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BCWF
06-23-2015, 11:38 AM
BCWF Statement on Video of Boaters Harassing Moose in Northern BC

A disturbing video was recently posted online showing an individual harassing a moose in northern BC by jumping on its back as it navigated a body of water.

The BC Wildlife Federation condemns this type of unacceptable behaviour in the strongest terms possible. In addition to being very disrespectful to the animal, the actions of the individuals depicted in the video constitute an offence under the Wildlife Act. BCWF is in full support of the ongoing investigation by the BC Conservation Officer Service to identify and charge the perpetrators.

Harassing wildlife in this manner could have resulted in the death of the moose either directly as a result of extreme stress, or indirectly through making the animal more vulnerable to predation. The actions taken by the individuals in the video were also extremely dangerous to themselves personally and could easily have ended in tragedy.

"As BC’s oldest and largest conservation organization, BCWF has the utmost respect and reverence for our province’s wildlife. The behaviour displayed by the individuals in the video does not at all represent BCWF’s 46,000 members, who are passionately committed to conserving and enhancing BC’s fish, wildlife, and habitat. We look forward to a positive outcome to the BC Conservation Officer Service investigation and hope that those responsible for this act are brought to justice,” said BCWF President George Wilson.

Anyone with information on this incident is encouraged to call the BC Conservation Officer Service at 1-877-952-7277.

The Hermit
06-23-2015, 05:42 PM
Where is the "like" button?

todbartell
06-23-2015, 05:45 PM
well said thanks BCWF

aggiehunter
06-23-2015, 10:09 PM
yah thats super awesome...are they running for something.....now...wheres the dubs offer of a reward.

Ltbullken
06-23-2015, 10:17 PM
Excellent statement

gutpile
06-23-2015, 10:41 PM
Do you think the moose would have been more stressed out if it were serounded by wolves ? just saying .

Drillbit
06-23-2015, 10:48 PM
Any bets the "cowboy in shorts" is GOABC or affiliated?

Whonnock Boy
06-23-2015, 10:50 PM
Is this not something the fed should be commenting on? Does this not show that they are aware, and care for our wildlife? Maybe if in a month the CO's have not found the people, then they might consider offering a reward, but I doubt it will be needed.


yah thats super awesome...are they running for something.....now...wheres the dubs offer of a reward.

The Dawg
06-23-2015, 11:09 PM
Do you think the moose would have been more stressed out if it were serounded by wolves ? just saying .


The moose was chased for 15 minutes by a jetboat, in water...

wideopenthrottle
06-24-2015, 07:23 AM
Do you think the moose would have been more stressed out if it were serounded by wolves ? just saying .
don't think wolves swim as well as a moose..she would have hosed them in a swimming contest heheheh

FourOhs
06-24-2015, 07:33 AM
Do you think the moose would have been more stressed out if it were serounded by wolves ? just saying .Just saying what? ...That this stress is comparable to that and inconsequential in the end?

If the asshats in the boat had instead observed the moose from a distance, and then later this moose had been surrounded by wolves it would be dead from the encounter with the wolves. That would be natural predation. If this moose ends up surrounded by wolves because of the stress of this event it will be dead. That would be unnatural predation that could be correlated back to its harassment by the boatload of jackholes.

What if this was a different scenario? Let's say you're out on a multi-day hike-in hunt. You're setting up camp for the evening when a pack of seventeen wolves surrounds your camp and moves in. It happens so fast and silently you're surrounded before you can prepare or get up a tree. (You're probably saying, "That's impossible! Wolves don't move like that," but I bet the moose thought its encounter with the boat was unlikely too.) So, maybe you've got time to grab your rifle, load it, and take out a few dogs. Sh*t, you're empty... you see a gap, drop your gun and you run. The wolves chase you through the bush, for fifteen minutes. You're running for your life, over logs, headlong through bushes, knowing you're about to feel the bite on your Achilles tendon that brings you down. You're gasping for oxygen, ignoring the scratches all over your face and arms, in complete panic because you know the game is up.

And then you stop because you realize all you hear is silence behind you. They're gone. You can't explain why, but they're gone. Maybe your flight through the bush startled a deer and they switched targets. Who knows, but thank the FSM you got away. You circle back to get to your gun, pack up and get the hell out of dodge. (At the very least you need new pants.) As you're creeping back you're listening oh-so-carefully for a bark or a howl, any noise from those wolves... that in the dark you don't see the 190-lb cougar crouched in the brush at the side of the trail before it launches. Did the wolves kill you? Nope. Can their actions be correlated to your untimely demise? Yep.

Of course that's not a likely story. But neither is a bunch of citiots in a jetboat chasing a very undomesticated moose for fifteen minutes and then letting it go for no reason. For every second of them chasing that moose, it was running for its life. And for a good, long while after they finally let it go it was very vulnerable.

Drillbit
06-24-2015, 12:31 PM
That video reminded me a lot of the stag party Sturgeon fishing videos and pictures......

Fisher-Dude
06-24-2015, 04:48 PM
yah thats super awesome...are they running for something.....now...wheres the dubs offer of a reward.

You need a reward to report poachers?

Sounds like you value a few dollars more than the wildlife resources we're blessed with.

scoutlt1
06-24-2015, 05:11 PM
When I first saw this video, a week or so ago, I've wondered if I could ever find a better definition of "a**holes".......