BC Wolf Plan

[Caribou_lou]

Just saw this on Facebook. Not sure if it has been posted yet.

http://www.castanet.net/news/BC/130706/B-C-to-hunt-wolves-by-helicopter#.VLgayk6VMv0.facebook

Hope the link works.

[Ghengis Khandrey]

It's a great start, now they just need to move the plan to the rest of the province

[Husky7mm]

Nice picture of two coyotes, lol

[sobirch]

It's a great start, now they just need to move the plan to the rest of the province
I agree, they are just putting their finger in the dyke. Hope it works and hope they expand their efforts.

[calvin L]

Right from a C/O's mouth today . Well it is about time . LOL

[Caribou_lou]

Nice picture of two coyotes, lol

exactly what I thought before I read a word of the write up.

[Liveforthehunt]

They need to go ahead with this and bang about 2000 this year ... so are they going to use a chopper with choppers ... that sounds like too much fun sign me up !

[mod7rem]

Its amazing how far apart different groups of people are on topics like this(comments after the article). How the f**k do you govern a Province or Country when so many people are at opposite ends of the spectrum?!!! Personally I think its a great idea, wildlife is a renewable resource and needs to be managed. Its to bad so many people put the lives of wildlife above that of humans, but in reality that kind of thinking only developes from living in a relatively easy sheltered life here in Canada.

[Bugle M In]

good to see some money spent in the right area for once.
hope they get it right, and that the results will be what we all hope for...protecting caribou numbers

[steel_ram]

It's been publicized. Doubt it will happen now. The hippies will shut it down.

[NorBC]

Looks like Ted Nugents coming to BC!

[drakfero]

Its funny to read those comments from people never being int the trouble of farmer producing their daily burger , ham you name it..
Never tracking elk followed by wolfs enywhere they move..
Never making trip thruogh looong valley without seeing one deer..

Who is writing those articles anyways? They allways complain about killing wolf but never about female ungulates.
It must be some chiwawa lover :)

[savagecanuck]

Sign me up to fire from the chopper.I'll use an AR with prohibited 30 shot magazine. Look out wolves.

[Shawn Smith]

Last couple of years I've been finding more and more wolf scat in the areas I hunt and watched the number of deer go down so I decided to take up wolf hunting. There has been a huge decline in moose in this province because of wolves more hunters need to do their part and take up wolf hunting.

[Good2bCanadian]

The gov should have released a chopper shoot wolf Leh.
They would make millions.

[benevs]

^^^that would be awesome

[tigrr]

Have you read the comments, just wow. Next they need to thin the grizzly bears out some. I'm doing my part with black bears. They taste good if their not fish eaters.
People don't realize that a pack can kill 4 or 5 animals for sport and only eat 1. Leaving the others to freeze and then rot.

[bearvalley]

This is a great start to a program. Let's support Thomson for making a decision that's helping wildlife.

[Iltasyuko]

This is a great decision, We all should let the gov't know we fully support this decision, both publicly and in separate letters to the gov't. We beat them up pretty good when we don't agree with them, lets let them know on this issue we do agree with them! If we show enough support we may be able to get more such predator control.

exactly - and it's pretty easy to write a short letter of support / thanks.

[Cordillera]

It will be important to get support for this. If it can show success in the next few years then the question will shift from a moral argument about predator management to a management argument. Predator management needs to be part of the tool box, done right, in the right places, for the right reasons. Don't just write the politicians. Write letters to the editor and other forums showing there is support.

[nelsonob1]

I support the cull but would have preferred that they went about it in a different way. To get that many wolves in a helicopter is going to take a significant amount of time and expense. Figure at least $2000/hr for a couple of weeks. Why not put a bounty on the wolves for trappers to take the and spend the money on supporting a business that is in hardship? Say $500 per wolf. It will cost less and put the money into the right pockets.

[Husky7mm]

Its about efficiency, areial gunning very effective...on the other hand I know lots of trappers..... They want to trap wolves but they dont want to trap them all as they wont get to trap more next yr.
Big bucks or not a wolf is a real prize for a trapper.

[bc traper]

A wolf is a big prize? It's awesome to trap them but at the end of the season you look back at what you got from concentrating on wolves and think thee would have been more money if I had trapped coyotes

[nelsonob1]

What's a wolf pelt worth now? $300? What if there was a $1000 bounty? Would it be worth concentrating on them then?

[Husky7mm]

A wolf is a big prize? It's awesome to trap them but at the end of the season you look back at what you got from concentrating on wolves and think thee would have been more money if I had trapped coyotes
well as i said earlier its a big prize regardless of pay. But for sure if it was worth more money the trappers would try harder.

[bc traper]

In the fur market the top price I have got was under $200 and as low as $80 If there was $1000 bounty on them you would have a lot of trappers more interested in concentrating on them Any kind of a bounty would bring results

[Coastfisher]

A few years ago we had a predator population peak in my area. Myself and two other neibours taking 12 Bobcats off of our farms in one year. Doing some research I found that rabbit populations peak on a three year cycle so I assumed the bobcat population follows suit and we where in a peak year. I also though maybe another neibour clearing 7 acres of property had something to do with it maybe disturbing their hunting grounds enticing them to seek out new and easier prey. Eg Livestock. Now I would like to understand why the wolf population is taking off? Habitat? Prey? Seems to be across the entire province we are seeing a spike in wolfs?why?

[Brno22F]

I support the cull but would have preferred that they went about it in a different way. To get that many wolves in a helicopter is going to take a significant amount of time and expense. Figure at least $2000/hr for a couple of weeks. Why not put a bounty on the wolves for trappers to take the and spend the money on supporting a business that is in hardship? Say $500 per wolf. It will cost less and put the money into the right pockets.

I agree with the hunt for wolves wholeheartedly. The bounty thing might be a workable program across the province but in this case the wolf cull is an operation specifically targeted to remove wolves from areas where they are threatening a declining caribou herd. I realize that it will be expensive to conduct the hunt from the air but I don't see a bounty program as being a viable alternative in this situation. Results are needed and needed quickly.

[Cordillera]

They need to go aerial to be sure they get enough to essentially wipe out packs. lots of research shows if you don't get more than fifty to eighty percent mortality, you won't make a noticeable difference. Some areas where they need to remove wolves would be hard to trap due to remoteness. it would probably make sense to target some key packs with aerial and then use a bounty/trapping program in the adjacent areas to reduce the rate of recolonization.

[the bear]

I think we should kill all wolves, according to the comments on this site the only good wolf is an extinct one. As a hunter for 40+ years and in light of the allocation firestorm, these comments will garner huge support from the general public. lol. Do wolves piss me off? yes should we jump in helicopters and eradicate them from the planet? No!! We all spend thousands of $$$ hunting, get off your ass use some of that $ to hunt wolves the way you hunt other species.(Fair chase) We will never get support with the kill everything with claws and teeth attitude on this site!! Look in the mirror, yes we are part of the problem

[keoke]

How many wolves have you put down this season?

[zippermouth]

I think we should kill all wolves, according to the comments on this site the only good wolf is an extinct one. As a hunter for 40+ years and in light of the allocation firestorm, these comments will garner huge support from the general public. lol. Do wolves piss me off? yes should we jump in helicopters and eradicate them from the planet? No!! We all spend thousands of $$$ hunting, get off your ass use some of that $ to hunt wolves the way you hunt other species.(Fair chase) We will never get support with the kill everything with claws and teeth attitude on this site!! Look in the mirror, yes we are part of the problem

I don't agree with your take.. the wolves need to be thinned, not eradicated. and I hope a lot of hunter agree with me on this. they provide a needed balance in the system, but the numbers are too high right now. hunting will not lower there numbers. helicopters and a gunner will give results. I wish they would do more of this, all over bc.

[pg83]

We tipped the scale in the favour of wolves by building roads and skidooing all over the mountains in winter. Now we have to try to bring the wolves in check to try and prevent the extinction of these caribou herds. I'd rather have aerial gunning than poison any day of the week.

[Caribou_lou]

I think we should kill all wolves, according to the comments on this site the only good wolf is an extinct one. As a hunter for 40+ years and in light of the allocation firestorm, these comments will garner huge support from the general public. lol. Do wolves piss me off? yes should we jump in helicopters and eradicate them from the planet? No!! We all spend thousands of $$$ hunting, get off your ass use some of that $ to hunt wolves the way you hunt other species.(Fair chase) We will never get support with the kill everything with claws and teeth attitude on this site!! Look in the mirror, yes we are part of the problem

They plan on shooting 184 wolves in targeted areas. They estimate 8,500 wolves in BC. That's 2%

You use words such as extinct and eradicate. And we are talking about 2%. I bet you have some good hunting stories!!!

[tinhorse]

Maybe the government should set up a special draw. In order to be put in for the draw you need to bring in a wolf kill, this will get you entered in the sheep, Rosie, deer, moose....what ever special draw they come up with. Would be a good way to encourage wolf hunting.

[guest]

At least it's a start ....... Man upset the apple cart, now every thing in wild life needs to be managed to some degree, yes even wolves.

long over due though ....... I hope they expand the number and areas involved.

CT

[Buck]

Just put up a bounty i'm sure there are a lot of guys who could use a little extra cash.

[steel_ram]

Maybe the government should set up a special draw. In order to be put in for the draw you need to bring in a wolf kill, this will get you entered in the sheep, Rosie, deer, moose....what ever special draw they come up with. Would be a good way to encourage wolf hunting.

Great if you live near and have the time to hunt wolves. Sucks for everyone else.

[.300WSMImpact!]

Anti's are pushing hard, saw a petition on Facebook to stop the wolf cull

[Husky7mm]

Anti's are pushing hard, saw a petition on Facebook to stop the wolf cull
I am sure they are against the caribou going extinct too, but if they had a real solution it would have been tested also. No plan , just against it....

[houndogger]

Anti's are pushing hard, saw a petition on Facebook to stop the wolf cull

It will be done and over before they figure it out.

[coach]

Anti's are pushing hard, saw a petition on Facebook to stop the wolf cull

They should start a second one stating they are in favor of the extinction of mountain caribou.. Wonder how many signatures that would get?

[Bugle M In]

They should start a second one stating they are in favor of the extinction of mountain caribou.. Wonder how many signatures that would get?

Exactly...couldn't phrase it any better!!

[ratherbefishin]

I liked the Letter to the Editor in the Times Colonist who suggested they relocate all the wolves to Oak Bay to do their own deer cull...I've come to the conclusion that people are either stark raving nuts,or we live in such an affluent society they don't have any real problems to occupy their time and attention.

[Husky7mm]

I liked the Letter to the Editor in the Times Colonist who suggested they relocate all the wolves to Oak Bay to do their own deer cull...I've come to the conclusion that people are either stark raving nuts,or we live in such an affluent society they don't have any real problems to occupy their time and attention.
Very nice conclusion!! People are very disconnected, too bad they get to vote and voice on topic they know nothing about.

[keoke]

https://scontent-b-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/10891756_10152659517491167_5396453421643489930_n.j pg?oh=39491eaf90cdfcd80cc15129046bbd38&oe=556BB55D

[303savage]

Hmmm... I wonder if the caribou are being caught by wolves because they are too tired from running from heli-skiers and snow mobiles ?

[Drillbit]

Got my bid in. Time to go fill Beowulf mags.

[Drillbit]

Great if you live near and have the time to hunt wolves. Sucks for everyone else.

That's part of the problem.

Guys will drive up from the LML to shoot a moose, but there's no reason for them to spend the $ for pred hunting.

Wolves, coyotes and bears have very little hunting pressure lately as "the juice isn't worth the squeeze" pred hunting. Barely, actually not even, worth it doing day hunts as access is so limited and restricted.

I hope this arial hunt is genuine and not just a distraction to make it look like the BCgov actually cares about game, and not just trying to relieve some pressure from the resident hunters.

[Brez]

We tipped the scale in the favour of wolves by building roads and skidooing all over the mountains in winter. Now we have to try to bring the wolves in check to try and prevent the extinction of these caribou herds. I'd rather have aerial gunning than poison any day of the week.
I think that you nailed it. I would suggest hiring experienced trappers who've been successful at trapping wolves and have them go at it. Way too much collateral damage with poisons.
That and cut back on back-country usage during winter (snow-mobiling, heli and cat skiing, etc.) in sensitive areas and completely stop logging of critical habitat.
That is, if we really want to keep the caribou..................

[boilerroom]

Had this petition in my Inbox this morning: https://www.change.org/p/save-b-c-wolves?utm_source=action_alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=222491&alert_id=XOlsWpqxHk_li1jxRjGzs74C7Z6vVXe%2F5b9FLWd k0eOZxsjhcvIebheQFrl2lFPstA2i0FrZMsq

[coach]

Just got that one too, boilerroom. Wonder how many of those 180 wolves are still walking around?

[Drillbit]

That petition is to save the wolves, not game animals. I wouldn't sign that.

[coach]

You're right, drillbit. I don't think anyone here on hbc will get fooled.

[bearvalley]

Had this petition in my Inbox this morning: https://www.change.org/p/save-b-c-wolves?utm_source=action_alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=222491&alert_id=XOlsWpqxHk_li1jxRjGzs74C7Z6vVXe%2F5b9FLWd k0eOZxsjhcvIebheQFrl2lFPstA2i0FrZMsq

Some more of Pacific Wilds $$$ generating propaganda.
They are true in saying half assed " predator kill programs increase reproductive rates in wolves and destabilize pack structure.
Thomsons call to aerial shoot and eradicate total packs was the right choice.
Dead wolves don't make puppies.

[Bugle M In]

Some more of Pacific Wilds $$$ generating propaganda.
They are true in saying half assed " predator kill programs increase reproductive rates in wolves and destabilize pack structure.
Thomsons call to aerial shoot and eradicate total packs was the right choice.
Dead wolves don't make puppies.

Agreed, take the whole pack out!...
And they should start doing it all over the place..
just leave a pack here and there...I don't want to see them all gone, their kind of cool to watch and listen to.
I'll never forget a day were I was hunting Mulies, and this one wolf howled for hours off the next ridge....just awesome to hear and be around!
But yes..the petition or reply, should be, to any save the wolves...is save the caribou!

[kilometers]

I got the same petition from change.
If you scroll to the bottom it allows you to create your own petition. I'm sure it won't let me but I'm goin to try making one something along the lines. " I support the extinction on bc caribou herds"

[Husky7mm]

I work in the bush everyday and the problem is as plain as the nose on your face. Roads and connectivity has tipped the hunting in favour of the wolves. They have it very easy all winter and they are thriving. They hunt of every road and snowmobile trail they can. It takes no time at all and very little energy to go from pocket to pocket of wintering game on roads and trails especially if its packed or plowed. I spend most of the winter on snowshoes, almost daily and when you have to brake trail its very tiring. Progress slows down immensely. The same would be for the wolves if there were no roads. Caribou are just really the first to go, I see mule deer and moose being next. If we are going to have oil and gas and logging and mining it is absolutly critical that there is intense predator management.
Every wolf I have ever seen ( 35 and countin) and every cougar (5 and counting) was running a road.