Bobcats, vultures, and bears, oh my!

Tune into your favorite social media account any given week and you’ll see photos of previously rare livestock predators making their presence known on wildlife cameras across the Mohican area. Add to that all of the first-hand tales, reports and cell-phone snaps, and it’s no secret that some livestock predators (even big predators) are becoming more and more common across the Mohican Area,

I live on the same farm where I grew up, and while I don’t recall a well-established coyote population making themselves known while I was a child, I hear their calls almost every night. And not too long ago, I spotted a black bear meandering along the edge of the woods in my horse pasture.

Two springs ago, I got a call from my mom to come help her out: black vultures were attacking one of her longhorn cows that had recently given birth, and I can tell you that I’ve never seen anything quite like it.

On the other side of our family farm, our neighbors have captured a rather large bobcat on their trail camera. And if you happen to have watched The Back 80 movie or are a fan of Bigfoot Hunters on Animal Planet, chances are you’ve seen footage of my wooded, winding backroad and heard tales of the Bigfoot that calls the woods on my family’s farm his home.

While I confess I’ve never seen or heard Bigfoot in the 43 years I’ve called that farm home, what I can tell you is that the livestock on our family farm, whether they be sheep, cattle or horses, are facing growing populations of increasingly diverse livestock predators.

That’s why Ashland Soil and Water Conservation District is partnering with with USDA’s APHIS Wildlife Service and the Ashland County Wildlife Conservation League to present a Conservation Chat this January on Livestock Predator Management. And while we can’t help attendees with Bigfoot sightings or management, this all-day event is designed to help local farmers like my family learn how to protect their livestock from those increasingly common predators like black vultures, coyotes, bobcats and more.

The event will take place on January 27 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Ashland County Wildlife Conservation League farm, which is located at 1930 County Road 1035, Ashland. Registration is $5 per person, but is FREE if you bring a friend. We’ll even provide you lunch and snacks at no additional cost.

The day will start off with several guest speakers in the morning. Topics will include the USDA’s Livestock Indemnification program as well as information on both lethal and nonlethal control methods for bobcats, black vultures and coyotes. Attendees will also learn how to properly handle livestock mortality.

After enjoying a delicious lunch, participants will head outside for the afternoon and will focus on hands-on learning and demonstrations including trapping and snaring.

Our Ashland SWCD staff has heard a lot of concern from area livestock producers when it comes to new and emerging predators that are now calling the Mohican area home. We’re excited to be able to bring such a comprehensive program to Ashland County that not only includes top-quality instruction from industry experts but also includes and opportunity to see those techniques and strategies in action at the wildlife conservation league.

Are you ready to join us? Registration is simple: just call Ruth at 419-281-7645 to reserve a spot (hopefully for you AND a friend) or register online at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/conservation-chat-livestock-predator-management-workshop-tickets-669455929707