The plan proposes a balanced approach to Wolf Management in BC. It will try to ensure self sustaining populations where Wolves can fulfil their ecological role and meet the cultural, recreational and economic needs of society.
The Government says it is committed to helping stakeholder's ranchers and First Nations manage the impact of Wolves on their livestock.
The Ministry says at present 1,300 Wolves are being taken each year by trapping, hunting and wildlife management.
Biologists suggest that upwards to 30% of the Wolf population could be taken every year without hurting their numbers.
Thompson, Kootenay and Okanagan are seeing increases. Cariboo, Skeena, Omineca, Peace are seeing stable numbers.
THE BC GOVERNMENT IS ASKING FOR INPUT FROM BC RESIDENTS ABOUT WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE THE GOVERNMENT TO CONSIDER REGARDING WOLF MANAGEMENT. REPLY BY DEC. 5, 2012.
www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/public-consultation/grey-wolf/www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/public-consultation/grey-wolf/
Below is what we are sending to the BC Government.
We live in the far north corner of BC in a very remote area. Over the last 6 years we have seen a substantial increase in the Wolf population and a great decrease in the Mountain Goat population.
We are Registered Trappers and have harvested 14 Wolves in the 6 year period and with the noticeable increase we see, we intend to trap once again for them this winter. For the $150.00 per Wolf we receive at the Fur Auction and the amount of effort it takes to harvest one Wolf the only reason a trapper does it is to stop the Ungulate population from being decimated and to curb the impact the large Wolf populations have on the whole food chain. They not only hunt Moose, Caribou, Elk, Mountain Goat and Deer, they wipe out the Beaver, Otter, Wolverine, Marten, Grouse, Rabbit and anything they track down. Each year a Wolf pair can have 3 to 8 pups so they can increase rapidly.
An Ungulate Enhancement Program sponsored by the BC Government to help offset the effort a Trapper must put in to get and skin a Wolf would be good for the BC economy, the Ungulates and the Trapper in BC. Is is not environmentally friendly to go around in helicopters counting and shooting Wolves, also it is an immoral and technically illegal act, giving Anti's something to use against Wolf management. Poisoning Wolves is not acceptable at all and should be in no ones discussions. Just where do you want the money to end up? It should not end up in rich corporate Helicopter Companies pockets. That does not benefit the rural working man or woman or the rural communities.
The cheapest way for Wolf Management is to give the Trapper an added incentive. A Marten takes 1/2 hour where a Wolf takes a 100 hour investment in setting snares, maintaining those snares and then skinning out a Wolf and for all that you get paid more for the Marten.
In S. E. Alaska, the Government has encouraged anyone taking out a Moose tag to also take out a Wolf tag. The Wolf populations there are climbing rapidly. In the Teslin area of Southern Yukon, the Ungulate Enhancement Program gives 300.00 for each Wolf head a Trapper submits.
Wolves should not be encouraged to populate areas where traditionally they never existed. We are in our 60's and have talked to lots of old friends who were 40 years older than us and Wolves were not in the Okanagan. Wolves are geared for Moose and Caribou populations. Wolves will devastate White Tail Deer and Mule Deer populations. We had a Trap Line in the Okanagan 7 years ago and came upon a fresh Whitetail Deer that two Wolves had killed and all that was left in 8 hours was a little few hairs. If you figure out how many Deer two Wolves can eat in a year it will amaze you. Wolves are moving down to the Okanagan because of the increase in the populations of Wolves in the north.
A Trapper is the eyes on the land. They know when they see too much Wolf sign. They also know when there is a decline in animal populations. We haven't been aware of any survey for trappers to fill out regarding what they see. The BC Government and the BCTA should be working together on all of this for the benefit of all.
