B.C. to hunt wolves by helicopter

[AlbertaWhitetail]

The British Columbia government plans to hunt as many as 184 wolves in an attempt to save five dwindling caribou herds.

There are just 18 South Selkirk caribou left, down from 46 animals in 2009, and the government says evidence points to wolves being the leading cause of the deaths.

In four caribou herds in the south Peace area, research shows that wolves are responsible for at least 37 per cent of the fatalities.

The province says hunting and trapping the wolves hasn't worked and that method may even split up the packs and lead to more caribou being killed.

Instead, ministry staff will hunt two dozen wolves in the south Selkirk area and another 120 to 160 wolves in the south Peace by helicopter before the snow melts this spring.

The government says it has been working with First Nations and organizations in Idaho and Washington to find ways to save the caribou because one of the herds crosses boundaries.
http://www.castanet.net/news/BC/1307...-by-helicopter

[Who Da Fisherman]

Originally Posted by AlbertaWhitetail

The British Columbia government plans to hunt as many as 184 wolves in an attempt to save five dwindling caribou herds.

There are just 18 South Selkirk caribou left, down from 46 animals in 2009, and the government says evidence points to wolves being the leading cause of the deaths.

In four caribou herds in the south Peace area, research shows that wolves are responsible for at least 37 per cent of the fatalities.

The province says hunting and trapping the wolves hasn't worked and that method may even split up the packs and lead to more caribou being killed.

Instead, ministry staff will hunt two dozen wolves in the south Selkirk area and another 120 to 160 wolves in the south Peace by helicopter before the snow melts this spring.

The government says it has been working with First Nations and organizations in Idaho and Washington to find ways to save the caribou because one of the herds crosses boundaries.
http://www.castanet.net/news/BC/1307...-by-helicopter

I call shot gun if they are looking for volunteers.

[nelsonob1]

Originally Posted by AlbertaWhitetail

The British Columbia government plans to hunt as many as 184 wolves in an attempt to save five dwindling caribou herds.


http://www.castanet.net/news/BC/1307...-by-helicopter

Lets hope the government heli-hunter knows the difference between a coyote and a wolf.

[twofifty]

Cull.
Not hunting.

[reddeerhunter]

Originally Posted by nelsonob1

Lets hope the government heli-hunter knows the difference between a coyote and a wolf.

Spit out some rum there. Good one.

[deanmc]

Where do I apply?

[Matt L.]

This sounds really familiar

[honda450]

Dang who would of thought the caribou migrated as far south as Idaho and Washington. Interesting.

Ya learn something new everyday.

[crownb]

Originally Posted by twofifty

Cull.
Not hunting.

Yes I agree 100 percent, this is not hunting, but extremely necessary.

[yamaha 1]

they need to do this up here in the north as well. WAY too many wolves.

[elkdump]

A huge waste of money , and highly controversial , a concerted bait program utilizing a 10-80 type approach would work 24 hrs a day and be much more effective and cost effective ,

BC Wildlife Management has turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to this problem for many years, exact mismanagement as the Mountain Pine Beetle Infestation resulting in Billions of Dollars in wasted timber,,

Now BC wants to play " Appocolyps Now ",,, " Death from Above " games with tax payer money .

Cougar and Bear predation is also decimating moose, deer ,sheep and caribou ,
Such low numbers of caribou cannot bring back substantial herds even IF wolves are cut back by a small number from Heil-shooting,,,

Another FAIL for BC MOE

[husky7mm]

I dont think its a fail at all. Its a start! The begining of sometype of predator management. Those caribou are likely doomed and its not from starvation. If predators are not managed in 10-20 years moose and muledeer will be having the same problems. You cannot have access everywere, snowmobling, dams, minning , logging, pipelines and oil and gas and not manage predators.

[waterninja]

Originally Posted by elkdump

A huge waste of money , and highly controversial , a concerted bait program utilizing a 10-80 type approach would work 24 hrs a day and be much more effective and cost effective ,

BC Wildlife Management has turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to this problem for many years, exact mismanagement as the Mountain Pine Beetle Infestation resulting in Billions of Dollars in wasted timber,,

Now BC wants to play " Appocolyps Now ",,, " Death from Above " games with tax payer money .

Cougar and Bear predation is also decimating moose, deer ,sheep and caribou ,
Such low numbers of caribou cannot bring back substantial herds even IF wolves are cut back by a small number from Heil-shooting,,,

Another FAIL for BC MOE

Agree with what Elk has stated and have to add that forestry and other man made activities also play a big role.
It is kind of sad that there are only 18 caribou left in this herd. I wonder what happens when there are only 4 or 5 left? Relocation?
I wonder if these "heli hunters" are the same as the ones Alberta hires at great cost who then collect the carcasses to sell back in B.C.?

[elkdump]

Originally Posted by husky7mm

I dont think its a fail at all. Its a start! The begining of sometype of predator management. Those caribou are likely doomed and its not from starvation. If predators are not managed in 10-20 years moose and muledeer will be having the same problems. You cannot have access everywere, snowmobling, dams, minning , logging, pipelines and oil and gas and not manage predators.

NEWS FLASH ! Ungulate numbers already are seriously threatened in Management a Unit Reg 5 ( about he largest MGMT unit) from predation, Unit 5 some. 20 years ago was a fantastic area to hunt ALL big game species but has dwindled to poor hunting in most areas and LEH for Residents and generous allotments to GO,s offering non-residents a chance to harvest already depleted numbers, not only is Reg # 5 suffering dwindling numbers, but most of BC is also, poor MOE Managment for many,many years

[Johnnyg313]

Shoot, shovel and shut up

[elkdump]

Originally Posted by husky7mm

I dont think its a fail at all. Its a start! The begining of sometype of predator management. Those caribou are likely doomed and its not from starvation. If predators are not managed in 10-20 years moose and muledeer will be having the same problems. You cannot have access everywere, snowmobling, dams, minning , logging, pipelines and oil and gas and not manage predators.

Originally Posted by Johnnyg313

Shoot, shovel and shut up

The Wolf Huggers and Anti,Anti Crowd will have a HayDay with this Government Too little Too late Fiasco DEATH FROM ABOVE ,, there will be more public outcry for Save The Wolf and the result will be SFA !

[twofifty]

The huggers will for sure get in the way.

Here in the Kootenay townsites are overrun with deer, which need culling. People have been kicked and bowled over by aggressive deer. Pets have been killed.

The huggers have used injunctions to interfere wilth culling projects, no matter how bad the urban deer problem is. Cranbrook has a particularly bad problem.

[Big Grey Wolf]

Guys, we also need to get some incentive for trappers to take more wolves. Buying $300 leg hold trap then getting $175 for fur after many hours of preparation for fur action just does not cut it. I have seen numbers like $3000 per wolf shot by $1200/hr helicopter. A $1000 bounty would do wonders for trappers to properly harvest and make some canola eater a warm winter fur lined parka.

[fingershooter]

Originally Posted by husky7mm

I dont think its a fail at all. Its a start! The begining of sometype of predator management. Those caribou are likely doomed and its not from starvation. If predators are not managed in 10-20 years moose and muledeer will be having the same problems. You cannot have access everywere, snowmobling, dams, minning , logging, pipelines and oil and gas and not manage predators.

Well said. It's probably too late for the caribou, but this should help the other critters. Our government has to get more active in managing to maintain healthy wildlife populations.

[twofifty]

The wolf cull was the subject on this morning's CBC radio call-in show out of Kelowna. Amazingly, the people who called in were all -except for 1- severely critical of the cull.

There was also criticism of the province's management of caribou habitat, an ongoing problem. This particular criticism is well deserved.

Most of the callers were spokespersons for wolf hugging outfits. What a surprise. If I said this was a setup rather than a coincidence, some here would tell me to loosen the tinfoil hat. So I won't say it.

[Okotokian]

How would a non-resident get a tag for this one?

[husky7mm]

Originally Posted by Okotokian

How would a non-resident get a tag for this one?

Lots of wolves here in alberta , BC is not an island. Go get them.

[Grizzly Adams]

Originally Posted by honda450

Dang who would of thought the caribou migrated as far south as Idaho and Washington. Interesting.

Ya learn something new everyday.

Apparently around Banff at one time too.

Grizz