The SA Arid Lands Natural Resource Management board has been working with land owners in its region inside the Dog Fence for a number of years on the most effective ways to control wild dogs.
It has now developed a best practice model to assist landholders with managing the declared pest.
The guidelines, endorsed by Livestock SA, detail both proactive and reactive management measures for controlling wild dogs using baiting, trapping, shooting and monitoring.
SA Arid Lands NRM board presiding member Janet Brook said the guidelines demonstrated an integrated approach to wild dog control and were a reference tool for effective control measures.
“Through the involvement of land managers in the region, who have provided data and identified what constitutes best practice, we’ve been able to create a resource outlining effective control methods,” Ms Brook said.
“If we can encourage all land managers to adopt and implement the measures, we’ll be able to reduce wild dog numbers across the region and therefore reduce losses to native fauna and stock.”
The guidelines can be used as a proactive tool on properties where wild dog populations aren’t currently known to exist or on properties where wild dogs are seldom sighted to prevent growth of populations.
They also outline a reactive management program to manage and reduce dog activity where evidence such as sightings, stock losses, tracks or scats is present.
Ms Brook said the NRM board provides a range of support to assist landholders to implement the guidelines including:
- a twice yearly bait injection service
- subsidised pest and manufactured baits to properties
- a trapper rebate
- advice and support to land managers through the Wild Dog Management Team.
Ms Brook emphasised that the guidelines were designed for land managers across the SA Arid Lands region, including livestock and non-livestock properties, national parks and conservation properties.
She said the NRM board had written to all land managers in the SAAL region inside the Dog Fence and provided a copy of the brochure outlining the best practice approaches to wild dog control.
“Our Wild Dog Management Team will also be following up over coming months to provide advice on implementation of the control measures and can be contacted by land managers at any time,” she said.
Livestock SA Chief Executive Officer Andrew Curtis said the wild dog best practice guidelines provided clear steps to manage wild dogs in different circumstances and outlined the obligations of all land managers, including pastoralists. “
Livestock SA is pleased to endorse the Wild Dog Guidelines and to work with the SA Arid Lands NRM Board to combat this problem,” Mr Curtis said.
“We recognise the value of these guidelines as a best practice approach to managing wild dog numbers, and we encourage all land managers to become familiar with the guidelines.”
- Details: www.naturalresources.sa.gov.au/aridlands/
