Non-Lethal vs. Lobos
Alternative possibilities for defense against wolves.
"At the time when Colonel Lyons did most of his wolf hunting he had with the greyhounds a huge fighting dog, a Great Dane, weighing 140 pounds. In spite of its weight, this dog could keep up well in a short chase, and its ferocious temper and enormous weight and strength made it invaluable at bay. Whether the quarry was a gray wolf or coyote mattered not in the least to it, and it made its assaults with such headlong fury that it generally escaped damage. . . . Many of the dogs were mongrels, part Greyhound and part some other breed, such as bulldog, mastiff, Newfoundland, bloodhound or collie. The only two requisites were that the dogs should run fast and fight gamely; and in consequence they formed a wicked, hard-biting a crew as ever ran down and throttled a wolf."
—Theodore Roosevelt,
Outdoor Pastimes of an American Hunter
Last month I put forth the argument for using deadly force against a wolf attack on humans, pets or livestock. But, let's face it, allowing the use of guns against wolves probably ain't gonna happen. So this month let us look at alternative defensive means to ward off Br'er Lobo.
I was recently talking with Mark and Mary Miller, who were the folks mentioned in my last column, about their wolf problem and what could legally be done about it. If you recall, they have had an ongoing problem with the Aspen Pack of Mexican wolves, and it wasn't going away despite the best efforts of the US wolf team.
We have cogitated together over what could be done about protecting their horses, pets and especially their daughter, from another attack, since they can't kill the wild curs.
Let me say here that I partially agree with a statement made by the Defenders of Wildlife, an animal-rights group. A spokesperson, during a TV interview, stated that the key to co-existing with wolves is education. Here we part opinions, however; they say humans need the educating, whereas I say that it is the wolves that need the education— the critters need the "fear of God" put into them concerning humans. With other large predators, fear of humans keeps the predators at discreet distances and saves their lives. The same should be true for wolves.
Having said all of that, here are some <i>legal</i> ideas that the Millers and I came up with:
Idea number one—Big dogs. Mark and Mary Miller are talking about getting a couple or three large (90-150 pounds) Irish Wolfhounds, Russian Wolfhounds or Greater Pyrenees to accompany their other hounds or their daughter while they are out and about, even if it is only in the yard (the wolves attacked a dog and killed a horse in the front yard).
As you read in the quote by TR at the beginning of this column, Roosevelt rode with men who used large-breed dogs to hunt wolves. Now no one can hunt them here, but the same principle can apply to defending what is ours against the wolf. These same breeds can be utilized by ranchers and homeowners throughout the wolf domain and also by hikers and campers, too. I would also add to the Millers' and TR's list the following breeds: Airedales, Rhodesian Ridgebacks and German Shepherds, a breed that is reputed to have one of the strongest bites (pounds per square inch) of any dog.
TR was also impressed with crossbreeds of greyhound and the above-mentioned breeds. He also mentioned a breed known as a Staghound, which my friend Dutch Salmon tells me is a cross between a large greyhound and a Scottish deer hound. It usually weighs around 90 pounds and has a shaggy coat.
In any event, the common formula here is to have a dog that is both large and aggressively defensive. It is my belief that rather than a purebred, a crossbreed dog would be much better suited to the task at hand.
Idea number two—The high-velocity automatic paintball gun. This is the toy-of-choice for men and boys who like to run around and play at "war." Talk to anyone who has been hit by a paintball and they will assuredly tell you that they hurt!
Recently I met a fella who lives on the border of the national forest, but close to Silver City. He was being constantly bothered by aggressive packs of javelinas and dogs. He administered a healthy dose of paintballs fired in rapid succession, and neither species came back for more.
I believe this may be a really good method of defense for hikers and campers or even ranchers and dog-owners who don't want to inflict any harm on the wolves, but merely teach 'em a lesson!
Idea number three—Electricity. This idea came to me as I wrote this column. For decades, hunters have utilized shock collars to train their dogs. Why can't the wolf agency install these collars on wolves when they are still in the large transition enclosure pen? Then bring in livestock and pets and people, and as soon as the wolves approach, zap 'em with a dose of electricity. They will soon learn the lesson needed. Remember the good Doctor Pavlov's experiment?
Along with that idea, I'd suggest that rather than removing livestock carcasses from the wild, booby-trap the carcass with an electric fence charger and wire and shock the canines into leaving livestock alone.
Idea number four—Rock salt. This has application only around the homestead, but a shotgun loaded with rock salt and set by the kitchen door might be just the ticket to give a "stinging" lesson to the wild canines that have little fear of humans. When I lived back east, many a farmer or rural homeowner administered doses of salt to stray dogs and the dose didn't do much harm to the domestic canine.
Well, there you have it. With these measures in place, maybe humans and wolves can co-exist after all. As I said, it just takes the right education to the right species!
As always, keep the sun forever at your back, the wind forever in your face, and may the Forever God bless you too.
Larry Lightner writes Ramblin'
Outdoors
exclusively for Desert
Exposure.