That’s what a multi-year pilot project in Manitoba is trying to determine.

Among the items being studied are:

• special penning, with seven strings of electric wire and predator-resistant gates.
• game cameras that give producers a better idea of what wildlife is passing through and that send photos to a smartphone.
• GPS collars to track cattle movements in the pasture and GPS ear tags that track livestock and send an alert when rate of movement implies animals are being chased.

There are also deadstock composting pens, meant to remove temptation for predators, and veterinary assessments, based on the idea that healthy animals are less attractive to predators.

As in Alberta, predation is a major issue in Manitoba. From 2015-19, the Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation reported 1,417 to 1,619 cattle and 322 to 502 sheep taken annually by predators including wolves, bears or coyotes. Those numbers do not include cases where a carcass could not be found or when producers could not make an insurance claim.

The pilot project seeks to gauge the scope of predation — a sticking point for years in the livestock sector — and test potential mitigation strategies used in other regions.

“We’re exiting the setup phase and we’re starting to enter the evaluation phase,” said Ray Bittner, lead of the predation pilot project being spearheaded by Manitoba Beef Producers.

“So, producers who received some of these things will start commenting back to us. What worked? What didn’t work? What could be done to make it work better?”

One of the methods being tested is fladry wire, which is single-wire electric fence with streamers every 18 inches. The fencing is meant to deter canine predators (coyotes, wolves and foxes) and while not well suited for full-season protection, it can be used at vulnerable times such as calving season.

Fladry wire has been used to good effect in predation-heavy areas in the U.S., said Janine Wilmot, a provincial wildlife conflict biologist and member of the Livestock and Predation Working Group.

“It takes advantage of the wolves’ innate fear of novel situations and novel things on the landscape,” said Wilmot. “These flags flapping in the wind at these regularly spaced intervals, it’s just not something they’re used to encountering.”

The electrical component adds yet an extra layer of deterrent, but predators do get used to seeing those flapping flags so it is best used during strategic windows, she said.

One of the sites in the pilot is a community pasture near Ethelbert in the northwest corner of the province’s agricultural zone.

The pasture is no stranger to predators, mostly timber wolves and the occasional black bear, said manager Warren Jacobson. There can be as many as 35 to 40 kills in a grazing season, he said.

“You get bad years and better years. There’s always predation.”

Select cattle will be fitted with GPS collars under the predation pilot and the pasture now features a deadstock composting pen, said Jacobson, adding he has employed game cameras on the property for years.

“I think the collars would be a good idea because we have so much brush pasture,” he said. “It might help to see where the cattle are travelling or how quickly they’re being pushed from one end of the field to the other.”

The composting pen was not arduous to set up, he added, noting that getting deadstock to the pen will be the larger issue, given the rough landscape.

Not all installations at all test sites have been done, partly because there is a lot to consider.

“We’ve gone through some really productive discussions trying to understand all the complexities and nuances of the issue,” Wilmot said of the working group.

“It’s not a very straightforward issue. And it’s been a problem for centuries. It’s not a problem that we’re probably going to solve in the foreseeable future.”

But some of the technology may also give farmers a better chance of a payout for a loss.

GPS alerts in particular improve the odds of finding a carcass, said Wilmot, noting the provincial insurer requires a carcass and sufficient evidence that an animal was killed to process a payout under its wildlife damage compensation program.

“One thing I liked about them being able to track the movement of the livestock is that (the farmers) do receive an alert that indicates that they’re running for some unknown reason or whatever the case may be,” Wilmot said.

Adjusters require enough carcass to establish that an animal was attacked and was alive at the time of the attack, such as signs of a struggle. Producers can expect 90 per cent of an animal’s value in those cases.

Where cases are more dubious, such as if a carcass is too eaten to establish life at the time of attack, that coverage drops to 45 per cent of an animal’s value. Skeletons in the field, or lack of a carcass, lead to no payout.

— A version of this article first appeared in the Manitoba Co-operator.

The post What works — or at least helps — in reducing livestock predation? appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

“Alberta Beef Producers has resolved to lobby the government to provide livestock owners and landowners with permits, allowing them to kill a dangerous grizzly without being charged,” said Brad Dubeau, the organization’s general manager.

“There’s a precedent in this in the way we currently deal with problem coyotes. A permit is only issued after a producer confirms livestock kills or property damage.”

Delegates at the group’s annual meeting in March passed a resolution asking the province to issue permits in those circumstances — and while the problem is most acute in the southwest, there were lots of stories about problem bears, Dubeau said.

• [READ MORE] When a predator attacks, wildlife officers need to solve the whodunit

Many say they are seeing more grizzlies on their land in recent years. Cow-calf producer Tony Bruder is one of them.

“My parents had never seen a grizzly bear on our land,” said the third-generation rancher, who also has a small grain operation in the Twin Butte area south of Pincher Creek.

“In 1997, we started having a lot of trouble with grizzly bears. We went from never having seen a grizzly bear on our place to averaging between 10 to 15 grizzlies a year.”

Not all of them are a problem, he is quick to add.

“Our family loves seeing a bear on our place,” he said. “It’s amazing — I still get goosebumps when I see one. But with that said, I shouldn’t be expected to lose livestock and have property damage just because we have bears on our place, and that’s what the situation is.”

Grizzlies are opportunistic omnivores and Bruder said he has seen them eat stored seed and even garden vegetables. But those that lose their fear of humans will not only go after livestock, but also damage property and even tear buildings apart, he said.

• [READ MORE] The bear facts: Farming with grizzly bears in your area

Since 2000, killing grizzly bears has not been allowed and there have been numerous efforts to assist landowners with mitigation efforts.

In 2010, the Drywood Yarrow Conservation Partnership (a watershed group) worked with Alberta Environment and Parks to get grants for electric fencing to keep bears out of yards and away from livestock. Some producers also replaced their wooden grain bins with metal ones.

After awhile, this initiative grew too big for the watershed group and so it passed the work to the Waterton Biosphere Reserve Association, which set up the Carnivores and Communities program. Bruder was a contractor with the working group overseeing the effort and shared his bear mitigation experiences with landowners in other areas, from Rocky Mountain House to Grande Prairie, and into B.C.

A host of measures have been taken, he said, including using shipping containers to store feed and mineral tubs, bear-proof bins, and electric fences along with a trapping program for bears that persistently cause damage.

“We worked with people electrifying off their chickens and we’ve done a lot of work for people with sheep and goats,” he said.

But even with all these efforts, some grizzlies continue to kill livestock and cause property damage.

And while Bruder knows there is tremendous public affection for these iconic animals, the view from afar is much different than from up close, he said.

“The grizzly bear situation is being fed by special interest groups that don’t have people who actually live on the landscape… They have no idea what it is like to actually live with these large carnivores and the problems that come with them.”

• [CANADIAN CATTLEMEN] Spring calving heralds beginning of predator season

And often, the problems with rogue bears get worse over time, he added.

“Imagine, you’ve got a female with no respect for humans or human property, raising cubs and teaching cubs that that’s OK,” he said.

Moreover, you can’t mitigate the problems with large carnivores (which also include black bears, cougars and wolves) when cattle are on summer pasture.

“When we have a bear coming in and killing our livestock, that’s going to draw in other bears that didn’t necessarily kill that animal,” said Bruder. “When Fish and Wildlife tries to trap, it’s trying to trap the bear that killed the livestock. (But) because there are other bears around, there’s an 80 per cent chance it’s going to catch a bear that isn’t a problem.”

Moreover, many problem bears become “trap smart,” he said.

In one instance, one bear (that had been positively identified) killed 20 different cattle across a number of properties in a season, but Fish and Wildlife officers couldn’t go out and shoot the animal, and neither could the landowners, said Bruder. Instead, the officers set traps, but only caught other bears that were feeding on the remains of the problem bear’s kills.

“They didn’t have the ability to deal with the specific bear, to take it out of the system, to mitigate the problem,” said Bruder. “In that same time, they caught many other bears, causing stress on those bears that wasn’t needed.”

Bear relocation can also be problematic. Sometimes bears will be moved to areas without people or livestock. But in other cases, a bear caught in the Rocky Mountain House area, for example, might just be moved to the Pincher Creek area.

“They’re just moving back and forth. They are trying to get bears out of certain areas,” he said.

“I do not believe all bears are the problem. It’s just a small percentage of bears that are a problem.”

The matter of killing problem bears is not a black and white issue, said southwestern Alberta cattle rancher Jeff Bectell, co-ordinator for the Carnivores and Communities Program. There has been some interest in the concept of a farmer killing an identified problem bear.

“Not every landowner would feel comfortable in that position, but some certainly would,” he said. “I think there’s fairly broad-based agreement that if a bear is really becoming a problem, killing livestock on a regular basis, that the best thing to do is to remove that bear, not keep it around or even relocate it.”

– With files from James Snell

The post Total ban on killing grizzly bears isn’t working, say cattle producers appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

But attendees at a recent webinar by a provincial wildlife officer got a look at the process from the investigator’s point of view.

One of the key points made by Alex Bolland is that the first thing a producer should do when encountering a carcass is to think about their own safety.

“If you’re out in a bush quarter and you can see the telltale signs of (an animal killed by a predator)… the most important thing is your safety — normally, those predators aren’t that far away,” Bolland said during a presentation hosted by the Alberta Lamb Producers earlier this month.

Compensation is available for cattle, sheep, goats and swine (but not horses or llamas) if they are attacked by a wolf, bear, eagle or cougar (but not by coyotes), said Bolland, who is based in Cardston. Payment can be made for either death or injury (but not both).

“If the animal is injured, you get compensated for the veterinarian bill. You submit the receipts (to Alberta Fish and Wildlife), and we submit it for you,” he said.

If a producer finds a dead or injured animal, they should call the Report a Poacher Line (1-800-642-3800) within three days of discovery.

“If the animal is dead, cover it and take photos of the area where it was, and take it into the barn where nothing else can scavenge on it,” said Bolland.

The investigating wildlife officer will submit photos and a report, which is then reviewed by another officer before a decision on compensation is made.

Having a carcass allows a wildlife officer to determine what the predator was, but it’s not always an easy process to determine if a predator killed the animal or if a scavenger came across an animal that died from some other cause.

Damage to the eyes of a sheep or calf, for example, may be from the talons of an eagle. Bites around the neck area is a sign of a coyote attack, while wolves (with their more powerful jaws) take a more aggressive line of attack.

“Wolves are chasers,” said Bolland. “They go after the hindquarters, tail and flanks and under the front legs.”

Wolf bites also tend to cause hemorrhaging, which can be seen when the dead animal is skinned (something wildlife officers often do during their investigations).

Grizzly and black bears maul the animal.

“It’s quite evident when it is a grizzly bear attack on a smaller animal,” he said. “It’s ripped apart, or we just see blood in the snow or grass because they’ve picked up the calf and walked away with it. They are so big and strong, they cause so much damage.”

Bears use their weight to take down an animal efficiently and quickly. The territory and time of year can help determine whether the attack is from a grizzly or a black bear. Grizzlies aren’t true hibernators and periodically leave their dens in winter, while black bears will stay asleep unless there is a chinook.

Cougars are stalkers and they prey on the neck, throat and skull of an animal.

“If I come on a kill and it looks like aliens came down and skinned this lamb out and the heart, liver and lungs are gone and there is hemorrhaging on the throat, I’m probably looking at a cougar because they are such efficient killers,” he said.

“Cougars don’t typically attack from a tree. They wait until an animal walks by and they take their shot. They use the back legs to jump and the front legs to attack.”

If cougars start killing livestock, it can be a sign that they’ve been injured, he said.

“Cattle and sheep are penned up in smaller areas,” said Bolland. “They are easier prey than having to chase a fast-running deer.”

He recommended using guardian dogs and four-strand electric fencing to reduce predation.

He also recommends that producers read Rancher’s guide to predator attacks on livestock.

It can be found by going to www.alberta.ca and searching for ‘rancher predator’ and then clicking on the Wildlife Predator Compensation Program. You can also find links to the guide, the compensation program and a recording of Bolland’s webinar at the Producer Education Events page at ablamb.ca.

The post When a predator attacks, wildlife officers need to solve the whodunit appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

The Clearwater County rancher has seen bears in his yard looking in the calf sheds, but has never had a calf taken. Wolves, however, have taken two or three animals while cougars — which are out there but rarely seen — have not taken any so far.

There are more predators in his area, which Duncan puts down to the fact there are fewer farms and people than there once were. So Duncan, a former biologist, has made adjustments — including for his personal safety.

“I’m a lot more careful at night than I used to be when I go outside. I take a lot brighter flashlight and take my dog with me,” he said. “When you get west of Highway 22, the wildlife gets a lot bigger. We’re in the fringe area between the Crown land and the deeded land. It’s a very diverse habitat. There’s the trees, there are open areas, and it’s that kind of cover that makes some of the best kind of wildlife habitat as well.”

• Read more: Too close for comfort: Farmers recount grizzly bear encounter

When it comes to protecting his livestock, he looks at his operation from their hungry eyes.

“Man-made food sources can be more nutritious and higher than supply in the wild,” he said during a recent West County Ag Tour. “That includes things like the granaries, the silage, and the livestock — especially the ones that are penned up.

“That’s just like the Tim Hortons or McDonald’s for a bear.”

Protection tips

Duncan offered several tips for those who are seeing more predators on their farm — something he expects will happen more often as bear and wolf populations in the ‘fringe areas’ are increasing, which pushes the animals farther east.

“In the last 10 or 15 years, I’ve seen a lot more,” he said. “Bears historically were a Prairie animal. They were pushed and hunted into the mountains and that was what was left.”

To deter bears, replace any of those old wooden granaries with steel bins, but if the bin contains treated seed, leave the door open. That’s because bears have good memories (something that works against you if you inadvertently provide a tasty meal).

That’s why Duncan takes care to ensure he’s composting deadstock properly, usually by composting it in the manure pile.

He recommends keeping cattle in one large group. He rotates through fairly small pastures, with off-site watering and keeps the herd constantly moving. In some cases, he uses electric fencing.

“I am visible and leaving my scent out there as well, and the horses are out with me, and that kind of thing,” he said.

He calves close to home and keeps the calves in a corral close to the barn for two to three days. When the calves go out, they go with the herd.

Duncan also recommends trail cameras for producers who want to know what’s happening on their land at night, when bears are often out.

It takes a community

People need to know bears’ strengths, said Chiara Feder, a wildlife biologist with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development.

“They are intelligent. They are powerful. They learn very well,” she said. “They have an amazing sense of direction and once they learn a behaviour, right or wrong, they repeat it as long as the benefit of that behaviour fits.”

Male bears tend to migrate in the spring as they need about 25,000 calories a day after emerging from their dens.

“If he does not acquire as much fat and as much weight, he’s not going to make it through the winter,” said Feder. “We don’t see as many females in the spring, we see them back in the fall, because male bears are going to try and kill the cubs. So female bears are going to be in places where there are fewer predators.”

The Alberta government doesn’t know how many bears there are in the province since it stopped collaring them, she said. If you see a bear on your property, you should call Fish and Wildlife.

“Think about what you can do to prevent attractants and things that can be consumed on your farm,” said Feder. “You need to have a community mindset. You can be the best person preventing your attractant. But if your neighbour is not, well, then you still have a problem.”

Putting electric fencing around calving areas or beehives can be expensive, but the cost of losing them to a bear can be even more costly, she added.

The post The bear facts: Farming with grizzly bears in your area appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

The couple has a sheep farm in Clearwater County and lamb about 200 head.

“About four years ago, we had a grizzly here, but we never did catch him,” said Irene Korth

But things escalated this April, on a day the Korths were lambing on one side of the barn. They had some ewe lambs nearby, and penned lambs up at the house. They came back to their farm from an errand, fed the penned lambs, and got up at about 4 a.m. to see if any ewes needed help. They found one lamb missing.

“I did my usual check. The next morning, we went out and found a penned lamb halfway down to the spring, and three lambs killed,” said Korth.

• Read more: The bear facts: Farming with grizzly bears in your area

They knew immediately that they had a grizzly bear on their farm. Fish and Wildlife came out and put traps around because the bear had tried to break into the grain feeder as well.

About 10 days later, the Korths’ dog started barking and “going crazy.”

“I’ve never heard the dog act that way,” said Korth.

The bear, a big grizzly about four or five years old, walked past their house. The Korths got into their truck, drove by and saw that he had busted one of their chutes and severely injured a ewe, who had to be put down.

They found two more dead lambs the next day.

“We didn’t see anything else and then the dog started barking. Sure enough, we put the light out and the bear was there,” said Korth.

Fish and Wildlife set a single snare away from the sheep pens. The next night, the bear came back, trashed the snare and didn’t get caught. Wildlife officials returned and set several snares throughout the trees.

“He came beside and he kicked the snare out. They had it on video of him going in and out five times before he finally got caught in the back which was hooked around the big old tree,” said Korth.

Angered at being captured, the bear clawed all the bark off the tree. But Fish and Wildlife couldn’t come until the daytime because of safety reasons.

“We could hear him hollering back at the house,” Korth said.

She added that it was hair raising to be lambing and caring for their sheep, knowing a grizzly had made their farm his hunting ground. All in all, the bear killed nine of their sheep.

Since grizzly bears are a threatened species, it was released in another area.

The post Too close for comfort: Farmers recount grizzly bear encounter appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

“Our paper makes a case that there are benefits… if those ranchers who have depredation programs see some compensation for wildlife to be on their private lands,” said Mark Boyce, a professor of ecology at the University of Alberta.

If there were no financial compensation, there would only be negative consequences for ranchers who maintain wildlife habitat, which attracts deer, elk and moose and, in turn, large carnivores, says a paper written by Boyce, PhD student Andrea Morehouse, and master’s student Jesse Tigner.

For the report, Morehouse investigated incident reports, reviewing nearly 4,500 claims from 2000 to 2016. Payouts to ranchers come from the Alberta Conservation Association, which has financed the compensation program partly through licences from hunters and anglers since 1996. During that period, the annual amount of the payouts increased eightfold to $800,000 in 2016.

“The cost just keeps going up and up because of the increase of the numbers of wolves and increase in depredation, but also because the price of cattle has gone up substantially,” said Boyce.

In most provinces and in many U.S. states, compensation is provided via agricultural subsidies or government revenues.

Seventy per cent of the predation is caused by wolves because their populations have increased dramatically in the province. In the 1950s, there was a rabies outbreak in southern Alberta, and the government almost eradicated wolves through a focused kill effort. But since the 2000s, wolf populations have rebounded.

“Since 2000, almost all the potential wolf habitat was occupied in Alberta,” said Boyce.

In theory, farmers receive full market value for their losses through a rate, based on current market values, established by the provincial government. But that system doesn’t take into account what the animals would be worth. Wolves often take breeding stock while bears mostly take calves.

“If bears get into calves in the spring, the farmer had those calves that she or he was planning to raise through the growing season, using the current annual production of forage on the ranch,” said Boyce.

Ranchers also argue wolves cause shrinkage in cattle because they are more anxious and don’t gain weight when large predators are around. In Montana, ranchers are compensated for shrinkage, but that’s not the case in Alberta.

The hot spots for predation are the southwest corner of the province, the Pincher Creek area, the Peace Country, and aspen parkland regions.

In the case of predation, a rancher can call a fish and wildlife officer trained to evaluate predator kills. If it’s a confirmed cougar, wolf, or bear kill, the rancher gets 100 per cent compensation. However, older kills may be more difficult to determine as telltale signs — such as bite marks on the necks of wolf prey — may no longer be clearly visible.

It’s important for ranchers to keep on top of their kills, and the paperwork involved is not onerous, said Boyce. He also recommends the use of dogs to ward off bears and having people ride through areas where their cattle are grazing.

“Anything that allows ranchers to retain wildlife on their land is a benefit for conservation,” he said. “It’s not all bad that the Alberta Conservation Association is paying the bills (but) we think an agricultural subsidy program ought to be more broadly supported.”

The post Predator compensation benefits all of society appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

Rodney and Tanya Hollman, who raise purebred Gelbvieh cattle near Innisfail, recently put an “invisible fence” around their property to keep their nine-month-old Kangal-cross dog Marleigh from wandering.

The couple chose the Invisible Fence Brand from a U.S. firm because it offered a GPS system that eliminates the need to lay an electronic cable.

“Our last dog, later in his life, started to wander a bit,” said Rodney Hollman. “We did a lot of online searching for a GPS fence, and this was the only one where you could set boundaries other than a circle.”

Keeping a guard dog on the property is especially challenging.

“We mainly have coyote pressure here,” said Hollman. “But we noticed even a fox going through the herd when the cows are in protection mode at calving can put them on edge. Having a dog around can help keep them calm.”

Marleigh is three-quarters Turkish Kangal (crossed with a Pyrenean mastiff) and her breed doesn’t give up chasing invaders easily. And her size means miles are covered quickly. Surrounded by acreages, the Hollmans were looking for a way to help keep the dog safe at home. Using a satellite view of the farm, they were able to draw boundaries for Marleigh, even keeping her off the end of the lane so she’s not running out to meet arriving trucks and trailers.

• Read more: Turkish Kangals give new meaning to the word ‘dogged’

The basic concept was invented more than 40 years ago by an electrical engineer in the U.S. Midwest who had his dog run over when it was roaming. Originally, the collar provided a bit of a shock if the animal crossed the buried line. But the technology has advanced, now delivering warning tones (all the way up to an electrical vibration) to discourage a dog from crossing the line.

“When we train the dog to know the boundaries, sometimes all that’s needed is the audible sound to get them to turn around and come back,” said Greg Dietz, the Canadian rep for the Invisible Fence Brand.

“When I saw the GPS coming, I wanted it right away, especially for southern Alberta, where there are big yards and big dogs, and installing wiring isn’t really practical.”

Southern Alberta quickly became the company’s best market, he said. Within a month and a half of getting Industry Canada approval in June 2015, southern Alberta had already passed all other locations for installation of GPS collars. (The company’s base price is $2,500, which covers 10 acres and includes two collars, a collar charger, and on-site training of the dog.)

“It’s built for here with our wide-open sky, nothing to interfere with the satellite signals,” said Dietz. “We’re subscribed to 32 satellites.”

GPS technology means boundaries on more than one yard can be designated while potentially hazardous locations, such as dugouts, can be blocked out. Boundaries can also be changed seasonally.

Marleigh quickly got the hang of the system. During her training period, flags were set up at boundary lines as a visual cue and gentle correction signals were used if the boundary was crossed.

“Once the dogs learn to respect the given boundaries, they never need a correction,” said Dietz. “We’re teaching them how to turn the signal off, so the dog is making its own decision of whether to go or not.”

“It’s neat to see Marleigh’s progression,” added Hollman. “We look at this as a way to protect our investment in the dog. It gives us peace of mind that we can have a working dog, and not have to worry about where she is when we’re not by her side. But it gives her the freedom to be a dog at the same time.”

The post Rover will wander no more thanks to GPS technology appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

Kangals don’t give up on a predator until it’s dead, and can go up to 14 miles chasing an intruder such as a wolf, bear, or, in their native land, jackals. They’ve even been exported to deal with cheetahs and leopards in Africa.

• Read more: Rover will wander no more thanks to GPS technology

But they are also very friendly.

“The Kangals are bred to be sociable with people,” said Tanya Hollman. “They’re good with kids, and that’s where other livestock protection dogs sometimes fall short.”

Their dog, Marleigh, was born in January, while her mother was guarding cows in a winter feeding program.

“She stayed there all winter, so was integrated with livestock at an early stage,” she said. “When we first picked her up, she just crawled in the truck, laid down and slept for three hours. She’s been great with our three boys.”

A neighbour now has a male dog of the same type, so the Hollmans hope to breed Marleigh and raise pups.

The post Turkish Kangals give new meaning to the word ‘dogged’ appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

Bears prefer to be left alone, but tragedies do happen. It was the death of a woman attacked by a grizzly bear in Canmore in 2005 that led to the creation of the Bearsmart program.

The voluntary program is a partnership between citizens, local and provincial governments and other stakeholders.

The first step is making people aware of the danger, said Chiara Feder, Alberta Environment and Parks wildlife biologist and Bearsmart program co-ordinator for the North Saskatchewan and Red Deer region.

“It was shocking for me in 2008 when a hunter got killed by a sow with three cubs in the Sundre area,” said Feder. “People were totally unaware that they were in bear country. So our biggest project there was to build awareness.”

But the program in the Sundre area has expanded over the years, such as providing electric fences.

“We are starting to work with ranchers and farmers and honey producers to put in place measures that prevent the conflict before the conflict actually starts,” said Feder.

That’s key because bears have long memories and will return to an area where they once found food (such as garbage, beehives, or a carcass) for up to five years.

Deadstock is a huge attractant for bears and other predators, and the problem increased after BSE hit in 2003 and carcass disposal became more costly.

Composting livestock is an effective way to remove deadstock, and it’s become popular in southern Alberta and Montana, both of which have high grizzly bear populations. When Montana began composting deadstock and roadkill, authorities saw a 92 per cent reduction of conflict between bears and humans within two seasons.

• More on the Alberta Farmer: Could a cement mixer have a place on your operation?

Bearsmart will work with interested individuals and community groups who want to implement projects.

“We can do education and awareness and we also do projects like Marty Winchell’s (deadstock composting),” said Feder.

In Clearwater County, Bear-smart has provided courses and workshops, informational sessions to recreation enthusiasts, and entered partnerships to implement carcass disposal and waste management pro-jects.

For more info on starting a Bearsmart project, contact Fish and Wildlife at 310-000 or Chiara Feder at 403-845-8303 or chiara.feder@gov.ab.ca. Bear information for agricultural producers can be found at aep.alberta.ca.

The post Preventing conflicts with bears before they start appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

But that’s not easy if, like Marty Winchell, you’re raising sheep, pigs, laying hens and bees, as well as custom grazing cattle.

Which is why there’s an old cement mixer sitting in his yard. His mixer is sans the truck, which in hindsight was a mistake because he could have picked up an entire unit at auction for as little as $2,000.

“Had I known what I know now, I would have bought a cement truck, drove it here, sold the truck and would have been a lot further ahead,” joked the producer from Rocky Mountain House.

Still, he’s pleased with his investment, which has taken on a new life for composting deadstock. The process really isn’t much different than what homeowners do in their backyard and is a big improvement on his old method.

“We used to compost our birds with manure, but it was an attractant for coyotes,” said Winchell, who is also an agricultural program supervisor with Clearwater County Agricultural Services and Landcare.

Coyotes and foxes are a common sight in the area, and he’s also seen mountain lions and lynxes. His parents even had bears licking their barbecue.

• More on the Alberta Farmer: Preventing conflicts with bears before they start

Winchell decided to use a cement mixer after seeing a similar system in Pincher Creek. He tapped into Bearsmart, a provincial government program, for some funding for the purchase of the cement mixer, and paid for the transportation and setup costs on his own. He has 300 laying hens, and since starting composting in late July is saving 50 cents on the pickup and rendering of every spent hen.

In the first few weeks of operation, he put in the equivalent of two yards of protein waste (spent hens and several dead lambs) and added about four yards of carbon mix (which includes straw, egg waste, shavings, and paper). The right balance between carbon and nitrogen reduces smell and achieves optimum composting. He spins the compost mechanically every once in a while, and adds water to the mixture.

“Every time I turn it at night, when I just walk up to it and put my hand on the top and bottom, you can feel it cooking,” Winchell told a group during the West County Ag tour last month.

“It gets plenty hot in there. In the evening, when I spin it, steam comes billowing out.”

It’s impressive how quickly deadstock breaks down, he said, adding he is going to try to compost through the winter in hopes enough heat will be generated to keep it going.

The process does attract flies, but not huge numbers. He’s also going to limit where the compost is used because it contains specified risk material from sheep, and he wants to minimize the potential risk of prion diseases. He also doesn’t compost roadkill or animals from other farms because he doesn’t want to bring potential diseases onto his farm.

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