Quote:
Originally Posted by Torkdiesel
Sage the comment about paying us more is because these Traplines are businesses. It's very difficult to force a business owner to sell a product at a loss, in fact it doesn't happen. Wolves are much the same. If it costs me $2,000 in fuel, let alone my time to go out and trap just a few wolves I'm losing money each year I do it.
Take nube's situation with his mangy wolves, 8 out of 10 were useless. That's not his fault, just the way it goes sometimes. Now he still did the ungulates in his area some good, but his business lost money on the deal. If the province was subsidizing us at least he wouldn't have lost money.
Now to hire a "Professional" to come on all our lines and take care of the problem would also cost a fortune. How much per day would you pay a team to snare wolves full time ? (Leg holding them would be out of the question due to the vast area they would have to cover)
Haul and maintain 40-50 bait stations across thousands of square miles and who would skin theses wolves ? Or would they just get disposed of like the cougar ?
The province already has hundreds of volunteers (basically) in place. Utilizing us to do the job required only makes sense. But if it costs us a few hundred in fuel plus a couple days of our time, plus 6-8 hours of skinning to make $300 gross on a wolf it just doesn't pay. I say $300 because although we do get some high dollar tanable furs, lots are just trim.
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TD that's what I said the trappers wont do it for it costs to much so get someone that will. So many complain that there is a wolf problem and if they are increasing then it shows that the trappers aren't getting it done. Doesn't mean that there not good trappers its like you say its not worth it to them and the majority just do it as a hobby on weekends for that life style. It is not there full time occupation. Now in your other post you say you wouldn't want someone else on your line, if there to just take out wolves why would it be a problem, are wolves not the problem or is the problem that the government wont pay you guys a bounty.
As for the 8 out of 10 wolves being useless maybe you will answer the question. In Alberta is it legal to trap a wolf and then just leave it there if you feel the hide is no good.
Is it legal to bring the wolves home and then just throw them away with out utilizing any thing off them.
Also since what basically brought this all on what methods are being used or implemented to help in the decrease of non target animals (mainly cougar) in snares.
Thanks