A coordinated and well organised campaign in the Bulahdelah district has resulted in the elimination of 81 wild dogs.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
No district is free from the menace posed by wild dogs but the Bulahdelah community are making some headway in the fight to control their impact. Last year public reserve managers and private landholders shot or trapped 81 wild dogs in the area. Bulahdelah landholder and chair of the district Wild Dog Control Group, Art Brown says ‘this number confirms that there are plenty of wild dogs’.
“Importantly, 46 percent of the cull were females which will have a substantial impact on future reproduction,” Art said.
“Eighteen months ago we had reached a crisis point. 1080 baiting wasn’t working; there were ongoing livestock attacks and sightings of large wild dog packs.”
In August 2015, National Parks, Forestry and Mid coast Council, in collaboration with the Local Land Services Bio-security Ranger, Laurie Mullen, completed reactive trapping and targeted baiting programs in public reserves adjacent to private landholdings.
Art said “The Group has a first class working relationship with all public reserve managers and we acknowledge the skills of Mick Worth, Forestry and Nick Patteson, National Parks who trapped 30 wild dogs in various planned and reactive programs during 2016”. Reserve managers record data on wild dogs, foxes and pigs through the deployment of motion sensor cameras.
“In preparation for our autumn control program which began at the beginning of March, public reserve managers and private landholders had motion sensor cameras deployed throughout the district.
“Cameras were also deployed in public reserves adjacent to reported wild dog activity. Ultimately this should assist us to better monitor problem dogs and their trail movements.”
Laurie Mullen said “coordination of a 1080 baiting program with neighbouring properties and the dedicated trapping by skilled land managers and government agency field officers is the best approach for wild dog control”. Laurie also said “ we have been running trapping courses to skill up landowners so we can introduce a new generation of trappers”. In 2016 of the 51 wild dogs culled by private landholders 15 percent were trapped. In 2017, the group are hoping to achieve 30 percent.
“We encourage landholders to form clusters within their immediate areas; adopt a proactive response to wild dog activity and for each cluster to have the skills to shoot and trap the dogs before they become troublesome, Art said.
“Given that wild dog packs can be 6-12 in number, the ideal would be to match that with 6-12 landholders per cluster.
“For the clusters to work effectively it requires that landholders willingly share their contact details and for each sighting and/or signs to be communicated promptly to the other cluster members either by text, phone or email.” To participate in our programs please contact either Art Brown 0400136544 or Laurie Mullen, Hunter Local Land Services-Wingham Office 6553 4233.