region 5 hunting season 2017
With hunting season roughly 1 month away..and most fires still burning, more starting each week.these fires really cover a significant portion of region 5.most animals will be dealing with smoke, fire, loss of habitat home range extreme stress..separation of familly groups, herds.moving animals into new , strange territory perhaps with less food sources less nutrients..no one knows..as fires are paramount at this time .
It will also concentrate the remaining animals in smaller areas..how many animals have perished is still only a guess .
With all these losses, unknowns the well being of these animals should be, must be priority.
It will be hard on guide outfitters in this region..however..my personal view is when in doubt ....error on the side of conservation..future of all animals.
Until the scope of this tremendous fire season is carefully evaluated..loss of wildlife and habitat is properly determined as is how these fires have concentrated the hunt able big game.as well as safety to even enter into some of these MU regions..especially in the areas West of the Fraser River.
We talk about how to put more game into the field.the stress may influence even this year's rut?
Perhaps we could lead by example..BCWF..consider putting forward the thought process of suspending, eliminating, legislating the complete big game hunting in region 5 for the remainder of 2017 .
Completely eliminating ALL hunting.
For first nations the replacement of any hunting with the federal gov't supplying a replacement" single animal..beef provided from local cattle ranches deeply affected by loss of winter grazing, and feed supply.
No trading or selling..subsistence only.federally funded.
As for guides..outfitters compensated for a legislated suspension of all hunting .booked hunts be covered.
I expect raceaus extreme views contrary to this suggestion.
In the long run its tremendously less expensive to just do nothing and leave everything as was..but all is not as was..the truth is we do not know..no one does at this time..and until the entire situation is carefully examined and a solution that ensures the best outcome in the interest of all wildlife ...err" on the side of certainty.i am prepared emotionally to go elsewhere to hunt..i too have been as susisstence hunter my entire life..i. .we have options..giving biologists time to evaluate appropriate responses to these losses .
This is not the only solution? But with 30 days? Till open season..pretty tight schedule.
Suggesting this puts us the hunters in the decision process..demonstrating our concern for all wildlife..
Talk is cheap..action is unresistable. .lead by example..part of the process..
As certainly something will be done.
Cheers
Srupp
Re: region 5 hunting season 2017
I'm also of the same mind Steven, but I've found that there are those that couldn't care
less about the future, even tomorrow, if they can harvest an animal today, and even if it
was the last living representative of the species they were after. I'm also afraid the hunters
with this mindset will read "It will also concentrate the remaining animals in smaller areas..'
and rush into those areas they think the concentrations might be so they can get in on killing
them before others wipe them out. Some of the comments I've read within hunting forums,
including this one, have reinforced my coming to this conclusion.
Re: region 5 hunting season 2017
I draw the same conclusion. Sure glad that I hunted in past times as the hunting opportunity is swiftly dwindling as time marches on.
Re: region 5 hunting season 2017
Hi Dave..years..actually decades ago i spent a week..setting out apples, nets and helping net some California bighorn sheep from the junction herd..the herd was healthy and robust numbers..some clever biologist decided to transplant some of these sheep to USA just in case sometime in the distant future we needed to repatriate due to unforseen devestating losses.
Well a few years ago those 700 sheep in the junction herd were mostly gone..so the decision to bring back some decedent's of the original transplants was acomplished"
Some foresight was a great ace in the hole..for wildlife..even if it was decades later.
Never asked or learned how these sheep learned the migration patterns? Tag along?
The thinking a head truly paid off.
Lets think ahead..get the facts..ensure what's best for wildlife as best we can...
Just thinking out loud.
Srupp
Re: region 5 hunting season 2017
A ban on big game hunting wouldn't change my success rate in 5-1 around the family cabin hahaha...
Re: region 5 hunting season 2017
Unfortunately, the powers that be will probably not act in a sane and sensible manner. Back in the late 90's there was a massive winter kill in parts of the southern interior (8-15). The very next season the LEH for whitetail does still remained at over 200 per zone. I was out hunting that fall and only ran across 1 small WT doe in a week of hunting in a normally very productive area. There was no will to close the season to protect the few critters that had survived.
Re: region 5 hunting season 2017
the animals evolved with fire..this is normal in there DNA. It is us hand wringing not them. Go hunting when the bush becomes safe and quit worrying so much.
Re: region 5 hunting season 2017
if it stays dry into September hunting will be closed...as it should...at least in Region 5.
Re: region 5 hunting season 2017
That the fires are not affecting wildlife is not viable..the animals can not survive in the fire..fact..
That the one original fire in Ashcroft has now burned north through several valleys.Clinton..Loon Lake..now enough to Green Lake putting highway 24 south all either on alert or order
...every day literally hundreds of birds were observed flying north ahead of the fire..daily.
Animals have either perished or fled to valleys away..10, s of kilometers..tired..stressed.desperate..
The west Chilcotin..Kleena Kleene..east to the Fraser..over that..to Highway 97 east of that.
DUGAN lake..Spokane lake..north past Coyote creek Wildwood north to Lyne creek....
Lots better informed accuratly up to date..
Some idea to help ranchers that will be hurt by rising prices and rapidly dissappear ing feed forcing sell off into a already bad market..supplying one of these beef to first nations takes any argument..well ligimat argument away in these once in 100 year disaster.the gov't is already acknowledgement that they have some responsibility financially..as well as fiduciary responsibility for fn..
Closing down all hunting will need to also acknowledge and compensate guide outfitters that livelihood depends on big game.
I'm sure there are better ideas.but someone is eventually going to deal with rapidly approaching big game hunting season..
Srupp
Re: region 5 hunting season 2017
Stevens right I think, for this season....unfortunately, it will put greater hunting pressure on other regions, especially region 3 I'm guessing...