BC's moose poplation decline... biologist muzzled????

[somethingnuw]

Anyone who likes hunting, wildlife viewing, the environment should be worried about this... these are big population declines...


A conference that was supposed to explore the dramatic drop in moose numbers in B.C. has been postponed after government scientists scheduled to speak had to back out, organizers said.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, the Spruce City Wildlife Association said experts slated to speak at its moose symposium in Prince George this weekend were told they're not allowed to discuss government business while the election is underway.


BC Votes 2013The latest from the campaign
"So all the speakers, all the regional biologists, they could attend, but they couldn't say anything," said Jim Glaicar, one of the event organizers.

Glaicar says the conference will be rescheduled to sometime after the election, likely in June.
Moose on the decline
Organizers say the symposium invited biologists, hunters and conservationists, and was to explore the dramatic drop in moose numbers.

Last year, B.C. reported a 50 to 70 per cent drop in moose populations in parts of northern and interior B.C.

"From what we understand, it's a myriad of reasons, from food sources, to predators, to ticks. There's not one item that anyone has been able to tell us. So the purpose of the symposium was to find out what all those reasons could be," he said.

Glaicar says he is disappointed the conference had to be postponed.

"I don't believe it's fair, and there's no secret information. We weren't looking for future policies, future plans. We were looking for: 'Give us the numbers of moose and what your plan is.'"
A hungry young moose who took a stroll through a Safeway grocery store in Smithers died after it was tranquilized and transferred by B.C. Conservation officers. (@aspensmithers/Twitter)
In February, officials in Alberta announced that a moose that was killed by a vehicle near Medicine Hat tested positive for chronic wasting disease.

Last week, a young tick-ridden moose died after seeking food inside a Safeway grocery store in Smithers, B.C. Conservation officers said the hungry moose collapsed and died after being tranquilized and relocated outside of town

 

[Assaulter13]

Once again our current Liberal government has decided what is best for us. Thank God they saved us from hearing the truth! Whew! That was close.

The NDP is not much better.

Personally I will be voting my independent candidate this time -- the party system is not working. Vote for true representation this time.

I have seen a lot of healthy moose this year in this area -- but if the government starts to manage them -- who the hell knows what might happen to their health?

Give the Moose the vote!

 

[magnet]

They say the same thing about the area around my place. It's a laugher see just about more moose than deer most days. Around home. Definitely see moose more frequently just not as many in each group

 

[Clode]

I think the government is ignoring the decline in wildlife population because the decline is benefiting a crown corporation....ICBC...less animals = less impact with animals claims !!! In northern BC the mule deer population has been decimated by harsh winters and open hunting seasons. Mule deer season is longer and does are fair game. Whitetail buck season is from sept to nov, this season at one time was 3 weeks !!! Poor game management and harsh winters and a wolf population that is out of control are all factors.

 

[Summitric]

In blue river last year, probably saw 5 moose while sledding, and another 3 or 4 beside the road driving there..... I thought i read somewhere in another thread, a while back, that upwards of 2000 moose are killed on bc roads every year?

 

[Clode]

In blue river last year, probably saw 5 moose while sledding, and another 3 or 4 beside the road driving there..... I thought i read somewhere in another thread, a while back, that upwards of 2000 moose are killed on bc roads every year?

That was a good number a few years ago, but its much lower now, in my daily travels for work the number of dead moose/deer in the ditches of the Alaska highway is way less. Ten years ago a drive from FSJ to Hudsons Hope you would have seen thousands of deer and a lot of moose. I went through there last week again and seen maybe 40 deer, no moose, one roadkill deer. This area is a wintering area for the wildlife and also is the first area to lose its snow to bare the hillsides and start to green up. With the lack of wildlife through this area it makes me wonder that even if the government started to manage things properly, is it too late?

 

[somethingnuw]

That was a good number a few years ago, but its much lower now, in my daily travels for work the number of dead moose/deer in the ditches of the Alaska highway is way less. Ten years ago a drive from FSJ to Hudsons Hope you would have seen thousands of deer and a lot of moose. I went through there last week again and seen maybe 40 deer, no moose, one roadkill deer. This area is a wintering area for the wildlife and also is the first area to lose its snow to bare the hillsides and start to green up. With the lack of wildlife through this area it makes me wonder that even if the government started to manage things properly, is it too late?

Clode, the scary thing is their saying the peace area is probably the only area that hasn't seen a sharp decline... doing more reading and research (which I can't cut and paste) easily. They have all the major culprits to blame... pine beattle deforestation and opening up the land has made it easier for all hunter (LEH, native, and poachers) ticks, bears ( can you say grizzly moritorium) wolves ect ect ect which means they really don't know... but 50-70% moose decline is scary and the areas that aren't hit hard will soon by grawling with extra hunters causing those area's to go to Limited Entry Hunting just like the early 90's when half the cariboo was closed hunters just moved but the Gov't didn't realize this till all the moose on the other side of the highway were almost all gone..

 

[somethingnuw]

In blue river last year, probably saw 5 moose while sledding, and another 3 or 4 beside the road driving there..... I thought i read somewhere in another thread, a while back, that upwards of 2000 moose are killed on bc roads every year?

I agree a tone of animals get killed every year... train tracks are huge too... but that's a constant something has changed drastically... well at least for once no one can blame it on the oil patch!!

 

[somethingnuw]

Decline in B.C. moose population threatens hunt



Consultant hired to examine causes and solutions



By Larry Pynn, Vancouver SunDecember 26, 2012








The B.C. government has hired a consultant to investigate a dramatic decline in moose in the Cariboo region, including the impact of unregulated aboriginal hunting after large-scale pine-beetle logging opening up the landscape and increasing access.

"The Liberal government is the main suspect," asserted Chief Joe Alphonse of the Tsilhqot'in National Government. "The clearcuts out there are a desert. You can now see them (moose) from 300 to 400 yards. That makes it easier for hunters, poachers, everyone."

Moose populations have declined so precipitously in the Chilcotin west of Williams Lake that hunting opportunities for non-natives may be reduced by half in 2013, according to freedom-of-information documents obtained by The Vancouver Sun.

Reductions in moose-hunting quotas for non-resident hunters are already "causing a severe hardship" for the guide-outfitting sector, said Rodger Stewart, director of resource management for the Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations in the Cariboo.

B.C. resident hunters can also expect "very significant" restrictions on moose hunting in 2013, he confirmed.

Aboriginals have no restrictions on moose hunting - either by number, sex, or age - and there is no system of reporting kills to the province to assist in management. "There is no law or policy that would require them to do so," Stewart confirmed in an interview.

Non-residents on guided hunts must declare their kills. Resident-hunter moose kills are calculated by an annual ministry survey.

The number of moose shot by resident hunters in the Cariboo region increased to 1,201 in 2010 from 977 in 2000. During the same period, kills by guided non-residents dropped to 147 from 200. A guided moose hunt can cost $5,000.

The documents include a "background" paper by the Cariboo region office warning that surveys in early 2012 indicated the moose population in the Chilcotin had declined 40 to 60 per cent. Stewart said the decline occurred over five to seven years.

The paper notes that the status of "antlerless" moose - cows and calves - is more serious than bulls and has "declined so significantly the moose population will take years to recover."

Hunting opportunities for guide-outfitters and residents - who shoot bulls in the Chilcotin - could shrink by up to 50 per cent, the paper warned.

The province has hired Wildlife Infometrics of Mackenzie to investigate causes of the moose decline. A report is expected in March.

Alphonse said that given the high cost of fuel for vehicles, natives hunters may feel they cannot afford to pass up shooting a cow in the off-chance they might later get a bull.

"They don't have the financial luxury," he said.

He believes that native hunting is not a major reason for the decline in moose and says the hunting effort is actually down over the past decade or so. "Do you spend $100 buying gas trying to hunt a moose or spend that money on bologna and bacon?"

Alphonse said moose management benefits from the best information and that a survey is underway on the Anaham reserve - largest in the Chilco-tin, about 100 kilometres west of Williams Lake - to determine how many moose are being shot by members annually.

"This is a huge resource, one that we depend on very heavily. We need to talk about this openly and develop policies to ensure the survival of this species."

Alphonse criticized the province for not putting enough money into moose management, including enforcement, and through large-scale salvage harvesting of beetle-infested timber that has left moose naked on the landscape and hunters with increased access on logging roads.

Wolves also benefit from greater access, he emphasized, and can efficiently take cows and calves.

"If it goes into labour and has a calf, there's an easy meal right there," he said.

The freedom-of-information documents include a May 3, 2012, email from Stewart to assistant deputy minister Rick Manwaring warning that the moose decline is a "serious challenge" and that a communications strategy is required.

"A scan of the situation ... indicates very high risk of this going sideways for government," Stewart writes.

While he doesn't mention native hunting directly, he does note "there is a particular trend in the antlerless component of the population that will raise specific critical commentary, and increase tensions between sectors."

Another document labelled "advice to minister" provides a list of potential questions and answers on the hot issue.

Question: "Will First Nations hunters also have their hunt reduced?"

Answer (in part): "The Ministry consults with First Nations on hunting regulations that may impact First Nations ability to harvest wildlife for food, social or ceremonial purposes."

The ministry also envisioned being criticized for its salvage logging policies.

Question: "Is this the result of the failure of government to adhere to the 2009 recommendations of the Forest Practices Board that warned salvage harvest of pine beetle wood could have conservation impacts?"

Answer: "We are not certain of the cause, and that is why we are actively investigating. It would be a mistake to prejudge the results of that work. The effects of the mountain pine beetle will form part of that investigation."

The Tl'etinqoxt'in First Nation in June declared their traditional Chilcotin territory off-limits to non-native hunters in response to declining moose populations.

Stewart said the first nation cancelled that plan after reaching a "stewardship agreement" with the province related to issues such as management of forestry road densities and feral horses.

The Cariboo region extends approximately from Clinton north to Quesnel and from Tweedsmuir Provincial Park east to the Cariboo Mountains.

Read more: Decline in B.C. moose population threatens hunt

 

[somethingnuw]

British Columbia Moose Population Trends

In several areas of British Columbia, moose population trends are declining. Find out where and what this means to you.
During recent years the BC Government have undertaken studies of the moose populations and the results are in some cases... alarming. With population trends falling by as much as 70% in some areas action must be taken.

How will this affect you?


To start with, there will be a reduction of the AAH (annual allowable harvest). How will this be achieved?
You know it!, Reduced limited entry opportunities, shorter GOS (general open seasons) and closed seasons. But these closures and reduced opportunities are necessary in order to rebuild and sustain healthy moose populations.


Photo Courtesy of Big Country Outfitters

Regions of Concern
•Skeena – Nass Wildlife Area; 70% reduction in the moose population from 1997 to 2011.
•Skeena – Bulkley Valley; since 2004 there has been a population decline of 20%
•Caribou – Anahim Lake Dean River area; 60% decline.
•Omineca – Prince George region; a 50% moose population trend decline since 2005.
•Peace – A small decline since 2004 indicate a stable trend in the moose population
•Thompson Okanagan – This area historically has a low moose population but as the survey has shown, the moose population is stable and growing.
•Kootenay – The West Kootenay survey shows the moose population trends are stable to increasing. The data for East Kootenay is not available
Across all areas of the province stakeholder groups (first nations, resident hunters and guides) are being consulted as to: why the trends are falling and how to remedy the areas most effected.

The knee-jerk reaction is to close seasons... but we need to find out why these areas are in decline. There are numerous factors that contribute to the moose population decline in British Columbia and until the government spends some money to find out why... we will never know.
Contributing Factors•Wolf Predation
•Bear Predation
•Poaching
•Un-regulated hunting
•Pine Beetle Deforestation
•Pine Beetle Forest Harvest
•Increased Forest Access
As most of you most likely already noticed there were several management units across BC this year where the LEH opportunities were cut significantly. Be sure to consult this season's new LEH data and BC Hunting Regulations Synopsis for season changes.

 

[Riverjet]

Deer regs have changed. No open muley flat tops this year. 100 tags for LEH only. General muley buck season is 4 point or better only and archery is bucks only.

I think the government is ignoring the decline in wildlife population because the decline is benefiting a crown corporation....ICBC...less animals = less impact with animals claims !!! In northern BC the mule deer population has been decimated by harsh winters and open hunting seasons. Mule deer season is longer and does are fair game. Whitetail buck season is from sept to nov, this season at one time was 3 weeks !!! Poor game management and harsh winters and a wolf population that is out of control are all factors.

 

[LUCKY 7]

I remember going to Pink Mt in early dec 2003 and saw lots of road killed moose. Went back up in 2006 and 2008 for more buffalo hunts in early dec and saw a huge decline in the moose road kills. That would tell me there are less moose in that area.

 

[Clode]

Deer regs have changed. No open muley flat tops this year. 100 tags for LEH only. General muley buck season is 4 point or better only and archery is bucks only.

Good to hear, I would like deer to deer as LEH only for a few years to let the population recover a bit.

 

[Clode]

I remember going to Pink Mt in early dec 2003 and saw lots of road killed moose. Went back up in 2006 and 2008 for more buffalo hunts in early dec and saw a huge decline in the moose road kills. That would tell me there are less moose in that area.

The moose population is way down in that area, I sled in that area alot and there are a few big meadows that used to be filled with wintering moose, and the last few years there have been none. I have a photo somewhere of that one meadow with 20 plus moose in it...and what also doesn't help is the damn buffalo herd that is pushing other game out. The wolf population in the area is also very high, packs of 8-10 wolves have been sighted by local ranchers. Open up the buffalo hunt, seeings as that herd was domestic at one time, and give native animals to the area a better chance...buffalo are hard on the vegitation that grow so slow at those elevations. I also feel that the LEH buffalo draw is not working that well, there are alot of unfilled tags by hunters.

 

[LUCKY 7]

the LEH has worked great for us. we took 4 good buffalo since 1999, but I do know guys that have gone up there and got nothing, but that hunting!

 

[Clode]

My Dad and I have put in for the draw since it was put in place and have never been drawn, count youself lucky !!!! The early hunts have better kill average than the later hunts, the buffalo wise up and it hard to get close to shoot one, have heard some horror stories of long range shooting by hunting and lost animals as a result...those beasts are hard to kill...was on a hunt with a guy and he shot a big bull at 150yrds, took three well placed rounds from 300WSM to put him down...it was crazy !!!

 

[GYMBRAT]

emmmmmmmmmmmmm mooooooooooooose meat

 

[LUCKY 7]

we have taken all the buffulo with 30-06 180 bullets and very well placed shots. never lost one. had to work really hard after the shot but well worth it

 

[cedarpoint]

338 tips them over no problem

 

[gforce]

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