WILD dogs are becoming an increasing problem for Monaro landholders, with reports of sightings and sheep attacks in the Kybeyan and Jerangle areas in the last month.

A meeting to address the issue was held with local landholders, Local Land Services (LLS), National Parks and Wildlife Services (NPWS) and Forestry Corporation of NSW at the Numeralla hall on Friday, 21 March.

Luke Kelly of Jerangle said they have not seen wild dogs on their property for 30 years, and yet have lost 150 sheep from their last drop of lambs in dog attacks.

Landholder, Michael Green, reported a pack of four dogs picked up on a camera on the Kybeyan electric dog fence earlier this month. Two of these dogs were trapped. According to Mr Green, these are the first dogs to be caught in the Kybeyan area for nine years.

Many landholders at the meeting agreed that a reported increase in wild dog numbers down the coast has resulted in more wild dogs on the Monaro.

Geoff Litchfield of Numeralla said the impact of increasing wild dog numbers is significant.

“It’s not just about the loss of business, it’s psychologically frustrating. We shouldn’t have to go through that,” Mr Litchfield said at the meeting.

Mr Green said management of the problem needs to be addressed.

“More money than ever before is being spent on wild dog and other pest management, and yet the numbers are still increasing,” Mr Green said.

“There are holes in the management that need to be addressed. It needs to go above these meetings. Maybe aerial baiting needs to be adjusted and increased.

“We need to look back at the history and go back to when it was working.”

Access to areas of national parks was one issue of concern raised during the meeting, with the fires of 2019/2020 and the seasonal conditions in the years that have followed resulting in dense regrowth. Some suggested the dogs may not be in areas they once frequented due to the bush being too thick, and have now come out onto trails where they are more easily sighted.

Pigs and deer were also mentioned by many landholders as increasing problems, seen in numbers much higher than the wild dogs.