Biteback update July 2024

Land owners in the not baiting category would have received a letter from the SAAL Landscape Board to remind them of their baiting obligations. If you received a letter and have not yet baited, you are now in breach of the legislation which may result in compliance measures. To avoid compliance, please contact the board’s biosecurity officers to organise distribution of some wild dog baits immediately.

Hard copy maps to be phased out

With the majority of land managers choosing to report through Wild Dog Scan, the board has decided to phase out hard copy maps. Despite this increase in online reporting, there has been a decline in the number of properties sharing wild dog activity, control and impact information with the board. Only 41.5 per cent of properties shared information in 2023/24, compared to 50 per cent in 2022/23.

A report of no dog activity on your property is valuable information that is used to inform where more or less effort is needed to help land managers control wild dog impacts. This data is important, so please continue to report impacts, activity and control measures used on your property.

Inside fence ground baiting

Another successful Biteback baiting campaign has been completed for autumn 2024, with a higher than usual number of properties in attendance at injection services. During the 2023/24 financial year, 78 per cent of properties attended a service, a substantial increase on previous years. There are now 22 per cent of properties in the region which have not baited for wild dogs and are not meeting mandatory baiting requirements.

Outside fence ground baiting

There has been a significant increase in baiting requests from properties north of the dog fence this financial year, as shown in the graph below. Favourable conditions and high rainfall in the area is putting pressure on the dog fence as wild dogs try to move south into sheep country.

Wild dog activity – decreasing or not?

If you see a significant decrease in wild dog activity and impacts compared to the 2018/19 and 2019/20 financial years in the graph below, rest assured that further analysis shows something different. While on a broad scale this assumption is correct, there has actually been an increase in wild dog activity and impacts over the past two months. What you can’t see is that increases were concentrated to the North Flinders district, with the majority of wild dogs controlled and stock impacts also recorded in this area. Please consider this a reminder to stay vigilant about wild dogs, as impacts will continue to increase if wild dog control is not a priority.

SAAL Aerial Baiting 2024

An aerial baiting program in early May targeted areas where wild dog activity was reported and along the edges of salt lakes, which are known corridors used by wild dogs to travel through the region.

The program was run in conjunction with fox baiting, wild dog aerial baiting undertaken by Primary Industries and Regions SA and the Department for Environment and Water aerial fox and cat baiting programs.

Biteback Webinar

A webinar offered to participating properties on 20 June included presentations from Churchill Fellow Dr Tracey Kreplins, of Primary Industries WA who shared the findings from her study on a comparison of lures on Canid Pest Ejectors and satellite tracking of wild dogs among cattle herds in the WA rangelands.

She was supported by SAAL senior biosecurity project officer Charlie Eager who provided an update on a bait efficacy trial in the SA Arid Lands region and biosecurity officer Chris Havelberg who provided a baiting update and overview of the Biteback program.

Spring 2024 Injection Service dates

The next round of coordinated injection services have been planned, however dates are subject to change.

• North Flinders/Marree (including Port Augusta/Quorn district): 23-26 September 2024.
• Kingoonya/Gawler Ranges (Groups 17 & 18): 30 September-3 October 2024.
• Gawler Ranges (Groups 19-21): 9 & 10 October 2024.
• North East Pastoral: 14-17 October 2024.

Landholders will receive an official invitation via email two months before the first scheduled service, which will be followed by reminders every two weeks until the services begin.

The invitation will contain a link to the online registration system, which allows you to book into a specific injection service and order and pay for manufactured baits for collection, streamlining the process.

For more information, contact SAAL's Senior Biosecurity Officer Charlie Eager on 0437 795 792.