The word is out that MOE has just allocated almost two thirds of the 7B Stone's Sheep allocation for the next five years to guided non-resident hunters.
For the next five years the non-resident allocation in the Northeastern BC will be 570 rams, out of an Allowable Harvest of 900 or so. That averages out to 114 rams per year, but they are not restricted to that number as MOE is also allowing them a flexible guideline that says more can be taken in any given year as long as the five-year kill is 570. Sounds like a real conservation-minded plan to me.
Resident hunters are allocated only 67 rams per year (37%), out of an Annual Allowable Harvest of 181 rams for all of 7B. The fact that BC residents have historically harvested almost 50% of the sheep in past years obviously means nothing.
Considering that the longterm annual BC resident harvest averages over 100 rams, and was 85 rams in 2006, should be a clear indication where the new Allocation Policy will take resident hunters over the next few years.
We will be put on LEH and so few permits will be issued that we will not even harvest our tiny percentage.
The defenders of this new policy, that favors wealthy non-residents over taxpaying BC residents, should be proud of what they have done.
If you want to hunt Stone's Sheep in BC, and you aren't rich, I would suggest a call to your MLA to let 'em know how happy you are with the way they have allowed MOE to ignore our priority as resident hunters.
Those poor ol' blue rams are in for hell in 2007.
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Originally Posted by Stone Sheep Steve
