A sharp increase in wolves seen around Rolling Hills Farm this winter has us concerned about losing calves to wolf kill. The snowless winter helped deer escape, and the wolves look thin and hungry... #familyfarm, #cattlefarm, #timberwolf,
I agree with your assessment that they’ll most likely stick to the tree line considering the calving spot is around your main area of activity. As your neighbor found out, they hate other canines whether that’s dogs or coyotes so they’ll go after them first.
Under different circumstances, it would be pretty cool to see one. I only heard one once while I was camping on the Isle Royale, your strategy, keeping everything up by the barn during calving season is definitely a good one like before I lost calves to coyotes I think the day they were born by being out on 150 acres and the herd being spread out. I’m gonna change that routine the spring so I minimize my losses, I did have a hunter come in this winter towards the end and we think we got the male and female they had a established season for about a year. I finally found a scapular blade from a calf just the other day.
We never needed to deal with exotic predators The cows really didn't have any predators down here. Your videos remind me that although we are in the same state it's entirely different challenges. Thank you Dave.
On that thought 30 years ago the DNR tried to reintroduce timber rattlers into the St. Croix River Valley. The biggest issue was that they didn't publicize their actions. Families went there for recreation.
Things are still pretty wild up here. People from the coasts don’t understand that we’ve never ruined the environment the way they ruined their homes…so they love to tell us how to live. My friends in Manhattan love to patronize.
We haven't had any problem yet...I kind of think the donkey keeps them away. I won't even get started on the gooberment's management practices. Keep a eye on those babies ....Thanks Dave.
We don’t have wolves here. We used to up until around 100 years ago. Farmers shot and killed them almost to the point of extinction. We do have coyotes. They haven’t killed any calves to my knowledge anyway.
I know guys who hunt coyotes just north of you each winter using calls and long-range rifles. Minnesota was the last state in the lower 48 to have wolves. I’ve gone howling with wolf center biologists in winter up by Ely. It’s fun when they howl back.
@@Rollinghillsfarmsmn , we had a lone wolf that multiple people spotted in this area back in the 90’s. My daughter and I saw it one time when it ran across the road in front of us in broad daylight. It ran about 50 yards and stopped and watched us for a while. It was a male but not a really big one. I image it got run off and no longer had a pack to run with.
Hah! Seeing them is difficult, expect on trail cams. If we farmers were responsible for wolf control we’d be totally overrun. Farmers have too many priorities.😅
@Rollinghillsfarmsmn loosing cattle to them is one of my least worries. They move in and destroy the ecosystem, then get overpopulated and start breeding with coyotes creating hybrids, and you won't even have normal coyote after that.
Wolf predation combined with last year's winter has left the "woodland" deer herd in bad shape. The "farmland" deer around you and here also are a good substitute so wolves are going to go where the food is, especially since they have no reason to fear humans at this point. There is no doubt going to be an increase in lost livestock across the state under these conditions. I have no hatred towards wolves either but we live here too. It's irresponsible to think we can treat the north half of the state as an unregulated wilderness. The politics is the problem. The Lakes states need to get together and do something about the issue. Wolf recovery numbers are far in excess of what the original targets were for the area. I wouldn't count on government agencies actually paying fair value for a beef calf with the current market either.
