Notice of Hearing on the Application to Use Sodium Fluoroacetate ...

?rodatisn >/el 1 4ncwn i3 enchers. In the qeat ra;ori:y <strong>of</strong> ins;znces
here i : d s cesn P O S ji ~ Q ~ 53 veri iy ~rzda~i~n i siies as recorxed
by ranchers, i: has Seen cetomined thac tha cause <strong>of</strong> loss ;qas
accuratzly reported. The assertion is mad2 that a sheep or lamb
dying <strong>of</strong> other causes might be scaven~ed and thus incorrectly
identified as a predator loss. Xhile this could happen if, for
example an eagle or oiher carrion eaiing predator scaveng2d a
carcass, it is unlikely in tho casa <strong>of</strong> coyoses because cseth zarks
in the throat, characteristic 3 i a coycte ki? 1, 1~0~13 be nisslng
Noreover, such scar~nging rtould be mcrs ii kely to occur in che
winter or colder months bec~use nost ,?recators prefar fresh meai in
the sumer. It ii clear thac ie hignes: predrijnn losses io lmbs
occur in rhe sumer.
Rancners conscientious~y and in good faich sirive
repor1 thei r IOSS~S, i ncluding 1 osses ?redatars.
4 I
I,
However, oec714-a ,A 4 A \-
most ranchers do not maintain accurate records oi the cause <strong>of</strong> losses,
their reports <strong>of</strong> predaticn 1 orses nay be uni ntentiona: ly i nflac-d
due to faulty memory or "telescoping," incorrectly a~tribucing
a loss or losses to one period <strong>of</strong> time, which, in fact occarrcd In
another period. This would seem to be especially true <strong>of</strong> surveys
asking for data on losses for several previous years or for a fiscal
year. A fiscal year may bear no relationship to the rancher's
production cycle, thus increasing the difficulty <strong>of</strong> accurately
attributing losses to the period when the loss occurred.