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Thread: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears

  1. #81
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
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    Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears

    Quote Originally Posted by gcreek View Post
    You are right in most of this statement...........

    I also believe that most predators prefer wild prey until they find out how easy it is to kill beef. With wild prey drastically down in numbers and a lack of will govt. to lessen predator populations these problems are only going to get worse.

    Your statement of livestock loss compensation would leave readers to believe ranchers are compensated for all cattle that don’t come home in the fall and that ranchers can blame all losses on predators and be duly compensated. This is not the case, only kills that are fresh enough to be verified a predator kill by a licensed verifier will be compensated for if verifier deems the loss a bona fide predator kill. Livestock owners are allowed to kill offending wildlife on Crown range provided the proof of the problem is there.
    This ranch has had 412 cattle not return home from range between spring of 03 and fall of 18. We have received compensation now for 14 of those animals. We know that the major portion of the remaining 398 were predator losses but with no verification they are a complete loss. The only reason we are still in business is the fact that we have a very cheap operation in all other ways to run.

    We have spent a considerable sum of money for mitigation over the years in an attempt to lessen losses. Some years it pays, others not so much.
    When you say the remaining 398 were with no verification, do you mean they could not decide what killed them, or you did not call a licensed verifier in to check them out.

  2. #82
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
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    The Ville, B.C.
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    5,627

    Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears

    Not sure what gcreeks range looks like or how big, but I know some of the ranges in the Lumby/Monashee area could easily swallow up a cow(s) with no trace. They're simply too big and wild to keep tabs on. The kills that are usually found are near road systems.

  3. #83
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    Nov 2005
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    Vancouver
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    3,912

    Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears

    I was hunting in region 8 a year ago and saw big black bear grazing peacefully on one side of an old logging road and a herd of cows with calves grazing in a landing on the other side, ignoring each other.

  4. #84
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    Mar 2004
    Location
    Pemberton BC
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    1,521

    Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears

    When are people going to understand that responding to LBM is mostly pointless? All he ever does is try to find fault with ranchers/hunters/humans for any sort of negative interaction with wildlife.

    A cougar attacked a child? "Interesting. I wonder what the child did to make the cougar attack?"

    A grizzly killed a cow? "Interesting. How do you NO the otherwise perfectly healthy cow didn't walk right up to the grizzly bear, commit suicide in front of the grizzly and then the grizzly decided to eat it?"

    Something (ANYTHING) happened? "Interesting. You have to actually be out there to NO what's going on. I drive around in my pickup every now and then, so I understand everything. Everyone else is WRONG."

    If he's a hunter, he is one of those hunters that hates other hunters.
    Last edited by Gateholio; 06-23-2019 at 08:05 AM.
    Knowledgeable shooters agree- The 375 Ruger is the NEW KING of all 375 caliber cartridges. ALL HAIL THE NEW KING!

  5. #85
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
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    1,009

    Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears

    Interesting.... that a rancher doesn’t have the time to drive, sorry ride, his rangeland to do a Quincy show (Bones for the younger ones) on each and every dead cow/ calf to determine time and cause of death. Gee, would it be hard to find them - would that explain the poor compensation rate? I’ve worked with a few ranchers and they sure seem to have a lot of spare time on their hands between lattes and Shiraz time. Not much to do on a ranch...’cept look for missing livestock. For the sarcasm handicapped, that was heavy on the sarcasm.

    Seems like there needs to be some data collected and stats run for various regions in the province to determine break downs on loss rates to base compensation on.

  6. #86
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
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    1,794

    Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears

    Quote Originally Posted by Treed View Post
    Interesting.... that a rancher doesn’t have the time to drive, sorry ride, his rangeland to do a Quincy show (Bones for the younger ones) on each and every dead cow/ calf to determine time and cause of death. Gee, would it be hard to find them - would that explain the poor compensation rate? I’ve worked with a few ranchers and they sure seem to have a lot of spare time on their hands between lattes and Shiraz time. Not much to do on a ranch...’cept look for missing livestock. For the sarcasm handicapped, that was heavy on the sarcasm.

    Seems like there needs to be some data collected and stats run for various regions in the province to determine break downs on loss rates to base compensation on.
    Thanks, BCCA at one point asked Govt if there was any possibility of counting cattle out the gate in the spring and counting in on return. The difference would then be calculated and a percentage paid for to cover predator losses. Govt. didn't want the bill.

    I guess Little Brain Man kind of misses the fact that we are busy, understaffed, and the scratched and torn up animals that come home or are found give us an indication what is out there. I verified a bear killed calf once that would have weighed 250 to 300 lbs., came home and called Lays to come and set up to catch the offender. They were at the kill sight with me 4 hours later. A shoulder blade and the hide was all that was left. For those that don't know bears will eat from the inside out, at times leaving the hide intact with all four legs attached.
    Wolves will eat everything on smaller prey, even licking the blood off the grass.

  7. #87
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    Dec 2007
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    B.C CANADA
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    Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears

    Good posts Gateholio .

  8. #88
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Posts
    546

    Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears

    Quote Originally Posted by Dannybuoy View Post
    Good posts Gateholio .
    I see what you see


    I know there are some measures ranchers take to reduce chance of losing cattle but is there a level of losing some cattle is sort of a cost of doing business?
    Last edited by rageous; 06-23-2019 at 09:31 AM.

  9. #89
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    Jul 2011
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    kamloops
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    Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears

    yes if your going to send your cattle to wild range land you will loose some..

    that all said some areas will have very high predation..
    there are a lot of bears in the province..i mean alot..

    i have alot of animals myself and loose my share too predators.. that said if i get a shot at one i take it...
    loosing livestock sucks... scaryier yet is when these animals come near your family.
    if lbm new very much about ranching he would have a whiskey with a rancher and get educated what its like.

  10. #90
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
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    kamloops
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    3,851

    Re: Do Ranchers Ever Lose Calves to Black Bears

    yes if your going to send your cattle to wild range land you will loose some..

    that all said some areas will have very high predation..
    there are a lot of bears in the province..i mean alot..

    i have alot of animals myself and loose my share too predators.. that said if i get a shot at one i take it...
    loosing livestock sucks... scaryier yet is when these animals come near your family.
    if lbm new very much about ranching he would have a whiskey with a rancher and get educated what its like.

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