Raven Damage to Crops not compensable

A claim by a cattle farmer in Manitoba over damage caused to his hay crop by ravens was thrown out of court last November as "frivilous and vexatious". Ravens had pecked holes through the plastic covering over his hay bales, resulting in spoilage that eventually killed a number of animals. Master C.W. Sharp found that the farmer's insurance under the Wildlife Damage Compensation Program did not cover damage by ravens (only "big game" and "waterfowl") and that the failure by the Province to amend the Program to include ravens was not actionable.