The Rural Voice, 1989-11, Page 66RAINY R1VER
Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER
Box 416, Emo, Ontario POW 1 E0
807-482-2051
• The Rural Voice is provided to Rainy River
Federation members by the RRFA.
Changeableweather dominated the
Rainy River District through early Oc-
tober. It was cool, warm, sunny, cloudy
with showers, and there were even some
snow flurries as weather patterns
changed rapidly.
Generally though, everyone is
pleased and has been taking advantage
of the good days to finish up on the fall
chores.
District cattlemen have been busy
sorting cattle, as potentially)iigh stocker
prices and an abundance of feed give
everyone the opportunity to choose be-
tween selling and expanding the herd. It
would appear that many District pro-
ducers plan to do both.
But the expanding beef herds will
have to do without the services of Gary
Sliworsky, District red meat advisor.
OMAF did not renew Gary's contract as
red meat advisor for northwestern On-
tario.
District farmers will miss the sup-
port and advice that Gary always pro-
vided, along with his personal concern
for District producers.
OMAF officials in Guelph have
once again shown their lack of under-
standing of the unique problems of
northwestern Ontario by stationing our
red meat advisor hundreds of miles to
the east.
As Manitoba and Saskatchewan join
Alberta in funding even more assistance
to help their beef industry survive, the
powers that be at OMAF continue to
ignore problems here in Ontario. Rainy
River District cattlemen are shifting
their marketing emphasis to the west but
may find themselves at the tail end of a
subsidized western beef market.
The Rainy River District Federation
of Agriculture continues to press for
action from the Ministry of Natural re-
sources for better control of nuisance
wildlife in the District.
• District residents are tiring of suffer-
ing loss and damage from the uncon-
trolled nuisance wildlife. Municipal
roads, farm land, and private property
are being flooded by the ever-expanding
beaver population. Township employ-
ees and private citizens are waging an
expensive but losing battle against these
eager wood -choppers now occupying
64 THE. RURAL VOICE
nearly every ditch and stream in the
Rainy River District.
However, it requires skill and exper-
tise to control the nuisance wildlife
humanely. Many skilled trappers have
left the profession because of low eco-
nomic returns.
Beaver have become a growing
problem in many parts of Ontario since
falling fur prices have discouraged
managed fur harvesting. Many munici-
palities have been paying bounties
while some harassed citizens are using
very undesirable methods in an attempt
to control the nuisance wildlife.
The RRFA believes that paying
bounties is not the proper solution. We
do not wish to exterminate the wildlife
population, but merely to control spe-
cific problems.
All concerned must work together in
an effort to control these nuisance ani-
mals humanely.
Besides the beaver, wolves, bears,
and smaller nuisance wildlife harass
District residents. This summer farmers
have again been losing calves and sheep
to marauding wolf packs.
Pictured is George Hyatt, his wife
Beverly, and one of the 44 sheep from
their flock slaughtered this past sum-
mer. Many other District farmers have
been suffering like losses from the ex-
panding nuisance wildlife population.
In the meantime, the MNR has virtu-
ally abandoned any attempt to control
nuisance wildlife in the rural areas.
Shrinking budgets and lenient control
policies encouraged by pressure groups
far removed from the problems have
eliminated most wildlife control offi-
cers.
Responsibility for nuisance wildlife
control has been passed on to area desig-
nated trappers. Rising costs and falling
economic returns, however, have re-
duced trapping to a part-time occupa-
tion for most of those interested in prac-
tising control measures.
As present, District municipalities
administer the livestock valuation pro-
gram funded by MNR. Township -ap-
pointed valuators investigate livestock
losses and farmers are reimbursed the
market value of slain animals.
Although this economic return can
in no way replace the loss of herd build-
ing and planning for the farmer, at least
the local administration provides a per-
sonal concern for their losses. More
concern must be expressed for the vic-
tims of nuisance wildlife damage.
MNR personnel have been heard to
say that it is more economical to pay
farmers for livestock losses than to hire
wildlife control officers. This crass atti-
tude must be changed.
The RRFA has presented a brief to
Lyn McLeod, the Minister of Natural
Resources, requesting changes to the
wildlife control program. The brief says
the trappers must be reimbursed ade-
quately for their efforts to control the
nuisance wildlife problem which has
been caused by current MNR practices.
The administration of the new nui-
sance wildlife control program should
be transferred to local municipalities.
Local councils have a better understand-
ing of rural problems and could desig-
nate a trapper who would be certain that
specific problems are controlled.
This type of program, funded by the
MNR, has been operating successfully
in some townships in the Ottawa Valley,
and should be available to all munici-
palities in Ontario.
To date, the Minister of Natural
Resources has not responded to the brief
painstakingly prepared by the RRFA
Wildlife Control Committee.0