For those who haven't watched the video take a gander from 3:56 onwards for comments on R4 LEH for bighorns.
If anyone wants to argue that this development is the fault of Jesse and the BCWF holding hands with Festa-Bianchet I think they have to reconcile the following:
"We hosted a webinar a couple of months ago on the province's proposal and then on his [Festa-Bianchet's] perspective of what's going on up there. Again, one of the best experts in North America in terms of sheep ecology, certainly his findings were not consistent with the proposal that's been put forward. The province decided to move forward to go to LEH in the Kootenay region..."
"his findings were not consistent with the proposal" vs "this outcome was being sought by the likes of Festa-Bianchet".
Fishy, indeed.
On the one hand you have people speaking in public and on the record, and on the other hand you have.....
Rob Chipman
"The idea of wilderness needs no defense, it only needs defenders" - Ed Abbey
"Grown men do not need leaders" - also Ed Abbey
I agree moose numbers aren't what they were years ago, although we don't seem to have a problem seeing moose when hunting the Peace. You've hunted up there for a number of years, do you recall the big moose die off the year of the 20 foot snow drifts? The season after that winter the moose numbers were way way down and they have been slowly making a comeback since. They probably would have come back way faster if there weren't so many bears and wolves out there eating all the calves. When you're out and about you should never see more bears than moose, and when you can park on a high spot and hear packs of wolves howling in every direction there is a predator problem don't you think?
My ranch bordered the Peace north of Rolla on the Galata creek road area. We have had several times that the winter conditions decimated the wildlife especially deer. in particular when the snow would melt then freeze then snow on top and they could not get to feed. At times I would have hundreds of deer in my fields and after a bad winter with the conditions i described id see a small percentage of the deer remaining. so yes weather conditions will have an impact. As to Predators theres a factor as well. As is super easy access by hunters to certain areas thats what i was referring to. Black bears see them all the time and and have for as long as i can remember numbers dont seem to change much on them .For years i had moose elk and deer on my property along with bears all healthy numbers escept for the times mentioned above.
We owned land, with easy access all around us, We saw lots of moose and deer until the wolves showed up in big numbers so it's obvious to me that predators are far more detrimental than easy access is. Just look at the Tuchodi and all the elk that were there....and then the wolves started eating everything.
I don't totally buy into the easy access agenda, saw lots of hunters riding around on atv's and most of them never get an animal.
Since you bring up the Tuchodi I think that most people would agree that the tuchodi was always inudated with tons of jet boats and a favorite area for hunters to go so that speaks volumes. Elk in tuchodi has been on the down swing for years and years and has been over hunted. its more that just predators which factor in.
Im not sure if your understanding what im saying. It wasnt over one year that the numbers in the tuchodi area were diminishing it has been diminishing for years. and im not saying that predators is not a factor. I am saying that tuchodi has been hit hard by hunters year after year and i do mean hard. perhaps you dont agree thats fine . I think that its no secret how may boats head up towards the lakes. this is not an attack on jet boaters this is not an attack on hunters this is not a denial of predators this is my first hand observation. taking my horses from either the chizca towards the tuchodi or down to the gatho when im in the tuchhodi area i see boat after boat and hunter after hunter it is a very busy drainage.
We need to do our part with predators.
But I honestly don't think it's going to matter or help .
We are loosing our rights more and more every year.
KEEP SHOOTING OR SHOOT A BIG GUN!!!!
IF YOU DON'T HUNT YOU AINT RIGHT IN THE HEAD!!!!!!!!!
A SCREAMING ELK THERE'S NOTHIN BETTER!!!!!!
KNOW WHEN TO KEEP THE WIFE OUT OF MY HUNTING SPOTS !!!!!!!!!!