The Blaine County Journal News-Opinion - We've Got The County Covered

Livestock losses due to predators has skyrocketed in the past 15 years. In 2007 the state legislature began the Livestock Loss Program. Early on the program compensated ranchers for their losses due to Wolves and Grizzly Bears and claims were mostly filed in the western part of the state. In 2019 Mountain Lions were added to the program's compensation annual budget. The compensation fund budgeted for livestock losses due to predators now stands at $300,000. Record number of claims continue to be filed each year and this past November, George Edwards, the Executive Director of the Board expressed concern that the budget may not be big enough to cover all livestock losses.

The main perpetrator of livestock kills in the west continues to be Grizzlies and Wolves. Local ranchers here at home in Blaine County have been dealing with a rapidly growing predator problem as well. Mountain Lions are becoming more and more of an issue and Coyote kills have continued to skyrocket despite increased efforts to manage the population. Coyote Hunts have been organized as fundraisers by the Chinook Volunteer Fire Department as well as the Big Sandy American Legion. Ranchers have also taken to the sky and utilized Helicopters to control the situation.

"Coyotes are our biggest problem on a day-to-day basis around calving time. Packs of up to five coyotes have killed newborn calves and harass the cattle to the point of cows stepping on calves causing injury or death," said Klint Swanson of Shipwheel Cattle south of Chinook. "The mountain lion population has increased substantially in recent years to the point of posing problems as well. The lion is quite a bit bigger than a coyote and hunts alone. They are extremely athletic, fast and powerful and can prey on about anything it chooses."

Swanson and his family, along with some close friends harvested 49 Coyotes on a recent helicopter hunt. "The helicopter hunt came to be when we purchased it through the Denton fire relief fundraiser auction. Concho Aviation out of Texas has a helicopter in, operated by Greg Koch. We were able to pick the day we wanted to go, and our family and some close friends were able to go up. Guns and ammo were provided with two shooters going up at once," said Klint. "Our calving season after the hunt has been very successful with no problems with coyotes. We've hired trappers and had several people call coyotes which helps a little, but the helicopter is the most effective, quickest way to hunt coyotes."

Merle Young also ranches in the Bear Paws, and has plenty of concerns with the predator population, especially as the Mountain Lion population skyrockets, "The big thing now is with all the motorized vehicles, side by sides and everything running around that they are getting more and more comfortable with human interaction. Used to be that if they heard a pickup they would be gone. The Lions are getting pretty domesticated." Young sees the Mountain Lion as being a real threat, "Lions are huge, and the lion problem is out of control. There are Cats living in spots where they shouldn't be, spots that aren't typically cat habitat. I honestly think the Cats are a bigger problem than coyotes by far." Young still regards the Coyote to be an issue as well and was another rancher that utilized the Helicopter, "I hired Scott Snider of Snider Helicopter Service out of Turner, and we went up for about six hours on March 20 and killed 65 coyotes."

Why the increased concern, "They (Mountain Lions) are way overpopulated and something needs to be done. When a Lion kills something, they drag it off and you may never find it. When we turn cows out and one comes back dry, you never know, maybe a Cat got the calf," said Young. Wolves and Grizzlies aren't an issue in the Bear Paws, "We've really only had one Wolf out here and Crowley's felt the brunt of that as they lost three yearlings in a short amount of time. It was right around Christmas in 2020 and the Wolf was legally harvested to end that threat."

Merle Young, a rancher operating in the Bear Paws south of Chinook, has been dealing with the Mountain Lion and Coyote Livestock problem for years and like many other ranchers has addressed the issue personally. Young harvested a 145 pound Mountain Lion and does his best to keep the Coyote numbers in check during the winter months by conducting his own hunts.

Coyotes aren't part of the compensation program like the Wolf, Grizzly and Mountain Lion, but they aren't protected either, "Coyotes are fair game, they can be hunted anytime, Lions have a quota and that hasn't changed in a long time. I think it's time to raise the female quota, maybe that is a good starting point for Lion control," said Young. To be compensated for predator depredation a rancher needs to have a state representative view the kill sight and the animal to determine that it was in fact killed by a predator and not due to natural causes. "You can't wait, other scavenger will clean up the carcass and then there would be no evidence left if it's not reported right away."

Young is President of the North Central Montana Stockgrowers Association and dealing with the predator issue has become a focus, "We were approached about doing a petition by Miles Hutton, which would cover Phillips, Blaine Hill and Chouteau Counties that would bring a government trapper to the area. If the petition passed it would impose a $1 per head tax on all cattle in that area." Young went on to say the North Central Montana Stockgrowers held an informational meeting this past Wednesday at the Eagles in Havre. County Commissioners as well as State Representatives from the state to were on hand to answer any questions. "There were about a half dozen producers show up in support of the petition and there were none against, so we voted to move forward with the petition. The rest of the details will be released, and we will get things ironed out!"