WITH goat prices and demand going through the roof, suppliers are hard at work combing widespread areas in western NSW and mustering rangeland goats.
But they are not the only ones on the hunt.
Wild dogs have acquired a taste for goat, and according to Bruce Duncan, they could have a devastating effect on rangeland goat populations.
Mr Duncan, who, as the western NSW wild dog coordinator, assists landholders to carry out baiting and trapping programs, said it is a growing problem.
He said wild dogs had caused huge damage to goat populations in Western Australia and Queensland.
“Goats were all but extinct in some of those areas,” he said. “We should look at it with significant trepidation.”
Mr Duncan said despite the fact goat numbers are difficult to monitor, landholders in western NSW had noticed a dip in the population.
“In places like Wanaaring and Ivanhoe, people have noticed decreases in the number of kids,” he said.
Mr Duncan said losses are also occurring in closed goat systems, which are monitored and fenced in.
A number of organisations are helping to deal with wild dogs, including Australian Wool Innovation, Landcare and Local Land Services. Mr Duncan’s role is about working with groups to manage wild dogs, including trapping schools and organising baiting programs.
“It is about giving people a chance to use a broad range of control tools,” he said. “We can deal with this problem if we all work together.”
This is echoed by Brett Carlsson, who is the Qld wild dog coordinator.
He said wild dogs have been a problem in the state for a long time, but that in the last five to 10 years there had been more dog activity.
“We are seeing an influx of dogs into areas where they weren’t prevalent,” he said.
He said Qld sheep numbers had plummeted, partly because of dog attacks, taking a big toll on landholders.
“They are going out every day and finding injured and dead sheep. The dogs kill for fun, not food,” he said.
Mr Carlsson said participation in dog control programs makes a huge difference. “We have been going in leaps and bounds in Qld in getting groups to work together,” he said.
Goat Industry Council of Australia president Rick Gates is impressed with the efforts being made to control wild dogs. “A lot of great work is being done,” he said.
But he said there is a need for new innovation. “We need to look as far and wide as we can. For instance, I don’t think exclusion fences should be discounted. We need new ideas.”