Wildlife Damage Management, Internet Center for
Date of this Version
December 1983
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to gather information regarding the application and economic implications of predator control and husbandry methods used by 104 past and 103 present Angora goat producers in Texas. Of 7 techniques [(1) predator control by ranchers, (2) support of private or government trappers, (3) night penning of livestock, (4) confinement or semi-confinement kidding, (5) extra checking on goats, (6) the use of guard dogs, and (7) the use of scare devices] ranchers use to reduce predation losses, present producers used significantly more techniques than did past producers. Also, present producers generally implemented each technique to a greater degree than did past producers. On the average, present producers spent over twice as much as past producers on efforts to reduce livestock losses. Probably more direct predator control and husbandry techniques were used by present producers because ranchers who did not have options to use proper and sufficient techniques tended to go out of business because of severe predation losses. An increased use of techniques was probably necessary because of increasing predator problems.