'Basically helpless': Manitoba farmers say their sheep are being repeatedly targeted by wolves

A grey wolf is shown in a photo from Shutterstock.com.

A pair of Manitoba farmers say sheep at their farm are being repeatedly targeted by wolves.

Rhonda Heinrichs and Ian Leaman farm out in the village of Ethelbert, located roughly 60 kilometres north of Dauphin. They said four years ago, wolves began attacking their animals.

“They would jump into the pens, or get into the pens, however, they chose by scooting under the gate or jumping into the pens or digging under, and we started losing sheep,” Heinrichs said, noting 18 were killed in one attack, and they lost 60 ewes that year.

So far this year, the farm has lost approximately 30 sheep to wolves.

“They're in their pens, they're basically helpless, they can't get away, they can't run away,” Heinrichs said. “They're confined. And these animals are getting in and killing them. And I would say 90 per cent of the time [they are] not consuming any of the carcasses, just killing them and leaving them blank. So it's not because they're hungry. It's because they are looking for something to kill.”

Heinrichs and Leaman have put in safety measures in an attempt to deter the wolves, including higher fences and covering up feed. They said their neighbours have also been dealing with similar issues and attacks.

“My biggest concern is, so if we continue keeping these livestock in, in such a manner that there is no other way for these wolves to get in at my sheep, then what's the next thing they're going to go after?” Heinrichs said. “Are they going to go after the calves and the pens next to them? Are they going to go into town and take somebody's pet dog?”

Leaman said they’ve spoken with their MLA, the Manitoba Beef Producers and Manitoba Conservation about the issue. He’s hoping the province could help with a new enclosure to help prevent wolves from getting in, and also for conservation officers to help deal with aggressive wolves.

“I think we need to target some of these wolves that are causing issues, but keeping in mind, it's not up to the producer individually, to take care of the problem,” he said. “So maybe it is the conservation office that needs to provide resources to capture these animals or euthanize them.”

A provincial spokesperson says Manitoba regulates hunting and trapping of wolves in accordance with the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, but there are some exceptions.

“The Wildlife Act enables a livestock producer (or their designate) to remove wolves in protection of their property (livestock) without requiring a permit or licence in order to do so. However, they must report such a removal within 10 days to a conservation officer,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

The province also can compensate producers for livestock killed by predators, with 90 per cent of the assessed value of the animal being compensated for confirmed predator kills and 45 per cent for probable kills.