Elk Island National Park considers hunt to cull herds

[sjd]

http://edmontonjournal.com/news/loca...-to-cull-herds

Interesting. Shame they can't ship them out due to disease risk.

Seems like a First Nation hunt or a cull would be less useful than changing the fences so they can move out of the park. Increasing hunting opportunity in the whole Beaver Hills would be a better outcome no?

[sns2]

I'm gonna be really choked if those hunting opportunities are given to First Nations rather than public at large. It should be a simple non-priority draw like buffalo.

[ryeguy21]

sweet

[waterninja]

Thanks for this post OP. First I have heard of this, and Albertans have a full day to think about it before decisions are made, if I read that article correctly. Interesting. Sounds like any important decisions have already been made, and this article is merely lip service to the idea of keeping stakeholders informed.
In the last 14 days I have driven through Elk Island National Park 12 times. Before that I have driven through it perhaps 500 times. I have never seen or even heard of an Elk or Buffalo crossing Hwy 16. I guess it could happen, but why they call it "The Herd", instead of the north and south herd baffles me. That's question 1.
Question 2 would be about CWD. I didn't know that it was this far west already, and how many confirmed case's are we talking about? I hunt 248 and Blackfoot a lot, and this is news to me.
Question 3. First Nations only allowed to harvest if a cull is mandated? What a surprise. And they can sell the meat? I'll buy a set of 6x6's while we are at it.
Something doesn't add up here people. If "The Herd" is getting too large then I agree a cull might be necessary. I don't agree that "Park Staff" should be making important desicions like this. I respect them, but I never voted for them. I smell red herring , and see ballons rising.
So many questions and concern's, and only one day to think about it.

Edit... Darn, I think I'm going to use up some more point's on this thread. lol

[pikergolf]

Originally Posted by nube

Unbeleivable! Let's just give more to the natives..... So let me see, it's racist if we just let white guys hunt them but it's not racist if we let natives in there to hunt? Hmmmm. Has the Gov't also realised what a money making opportunity this is? Doubt that they would see that if they auctioned off licenses they could make millions from hunters that would do more good for the wildlife in this province if used wisely. It could also be used to hire more conservation officers. Hunters pay a quater million to hunt with a special Bighorn license every year and I can bet they would pay a ton to hunt in Elk Island as well. Just another article to prove what no hunting will do to the wildlife and habitat they live in. Hunting is needed for the health of any species.

Good Gawd, everything comes down to money for you. Too much time with your American clients.

[nube]

Originally Posted by pikergolf

Good Gawd, everything comes down to money for you. Too much time with your American clients.

Open your eyes and tell me what is better then?
You want to wipe out an excess herd of Elk and moose and get nothing in return or do u want to get some money out of it and turn around and hire extra CO's, put money into habitat developement, sheep studies, predator control, predator studies, help the caribou and many other projects this province needs money for but does not help. These projects will better things for all Albertans including your narrow minded thoughts. Big picture bud....
Who knows even if the money was made then you wouldn't see the NDP reaching into your pocket and screwing with your hunting either....Castle area ring a bell.....

It has nothing to do with my Americans. I don't have anything to do with Big game outfitting and to tell you the truth they could shut down outfitting in Alberta all together and I would not give 2 hoots.
All you care about is filling a couple freezers for a year or 2 when you can benefit hunting for lifetimes to come.

[3blade]

Originally Posted by nube

Open your eyes and tell me what is better then?
You want to wipe out an excess herd of Elk and moose and get nothing in return or do u want to get some money out of it and turn around and hire extra CO's, put money into habitat developement, sheep studies, predator control, predator studies, help the caribou and many other projects this province needs money for but does not help. These projects will better things for all Albertans including your narrow minded thoughts. Big picture bud....
Who knows even if the money was made then you wouldn't see the NDP reaching into your pocket and screwing with your hunting either....Castle area ring a bell.....

It has nothing to do with my Americans. I don't have anything to do with Big game outfitting and to tell you the truth they could shut down outfitting in Alberta all together and I would not give 2 hoots.
All you care about is filling a couple freezers for a year or 2 when you can benefit hunting for lifetimes to come.

If taken in isolation, you're not wrong. The problem is the precedent it sets, and we all know how our stupid system of courts and government is obsessed with precedent. It opens the door for the government to sell tags for massive profit whenever they need revenue, which is pretty much every time they open their mouths. You would quickly see your resident opportunities disappear, and saying "no, only this time" won't help once we're sliding down that slope

[covey ridge]

Originally Posted by nube

Open your eyes and tell me what is better then?
You want to wipe out an excess herd of Elk and moose and get nothing in return or do u want to get some money out of it and turn around and hire extra CO's, put money into habitat developement, sheep studies, predator control, predator studies, help the caribou and many other projects this province needs money for but does not help. These projects will better things for all Albertans including your narrow minded thoughts. Big picture bud....
Who knows even if the money was made then you wouldn't see the NDP reaching into your pocket and screwing with your hunting either....Castle area ring a bell.....

It has nothing to do with my Americans. I don't have anything to do with Big game outfitting and to tell you the truth they could shut down outfitting in Alberta all together and I would not give 2 hoots.
All you care about is filling a couple freezers for a year or 2 when you can benefit hunting for lifetimes to come.

If there is money to be made on the excess elk and moose, the Government will probably do what they want with the money or put it back into the parks. I see no incentive to let recreational hunters benefit.

The sad truth is that this is a cull or an extermination. Just supervising will be a drain on tax dollars and a big fiasco. No matter what they decide there will be many threads of debate and heated argument.

[FCLightning]

Wonder who the best contacts are to express one's view that the hunt should be open to any resident of Alberta on a random, no priority draw basis.

[Lefty-Canuck]

Should be a resident opportunity only....period IMHO. Or transplant more to Suffield, the ones down there are all gone

Oh....and if hunting takes place in the park, disallow the culled elk from record book award entry.

LC

[ditch donkey]

Hunting by First Nations, and the rest of Albertans, is listed as two separate options. Other options listed is shooting by park staff, and delivering to a licensed abattoir, or shoot and leave for scavengers.

I like the idea of the jump rails myself.

[Gunslinger257]

Originally Posted by Lefty-Canuck

Should be a resident opportunity only....period IMHO. Or transplant more to Suffield, the ones down there are all gone

Oh....and if hunting takes place in the park, disallow the culled elk from record book award entry.

LC

With it being a fenced herd it would already be disqualified from both B&C and P&Y.

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk

[Young Eldon]

Federal Parks belong to ALL CANADIANS! So ALL CANADIANS should have an opportunity to benefit from the animals in these Parks! National Parks have been neglecting their duties in this regard for many years by allowing selected hunters to shoot animals in National Parks. First Nations have been given priority to hunt in Banff Park and Suffield army base. Newfoundland residents have been allowed to hunt moose in a Federal Park in Newfoundland.
A draw hunt open to all Canadians or contracts for capture, disease inspection, processing and sale of all the products would be the equitable ways to reduce these animal densities in National Parks.

[takeiteasybird]

This sounds like a bunch of people looking for an easy "hunt"

[Grizzly Adams]

Originally Posted by takeiteasybird

This sounds like a bunch of people looking for an easy "hunt"

Theodore Roosevelt instituted a total protection policy on the Kaibab plateau in 1906, turned into a disaster, how easily we forget.

Grizz

[sjd]

Looks like there is a public information/feedback session at the Alfred H. Savage centre on Fox Drive in Edmonton tomorrow at 6.30 om

http://www.edmontonsun.com/2017/05/2...-to-cull-herds

[takeiteasybird]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams

Theodore Roosevelt instituted a total protection policy on the Kaibab plateau in 1906, turned into a disaster, how easily we forget.

Grizz

I don't disagree with the fact the herds need to be kept in check (balance) through hunting, natural predation etc. My comment was more in regards to my impression that most people's motivation behind commenting on this topic (and being a hot topic) is based on the thought of an easy hunt rather than conservation of that area.

[turbo mulcher]

Transplant some of them to the Panther or YaHa

[play.soccer]

Originally Posted by Young Eldon

Federal Parks belong to ALL CANADIANS! So ALL CANADIANS should have an opportunity to benefit from the animals in these Parks! National Parks have been neglecting their duties in this regard for many years by allowing selected hunters to shoot animals in National Parks. First Nations have been given priority to hunt in Banff Park and Suffield army base. Newfoundland residents have been allowed to hunt moose in a Federal Park in Newfoundland.
A draw hunt open to all Canadians or contracts for capture, disease inspection, processing and sale of all the products would be the equitable ways to reduce these animal densities in National Parks.

Well said.

[walking buffalo]

Originally Posted by Young Eldon

Federal Parks belong to ALL CANADIANS! So ALL CANADIANS should have an opportunity to benefit from the animals in these Parks! National Parks have been neglecting their duties in this regard for many years by allowing selected hunters to shoot animals in National Parks. First Nations have been given priority to hunt in Banff Park and Suffield army base. Newfoundland residents have been allowed to hunt moose in a Federal Park in Newfoundland.

A draw hunt open to all Canadians or contracts for capture, disease inspection, processing and sale of all the products would be the equitable ways to reduce these animal densities in National Parks.

Agree with all but the bolded quote.
Wow, really surprised to see you write that.


Promoting the Sale of wildlife is dangerous grounds that I hope we stay away from.




Bit by bit, Non aboriginal people are losing their basic human right to access food. We need to recognize this and fight back for our right to eat.

National Parks have and will with more frequency be reaching out to hunters for wildlife management purposes, as they should. However rather than the politically easy route of calling in the Indians, Parks must make the extra effort to include ALL Canadians.


Hopefully some local hunters can make the meeting on such short notice, and I hope the AFGA can send a representative.


Jump fences are a neat idea, but so far they have not been found to work.
No one has designed a barrier that will allow all other animals to cross while excluding Bison.

[Bigwoodsman]

Why don't they just introduce wolves too the park and let nature run its course?

BW

[waterninja]

I wonder if they could push Elk into Blackfoot which is already set up for Elk hunting? They could issue more tags.
Something to ask the Elk Island Park representitive that is appearing on 630 Ched tomorrow at 9:am.

[bonecollector10]

Letting the FN in to cull will do nothing for anyone. As mentioned, although this wouldn't be considered "fair chase" tags or permits should be issued for a price. This way money will be raised to further benefit the park for a time to come.

If the FN go in and cull well be right back here in a few years wondering how to deal with it again with no proper solution. With the money raised from tag sales the entire herd could be managed better and monitored closer.

I doubt the FN will make a suitable donation to compensate for all the free meat they'll receive further benefiting OUR national park.

An in park cull would be a shame if left for scavengers. No money raised and a waste of meat. And killing them and sending them to local butchers would prove costly for the gov't. I don't see how letting people pay for this hunt isn't the best and most clear option.

[kujoseto]

Originally Posted by Young Eldon

First Nations have been given priority to hunt in Banff Park and Suffield army base. Newfoundland residents have been allowed to hunt moose in a Federal Park in Newfoundland.
A draw hunt open to all Canadians ...

So, would the first step be to open the Newfoundland hunt to "ALL CANADIANS"? Then the precedent is set for Elk Island?

[Young Eldon]

Any draw hunt on Federal lands open to all Canadians would be a precedent.

[jaylow?]

Not interested in the government issuing tags for a giant canned hunt. Can you imagine the pride in yourself for walking into a fenced park and shooting a bull , but make sure you argue over who gets to do it first

[270person]

Originally Posted by Young Eldon

Any draw hunt on Federal lands open to all Canadians would be a precedent.

If all were treated equally it sure would.

[Scopithorne]

I think they should open it up to youth Hunters only. Everyone applies for a licence regardless of status

[BuckCuller]

Originally Posted by Scopithorne

I think they should open it up to youth Hunters only. Everyone applies for a licence regardless of status

A youth draw only area would be a great option. My favourite option by far.
Why wouldn't you want to promote a hunting opportunity like this for youth hunters under the age of eighteen. This would be a great opportunity for them to learn responsible hunting practices at a young age.

[Talking moose]

Originally Posted by BuckCuller

A youth draw only area would be a great option. My favourite option by far.
Why wouldn't you want to promote a hunting opportunity like this for youth hunters under the age of eighteen. This would be a great opportunity for them to learn responsible hunting practices at a young age.

X2.... a youth aboriginal hunt.