Jasper National Park hunting agreement

[huntingfamily]

https://cfjctoday.com/2023/10/17/sim...nal-park-land/

[~altiplano~]

Can't carry a firearm to assert your right of self preservation/defence from wildlife... No problem if you're an Indian out shooting stuff though.

[elkhunter11]

They should be forced to comply with the firearms prohibitions within the park. And they could do so by using archery gear.

[DirtShooter]

Make way for traditional alloy and carbon fiber hunting rifles.

[Mountain Guy]

Round 2.
This happening a few years ago as well, alhough back then I believe it was only the Simpcw's.
Parks did their absolute best at that time to keep it hush hush. There were no news releases that I was aware of that indicated a hunt was going to happen in a National Park.
I heard from a reliable source about it and I was also told by my manager that Parks Canada had contacted my employer to notify that we were to stay away from an area within the Park..No reason givin..
Anyway, the hunt happened.
Bragging Pic's found the internet. I give them credit , they harvested some beautiful animals. That WT buck was the biggest I've seen here in Jasper. The Ram was huge as was the giant bull elk.
I'd say the team they sent in knew what they were doing based on the rifle I seen in the pic and the Sitka outfits.
From a ''harvesting for the meat'' perspective I think they could have did a better job.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Mountain Guy

Round 2.
This happening a few years ago as well, alhough back then I believe it was only the Simpcw's.
Parks did their absolute best at that time to keep it hush hush. There were no news releases that I was aware of that indicated a hunt was going to happen in a National Park.
I heard from a reliable source about it and I was also told by my manager that Parks Canada had contacted my employer to notify that we were to stay away from an area within the Park..No reason givin..
Anyway, the hunt happened.
Bragging Pic's found the internet. I give them credit , they harvested some beautiful animals. That WT buck was the biggest I've seen here in Jasper. The Ram was huge as was the giant bull elk.
I'd say the team they sent in knew what they were doing based on the rifle I seen in the pic and the Sitka outfits.
From a ''harvesting for the meat'' perspective I think they could have did a better job.

So basically trophy hunting, using the most modern equipment? So much for tradition or subsistence.

I can only wonder which collectors purchased the antlers/horns, and how much profit they brought for the shooters?

[edmsmith]

Their shutting parts of the park down for 3 weeks. That's super nice of them. Hah...

Last time they harvested animals they had a strict quota they had to stick to. I don't see any mention of specific quotas/restrictions this time.

[dave99]

I will second what MG has said- I viewed pictures of the elk, sheep and whitetail on the FN hunter’s public FB page shortly after the hunt.

One of the rams was tremendous and looked to be in his 13th year from the annuli. Another was 10+. The elk were par-for-the-course Jasper herd bulls around the 340” range.

The whitetail really surprised me as it was far and away bigger than any I’ve seen around here.

I contacted the Parks Canada communications officer to inquire about the hunt, shortly after seeing the pictures and to voice my concern that a meat/ceremonial hunt was being potentially used as a trophy/bragging hunt (as much as I hate these terms), as evidenced by the grip and grin pictures.

I was bluntly told that my inquiry was unwelcome.

For the record, I do support a very limited FN hunt in Jasper Park. I simply ask that they harvest for meat, medicine and ceremony. Not for horns and antlers as evidenced by the last hunt.

Originally Posted by Mountain Guy

Round 2.
This happening a few years ago as well, alhough back then I believe it was only the Simpcw's.
Parks did their absolute best at that time to keep it hush hush. There were no news releases that I was aware of that indicated a hunt was going to happen in a National Park.
I heard from a reliable source about it and I was also told by my manager that Parks Canada had contacted my employer to notify that we were to stay away from an area within the Park..No reason givin..
Anyway, the hunt happened.
Bragging Pic's found the internet. I give them credit , they harvested some beautiful animals. That WT buck was the biggest I've seen here in Jasper. The Ram was huge as was the giant bull elk.
I'd say the team they sent in knew what they were doing based on the rifle I seen in the pic and the Sitka outfits.
From a ''harvesting for the meat'' perspective I think they could have did a better job.

[Battle Rat]

After the couple that were ki,ledby a grizzly in Banff I would bet there will be a few people packing a gun in the parks.
I wouldn't blame them.
The chance of getting a fine is low and a small price to pay if it saves your life.

[MountainTi]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

They should be forced to comply with the firearms prohibitions within the park. And they could do so by using archery gear.

So carrying of firearms is now legal in the park? Precedent has been set after all

[Mountain Guy]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

So basically trophy hunting, using the most modern equipment? So much for tradition or subsistence.

I can only wonder which collectors purchased the antlers/horns, and how much profit they brought for the shooters?

Ya how I seen it... under the guise of a traditional hunt to educate the youth and feed the elders kinda thing.
The hunt occurred in an area of the park that is accessed on all sides by the Celestine Lk road.. The road basically cuts thru the centre of the area. The road was closed to the public for that time period.. Not sure , think it was a week or 10 days.
I have my thoughts on the hunting method that was utilized. I hope I'm wrong , but I would question how traditional this really was.

As mentioned, when these agreements come into play , and certain groups are given exclusive rights to hunt where nobody else can , then they should be made to utilize traditional methods only. Especially hunting animals that have never been hunted.. AND ,especially when words like ''traditional'' are included in the rationale for allowing these slippery slope hunts..

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Battle Rat

After the couple that were ki,ledby a grizzly in Banff I would bet there will be a few people packing a gun in the parks.
I wouldn't blame them.
The chance of getting a fine is low and a small price to pay if it saves your life.

That couple might be alive if they had been allowed to possess a firearm in the park. What the government is telling us, is that it's okay for certain groups to have a firearm to hunt in the park, but not okay for other people to protect human life in the park.

[Battle Rat]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

That couple might be alive if they had been allowed to possess a firearm in the park. What the government is telling us, is that it's okay for certain groups to have a firearm to hunt in the park, but not okay for other people to protect human life in the park.

You got that right.
Canada as a whole has accepted that the government feels that not everyone is worth protecting.
Politicians should be at the bottom of the list.

[Ackleyman]

This is rotten to the core and the over entitlement thing has to stop. Not about badly needed meat , it's a sugar coated cultural ceremony for a cherry picking Trophy hunt. Permitting firearms in a National Park ? Whoever is behind the switch approving this needs a good boot in the jewels.

[Mountain Guy]

Originally Posted by dave99

I will second what MG has said- I viewed pictures of the elk, sheep and whitetail on the FN hunter’s public FB page shortly after the hunt.

One of the rams was tremendous and looked to be in his 13th year from the annuli. Another was 10+. The elk were par-for-the-course Jasper herd bulls around the 340” range.

The whitetail really surprised me as it was far and away bigger than any I’ve seen around here.

I contacted the Parks Canada communications officer to inquire about the hunt, shortly after seeing the pictures and to voice my concern that a meat/ceremonial hunt was being potentially used as a trophy/bragging hunt (as much as I hate these terms), as evidenced by the grip and grin pictures.

I was bluntly told that my inquiry was unwelcome.

For the record, I do support a very limited FN hunt in Jasper Park. I simply ask that they harvest for meat, medicine and ceremony. Not for horns and antlers as evidenced by the last hunt.

Ya Dave those pic's didn't last long before they were pulled hey? A day or 2 then they vanished.
Obviously upper management got wind quick and vaporized them.
I guess we don't see the spoils of the hunt this time round.

[Ronji]

I was very vocal to Parks Canada the last time this occurred.

At the time the representative said to me that it was a traditional hunt, and not a trophy hunt (which is what occurred)

I was told that traditional hunt meant not using quads, rifles etc.

When I spoke to parks Canada after the hunt about the non traditional methods of hunting that were used, and about the bragging about the trophies that occurred, I was basically told by Parks Canada to go pound sand and mind my own business.

[MooseRiverTrapper]

Slaughtered suffield and wainwright, now on to Jasper.

[TheIceTitan]

When that story broke a few years ago I sent it to a conservation organization.

I pointed out how they were opposed to a hunt at Elk Island to manage the large ungulate numbers (no other option given the location of the park) but had no problem with a BC First Nation using 21st Century technology to hunt animals in Jasper.

Absolutely brutal.

[Mountain Guy]

Originally Posted by MooseRiverTrapper

Slaughtered suffield and wainwright, now on to Jasper.

Its gonna be a tough hunt tho... you can kill a 200'' ram with a ball peen hammer here..
The hunters need not bring their custom 300 PRC's like they did last time.

[Stinky Buffalo]

Originally Posted by Mountain Guy

you can kill a 200'' ram with a ball peen hammer here.

I see what you did there.

[averagejoe]

Sustenance hunts should have to cut up horns/antlers to ruin any trophy value. It is an animal taken for sustenance purposes after all.

[fishnguy]

Are the pics from the 2017 hunt saved anywhere to take a look?

[Sundog57]

I think that the issue comes from an overly broad interpretation of wording of treaties by the Supreme Court.
The treaties say that "the said Indians that they shall have right to pursue their usual vocations of hunting, trapping and fishing throughout the tract surrendered".
There has been a very broad interpretation of "their usual vocations" to include night hunting with modern firearms, vehicles, quartz halogen lights etc.

As well these are meant to subject to regulation as established by a government representing the Crown and "excepting such tracts as may be required or taken up from time to time for settlement, mining, lumbering, trading or other purposes."

One would assume that the land in the National Parks being under exclusively Federal jurisdiction has been "taken up ...for other purposes"
Perhaps the Federal Government needs to simply say No

[edmsmith]

They have said no... and for the last 80 years or however long the parks been established thats been their response.

Now their saying yes.

[lyallpeder]

Interesting that the area needs to be closed to everyone else, yet, WMU 936 has hiking, biking, equestrian users, all out when hunters are out.

[Smokinyotes]

I really don’t see this as a big deal as they will be hunting their traditional territory. Therefore I would imagine they will be hunting in their traditional ways riding a paint horse using a homemade long bow.

[Smoky buck]

I have nothing good to say about this hunt especially how the last one was used

Traditional hunt my rear

[Talking moose]

Originally Posted by Smokinyotes

I really don’t see this as a big deal as they will be hunting their traditional territory. Therefore I would imagine they will be hunting in their traditional ways riding a paint horse using a homemade long bow.

Horse was introduced to them. Brought up by the Spanish.
Gonna have to add an extra layer on the moccasin soles.

[Talking moose]

Let ‘em hunt the parks.
Let ‘em hunt them 365 days a year.
I can’t hunt in parks anyway……
Would be less of em driving the lease roads.
More game for me and you.

[DiabeticKripple]

i vehemently oppose any FN hunting in the parks.

this madness needs to end. maybe we need to be like the lobster fisherman in NS