Access to high quality feed and water make for a good ranching location. They allow producers to raise productive livestock, setting up the ranch to turn a profit. Those same things are attractive to wildlife as well, and whether it is an ungulate, such as a deer or moose, or the predators that follow them, wildlife can cause problems for ranchers.
Wildlife conflicts are a major focus for Jeff Bectel, coordinator of the Carnivores and Communities program in the Waterton Biosphere Region of Alberta.
In this episode of Ruminating with RealAg, Bectel points out that almost everything on a ranch is an attractant for wildlife. Whether it is a standing oat crop, grain bins, chickens, or even a garden, wild animals are likely to become an issue at some point, but there are ways that producers can manage those attractants to make them a little less tempting for wildlife.
Grab your favourite drink, a comfy chair and settle in for the conversation below between Bectel and host Amber Bell regarding mitigation techniques, such as wildlife fencing, bear proof grain bins and storage options.
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