Kootney elk

[Bugle M In]

There are some areas that are and have always been traditionally busy.
Places like the Bull have been since the 70's.

2 seasons ago, we covered well over 100km in the day, down the main river and up many of the side roads towards the alpine and I think we hit 1 other camp.
Lots of lesser areas that held elk have seen a sharp drop off in hunters.
No where near the hunters in some valleys as compared to the 90's

Ask the guys in the Peace if it hasn't become busy the last 10 years or so, especially the last 5 because
of the crap in the EK.
And yes, the WK did get hit hard when it went from LEH to GOS, in part because the east was crap and the
fact that many knew there were some "big bulls" to be had in the WK.

[Bugle M In]

Hey just so you know we had to banquets in pass three weeks cranbrook and Fernie for our trophy competition 2 entries in cranbrook 3 in the elk valley yes indeed we have been shit kicked as far as the elk population is concern time for all you hunters in bc to get on board with lobbying your politicians to start putting some elbow grease into bring back our ungulate population and predator control or we are going to continue to live in a fish bowl of remember when we used to have elk etc all the best

Writing MLA's wouldn't hurt.
But somehow I think there are a few folks in the EK Region of the Ministry that need to be canned first.
What's the point otherwise.
They have been all over the place with policy and making a mess.

[Bugle M In]

What is the FN harvest?

Only the locals would be really able to say.
Where I go I doubt it is much of an issue (although I think there was a poached moose not too long ago)

But around Findlay I heard (a thread on hbc) there was a slaughter of an entire small herd (20 or so?)
during the winter, by FN.

Again, locals could chime in better.
But I think the bigger issue is just stupid policies.

How can you go from 500 cow LEH, then suddenly do away with it and put in 6pt restriction at the same time.
Then come up with a senior/youth and bow season and zone X????

And in the end, have less elk than we did before the changes in 96 (or was it 98??).

It's like, at 1st "we want elk" by the ministry.
Then it's like "we don't want them here" ?????
Bizarre....

[gunpower]

I personally do not believe the wolves are a problem.. been hunting in the EK for close to 30 years, seen 2 wolves..

Mismanaging seasons has more of an impact.. my opinion

Use to see 2 wolf packs once and a well, when traveling to work at Fording River back in the 90's, this was after a 9 month strike. I have been retired for 6 years now , but have been told that there is 5-7 x's that number now !!!

[Bugle M In]

We have had wolves for years where I go.
Big one too for many years and from what I am told, would have scored #2 in BC.

2000, I had a pack of 18 come down the river single file.

Wolf tracks were always around our gut piles by the next morning.
And the worst year was around 2014 for scat all over the place.
Generally see 3 to 4 sets of prints working together on the river every year since.
Last season was the first time since I hunted to not see a wolf track.

[Shikari300WSM]

We have had wolves for years where I go.
Big one too for many years and from what I am told, would have scored #2 in BC.

2000, I had a pack of 18 come down the river single file.

Wolf tracks were always around our gut piles by the next morning.
And the worst year was around 2014 for scat all over the place.
Generally see 3 to 4 sets of prints working together on the river every year since.
Last season was the first time since I hunted to not see a wolf track.

Your last sentence is what says it all. Why would there be wolves in an area with no prey!!! Sad that's what it comes to in your area