Harrison Lake Elk Transplant

[GoatGuy]

http://bc.ctvnews.ca/two-dozen-elk-r...fort-1.1618985

Published Sunday, January 5, 2014 6:41PM PST
Last Updated Tuesday, January 7, 2014 9:13AM PST It was an emotional sendoff as biologists and volunteers released two dozen Roosevelt elk deep into the forest west of Harrison Lake Sunday afternoon.
The animals hadn’t been seen in the eastern Fraser Valley area for decades after being hunted to near-extinction.
“It’s another feeling, it’s a sense of relief really,” said provincial wildlife biologist Darryl Reynolds. “It’s somewhat emotional in that we’ve been through a lot of ups and downs. There’s been a lot of anxiety in terms of baiting the elk.”
Photos



Elk stand in a trailer before being released into the forest west of Harrison Lake Sunday, Jan. 5, 2014. (CTV)



The Sts’ailes nation were in attendance to thank Reynolds and crew for their efforts restoring the elk population to the south coast.
“It’s a monumental day for our community and also for our ecosystem,” said band member Kelsey Charlie. “My grandfather hunted elk, my dad got to see the elk when he was growing up, and we’ve never had the opportunity to do that.”
The animals were relocated from Sechelt, where their strong numbers make them somewhat of a nuisance for locals.
“There are elk that frequent the highways as well as people’s backyards, so what we’re doing is managing that population,” Reynolds said.
A program to relocate the Sechelt elk began in 2000 and Reynolds said the animals have been successfully adapting to their new mainland homes.
They’re expected to reproduce quickly, helping to maintain opportunities for First Nations hunters and guides in the Eastern Fraser Valley.
Elk hunting is not permitted in the area currently.
Researchers have fitted a handful of the elk with high-tech collars that will report their movements, giving a window into the creature’s lives.
Hunting the animals is prohibited in the area, and is only allowed on a limited basis in other areas.
More than 500 elk have been moved to nearly 30 release sites on the south coast, according to Reynolds.
Since the turn of the last century, their population of hundreds of millions has fallen to just over 100,000 elk in North America.

Read more: http://bc.ctvnews.ca/two-dozen-elk-r...#ixzz2pkXIEfEz

[GoatGuy]

Video starts @ about 6:35

http://bc.ctvnews.ca/video?binId=1.1184759

[adriaticum]

Thanks GoatGuy

Just that clip.
http://bc.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=269701

There is Shaun Hollingsworth. Didn't know he was involved in this.

[Blainer]

Funny, as they were up the west side of Harrison in Dec., during hunting season?
Was there a previous release?
Something not adding up?

[Fella]

There's been elk up there for a few years now

[adriaticum]

Funny, as they were up the west side of Harrison in Dec., during hunting season?
Was there a previous release?
Something not adding up?

There have been releases there before.
There is a big sign up there warning of the elk in the area.
Everything adds up ok, but elk are still being poached there.

[hunterjeff719]

I had heard of some elk being released up there a few months back as well. hopefully the project succeeds.

[Big Lew]

Hopefully this transplanting exercise is very successful....but I couldn't help but notice that it stated future hunting possibilities were for Natives and Guides. What about the regular hunting persons that pay the majority of the funding to make it possible? Will there be future limited hunting for the rest of us similar to Vancouver Island, or is it for just a select few?

[BradB]

There were a decent number released last year as well. If they were there in hunting season, that's a good sign

[limit time]

Why should the GUIDES have "opportunity" over residents??? It goes to show... RESIDENTS DON'T MATTER!!!