https://www.northbaynipissing.com/news-story/8951548-horses-attacked-by-wolves-in-magnetawan-puts-farm-owners-on-high-alert/
AGNETAWAN — Angie Stephens is appealing to the community in search of humane solutions to deal with large predators targeting her herd of horses on her farm in Almaguin.
According to the Magnetawan area resident, two mares were attacked overnight on the evening of Sept. 30 a short few days after she and her family had come to find several piles of scat on their property for the first time.
“My father was an avid hunter,” she told the News. “So I know that when you see scat like that, they are starting to mark the property, so we were already on a little bit of high alert before it actually happened.”
Then on the night of the 30th, she came outside and noticed that one of her horses was missing.
“The wounds are starting to heal but now we are left trying to figure out what to do about this."
“I went to call her and I could hear her crying out but she didn’t come, which is unusual for her because they are all trained to come when they’re called,” Stephens continued.
So her and her husband, Kelvin, trekked out into the field to find the horse caught up in a fence, with the rest of the herd galloping around on high alert.
It didn’t take long to realize that the horse had been attacked by some sort of predator, with two noticeable bite marks which they quickly dressed and the mare, Montana seemed to be in stable condition.
The next morning when the couple came out they noticed that there was more blood all over the paddock, and realized that someone else must have been attacked because Montana’s injuries had been tended to in a confined area.
“And then I noticed that my other mare, Dakota, was limping a little bit and I looked at her and her whole inner shoulder on her front leg was torn apart and covered in blood,” Stephens continued.
The injury, which took a fair bit more medical care to doctor appeared as though there were two bite marks, and then a long gash where the animal likely held on when the horse tried to get away.
After speaking to neighbours and keeping a watchful eye out, the Stephenses have realized that the animals responsible are two large wolves that have been spotted in the area recently.
“The wounds are starting to heal but now we are left trying to figure out what to do about this,” she said.
Stephens appealed to the local community on social media in search of solutions, many of which suggested opening her property up to hunters.
While she wants to keep her horses safe, their hope is to see the animals deterred rather than killed and since the attack the couple has started to put in as many measures as possible.
According to Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry representative Jolanta Kowalski, there have not been any other reports of livestock being attacked in the Parry Sound district yet this year.
The ministry suggests using flashing lights, noisemakers and motion sensors as a few ways to deter wolves and coyotes away from livestock — all of which the Stephenses have now installed.
“We have sensor lights on the back of the barn and the house now, we have installed cameras, we’ve taken my daughters male dog out to pee around the entire perimeter and put a scent down and my husband is out there diligently doing perimeter checks throughout the night to try to keep them away,” Stephens said.
The ministry also suggests getting animals like alpacas or donkeys — but the farm owners already have one.
A final suggestion made by the ministry, as well as community members, is simply to shoot it, trap it, or hire someone willing to do so — which is something that Stephens is hoping to avoid for now.
The representative of a local gun club explained that they are not licensed to take care of predators and advised reaching out to the local trapping society. The News was not able to reach them by press time.
There is also a program called the Ontario Wildlife Damage Compensation program administered by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs which will send out appointed municipal investigators within 72 hours of receiving notification of an injury or death of livestock by assigning a local municipal or territorial investigator.
AGNETAWAN — Angie Stephens is appealing to the community in search of humane solutions to deal with large predators targeting her herd of horses on her farm in Almaguin.
According to the Magnetawan area resident, two mares were attacked overnight on the evening of Sept. 30 a short few days after she and her family had come to find several piles of scat on their property for the first time.
“My father was an avid hunter,” she told the News. “So I know that when you see scat like that, they are starting to mark the property, so we were already on a little bit of high alert before it actually happened.”
Then on the night of the 30th, she came outside and noticed that one of her horses was missing.
“The wounds are starting to heal but now we are left trying to figure out what to do about this."
“I went to call her and I could hear her crying out but she didn’t come, which is unusual for her because they are all trained to come when they’re called,” Stephens continued.
So her and her husband, Kelvin, trekked out into the field to find the horse caught up in a fence, with the rest of the herd galloping around on high alert.
It didn’t take long to realize that the horse had been attacked by some sort of predator, with two noticeable bite marks which they quickly dressed and the mare, Montana seemed to be in stable condition.
The next morning when the couple came out they noticed that there was more blood all over the paddock, and realized that someone else must have been attacked because Montana’s injuries had been tended to in a confined area.
“And then I noticed that my other mare, Dakota, was limping a little bit and I looked at her and her whole inner shoulder on her front leg was torn apart and covered in blood,” Stephens continued.
The injury, which took a fair bit more medical care to doctor appeared as though there were two bite marks, and then a long gash where the animal likely held on when the horse tried to get away.
After speaking to neighbours and keeping a watchful eye out, the Stephenses have realized that the animals responsible are two large wolves that have been spotted in the area recently.
“The wounds are starting to heal but now we are left trying to figure out what to do about this,” she said.
Stephens appealed to the local community on social media in search of solutions, many of which suggested opening her property up to hunters.
While she wants to keep her horses safe, their hope is to see the animals deterred rather than killed and since the attack the couple has started to put in as many measures as possible.
According to Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry representative Jolanta Kowalski, there have not been any other reports of livestock being attacked in the Parry Sound district yet this year.
The ministry suggests using flashing lights, noisemakers and motion sensors as a few ways to deter wolves and coyotes away from livestock — all of which the Stephenses have now installed.
“We have sensor lights on the back of the barn and the house now, we have installed cameras, we’ve taken my daughters male dog out to pee around the entire perimeter and put a scent down and my husband is out there diligently doing perimeter checks throughout the night to try to keep them away,” Stephens said.
The ministry also suggests getting animals like alpacas or donkeys — but the farm owners already have one.
A final suggestion made by the ministry, as well as community members, is simply to shoot it, trap it, or hire someone willing to do so — which is something that Stephens is hoping to avoid for now.
The representative of a local gun club explained that they are not licensed to take care of predators and advised reaching out to the local trapping society. The News was not able to reach them by press time.
There is also a program called the Ontario Wildlife Damage Compensation program administered by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs which will send out appointed municipal investigators within 72 hours of receiving notification of an injury or death of livestock by assigning a local municipal or territorial investigator.
Showed me scars on a couple of others, apparently quite common there.
