Caribou 2018 -now what?

[Rotorwash]

Also Rob that was a beauty of a bou. Crazy snow on your way out eh

[Rob Chipman]

Snow was always an expected possibility, but I was glad it came after we hit the lake, lemme tell you!

What group were you in?

[Bubbacanuck]

Great story and getting me excited for the upcoming season!

[Rob Chipman]

So, where's the summer go? It's almost time to pack up and hit the mountains again (ok, I was out in the spring for bear, but never got a chance at a bigger than the last one, although the dog brought a pretty big one back on the run - I couldn't;t believe how calm and cool the horses were )


Anyway, we're taking horses in this time, either to Coldfish by the McEwen Creek trail or maybe to Cry lake.

Anyone know much about either route?

Any preference?

Any intel?

Any good stories to kill some time?

[Ali_G]

Inspiring!! Im looking forward to my first season hunting in BC. Stories like these are dreams of the future.

[Eastbranch]

Hell of a bull and you're lucky to have experienced that. It's a damn shame that herd was closed to hunting.

[msawyer]

Closing the hunt isn't surprising at all... That herd population has declined by ~ 86 percent in only the last 17 years. The herd is now ~ 385 animal and in just the five days of the described hunt 5 adult males where removed from that population. What is a shame is that (a) the season wasn't closed sooner, and (b) that we still do not public polices that protect habitat over industrial development. And that hunters seem to have drifted away from their conservation roots. Those caribou, and other herds, need our help.

[HarryToolips]

^^^Highly doubt hunting was the main cause for decline....are you actually a hunter or just a troll??

[msawyer]

Yes Harry, I am a hunter and not a troll. And no, I don't assume the issues with caribou are because of hunting pressure. In fact, the biological reasons for the decline are quite well understood - its habitat alteration from industrial logging, mining and oil and gas which in turns increases vulnerability of caribou herds to predation. Ergo, populations decline to the inevitable extirpation. Under those circumstances hunting related mortality, while not the cause, pushes the herds further towards extirpation. What I wonder is why hunters are not much more vocal about threats to habitat, for caribou or other sensitive wildlife, and why we accept, even advocate for continued hunting opportunities on threatened populations. And arnt so-called environmentalist actually potential allies in our efforts to protect wildlife habitat?

[CranePete]

There’s damn little oil & gas work in the Itchas...I’d even venture to say there’s zero.