:confused2:
What do they prey on when there is not enough beavers and whitetail? How about family pets and live stock? The wolves around my area make frequent trips to town and prey on domestic dogs cats. Things may have been working just fine before we came along I don't know and I don't think We know better I just know I am here. I am not sure if you have had any dealings with wolves in your neck of the woods here they have become a real pain in the butt.
No wolves here. I don't think I'd mind if there were though.
Sure, their presence changes things. People shouldn't expect otherwise. The question is what are people willing to do to coexist with nature?
It's easy for people to dominate nature and screw it up in the process. It's much more difficult and challenging to find ways to live with some wildness around us. And we are not always going to succeed at that. Assuming we are smarter than a pack of wolves, I bet it can be figured out though.
In past times people kept herds of domestic animals in the presence of wolves, bears, and such. They didn't do it by just opening the front door for pets, or the barn doors for stock. That is essentially what people want to be able to do, just set out a nice predator meal and then complain when they show up for dinner. That is not realistic if they also want wildlife in some form that is close to natural, healthy and sustainable.
If we are to be honest, bullets are cheaper than barns, fences, shepherds and guard dogs. Killing any wildlife that may cause us effort or expense is the cheap and lazy way out. To the extent that choice is driven by farm and ranch economics, I think a solid majority of Americans would pay ten or twenty cents per pound more for meat if it means wildlife is being preserved. We should expect to and be willing to pay for what we value.
Ranchers and farmers are compensated for predator losses. I don't know how fairly or how well those programs operate. I'd rather see a market-driven solution where prices reflect production costs and losses. Let the market reward the ability to cost effectively preserve wildlife while producing meat.
