More than 40 targeted baiting and control programs will be undertaken by Hunter Local Land Services in its effort to help control wild dogs in the Great Lakes and Manning region
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The department will begin to work with 25 groups from Bulahdelah to Curricabark, Stroud to Hannam Vale, and all districts in between from early autumn 2018.
The programs run through winter and into spring.
Landholders are being urged to join their nearest control programs, as Hunter Local Land Services biosecurity team assists primary producers and public landholders to meet their general biosecurity duty by controlling pest species.
Group baiting programs are becoming increasingly popular as landholders discover the benefits of working across tenure, using best practice control measures.
Hunter Local Land Services senior biosecurity officer, Peter Fotheringham said there was still plenty of time for landholders to join in.
“Co-ordinated, large scale, across tenure control utilising the broad range of available tools delivers the best knock down in wild dog population numbers, however ongoing action is required to maintain lower levels of predation,” Mr Fotheringham said.
“The spring and autumn baiting programs target wild dogs during their peak seasons – when wild dogs are mating or educating their young,” he said.
“We are urging landholders to contact our biosecurity team, so we can help them plan the best approach for controlling wild dogs on their property.”
The spring and autumn baiting programs target wild dogs during their peak seasons – when wild dogs are mating or educating their young.
- Peter Fotheringham
Bulahdelah and District Wild Dog Control Group chair, Art Brown said a pre-emptive, across tenure approach was leading to an increased number of dogs being controlled in the Bulahdelah area.
More than 100 dogs have been culled this year focusing on the autumn and spring control programs.
“We are covering an area of 100,000 hectares, where 65 per cent of the land is managed public reserves, so it is critical we work with both private land managers and other agencies including Forestry, National Parks and Wildlife Service, Landcare and Mid Coast Council to get the best results,” Mr Brown said.
Hunter Local Land Services also runs free 1080 short training courses that provides eligible landholders with a five year accreditation to use the pesticide.
Landholders wishing to join the 2018 programs in the Great Lakes or Gloucester areas should contact biosecurity officer Laurie Mullen on 0407 785 007.