“If The Wolf Population Grows Too Large”
What are ranchers and concerned citizens to think? Fear grows in some areas where wolves are present and ranchers are losing their shirts to wolf predation, yet officials say they are not concerned about the growing wolf populations.
In Wisconsin last week, a 71-year old retired rancher, George Metropulos, used a .22 caliber rifle to kill a wolf after wolves had killed a new-born calf.
Wolves in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan were recently taken off the Endangered Species Act list, so Metropulos isn’t in any trouble as he was attempting to protect livestock. Had he done this prior to the delisting, he would have faced some serious charges.
According to the Appleton Post, the reimbursement costs to farmers for losses is rising.
Total wolf damage used to average $60,000 to $70,000 a year, but has been climbing, said Adrian Wydeven, wolf program leader for the DNR. Last year, the department paid $115,000 to landowners for losses to wild animals.
This year, 13 farms already have experienced losses, and the DNR has paid out $14,000 in compensation.
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http://mainehuntingtoday.com/bbb/?p=2310
