Foxlights are just one of the nonlethal methods farmers can use to coexist with wolves

In Wisconsin Foxlights kept wolves away from a cow calf operation in Douglas county.  U.S. Department of Agriculture APHIS-Wildlife Services in northern Wisconsin purchased 25 of the solar powered Foxlights; USDA Experiments With New Tool To Deter Wolves, and 12 of the Foxlights were placed on a farm in Douglas county.  The farm, a cow calf operation, was also using fladry on thier fences to scare away wolves.    Fladry is a string of flags that flutter in the wind. Photograph Oregon Dept. of Fish & Game 
 Wisconsin Wildlife Services installed the lights recently on a Douglas County farm experiencing wolf problems.  So I was curious to find out if the Foxlights did thier job.  I placed a follow up call to APHIS-USDA, David Ruid, supervisory wildlife biologist with Wildlife Services, and asked Ruid if the solar Foxlights made any difference. According to Ruid 12 solar Foxlights were used for seven days without any depredations by wolves.  

The Foxlights were employed at the end of calving season for seven days to deter problem wolves. The Foxlights were on loan to the cow calf operation and were returned to APHIS-USDA because the cows and calves were moved to another pasture. 

Foxlights saved the lives of cows, calves and wolves 

I believe Foxlights are just one of the nonlethal method farmers can use to coexist with wolves, that a wolf hunt is not the answer to conflicts between livestock producers and wolves; the number of farms affected by wolf depredations is small when compared to the number of operations within the state of Wisconsin. 

I’m looking to install  some Foxlights on farms in northern Wisconsin on a trial basis. If you are interested please email me at: rachelfoxlights@gmail.com

 

http://www.foxlights.com
 
The following video is of an interview with creator and founder of Foxlights out of Australia. Ian had just began developing a solar version of Foxlights.  For information on Foxlights a nighttime nonlethal predator deterrent go to: http://www.foxlights.com 

~~~

A summary of the history of wolf management in Wisconsin- Wolves were all but eradicated in Wisconsin by the late 1960s due to over hunting. In 1974 – Gray wolf listed as endangered in the lower 48 States and Mexico. Wolves flourished under the guidance of Wisconsin’s Wolf Recovery Program. On Dec. 28, 2011 wolves were delisted: the Western Great Lakes DPS – Revising the Listing of the Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) in the Western Great Lakes. Politicians rushed in to designate wolves as a game species that could be hunted on 2011, Wisconsin Legislation Act 169: if the wolf is not listed on the federal endangered list and is not listed on the state endangered list, the department shall allow the hunting and trapping of wolves. Hunting, trapping and the barbaric use of dogs to hunt wolves began in the fall of 2012 and was abruptly halted in 2014; Due to a Federal court decision, wolves in the western Great Lakes area (including Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin) were relisted under the Endangered Species Act on December 19, 2914. 

5 Replies to “Foxlights are just one of the nonlethal methods farmers can use to coexist with wolves”

  1. Please keep us informed if they work . Finally some common sense action to try instead of death to our magnificent wolves. 😍

  2. Personally I think people are crazy to leave any livestock outside at night. They depend upon us for everything. Indoor safe enclosures should be standard.

    Breeders have lost prized colts and fillies to mountain lions and other predators while boarded. Ranchers need to be responsible.

Leave a Reply

%d