GOS Sheep season GOING TO LEH

[Walking Buffalo]

Many of the older rams are broomed back and will never be legal so this would give a chance at them to be now harvested, and also make the short sheep being taken now legal.
Say yes to LEH if it is set up right.

This is evidence that LEH is NOT Needed to ensure that older rams exist in the population.

Sounds like someone may be more concerned about killing then hunting or conservation. Was it not science so to speak that changed the bull river to LEH.
Average sheep hunter only gets 30 yrs of ability to hunt, well passed that by over 10 all ready and will continue. Will continue to help others with info
and spotting as well dont have to be the shooter but will still hunt. Take a look at the kamloops thread, how that LEH tag holder mentions all the help from
others that were not there to be the shooter but still went hunting. Although its from the states the summer issue of wild sheep has a good story of
some people and the amount they do for sheep even though they have never shot or hunted them, infact there is thousands of people there that do things for
sheep and wildlife conservation just because they like the wildlife.
One possible change they could make to the LEH would be if it say cost $250 or $500 to enter and you got your money back except for price of tag if you didnt draw.
That would possible drop your odds way down for many wouldnt apply just because.

This is evidence that You believe in pricing people out of hunting.
Evidence that you wish to eliminate hunting opportunity.
And wish to use LEH to achieve these goals.

[dapesche]

Close Bighorn Sheep General Open Season and Establish Limited Entry Hunting Season


Regulation Number:
2022-03-02


Status:
Proposed


Region:
Region 3 - Thompson


MU:
3-17


Regulation Type:
General Open Season
Limited Entry Hunting


Species:
Mountain sheep


Closing Date:
January 23, 2022 at midnight


Decision Statement:
Pending



Current Regulations:
General Open Season

Bighorn Mountain Sheep	3-17*, 3-31, 3-32+	Full Curl Bighorn Rams	Sept 10-Oct 20
	3-17*	Mature Bighorn Rams	Sept 10-Oct 20

*A portion of 3-17 only. See Map C2. + A portion of MU 3-32 is closed to Mountain Sheep Hunting. See Map C21. Compulsory Inspection required



Proposed Regulations:
General Open Season

Bighorn Mountain Sheep	3-31, 3-32+	Full Curl Bighorn Rams	Sept 10-Oct 20
	3-17*	Mature Bighorn Rams	Sept 10-Oct 20

*A portion of 3-17 only. See Map C2. + A portion of MU 3-32 is closed to Mountain Sheep Hunting. See map C21. Compulsory Inspection required
Limited Entry Hunting
Implement at least ¾ curl mountain sheep Sept 20-Oct 20 LEH opportunity in MU 3-17D
Click here for map



Rationale:
The California bighorn sheep population occupying wildlife management unit 3-17 zones A and B has declined significantly over the past several years. The cause of this declining population trend is linked to a severe respiratory illness, Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae. This illness has contributed to several years of low lamb survival, thus limiting recruitment of individuals into this population. Lack of recruitment has posed management challenges with harvests exceeding established 5-year targets despite limited entry hunting opportunities. The long-term mean age of rams is also declining, indicating increased harvest pressure and reduced older rams in the population. Immediate adjustments to hunter opportunity is warranted to address these conservation concerns.
To address this concern, it is proposed to eliminate general open season hunting opportunities in the California bighorn sheep portion of 3-17. Limited entry hunting opportunities within 3-17 zones A and B will still be available with the addition of a new zone D. Bighorn sheep harvest management under a limited entry hunt season structure would enable hunter effort and harvests to be tightly controlled in accordance with established harvest objectives. Establishment of a limited entry hunting only season structure within areas occupied by California bighorn sheep for 3-17 zones A and B, in addition to the new zone D, will ensure complexity with interpreting the hunting regulations is minimized. Please refer to enclosed map. The limited entry hunting zone C will also be amended to reflect zone the distribution of Rocky Mountain sheep.
Ministry staff are continuing working collaboratively with first nation governments, the BC Wild Sheep Society, and the Provincial domestic and wild sheep coordinator on mitigating the disease risk and implementing strategies to recover this population.



Additional Information:
Confirmation of the respiratory illness Movi occurred in 2012 through post mortality lamb necropsies, although the population decline of bighorn sheep along the Fraser began during the mid 90’s due to this respiratory illness. Baseline health monitoring of Fraser River sheep conducted in 2018/19 confirmed 10% of animals captured were actively shedding Movi. Surveys since the late 1990s indicate the Fraser sheep population has declined by approximately 70%. Recent monitoring through aerial surveys within 3-17 zones A and B notes a continuing population decline in recent years. During 2019 aerial surveys a total of 27 sheep were observed within 3-17 zone A, of the 15 ewes observed only 4 had lambs present. A total of 45 sheep were observed within 3-17 zone B, of the 27 ewes 12 lambs were observed. This represents a continued decline in population of 12% when compared to 2016 aerial survey results.
Compulsory inspection data of harvested rams from 2007-2020 illustrates a significant decline of average age. Rams average age of harvest declined from 7. 5 years old to 4.7 years old as of the 2020 hunting season. This value is well below the Provincial bighorn sheep objective as set within the policy and procedure. Ram harvest has exceeded the AAH in two consecutive five-year allocation periods (2017-2021, 2012-2016).

[rageous]

Well well, would you you look at that.

[tylerduce]

Closure of Limited Entry Hunting for Bighorn Sheep in Okanagan Park


Regulation Number:
2022-08-04


Status:
Proposed


Region:
Region 8 - Okanagan


MU:
8-9


Regulation Type:
Limited Entry Hunting


Species:
Bighorn sheep


Closing Date:
January 23, 2022 at midnight


Decision Statement:
Pending



Current Regulations:
There is currently a Sept. 1 to Sept 30 Limited Entry Hunt (LEH) for bighorn sheep rams in Zone B of 8-9.



Proposed Regulations:
Closure of the Sept. 1 to Sept 30 Limited Entry Hunt (LEH) for bighorn sheep rams in Zone B of 8-9.



Rationale:
Over the past 6 surveys completed by FLNRORD staff following RISC inventory standards we have continuously documented a declining population, for the last 3 consecutive surveys the population has been below targets on both counted individuals (Bighorn management policy dictates a min of 75 observed individuals) and on Lamb: ewe recruitment rates (30 lambs:100 ewe).
With declining populations, low recruitment and a new and novel introduction of M.ovi confirmed in 2020 the prognosis of this population rebounding quickly to minimum required numbers is highly unlikely. The closure of this season will align with provincial policy (https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/en...procedures.pdf)

[LBM]

This is evidence that LEH is NOT Needed to ensure that older rams exist in the population.





This is evidence that You believe in pricing people out of hunting.
Evidence that you wish to eliminate hunting opportunity.
And wish to use LEH to achieve these goals.

Your opinion/thoughts, not mine or my reasoning. If you dont like LEH or draw hunts dont participate in them, oh wait you do.

[prairieoysters]

Wild Sheep Society of BC is hosting a Zoom Webinar: "Fraser River Bighorn Sheep: Addressing Mycoplasma Ovipneumoniae Infection"

Presenter: Chris Procter, Senior Biologist, Thompson-Okanagan Region-Ministry of Forest, Lands, Natural Resource Operations, and Rural Development

Time: February 1st, 2022, 7:00pm PST

LINK TO REGISTER: https://us06web.zoom.us/.../reg.../WN_mDA5I2UaSCmrCYXXaw3WdA

[Rob Chipman]

Wild Sheep Society of BC is hosting a Zoom Webinar: "Fraser River Bighorn Sheep: Addressing Mycoplasma Ovipneumoniae Infection"

Presenter: Chris Procter, Senior Biologist, Thompson-Okanagan Region-Ministry of Forest, Lands, Natural Resource Operations, and Rural Development

Time: February 1st, 2022, 7:00pm PST

LINK TO REGISTER: https://us06web.zoom.us/.../reg.../WN_mDA5I2UaSCmrCYXXaw3WdA

I'm looking forward to that one!

[Harvest the Land]

[Harvest the Land]

BCWF has created a letter you can copy and paste and send to your MLA

To Whom It May Concern, I do not support moving from a General Open Season to Limited Entry Hunting (LEH) season for bighorn sheep in the Kootenay region because the government has failed to demonstrate a science-based rationale and, more importantly, has failed to identify how moving to LEH will help recover bighorn sheep. When suggesting regulation changes the government should be able to establish: 1) The need to change hunting regulations, supported by science-based rationale 2) The specific population level measurable objectives or threshold needed to ensure hunting is sustainable 3) The hunting regulation options which could result in achieving the specific measurable objectives 4) The expected response and timeframe to recovery for that wildlife population To date, the province has failed to address those four steps. Furthermore, the rationale the province currently has does not appear to be supported by sheep experts. The B.C. Wildlife Federation recently hosted a webinar with Dr. Marco Festa-Bianchet, one of the world leading research scientists in the area of bighorn sheep ecology, particularly the effects of hunting on sheep. Dr. Festa-Bianchet analyzed data from hunter harvest in the Kootenay region, and preliminary analysis suggests that hunting regulations are not having a negative impact on sheep horn growth. Dr. Festa-Bianchet also did not indicate a concern with the current management regime being used in the Kootenay region. This tends to suggest the factors limiting bighorn sheep are not related to hunting. Dr. Festa-Bianchet suggested three tools to restore sheep population. They were: 1) Ensure wild sheep do not have diseases transmitted by domestic sheep including mycoplasma ovipneumoniae 2) Ensure individual cougars are not causing population declines through predation 3) Restore habitat While cougar harvest is relatively high in the region, disease surveillance and restoring habitat are not happening at a meaningful scale. The decline in sheep happened in 2012/13, nearly a decade ago. The province needs to get on with actions to restore populations. The Kootenay region has a long history of singularly focusing on hunting regulations, which have never resulted in restored wildlife populations. In fact, wildlife in the region has been declining for decades and the government has not done anything meaningful to reverse the trend. If the province is able to demonstrate a science-based biological need to reduce hunter harvest, there are several tools which would reduce harvest that do not involve moving straight to LEH. I expect the government to make decisions based on science. In this case the government has failed to provide rationale that either demonstrates an effect due to hunting or how changing the hunting regulations will result in restored sheep populations. Even the government’s own Kootenay Bighorn Sheep Management Plan states, “current hunting seasons are not believed to be affecting population trends.” It is time to start focusing in on meaningful actions which will restore our wildlife resources rather than doing things that are easy and look good. Sincerely, Contact Your MLA

[LBM]

I'm looking forward to that one!

Wonder if they will bring up about the sick sheep dying off last year in the east kootenays