Esote
Dagobah Resident
The question I have is : how to really deal with wild predators like wolves in regard to domestic animals ?
Sure, there are protections like guarding dogs or night camps, and deterrents such as foxlights or turbo fladry etc.
But still there are attacks occurring despite all the existing non lethal methods employed, and even when shooting at the predators with guns.
Then two opposite solutions are : Kill them all vs get used to it, accepting to leave a toll to wildlife.
The first one is unlikely to happen, although most farmers would vote for it. The second one is easy to think about but uneasy to apply, particularly for small farmers.
Let's say that a permaculture farm raises a few sheep and cows. You don't want them to be killed by the wolves and you're not going to have your land surrounded by fences looking somehow like a concentration camp. It means that somebody has to be around, and the more land there is, the more you need people to take care of the domestic animals. In the past in Europe they were living with large families, where children and old people could handle them. Nowadays it's quite a challenge.
Plus you have to gather at least the sheep in night camps, feed a bunch of big dogs and so on.
Natural predators are not a big problem for hunter-gatherers, but it is a huge one for farmers.
[makes me think that 'human' predators have much more power in an agricultural society...].
So, anyone knowing something serious about new deterrents or studies related to these issues is most welcome to share it here !
Sure, there are protections like guarding dogs or night camps, and deterrents such as foxlights or turbo fladry etc.
But still there are attacks occurring despite all the existing non lethal methods employed, and even when shooting at the predators with guns.
Then two opposite solutions are : Kill them all vs get used to it, accepting to leave a toll to wildlife.
The first one is unlikely to happen, although most farmers would vote for it. The second one is easy to think about but uneasy to apply, particularly for small farmers.
Let's say that a permaculture farm raises a few sheep and cows. You don't want them to be killed by the wolves and you're not going to have your land surrounded by fences looking somehow like a concentration camp. It means that somebody has to be around, and the more land there is, the more you need people to take care of the domestic animals. In the past in Europe they were living with large families, where children and old people could handle them. Nowadays it's quite a challenge.
Plus you have to gather at least the sheep in night camps, feed a bunch of big dogs and so on.
Natural predators are not a big problem for hunter-gatherers, but it is a huge one for farmers.
[makes me think that 'human' predators have much more power in an agricultural society...].
So, anyone knowing something serious about new deterrents or studies related to these issues is most welcome to share it here !
