Market Farming

["Rick Williams" <mrfarm AT frontiernet.net>]

Leigh Hauter wrote:
> Not that we have or will have wolves introduced in this area, but
> wolves would be a benefit to my farming, not a threat. Since the
> poor, subsistence humans who poached deer all year round have been
> forced out of the country, we lack a deer predator. What is your
> solution to this?

Wolves do help to balance out the wildlife. But due to their overwhelming
danger to society and especially to livestock agriculture, they were
systematically killed from most of the lower 48.

We have hunting to control the population now and do not need wolves.
Hunting is not without some danger, but the alternative is not very good
either. We tend to underhunt these days. When I was growing up in Wisconsin
there were fewer deer numbers than we have today. In fact, they spent
millions of dollars to try increase deer populations. And they succeeded. In
some areas they wildly succeeded to the point of being overrun with deer and
having serious environmental impact.

With the further concern at the moment of CWD, hunting licenses are down.
They are looking at increasing the number of deer per person, and extending
the gun season, and even proposed allowing farmers to hunt them on their own
land without a license.

We actually have had fewer gun hunters ask for access to our land in the
past few years. We have never turned anyone down. We have had one person
contact us via the internet to hunt with bow. He has come from about 150
miles from here to hunt.

Sincerely,

Rick Williams
Misty Ridge Farm
Dairy heifers and dairy beef graziers
Viroqua, WI

www.mistyridgefarm.com