monitor the range environmentally or make things run smoothly for the ranchers – thus there’s a lot of tension there.
Since it is a fact that humans are encroaching at an ever increasing rate onto former wildlife land, we have no right to complain when the other species we share the planet with try to live their lives as best they can. We are supposed to be smart, let’s do something besides kill all the other species.
It happened in Clover Valley which is private land.
Were not the wolves here long before the helpless cattle? So its rancher vs wolf who is a stand in for the native people.
Thank you for saying the wolves are a stand in for the natives who walked side by side with them. Thank you! The Indigenous animals and humans have the first rights of a voice here! Since most were killed by genocide when the WHITE RANCHERS, GOLD MINERS AND TRAPPERS SHOWED UP! It’s time we call a spade a spade here.
Wow! My thoughts are cougars, wolves and coyotes have not killed since the turn of the last century because our great grandparents knew these animals were dangerous. Now, we have uneducated individuals who believe these animals are our friends. We no longer can jog in any national forest or park because a cougar may find us. In our area we have cougars sitting on the roofs of our houses waiting for the deer to come through. I watch people in my area walking on the sidewalk with their meals on leashes. Our coyotes our so happy for the free meal. Nobody owns a cat anymore. At least we can pay a trapper to kill them for us. It is against the law for us to do it ourselves. The truth of the matter is as humans we are uneducated as to how much land it takes to feed a cougar and maybe for the other predators. They may say there’s a certain number of wolves in the area, but if they are as shy as everyone says they are, then we really don’t know how much land they need to survive. I am all for giving them ranges of land to live on. But if they leave that area and go to the campgrounds, the streets, the roofs of people’s homes, and in our own backyards to hunt, we have the right to destroy them. I live in Danville, Ca Area and the problem is real.
The animals and earth were here before humans. So humans should find a way to co-exist or get the hell out!! Typical Californian attitude of me, me, me. What makes a human more valuable a life than an animal? Why are we so much more superior to say who lives or dies? Humans have ran most of these “nuisance” animals out of their habitats in some way. So, when the issue is humans but we don’t want to look at it, the answer is just “destroy” it? Wow! Good answer, eh? I hope you never have someone with power over your life kick you out of your home and then shoot you for sleeping on the streets and going through trash for food. You guys need a serious brain recalibration! Unplug from your cell phones and Vague-Book and do some self-evolvement!!
Writing from San Francisco, protected coyotes are starting to eat pets and frequent streets far from their “native” city and federal parks. Naïve “coexistence” advocates seem fine with this. So cities-coyotes-pets are an exact analogue to country-wolves-cattle. SF’s Animal Care & Control are doing nothing, either, citing state law.
It is obviously time to update the state law(s) protecting predatory species no longer qualifying for protection.
I don’t need your meats of any kind! I vote for the indigenous people and animals on this planet. Not some farmer who is holding on to his murder program to “feed America”. Please! Old news guys! Real old. Wild animals deserve their wild land. If your free range cattle biz isn’t doing well because people like my family decided to stop the carnage and be healthier humans and GO VEGAN!!! Educate yourselves sheople and get it together! Lastly, has anyone thought about all the massive fires this last year may have also seriously misplaced a lot of animals? Have a heart and soul for god sake! They need our help and deserve our help and love. We ALL NEED TO START LOVING MORE!!! Humans were not here first thank GOD! Nothing would have survived!
LIKE I SAID YOU SELF-CENTERED MORONS! You kill all in your path so you can live a more bougie, comfy human lifestyle in the “Bay”. You guys are exactly who I will be thanking for ending our planet entirely!! Cry babies can’t jog in wilderness and not get mamed or killed. So you humans can’t TROMPLE/JOG/WALK ALL OVER THEIR WILD LAND for your SELFISH purposes, your answer is to kill them? It should be the other way around. Stay out of their homelands and wild sanctuaries. Sad how humans are so selfish and gross on so many levels. Just gross! Shaking my damn head at you fools. So lost – so careless with Mother Earth and all this beautiful planet provides already WITHOUT THE NEED TO KILL EVERYTHING YOU COME IN CONTACT WITH!! Get it together!
If humans are so horrible you should set the example and opt out.