Wolf Control

[BCrams]

As most hunters realize, wolf control is a political hot potato and does not garner much support in the polls of public opinion.

Research from Alaska and Alberta has shown wolf control to benefit ungulate populations, in particular, moose and caribou. (also will help deer)

Would you support a predator control program in British Columbia if it meant helping ungulate populations?

If "undecided" - please post why.

[Derp]

in favorrrrRR!

[Will]

I selected "undecided" due to needing more info.
I would not be in Favour of a Gov. Wolf Kill program like poisoning, steralizing etc.....

I would however be all in favour of dropping the provincial bag limit and allowing Residences year long seasons with No bag limits.

Sure seems extreme but considering most Hunters won't see 3 Wolves in thier lifetimes......the ones that do will take advantage of it I'm sure.....Trappers and such should enjoy a larger harvest when numbers allow it:smile:

Yotes have no bag limits and thier numbers aren't exactly declining either:wink:

[Sharkey]

I selected "undecided" due to needing more info.
I would not be in Favour of a Gov. Wolf Kill program like poisoning, steralizing etc.....

Yotes have no bag limits and thier numbers aren't exactly declining either:wink:

I do agree with Will. However, I personally would find it difficult to kill an animal with no intentions of eating it. I'm undecided - they're threatening the Moose (and others) so we protect them by decreasing the wolf population. Then there's more moose for us hunters to go out and shoot. It's a vicious circle. I would definitely need more information on the topic.

[Gateholio]

I'm along the same lines as Will....I dont' think we should be out poisioning wildlife, or shooting them from the air etc

But at this point there shoudl be a 365 day season and no bag limit for wolves.

Many trap lines lie unused- maybe it's time to either transfer them to someone else, or ensure that they see some use via leasing etc.

[Barracuda]

I dont like the idea of poison but a NBL and no closed season in areas of High wolf population would really be a usefull and potentially profitable in the control of wolves .

[Stone Sheep Steve]

I would support wolf control.

Hunting and trapping doesn't put much of a dent in most wolf populations. Getting a wolf while hunting is a pretty rare occassion.

My Uncle had a tapline on Kinbasket Lake for over 40 years and had a very hard time nailing those clever little buggers. Dumb..........they're not.

Some trappers specialize in wolves but those guys are far and few between.

One of the GO's in the Revelstoke area (where the caribou are in decline) had the most wolf "encounters" reported of any GO in the Province last year. That is one area where it needs to be done.

SSS

[daycort]

i to voted for predator control. some trappers say if you can trap/snare a wolf it is in comparison to shoot a 55" bull moose.

[bc-shedder]

personally the way i see it the opnly good lwolf is a dead wolf i could care less if they almost were exstinct i no it sounds bad but i hate them you no theres to many wen u use to be able to go out and be lucky if u saw a track but now u go out and its almost a given to s tracks but wen u c 11 in a year there out of control

[dana]

I strongly support it!!! Don't think poison should be used, but I think to save a critter like the Mountain Caribou from extinction, we need to start shooting wolves from the air. They say the predator control they did for the Vancouver Island Marmot has made a impact and they are now starting to recover. If it can work for a mamot, I should work for the caribou. At the bare min, I am in agreement that we need to cut the red tape of the hunting regs and open up more opportunities for resident hunters. The new wolf and cougar seasons in the Caribou zones are a good start. I personally believe they don't cover enough units though, as the wolves are known to ignore MU boundaries.
It is my firm belief that one of the reasons why the wolves are doing so well right now in the southern part of the province is a direct result of the BSE BS the BC Cattlemen had to deal with. Ranchers dropped herd sizes dramatically. Not a lot of cattle on the summer range. No Cowboys shooting wolves. If anyone sees more wolves than the general public it is the ranching community. Whole herds of bait. In the past, the cowboys did a good job keeping the wolf numbers down.

[bc-shedder]

yeah thats wat i was kinda getting at i dont agree with the poisopning but i wish there numbers would get way down

[Chuck]

My vote is undecided simply because I have no more experience with them than the price of tea in China.

[Ridge-Runner]

I would definately support a control program only if it was accomplished by professionals following biological guidelines maintaining realistic objectives and monitoring to ensure that these objectives are both met and supported by science. Also current management policy would have to reflect on both predator and prey populations to maintain these long-term goals. There would also have to be a long-term commitment from the government to follow through with a program of this magnitude, because wolves have the potential to reproduce very quickly and can be difficult to manage on both the long and short-term using lawful management techniques currently employed in British Columbia today . So short term wolf control is only a band-aid, not a long-term feasible solution. Wolf control this close to an election and the upcoming olympics using unconventional or not civically excepted methods (aerial gunning and broadcast poisoning) would be very surprising to say the least. The dilemma continues.......

There are definately some hard decisions to be made concerning red listed species and their futures within this Province, and we can only hope that these decisions will be forthright and contain enough strenght and support to ensure healthy, balanced, and viable wildlife populations for all the species within this Province.

RR

[Krico]

I voted undecided.

The information I'd need to vote one way or the other would be population estimates (done as scientifically as possible-not "I didn't get my moose, the wolves must have eaten them all") for wolves and the ungulates they prey upon.

I'm all for predator control to benefit ungulate populations in trouble, like some of the disappearing Mountain Caribou herds for example.

Will the wolf populations drop in response to the supposed drop in ungulate populations of central and northern BC, like the lynx population tends to follow the same cycle as the snowshoe hare? Or will they search out the last of the food source until there's nothing left, like humans have done to wolves in so many areas? Surely this type of situation has been encountered in wildlife management somewhere before.

What situation are our ungulate populations actually in???

[Laurence_Erickson]

It should be a no brainer for anybody who has been on the Island for years and seen what the wolves did there.

[shortroot]

I am in favour of an aggressive wolf (predator) control program in BC, but as ridge-runner mentioned it needs to be an annual program, not just a one-shot deal.

I once had this conversation with a college room-mate who was taking wildlife biology (also a guide). He recalled a study that was done in the Yukon where the actively removed over 80%, if I recall correctly, of the known wolf population in an area to see the effects on the local moose population. Apparently the moose population increased rapidly the first year post kill, but within 3-4 years both wolf and moose populations were back to pre-kill numbers.

Therefore even a single year of aggressive control without follow-up would be akin to "beating off with boxing gloves", as RW "Stonchaser" so eloquently put it. Didn't know you were a boxer Rich. :biggrin:

I am in favour of any means of predator control as long as there is a specific target species and number of animals to remove. Poison is a very effective means of removing wolves, but also has "bycatch" associated with it. If there was some way to remove the other scavengers from feasting on poisioned baits it would be ideal. However dead lynx, eagles, crows, etc. are not what we want to remove and until they can be excluded from being killed then poison should not be an option.

I was actually surprised, while conducting public meetings for sustainable forest management, by the support for wolf poisioning by many native people that I talked with in region5. They had mentioned that when the government used to poison wolves that the moose were more plentiful.

Aerial shooting of wolves off of bait sites would be the method I would support, as well as bringing back bounties on wolves. Individuals and trappers would be more inclined to target wolves if they had some financial incentive to do so. If I recall correctly there used to be a couple hundred dollar bounty on wolves back in the 70's or 80's.

I personally will shoot every single wolf (within legal limits) that I possibly can. There are 10 out the Willow river that may feel my wrath sometime this winter. They were almost fed little lead pills a couple of weeks ago, but darkness came too soon. A co-worker took out 2 the week prior.

I may be a little tainted in my view of wolves however, in that I have seen numerous cattle come home with hamstrings ripped out, udders hanging on the ground, and in one instance a complete view of the cows intestines with a missing anus.

[hunter1947]

All the way for predator control ,look what they the wolfs did hear on the island in the mid 80ties.

[boxhitch]

A quick review of the regs clarifies some points -
- Northern reg. 5,6,7 have only a ~6 week closure, some areas no closure below 1100 m.
- Reg 4 has a ~3 month closure, mid-summer, again with some areas no closure below 1100 m.
- Trappers have no quota, so NBL for them

IMO there is plenty of opportunity is place, but fewer than 5% attain the BL of 3.

Trappers could learn to target wolves if there was more incentive.

Put on a bounty, and we all would be more motivated.

An option to gunning or poisoning is sterilization. Keeps the packs together, but diminishes the newborns.

[CanAm500]

I would support it if the population was getting out of control.

Anyone know the situation on the island for wolves?

[Will]

I'm not ready to "Cry Wolf" just yet........;-)

But I definately believe some species need some "assistance" and Fast....such as the Mountain cariboo, perhaps they could target areas most affected by the "imbalance" of predator prey relationships.

I'm not saying that "Full on open seasons" for wolves by resident hunters or trappers would cure anything....I was looking more long term.

Obviously some drastic measures such as chopper hunting or ??? would need to be implemented to drop wolf counts or even eliminate them in the areas where Ungulate numbers could use immediate help......:-?

[Big7]

Vote me in...I'll aerial gun for free (hell..I'd pay to do it):biggrin:

Wanna go half'ers on an hour or two in a 206 (doors off)?!! J/K

[kishman]

kishman's tryin' to do his part.......

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k43/kishman_2006/004.jpg

[CanAm500]

What happened to the HBC wolf hunt(s)??

[todbartell]

Im in favor of keeping their populations in line, by doing what is neccesary. I also dont believe resident hunters with NBL seasons year round can do much, there just isnt enough hunters out there willing to spend time hunting predators. That being said, Id be all for a NBL 365 season :mrgreen:

[Tron]

I agree with Dana. I think it needs to be dealt with all over the province and on the island in certain area's. It would be a very touchy subject with the uneducated population though and probably why its not happening.

[hunter1947]

When i was in the EK for 7 weeks ,i must of covered a couple hundred KLM. I did not see one wolf or cougar on my outings. I did see three grizzly bears and 4 black bears. What Dana said about cutting the red ribbon is the thing to do ,reason being is you hardly ever see these two breads of animals. No tags needed and if anyone sees a cat or a wolf down it. They should open up some zone areas that are populated with wolfs and cougars and try this theory ,make it mandatory that they have to report there kill in order to have an idea how that it was working.

[Mr. Dean]

Undecided.


I'd have to see the definitions/terms of "Predator Control" 1st.

[Jagermeister]

I also echo Dana on this. I'm not for "selective poisoning" as another predator can't tell what's for him and what's for the big bad wolf.
As far as the Mountain Caribou is concerned, it is my wish that we will be able to save them, but there are other factors playing here as well besides wolves and snowmobiles. Loss of habitat is probably as critical as wolf predation. If there is no food source, anything else we attempt to do is negated by that fact.
I'll vote for predator control and attempt to help the cause by getting out to shoot some.

[boxhitch]

In the Old days, selective poisoning was done by putting the stuff into the marrow of moose leg bones. Bears and birds don't crunch bones, wolves do.

[houndogger]

I am in for wolf control. I think they should be gunned down by helicopter:wink:

[hunter1947]

Control is the main thing ,i don't care how they do it ,just get the job done.

[willy442]

I'm all for wolf control and was one of many who took part in the last control program in the Muskawa/Kechicka. The matter is plain and simple: When man hunts, he falls under the heading of being a predator and affects game populations just like Wolves and all the others. There fore if we are going to harvest ungulates other predators should be some what controlled to help keep a balance in populations.

The actual control of wolves in particular is not that difficult through some of the methods available. Poisoning during thier rutting periods in Febuary has been very successful in the past as were the Ministries helicopter hunts. The wolves for the most part are herded and traveling ice packs on the larger rivers, allowing good opportunity for harvest and recovery of the hides, at this time. Wolves are a very difficult animal to hunt or trap and any method of control along these lines would do very little to change the situation. Also a program of any sort would have to be ongoing as the regeneration of these predators occurs rapidly. From my observations in the past, one of the things that must also be looked at in regards to the Caribou herds is the effect of Grizzly bears and the calfing grounds.

To often we only focus on one aspect of enhancement and fail to look at reductions in habitat due to mines and developement. These can also have a similar effect to over population of predators on our game herds. Wolf control alone is not a cure all remedy to increasing numbers, we must also look at habitat enhancement through wildlife burns, mixed with predator control to achieve the balance desired.

Predator control and enhancement would be awesome to see implemented, realistically though I have no idea how any hunting group could sell the idea to the anti,s.

[Fisher-Dude]

At the bare min, I am in agreement that we need to cut the red tape of the hunting regs and open up more opportunities for resident hunters. The new wolf and cougar seasons in the Caribou zones are a good start. I personally believe they don't cover enough units though, as the wolves are known to ignore MU boundaries.


Yeah, so tell our scaredy-cat bio in Region 8 to open a wolf season. "I can't do it without an inventory" he says. Right. Ask the turkeys when they were last counted.

Every neighbouring region has a wolf season. This guy didn't even believe that there were wolves in the Okanagan until the CO showed him one that was hit by a truck. I've seen wolf sign here all my life, and saw one two years ago.

When's his retirement date anyways :mad: ??? Any pension bridging plans available for ineffective government employees? :mad::mad::mad:

[Steeleco]

control where it's needed most, they do serve a useful purpose with regard to keeping the ungulate populations healthy, but too many in a given area is detrimental. But like most, I don't agree with poison, a dead wolf is now part of the food chain!

[WoodOx]

Yeah, so tell our scaredy-cat bio in Region 8 to open a wolf season. "I can't do it without an inventory" he says. Right. Ask the turkeys when they were last counted.



When's his retirement date anyways :mad: ??? Any pension bridging plans available for ineffective government employees? :mad::mad::mad:


*****...wicked!

[Pete]

For those of you who are not aware the BC Cattleman's Assoc. Already has a wolf trapping program in place to deal with wolves that are killing livestock. There is a 3 part process. The first is the complaint and the contacting of the BCCA. The second is having a varifier go out and actually confirm that it was indeed a wolf that made the kill. Just because a wolf is feeding on an animal dosen't mean he killed it. That animal could have died of other causes. It is the verifiers job to determine exactly what killed that animal. If in fact that it is a wolf kill then the last stage is to bring in the professional wolf trappers to set and monitor the traps.

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Here's some BC history on wolf control from back in the old days.
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1005&context=vpcone

SSS

[todbartell]

very interesting SSS, thanks for posting that link

[buckguy]

The topic IMHO is a dual edged sword,I personally am undecided because I definately wouldn't want a species wiped out so I may have more game to hunt. From my understanding having a predation species benifits flora and fauna, weeding out the unhealthyof the herd and keeping the strong breeding, as well as not having all vegetation wiped out by a huge herd.It needs to have a balance as with anything, if you remove a keystone from the equation it will crumble. That being said having a healthy population of wolves may need hunters to thin the pack a little,I my self was taught not to shoot unless you are going to eat it so there within lies my dilemma.

[daycort]

trapping wolves is hard and takes alot of time and effort and knowledge.

poison works very well as willy442 has stated, but lots of other critters die to plus wolves and all critters get green belly and the hides are not worth a nickelwhen using poison.

heli hunts seemed to be very effective and hides in most parts could be recovered for sale.

I bet if a word was slipped out to all granola eaters that a wolf kill was going to happen in region 7b, there would be a 1000 bird food eaters in FN and about twice that much in FSJ.

[hunter1947]

The topic IMHO is a dual edged sword,I personally am undecided because I definately wouldn't want a species wiped out so I may have more game to hunt. From my understanding having a predation species benifits flora and fauna, weeding out the unhealthyof the herd and keeping the strong breeding, as well as not having all vegetation wiped out by a huge herd.It needs to have a balance as with anything, if you remove a keystone from the equation it will crumble. That being said having a healthy population of wolves may need hunters to thin the pack a little,I my self was taught not to shoot unless you are going to eat it so there within lies my dilemma. Man has screwed up everything on this earth ,we have to step in and control the wolfs ,the game will get so low that they the wildlife branch would put the areas that are infested with wolfs onto LEH ,or worse close the regions.

[alremkin]

I like the old way of shooting wolves from helicopters in the winter when the tree cover is gone. I could chain myself to the copter and have an aid loading 20 round clips of 7.62 nato, but with hollow point bullets. For back-up I could use oo7, yes that number was available when I asked about their custom serial numbers, my 6" STI Eagle in 10 mm, but be given the american legal 22 round clip. Of course this would be contract work winter only. Where do I apply?;)

[hunter1947]

A chopper with a rifle is the only way to reduce the wolf population ,take out the hole group in the mid winter season. Don't let the public know about what is going to take place.

[wsm]

i am a wolf lover.that being said i agree, some areas are in definate need of control.i dont believe poison to be a reasonable method. a closely controled helicopter kill would be a resonable way to go about it. my opinion

[wsm]

missed that but youngfella has a very good point.

[daycort]

I've spoken to a few old trappers in the Vanderhoof area who believe that trapping can also cause problems when they catch dominant females, which will cause the rest of the females in the pack to breed, where they normally wouldn't. An interesting thought for sure.


I thought wolves didn't breed after a dominant is killed until a new alpha male/female is astabblished.

[wsm]

i used to think that but have since read some info that shows otherwise. some packs increase dramaticly in numbers when that alpha female is killed

[LeverActionJunkie]

"Wolf, and Predator control", in all forms has taken place in BC since the beginning basically. Poisoning, shooting from helicopters, trapping, baiting etc. All used to be carried out by the Provincial Predator Control Officers, unfortunately our gov't decided to axe these positions and the work is now carried out by contractors who work through the Cattlemens assosc.

[big game walker hounds]

ya im in favore, you want to know my thouhgts, lost 5 dogs in the past 7 years hear on thisland to wolves, aperintly we can only harvest 3 a year, if im out hunting and see 50 if i can hit all 50 ill do it. the kill for sport esecially in the early stages of pup training.

[Scottish Warrior]

I just can’t imagine supporting the poisoning of wildlife………….period. If in some regions the predator/ungulate populations are out of balance then bag limits and seasons should be changed until balance is restored. Wolves are intelligent apex predators and close relatives to our beloved dog companions, they deserve a better death than poisoning. I do support predator hunting and control and understand the need for it but poisoning wildlife because man has screwed the natural balance up so badly? The wolves range is a sliver of what it once was and their populations are only a shadow of what they once where due to land development, farming, logging and ranching. The answer is not to exterminate a species because doing so will make our pets and livestock safer and our ungulate hunting more productive. I’m sure I am going to get thoroughly trashed for my comments here but so be it.

[Stone Sheep Steve]

The wolves range is a sliver of what it once was and their populations are only a shadow of what they once where due to land development, farming, logging and ranching......................... I’m sure I am going to get thoroughly trashed for my comments here but so be it.

As far as BC goes??:confused:
If you can back that up with science you won't get bashed.

SSS

[hunter1947]

Lets face it trying to find a wolf to shoot is real hard to do ,they are skittish and not seen very often ,i saw lots of wolf tracks when i was in the EK this year ,but never seen one and i was in the bush for 7 weeks ,nope never seen one and i covered about 8lkm a day on the average. Even if they have open season on the wolfs ,,that will not do it ,there to hard to find. The only way is like others said besides my self ,you have to use a chopper and nail the hole group at a time. This would be best done in the mid winter ,early January.

[springpin]

I voted for Wolf control..but I don't think I could shoot something I am not going to eat.

I also think that poisoning probably would be the wrong way to go. If poison was to be used, could that effect a bear which decided to eat a poisoned wolf? I could see a possible trickle effect with poisoning..

Just my thoughts

springpin

[Stone Sheep Steve]

I voted for Wolf control..but I don't think I could shoot something I am not going to eat.

I also think that poisoning probably would be the wrong way to go. If poison was to be used, could that effect a bear which decided to eat a poisoned wolf? I could see a possible trickle effect with poisoning..

Just my thoughts

springpin

They posion in the dead of winter when the bears are denned up. I believe the poison is only effective for so long, IIRC. I could be wrong though.


SSS

[Fisher-Dude]

The wolves range is a sliver of what it once was and their populations are only a shadow of what they once where due to land development, farming, logging and ranching.

According to whom? Farley Mowatt?

The reintroduction of wolves into the US has had a considerable impact on both range and population of wolves in BC, as they don't need a passport to cross the border.

[Scottish Warrior]

From Wikipedia:

"The gray wolf was once abundant over much of North America (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_America) and Eurasia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasia). However, as a result of habitat destruction and widespread hunting, it now inhabits a very limited portion of its former range. In some regions, gray wolves are listed as endangered or threatened"

"Kazakhstan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazakhstan) is currently thought to have the largest wolf population of any nation in the world, with as many as 90,000, versus some 60,000 for Canada (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada), which is three and a half times larger."

Common sense dictates that wolf ranges and populations have been both significantly decreased by human development.

I agree that wolf hunting is extremely challenging.

[Fisher-Dude]

Yes, Wikipedia, which relies on input from its everyday internet users to supply its information, is INDEED a scientific resource for wolf populations in BC. :rolleyes:

[Stone Sheep Steve]

From Wikipedia:

"The gray wolf was once abundant over much of North America (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_America) and Eurasia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasia). However, as a result of habitat destruction and widespread hunting, it now inhabits a very limited portion of its former range. In some regions, gray wolves are listed as endangered or threatened"

"Kazakhstan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazakhstan) is currently thought to have the largest wolf population of any nation in the world, with as many as 90,000, versus some 60,000 for Canada (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada), which is three and a half times larger."

Common sense dictates that wolf ranges and populations have been both significantly decreased by human development.

I agree that wolf hunting is extremely challenging.

You'd better tell that to the caribou:neutral:.

SSS

[Scobo]

I would shoot a wolf anytime the chance presented itself. Shoot a wolf, save many a deer/moose/goat/sheep that you will get to eat instead of it. Also, bring the hide in to a taxidermist and they will most likely pay your days gas, at least, for it and someone, or yourself, will get to enjoy it for a long time. Every predator needs a predator.

[boxhitch]

This poll should be running concurrent with the 'great elk debate', in case outside interests are reading.

[Timbow]

We should traquilize all the excess wolfs from problem areas and ship them to the Kootaneys to control the elk since the majority of the locals don't want to open a 3 point season. That way with no conservation concerns on the elk, they wouldn't have to give up "their" 6 point season.

[hunter1947]

You have to control any predators when they get out of hand ,man has screwed up the environment enough ,so its up to him to control the predators when they get out of hand.

[BCrams]

Certainly quite a few in favour. Its too bad the non-hunting public did not share the same views to an extent.

[boxhitch]

We should traquilize all the excess wolfs from problem areas and ship them to the Kootaneys to control the elk since the majority of the locals don't want to open a 3 point season. That way with no conservation concerns on the elk, they wouldn't have to give up "their" 6 point season.I hear lots of banter about tthe high number of wolves in the Koots now, but no one seems to be after them.

[dukester]

I was there for the wolf kill , green peace Darwin Watson show down , in ft sts john back in the 80's. the next 2years the wolf kill continued but under a public information ban. 11-87's and ssg and helicopters. It worked great. wolves shot on a registered trapline went to the trapper. predator managment/prescribed burns and 6 point rule created a over abundance population . as we will soon see with the new changes to your regs.
Its a no brainer.. reduce the predator you will increase the prey pop. .

[GoatGuy]

I hear lots of banter about tthe high number of wolves in the Koots now, but no one seems to be after them.
Someone needs to keep the elk under control ;)

[Seeadler]

Yes, Wikipedia, which relies on input from its everyday internet users to supply its information, is INDEED a scientific resource for wolf populations in BC. :rolleyes:

Yep, look at their estimates of the grizzly population in BC, it is about 1/10 of other estimates.

[alremkin]

I'd support putting a bounty on wolves and a special tag allowing those of us who have FNs to use the 20 round clips. Also those new automatic shotguns would be good to use when hanging from a helicopter pad blasting the pack.;)

A $300 bounty would be great too, easier to set some money aside for a new target rifle, jet boat trip, fly-ins...etc.:)

[boonerbuck]

I'm along the same lines as Will....I dont' think we should be out poisioning wildlife, or shooting them from the air etc

But at this point there shoudl be a 365 day season and no bag limit for wolves.

Many trap lines lie unused- maybe it's time to either transfer them to someone else, or ensure that they see some use via leasing etc.

This is something that is very overlooked. I'm in favour of forcing traplines to be somewhat active at the very least.

I was told while taking my trapping course that the Gov plans to enforce a system that has been in place but ignored for decades now. If a line is inactive for extended periods you lose it.

Problem is the majority of traplines in this province are Native owned and inactive. The Gov hands are pretty much tied there.

[brian]

I'm undecided,

People are talking about government helicopter hunts and trapping incentives, for a problem that as I see it would balance itself out in the long run. Too many wolves too few ungulates, the wolves will die off and the ungulate populations will rebound. Sure we'll have a lean year or two or four but then the high wolf populations won't be sustainable. Eventually the ungulates will rebound we have abundance until the predators catch up and it happens all over again. As I see it controlling the predators is only artificially prolonging the inevitable. I have little faith in mans abilities to 'manage' wildlife over natures ability's. As I see it if they are truly over run desperate and starving... sure cull them. But just to make more opportunities for us, I don't know.


Every predator needs a predator.
Umm... We're the top predator out there, think about it.

[GoatGuy]

Hunting won't work, trapping's marginal - if you're going to commit to this sort of thing it needs to be done professionally and it needs to be done annually.

Predator control isn't something you can simply poke at, you need to be committed to it and jump in with both feet.

[brian]

From the PDF posted earlier, it makes a lot of sense to me.


In conclusion, it must be emphasized that wolf control in this
Province was instituted primarily for the benefit of ranchers. The
situation has remained relatively unchanged with few exceptions.
Control programs for game management purposes have been small and
few in number. Some herds of the rarer big-game species have had
their ranges treated for their protection. Unless circumstances are
rather peculiar, normal big-game populations do not require
predator control to maintain their numbers. If and when hunting
pressures, or other important factors, reach the critical point,
then predator control will have much more meaning in game
management.

[boonerbuck]

Too many wolves too few ungulates, the wolves will die off and the ungulate populations will rebound.

That's not always the case though. Those last few caribou in the Quesnel Highlands are going to be eaten. There's no rebounding. Helecopter hunts for wolves have bought them some time in the past but I've had a CO tell me they are having seriouse resistance with repeating the cull this way.

There's also more and more wolves along the Fraser between Pavillion and MCleese Lake. That is California Big Horn range. They are having a hard enough time.

I'm sure those two examples are just a drop in the bucket.

[boonerbuck]

The problem with that is that for a trapline to be considered active, all the holder needs to do is take either 50 pelts, or any number of pelts with a combined value of over $200.

Well even though that doesnt seem like much to protect your ownership, an outrageous number of lines are not doing even that.

Once action is seriously threatened I'm sure a lot of these trappers will do a little trapping. That's good. That means theres some management out there. On the other hand, there will be traplines available from the ones who are not or can't be active. A lot of those lines will be in the southern 2 thirds of BC.

[BlacktailStalker]

Allow baiting for the guys that want to hunt wolves.

[blacklab]

The majority of traplines are not native owned! If the government took action against those trappers who haven't even held a licence in recent years or taken the upgrading course, there would be a lot more trapping area available.

[GoatGuy]

Allow baiting for the guys that want to hunt wolves.

it's allowed

[GoatGuy]

As far as Caribou are concerned the stuff I've seen from the 70s suggest provincially Caribou are so susceptible to predation that without predator control there is no harvestable surplus left for hunting.

Predation includes bears, wolves and wolverines.

Habitat is not a limiting factor.

[Shoey]

I'm "undecided", but only because, and it has been said, I'm not infavour of the government poisoning or trapping wolves, but agree with higher back limits, and longer seasons for hunters.

Perhaps even some incentive to hunt species that need to be controlled.

[boonerbuck]

The majority of traplines are not native owned! If the government took action against those trappers who haven't even held a licence in recent years or taken the upgrading course, there would be a lot more trapping area available.

"Majority" may have been the wrong word I suppose but this is what I was told by Paul Blackwell who works hand in hand with the province and their trapping management stratagies.

Much of the traplines in the northern half of the province are Native owned and not active. It's really hard to buy a trapline from the bands but if you talk to some of the band offices they may be tempted to lease a line or part of a line for either cash or a share of the harvest.

[boxhitch]

From the PDF posted earlier, it makes a lot of sense to me.I would argue that in the northern half of the province, the wolf control was to increase ungulate populations. Moose/Elk/Caribou and probably most important, Stones Sheep.
Also note, it was the Guide/Outfitters of the day that performed most of the work and are responsible for the high sheep numbers of the 70's and 80's.

[brian]

That's not always the case though. Those last few caribou in the Quesnel Highlands are going to be eaten. There's no rebounding. Helecopter hunts for wolves have bought them some time in the past but I've had a CO tell me they are having seriouse resistance with repeating the cull this way.

There's also more and more wolves along the Fraser between Pavillion and MCleese Lake. That is California Big Horn range. They are having a hard enough time.

I'm sure those two examples are just a drop in the bucket.

In those examples I would see a solid case for predator control until their herds can get up to sustainable numbers for their habitat.