HUNTER trappers have taken out a third wild dog with an estimated livestock body count reaching into the hundreds.
The dog, which frequented farms between Wallabadah and Murrurundi, had been attacking sheep.
Chilcotts Creek landholder Peter Forsythe said he “just fell to bits” when he was told professional dog controller Ben Johnsen had taken out the feral creature.
”I couldn’t believe our luck when I heard they got him – I had that dog trapped once seven years ago, and he got away, he’s probably killed hundreds of my sheep since then, maybe thousands,” Mr Forsythe said.
“I have lost 300 sheep to wild dogs in the last three weeks alone and you just can’t believe the impact it will have removing an old dog like this.
“He was clever, he knew where all my traps were, he walked right past all the baits, so I can’t thank the professional controllers enough for this.”
The latest scalp follows the demise of wild dogs nicknamed Black dog and Hannibal, who had become the stuff of nightmares for farmers in the districts they roamed. They were taken out as part of the Professional Wild Dog Controller Program, a $1 million push giving landholders access to professional controllers.
Three controllers have removed more than 50 problem wild dogs from the Upper Hunter under the project. Mr Forsythe said it was vital the population was kept in hand. “With the drought conditions in our region we have all been backed into a corner, we have nowhere to go for lambing season with our stock, so we have to work together to remove these wild dogs to give our livestock the best chance,” he said.
Matt Carr
Matt began his Newcastle Herald career as a cadet in 2009. He is a Walkley nominated reporter who has covered councils, police and general news rounds across the Upper Hunter, Port Stephens, Maitland, Lake Macquarie, Cessnock and Newcastle. Now his focus is on digital storytelling and breaking news.
Matt began his Newcastle Herald career as a cadet in 2009. He is a Walkley nominated reporter who has covered councils, police and general news rounds across the Upper Hunter, Port Stephens, Maitland, Lake Macquarie, Cessnock and Newcastle. Now his focus is on digital storytelling and breaking news.
