Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Ahem...clearing my throat.  I've been quiet for a long time...but not any more:

 

If cattlemen want to raise cattle on public lands, they should pay the consequences for grazing on public lands, which includes accepting that wolves are an integral part of the landscape, as are coyotes, mountain lions and other predators;  frankly, they should also accept the fact that occasionally one of their cattle will be eaten by one such predator, and write this into their budget, rather than whining about it.  It's the cost of doing business at the public trough.

 

What gets my beef (no pun intended) is that OUR wildlife gets killed because of the special interests of the livestock industry through such programs as "Wildlife Services" aka "Animal Damage Control" (your tax dollars pay for this service...by the way...so that cattlemen can be reassured that predators won't fell any of their cattle).  This is how wolves were exterminated from the west at the turn of the last century, anyhow...and how coyotes and other predators are constantly being poisioned/trapped, etc...because they are a nuisance to the ranching industry!!

 

If cattlemen don't want to accept such conditions in order to get the (relatively extremely) cheap forage, they shouldn't be grazing on our public lands!!  Period.  I know of no such industry that has had their way in the west for so long...it's unfair!!  As a teacher, I for one never have gotton the kind of subsidies to make my chose profession successful the way ranchers have.  I went into my career knowing that I would make a living, but I wouldn't be buying any mercedes, either!!  That's the COST I PAID for becoming a teacher, and I don't whine about it. 

 

If ranchers cannot accept these consequences of doing business on public lands, they should graze on their on private lands, and if they don't have a ranch to support that, they should buy hay and keep the feed on their own premises, and if they can't afford the hay, well...maybe they're in the wrong business!  Sorry...this is a capitalist free market, afterall, and someone here should pay, and it shouldn't be the wild animals or my grandchildren who will never get to hear wolves in the wild if most cattlemen get their way!!

 

Terry (my opinions...not a personal attack to anyone...)

 

Ridecamp Guest <guest-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Please Reply to: Ray O'Donohue rno2m@xxxxxxxxxxxx or ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> ==========================================
>
> No one should be exempt from criticism: "If the price we received for our cattle at market
> time kept up anywhere near with the costs of raising them, you wouldn't be
> able to afford a hamburger, let alone a steak. " If it isn't profitable,then how,and why,are you raising cattle there? If western dry land cattle ranching cannot financially compete on equal footing with regions of abundant rainfall,the whole wolf debate is affected if public land grazing is involved.If you are raising catle at a loss "for love of the ranching life/cowboy culture,etc",that entirely your business,as long as you are not using public land.Then,it becomes everyone's business.I subscribe to Western Horseman magazine.Each month there is a feature on some big ranching operation
>  where the hands all wear complete period cowboy costume...this is a dead giveaway that there is more than profitable business going on here...sure enough the place turns out to be owned for fun by some tycoon etc,and grazing on an allottment to boot. This is all fine with me,as long as we don't let our love for this culture wipe out other things we also value on our public land,which in my case includes wolves bears rattlesnakes elk horseback riding bird hunting etc.Moderation is the key.Eh?
>
> ===========================================================Prudence and focus will carry you a long way on a horse.
> ~ Frank Solano
>
> ridecamp.net information: http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/
>
> ============================================================

 

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