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<div><font face="Verdana" size="-1"
color="#333333"><b>Roger,</b></font></div>
<div><font face="Verdana" size="-1"
color="#333333"><b><br></b></font></div>
<div><font face="Verdana" size="-1" color="#333333"><b>You raise an
important issue. Here are the facts about livestock predation by
wolves.</b></font></div>
<div><font face="Verdana" size="-1"
color="#333333"><b><br></b></font></div>
<div><font face="Verdana" size="-1" color="#333333"><b>Wolves cause
less than 1% of livestock losses statewide. That includes sheep. In
fact coyotes and dogs take far more sheep than wolves do. Please also
read about rancher compensation below.</b></font></div>
<div><font face="Verdana" size="-1"
color="#333333"><b><br></b></font></div>
<div><font face="Verdana" size="-1"
color="#333333"><b>Will</b></font></div>
<div><font face="Verdana" size="-1"
color="#333333"><b>FOC</b></font></div>
<div><font face="Verdana" size="-1"
color="#333333"><b><br></b></font></div>
<div><font face="Verdana" size="-1"
color="#333333"><b><br></b></font></div>
<div><font face="Verdana" size="-1" color="#333333"><b>WOLVES AND
LIVESTOCK<br>
</b></font><font face="Verdana" size="-1" color="#000000"><br>
</font><font face="Verdana" size="-1" color="#333333">MYTH: Wolves are
devastating Idaho's sheep industry.</font><font face="Verdana"
size="-1" color="#000000"><br>
</font><font face="Verdana" size="-1" color="#333333">REALITY: Wolves
are responsible for less than 1 percent of all sheep losses in Idaho,
even less for cattle.</font><font face="Verdana" size="-1"
color="#000000"><br>
</font><font face="Verdana" size="-1" color="#333333">DETAILS:
According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, in 2005 wolves killed
244 sheep in the state of Idaho.</font><font face="Verdana" size="-1"
color="#000000"><br>
</font><font face="Verdana" size="-1" color="#333333">Source: US Fish
and Wildlife Service
(http://www.fws.gov/mountain%2Dprairie/species/mammals/wolf/annualrpt<span
></span>05/table5b.pdf).<br>
</font><font face="Verdana" size="-1" color="#000000"><br>
</font><font face="Verdana" size="-1" color="#333333">How does that
compare with other causes of losses? In 2004 (the most recent year
data is offered by NASS), not including sheep that were slaughtered at
market, 22,000 sheep died from all causes in Idaho but only 270 sheep
(less than 0.2 percent) were confirmed killed by wolves. Overall sheep
deaths were reportedly due to:</font><font face="Verdana" size="-1"
color="#000000"><br>
</font><font face="Verdana" size="-1" color="#333333"> Digestive
problems (1,600);</font><font face="Verdana" size="-1"
color="#000000"><br>
</font><font face="Verdana" size="-1"
color="#333333"> Respiratory disease (1,300);</font><font
face="Verdana" size="-1" color="#000000"><br>
</font><font face="Verdana" size="-1" color="#333333"> Birthing
problems (1,100);</font><font face="Verdana" size="-1"
color="#000000"><br>
</font><font face="Verdana" size="-1" color="#333333"> Misc.
health problems (3,200);</font><font face="Verdana" size="-1"
color="#000000"><br>
</font><font face="Verdana" size="-1" color="#333333"> *Predators
(all combined) (12,100)</font><font face="Verdana" size="-1"
color="#000000"><br>
</font><font face="Verdana" size="-1" color="#333333"> Harsh
weather (600); and</font><font face="Verdana" size="-1"
color="#000000"><br>
</font><font face="Verdana" size="-1" color="#333333"> Poisoning
(800).<br>
</font><font face="Verdana" size="-1" color="#000000"><br>
</font><font face="Verdana" size="-1" color="#333333">Sheep deaths due
to predators represented 55% of overall losses. These predation deaths
included coyotes (7,100 sheep), dogs (1,400 sheep, bears (1000 sheep)
mountain lions (400 sheep) and wolves (270). Source:
http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/current/sgdl/sgdl-05-06-2005.pdf<br
>
</font><font face="Verdana" size="-1" color="#000000"><br>
</font><font face="Verdana" size="-1" color="#333333">In 2006, wolves
killed 173 sheep in Idaho. Source: Steve Nadeau, Statewide Large
Carnivore Manager, Idaho Fish and Game, 600 S. Walnut, Boise, ID
83707.<br>
</font><font face="Verdana" size="-1" color="#000000"><br>
</font><font face="Verdana" size="-1" color="#333333"><b>WOLVES AND
RANCHING</b><br>
</font><font face="Verdana" size="-1" color="#000000"><br>
</font><font face="Verdana" size="-1" color="#333333">MYTH: Ranchers
are not reimbursed for their losses to wolves.</font><font
face="Verdana" size="-1" color="#000000"><br>
</font><font face="Verdana" size="-1" color="#333333">REALITY: Most
livestock owners who experience verified depredation losses to wolves
do seek and receive compensation for their losses.</font><font
face="Verdana" size="-1" color="#000000"><br>
</font><font face="Verdana" size="-1" color="#333333">DETAILS: In
1987, Defenders of Wildlife (Defenders) initiated the first privately
funded, livestock compensation program of its kind to reimburse
livestock owners for wolf caused losses while wolves are under federal
protection. To date, [The] Bailey Wildlife Foundation Wolf
Compensation Fund, named in honor of its largest contributor, has
reimbursed ranchers almost $700,000 in the Northern Rockies for their
livestock losses to wolves and celebrates its 20 year anniversary in
2007. Since the program's inception in 1987 (shortly after the first
pack was established in Montana) through 2005, Defenders has paid for
more than 90% of all verified livestock losses. In addition to
Defenders' compensation program, the Idaho Office of Species
Conservation administers a secondary compensation program that
reimburses Idaho livestock owners for the remaining losses and also
compensates for missing and unverified livestock losses.<br>
<br>
Sources:
http://www.fws.gov/mountain%2Dprairie/species/mammals/wolf/annualrpt0<span
></span>5/table5b.pdf; http://species.idaho.gov/list/wolves.html; and
http://www.defenders.org/wolfcomp.html</font></div>
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