Moose News – Region 5 Hunting Ban Proposal

Moose News. First Nations in the Anaham Range have instituted a moose hunting ban in 2012 in reaction to the moose population trends study done by local government.

An open letter from BCWF to hunters of BC states…

The Tl'etinqox-t'in have announced a no-hunting area for the Anaham Range, except for Tsilhqot'in hunters and Tl'etinqox-t'in members who have guide operations. The rationale for this announcement is low moose populations.

All stakeholders who access the area have noted for some years the decline in the moose population.

There are several contributing factors:

1) Predator numbers are on the rise… specifically wolves
2) Pine Beetle deforestation
3) Reclamation of the areas killed by the pine beetle

The moose hunting ban is for non-Tsilhqot'in hunters in the Region 5 Caribou, from Quesnel west almost as far as Anaheim Lake and southerly towards Clinton.

Click Thumbnail to See Map…

According to the letter from the Tsilhqot'in band office, non-native moose hunters will be kindly escorted out of the area to the band office.

This moose news will fly-in-the-face of BC resident moose hunter who have been successful in the Limited Entry Moose Hunting draw for 2012. Moose hunters and other hunters in general will be affected by this ban.

The band plans to deactivate some roads, and I am sure will man roadblocks at key points this coming fall.

What Can You Do, about this moose news?

Contact your local MLA. Explain to him/her your needs… remember the MLA works for you, the constituent.

Moose are allocated in BC by the following methodology:

• Conservation
• Resident Hunters
• Non-resident Hunters
  

The area affected is actually much smaller than the above map suggests. The BC Government has released a map showing the detail of the affected area... Obstruction Affected Area Map

As cited on the BC Government Fish and Wildlife website:

Specifically, there may be blockades on the 1300 Road at 53 km and the 100 Road at the Fir Lake turn-off. Please see the accompanying map for details. Note that there are ongoing discussions with the Tsilhqot’in First Nation and the extent and location of blockades may change. We advise hunters in the affected area, or travelling to it, to consider this information when making decisions on where to hunt. Further, we urge patience and respect as ministry staff and the Tl’etinqox-t’in Government Office and Tsilhqot’in National Government work towards a solution.

The government of BC needs to take responsibility for big game management in British Columbia. Funding has been slashed over many years in BC and the subsequent losers are the big-game populations and you as a resident hunter of BC.

The government has been milking the fees collected from LEH, hunting licenses and game tags. The monies, initially earmarked for conservation efforts has, for years been drained off into general revenues. Resident hunters of BC have been shortchanged by this re-direction of wildlife capital.

With government cut-backs, funding is not available to hire biologists to study and find out definitively why moose populations are dwindling. As mentioned previously, wolves (and other predators) are highly suspected of the sharp decline in the moose population… but there is no proof!

The government of BC needs to allocate millions of dollars back into the wildlife funds for conservation efforts to make a difference. The conservation of moose needs to be met first and foremost.

Are we, the resident moose hunters of BC going to be given adequate access to moose harvest after first nations needs have been met?

Or

Is the government going to sit idly by and let the Tsilhqot'in nation dictate the moose harvest for 2012?

Help us help you...

How?

Share this moose news with your hunting friends.

Please make your voice heard. Tell us what you think.