Fifty thousand baits distributed in spring

Properties inside the dog fence received 31,398 baits, with those outside of the dog fence, including those in the buffer zone, receiving 17,430 baits.

The bait numbers are encouraging, particularly when paired with the significant increase in reports of wild dog activity in the North Flinders and Kingoonya districts. Landscape-scale baiting reduces the risk of a wild dog traversing the landscape without encountering a bait.

Using information collected from hard copy maps, wild dog scan reports and professional trappers, the following graph shows that signs and sightings of wild dogs have increased over the past four years. It also suggests land managers are increasingly relying on the professional trappers to undertake shooting and trapping exercises.

Reports of stock loss from wild dogs is at its lowest level since the Biteback program began. The seven reported losses in this period is vastly different from the 9415 stock losses reported in the 2018/19 financial year. The continual baiting effort by most properties in the SAAL region has contributed to the reduction.

Landholders are warned that stock impacts may begin to increase as the weather warms due to the increase in wild dog and stock interactions at watering points.

Autumn coordinated baiting services.

The next round of injection services will be held in March and April 2025. The dates are:

• Gawler Ranges district – 17-18 March
• Port Augusta/Quorn and North Flinders/Marree districts – 24-27 March.
• Kingoonya and Gawler Ranges districts – 31 March-3 April.
• North East Pastoral district – 7-10 April.

Land managers will receive an invitation via email in mid to late January.

If you did not order baits during the spring 2024 baiting period, please mark your calendars for the autumn 2025 services, as failure to meet your property’s baiting requirements may breach mandatory baiting requirements.