Neighbour problems - wild animals/domestic animals

[cariboo]

Thanks for the info. Good luck with your homesteading and I hope you make it. I'd hasten to say though that I'm sure that, "...still far BEHIND eastern Canada..." is probably not the most accurate; "different" yes, but "behind" no. It is a different culture and anyone moving there should do their best to assimliate (not that I'm saying you aren't)

As to the pigs being a different matter, I'm glad to hear it. They are quite destructive.

Cattle do a lot of damage to wet lands, contaminate creeks. They pommel the shores. Calling this area in the west behind in legislation protecting lakes, streams and private property from livestock is not out of line. It costs a bit to fence. It is that simple.
The culture here is not that different. Some people with money and power try to exploit as much as they can to get more money and power.
We've been here 15 years so we do have a little experience with this.

 

[sandbender]

"...Hopefully this is the end of it..."

Thanks for adding a little more to the story, hopefully it is all behind you now.

 

[santaman2000]

Cattle do a lot of damage to wet lands, contaminate creeks. They pommel the shores. Calling this area in the west behind in legislation protecting lakes, streams and private property from livestock is not out of line. It costs a bit to fence. It is that simple.
The culture here is not that different. Some people with money and power try to exploit as much as they can to get more money and power.
We've been here 15 years so we do have a little experience with this.

Lot of truth in all those statements (although cattle are less destructive than pigs, they are destructive) and I didn't mean to imply that you were out of line. The culture diference I was referring to had less to do with protecting private property; rather more to do with the concept that open range is NOT private property. Most of my personal experience was in Nevada where less than 1/7 of the land is privately owned. I know Canada is different but there is still one thing common to both; the west is quite different from the east. That said, I believe you said you're in BC which probably has more of a "West Coast" culture than a "Western" culture.

One thing I found ironic in our own western land management was/is the reluctance of the government to control or eradicate the wild horse and burro populations. As you say about cattle, they play havoc on the natural environments. But they are seen more as a symbol of the West (mostly by outsiders and mostly in spite of the fact that they are non-native and destructive) so instead of trying to control or eradicate them, they are protected.

 

[cariboo]

I was wrong about pigs being livestock here in B.C.. They are feral.

 

[santaman2000]

I was wrong about pigs being livestock here in B.C.. They are feral.

So the pigs in question were not domestic pigs that belonged to someone?

 

[cariboo]

A range officer was here yesterday. Told me that pigs are livestock as long as they are on private property. As soon as they step off that property they are then considered feral. Anyone with a gun license could shoot them anytime.

Seems this guy is on their radar.
Interesting that this information wasn't clear until forestry saw the damage with their own eyes.
He said if they come round again, shoot them.


Scott

 

[santaman2000]

That makes loads of sense. If they're not truly feral yet they soon will be and will reproduce and take over in short order.

 

[British Red]

Wow - what a totally logical approach!

Really glad to hear that. I'd get a few boxes of slug in - or whatever centrefire you have handy - and a few sacks of salt to process the meat as well! If they are feral, they are yours when you shoot them - it would at least compensate for the damage somewhat.

Good to hear common sense broke out.