Wolves taking toll on Upper Peninsula farms
09/18/02
By SCOTT BRAND/The Evening News
STALWART — Leaving a bloody trail of dead livestock, injured pets and
scared residents in their wake, the eastern timber wolf is rapidly
developing into public enemy #1 for Eastern Upper Peninsula farmers.
“We have got to protect our livelihood,” said Jim Spencer on Tuesday in
organizing a grassroots rally of sorts on his Stalwart farm. “Pretty soon
our issue will be heard.”
Spencer said he has lost 15 calves and one cow to wolves over the last 18
months.
And he is not alone.
Greg Krause from over Engadine way said he can no longer leave his dog
outdoors overnight, fearing that a wolf may kill it following multiple
attacks on the family pet.
Just down the road from Krause, Allison Rall knows a thing or two about
wolves with her daughter witnessing an attack that left one dog dead and a
second injured. In running a quick check of the neighbors prior to
Tuesday’s meeting, she had documented the deaths of four dogs, two geese,
10 chickens and 30 calves.
“I’m really getting sick of seeing them and listening to them,” added Kay
Urbshot, saying that elderly people in the Engadine area are now afraid to
take evening walks fearing the boldness of the local wolf pack.
John Dutcher provided photographic evidence of two recent kills on his
Raber farm attributable to wolves at the Tuesday meeting and information
trickling in from Trenary and other parts indicates the wolf problem is
not isolated just to our area.
Perhaps the most startling information, however, came from a pair of
Rudyard sheep farmers. Bob Love claims he has lost 20 sheep to the wolves
while Eric Wallace adds he has lost 93 lambs over the last two years.
Surprisingly, the affected parties do not appear to want the wolf
exterminated from the Upper Peninsula.
“There is lots of open space in Seney and Tahquamenon for the wolves,”
said Krause.
“Our cattle don’t pasture on federal property, why should their wolves
feed on ours?,” added Spencer expressing his desire to leave them in
wilderness areas.
As a group, those collected on the Spencer Farm Tuesday believe the latest
influx of problem-causing wolves were planted as part of a reintroduction
program.
“A wild wolf is scared to death of a human,” said Dutcher. “These are
pen-raised and they aren’t afraid of people.”
Rall and Krause instantly agreed with that assessment, detailing recent
incidents where the wolves were hanging around public roadways, in mowed
yards and even stole a part of an uneaten sandwich on yet another
occasion.
While there is a reimbursement program designed to assist farmers with
financial losses due to wolf predation, the program is viewed as far from
simple and less-than-equitable.
“It took 11 months to get my reimbursement,” said Spencer adding, “I had
to go through all the red tape, blue tape, green tape and brown tape
before I finally got my money.”
But, offering $200 for a dead calf does not begin to pay for the farm’s
financial losses, according to Spencer. In illustrating his point, he
points to the animals in his herd that have lost tails due to wolf
attacks. While the tail itself holds very little value from consumer
standpoint, it is invaluable to the individual animal in keeping flies
away from sensitive areas such as the eyes and udder.
“That creates a vet bill,” Spencer explained.
Not only do Spencer and company lose money due to injured animals, but it
takes a toll on the entire herd’s well-being.
“My own cows are going through the fences looking for safety,” said
Spencer indicating the fear of wolf attack wreaking havoc on his property
as well as his animals. “I’ve got a lot of money invested in my fencing.”
When 140 or so head of panicked cattle get to running — nothing,
including high-tensile, electric fence will stop them.
The group feels as though it has received little, if any, assistance from
the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
“What kills me is their contention that the wolf only eats deer,” says
Dutcher who says he lost a 160 pound ewe just last week.
Spencer said the DNR’s response to complaints has been inadequate at best.
In fact, he is still waiting for an officer to come to his farm following
an August 15 attack. In another incident detailed by the group, a lady in
Trout Lake lost 41 chickens with the cause ruled undetermined. Long
delays, in other instances — along with the wolves’ penchant for
consuming nearly all of the slain animal — make it difficult to collect
on the federal reimbursements when the DNR fails to respond in a timely
fashion.
“The livestock owners wouldn’t be near as upset if they were being
properly compensated,” concluded Spencer.