Thread: Wombats used for target practice in Victoria

Me too. Apparently they are completely protected in every state except Victoria.
Seriously, how hard is it for a farmer to adjust practices to cope with some wombats digging burrows? Just leave the bottom 15cm clear under fences so the wombats can pass through.

Wildlife conservation: Welcome to Victoria, the most wombat-unfriendly state

Originally Posted by DiscoMick

Me too. Apparently they are completely protected in every state except Victoria.
Seriously, how hard is it for a farmer to adjust practices to cope with some wombats digging burrows? Just leave the bottom 15cm clear under fences so the wombats can pass through.

Wildlife conservation: Welcome to Victoria, the most wombat-unfriendly state

I'm a farmer, and whilst we do not have any wombats at all,I have spoken to others that do, they cause significant damage both to pasture and machinery, they dig burrows that are so big , that when harvesting equipment runs over the burrows, they cave in and can do damage well in excess of $10k , and are obviously dangerous to the operator.
Hitting them on the road can obviously kill as well.
I'm all for protecting native animals and vegetation, but they also need to be controlled so that everything can be in balance, this is clearly not happening at the moment, the amount of kangaroos in Australia being one example-- although so many have now been culled, hit by cars , and many have obviously starved to death, this has helped, but they are still a huge issue.

Wedgetale Eagles are a magnificent bird.

But I do not like sensationalist media reporting, such as one report where it was suggested that a farmer had killed 80 Wedgetale eagles with poison, the "informed" newsreader then took it upon themselves to postulate that this individual must have traveled around the countryside stalking eagles to find and poison them, as they have no understanding of the amount of them that are around, the farmer had most likely Baited a dead animal, (which I disapprove of) and then the local Eagles would have turned up and feed on it.

Back in the late 90s as I was driving around the property when lambing was taking place, a report was on the radio, panic stations had been reached as there was something like only 20 pairs left in the state, imagine my shock as I drove up to a single ewe that had just lambed and counted 23 eagles waiting around for a feed, the media is a necessary thing, but please, let's base everything on facts.

And the behavior of foxes when too many are around distresses me, and possibly everyone here if you saw what they will do.

I'll let the readers decide what they think the best option is to deal with these few situations.

Cheers
James

This clearly shows the disconnect between the city and the farmers on the land. I remember back in the day's on sheep stations in central Qld the dingo's and foxes killing young lambs , try telling those cockies not to kill them. Life's hard enough on the land, profit margins so small nowadays to expect people on the land not to take action . As much as I love our native animals, I will not condemn farmers who protect their living. But, rich Chinese , coming down to kill for fun, is not on.

Around here we have some who think it's great sport shooting anything that moves, emus, koala and things that don't move like roadsigns and letterbox's. They drive around rural roads mostly weekends at night spotlighting from the road and shooting anything that moves, including livestock. Some shrug it off as just kids letting off steam, I think it's more serious than that.

Originally Posted by Fourgearsticks

Around here we have some who think it's great sport shooting anything that moves, emus, koala and things that don't move like roadsigns and letterbox's. They drive around rural roads mostly weekends at night spotlighting from the road and shooting anything that moves, including livestock. Some shrug it off as just kids letting off steam, I think it's more serious than that.

Kids letting off steam. Until an innocent bystander is hit. Some of these youngsters don't realise just how far a bullet from a high powered rifle will travel. Sure, we all had rifles in the bush, but woe betide any fool who shot a man's stock. Or was irresponsible with a weapon. That type of behaviour should be jumped on. Hard.

This is what i was referring to,it is not just media hype.
Its actually 406 eagles.

14 days' jail for killing 406 wedge-tailed eagles 'inadequate', animal groups say | Australia news | The Guardian

Controlling foxes is not an issue at all,they are an introduced pest.
We have more lambs taken by foxes more than anything else.Every effort is taken to control their numbers.Controlling foxes also reduces the wild cat population.

Can't comment on wombats,as we don't have them,but being a native animal,permits are probably needed.I appreciate they can cause real issues,and probably need controlling.

As for wedge tailed eagles,they are generally not an issue here.They are often in pairs,and seeing more than two pairs in a day is unusual.They are also territorial.Down south their numbers are much greater,seeing 23 together would never happen here.Most here seem to feed on easy pickings,which are road kill.Thats not to say they won't take a lamb,they will,often flying up to around 30m and dropping it to kill it.But this is very rare,they wouldn't take one lamb in a year.Wild pigs would take more lambs,than eagles,but pig numbers are well controlled.

Its the weather thats the main issue.As i have said on another post,we have 13 out of 13 dams dry,ATM.Havent had a wheat crop for three years,no good summer rain for 5 yrs.Bore water in troughs are keeping the stock watered,but the lack of food is the issue.Having to feed some of the few stock that are left.I have never seen so many dead roos,there are literally hundreds of them.Top soil is blowing away in the wind,the place is a dust bowl.Worse than '65 they say,i was too young to remember.That year was the worse drought in the area on record.

Life is very tough in times like this,i am sure some in the city have no idea how difficult it can be on the land,as others have said.

Originally Posted by scarry

This is what i was referring to,it is not just media hype.
Its actually 406 eagles.

14 days' jail for killing 406 wedge-tailed eagles 'inadequate', animal groups say | Australia news | The Guardian

Controlling foxes is not an issue at all,they are an introduced pest.
We have more lambs taken by foxes more than anything else.Every effort is taken to control their numbers.Controlling foxes also reduces the wild cat population.

Can't comment on wombats,as we don't have them,but being a native animal,permits are probably needed.I appreciate they can cause real issues,and probably need controlling.

As for wedge tailed eagles,they are generally not an issue here.They are often in pairs,and seeing more than two pairs in a day is unusual.They are also territorial.Down south their numbers are much greater,seeing 23 together would never happen here.Most here seem to feed on easy pickings,which are road kill.Thats not to say they won't take a lamb,they will,often flying up to around 30m and dropping it to kill it.But this is very rare,they wouldn't take one lamb in a year.Wild pigs would take more lambs,than eagles,but pig numbers are well controlled.

Its the weather thats the main issue.As i have said on another post,we have 13 out of 13 dams dry,ATM.Havent had a wheat crop for three years,no good summer rain for 5 yrs.Bore water in troughs are keeping the stock watered,but the lack of food is the issue.Having to feed some of the few stock that are left.I have never seen so many dead roos,there are literally hundreds of them.Top soil is blowing away in the wind,the place is a dust bowl.Worse than '65 they say,i was too young to remember.That year was the worse drought in the area on record.

Life is very tough in times like this,i am sure some in the city have no idea how difficult it can be on the land,as others have said.

I had rellies who farmed on the Darling downs in a pretty big way. Neither they or their neighbours would countenance killing eagles as they reckoned eagles killed foxes. I saw a pair one day hunt up and chase a fox and one swooped on it and took it to a great height and dropped it. Uncle crossed greyhounds with melon head bull terriers for fox hunting from horseback with a shotgun. If those dogs caught a fox there was usually no need for the shottie. Rabbits and foxes were the principal pests then.

Yes, I've seen an eagle kill a fox. Dingoes are also great to have around because, being the top predator, they control fox and feral cat numbers.