Northwest Alberta wolf bounty leads to howls

Some people living in High Prairie, Alta., are outraged over the local government paying a bounty on wolves in the area.

"We're talking about pack after pack after pack that are not problem animals — that are being killed for profit," said Jocelyn Lloyd, who lives in the area about 400 kilometres northwest of Edmonton. 

Wolves can be a problem for ranchers and have been known to kill farm animals. To reduce the wolf population, the Municipal District of Big Lakes council put out a bounty on the animals.

In two years, more than 300 wolves have been killed and a total of $87,000 paid out.

Lloyd says that money would be better spent on humane controls, like electric fences and guard dogs, to keep the wolves off of farms.

Reeve Alvin Billings admits that not every wolf killed is a problem for ranchers, but shooting them is the only way cost-effective way to control them, he said.

"Any rancher can't afford to be putting electric fences or have guard dogs scattered over large holdings," he said. "Costs would be crazy high."

Lloyd will ask the regional council to scrap the bounty system Monday.