Although exclusion fences are gradually weaving a patchwork across Queensland's central west, AgForce's newest wild dog coordinator says he has plenty of work to keep him busy.
Growing up on a farming operation near Warwick, Ray Aspinall is an experienced shearer, fencer, musterer and wild dog trapper, who considers himself a Blackall local after 35 years.
When he arrived in 1985 there was virtually no livestock predation by wild dogs but in his various occupations he's seen a steady build in numbers since the middle of last decade.
"Drought has slowed them up a bit, especially as there's not so many roos around, but there's still plenty out there," he said.
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He will be hearing about just how many there are and helping to plan the management of them when he attends council wild dog management group meetings at Winton and Blackall this week.
Mr Aspinall is charged with helping revive Queensland's once-thriving wool and sheep meat industries by reducing the threat posed by wild dogs.
According to AgForce's sheep and wool president Alan Rae, the appointment is a great outcome for sheep producers in the region, thanks to Mr Aspinall's experience in the field.
"Each year wild dogs kill or main millions of dollars worth of livestock," he said. ""Industry needs people like Ray to help landholders, communities, and local councils manage the issue of wild dogs and develop management plans that will leave a legacy for future control as well."
Mr Aspinall will manage an area that includes Boulia, Diamantina, Winton and Barcoo Shires, as well as the regions of Longreach, Barcaldine and Blackall-Tambo.
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He's already been busy visiting people on properties far and wide to boost participation in various control measures to help reduce the number of livestock lost to wild dogs, and he said it was important that awareness of wild dog control was continually raised.
"It's not only about building an exclusion fence. It's about using every control tool available to reduce the number of wild dogs within the environment to allow our families to sleep easy at night."
Mr Aspinall's appointment has also returned AgForce's wild dog coordinators project to full strength, ensuring more of the state is protected.