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Re: [RC] wolves killing livestock and reasons why - Barbara McCraryFYI, calves are not born and raised in feedlots. Those are for mature animals that are put on feed to make them tender and tasty for human consumption. So putting cattle in feedlots doesn't work in the beginning of the animal's lifecycle. Also, I think, though do not have personal experience, that sheep are at the mercy of predators because they aren't very smart, and they tend to follow the leader. You've heard of sheep being led to slaughter......they're just not very smart. Cattle are somewhat better, though not as careful as I wish. We've seen coyotes playing amongst the calves, and at first you think it's kind of cute, and you think that the coyote is REALLY looking for gophers, until you catch them taking down a calf. We've lost about 8 % of our calf crop this year to coyotes. Bummer! Barbara ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ridecamp Guest" <guest-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Tuesday, April 13, 2004 3:29 PM Subject: [RC] wolves killing livestock and reasons why Please Reply to: Kimberly Price kprice@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx or ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ========================================== I'd like to throw one bit of somewhat little known research is out there, that wolves do indeed kill many sheep or lambs at once as the prey are enclosed by fences. In the real world the prey can disperse and get away, the predator drive is satisfied when one animal is brought down, but our man-made artificial world creates an environment where the predator drive is accentuated by prey which cannot dispurse and massive killings become common. So no, it isn't for 'fun' although some is to teach youngsters how to hunt. Also, research shows if you take out the predators then another will take its place, maybe one not as well behaved as the first. IF there are no more predators then the prey that MAN likes to hunt will be diseased as man only weeds out the young tender strong meat, not the old and sickly meat like natural predators do, and once again the balance is screwed up. It is the right wing anti-predator thinking which endangered the wolf and grizzly to threatened extinction in the first place. Sorry, but I believe in feedlots for our cattle and wild places our predators can still populate. Its time we recognize the value of this and quit destroying the earth God gave us. One of the great joys of being a pompous idiot is that you can do and think whatever you want. ~ Homer Safferwiffle ridecamp.net information: http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/ ============================================================ The very essence of our sport is doing the trail as quickly as practicable, while keeping one's horse fit to continue. Taking the clock out of the equation makes it another sport altogether. The challenge is how to keep the sport what it is while honing our skills (both as riders and as those in control roles) in detecting where "the edge" is for each horse so that we don't cross it. ~ Heidi Smith ridecamp.net information: http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/ ============================================================
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