So, take a year off from killing ungulates and hunt wolves instead. This will reduce the kill by humans and reduce wolf numbers as well. Win, win. I have also spent the last fifty years hunting in this province and have lived in areas where wolves were common. In every case, ungulate population declines followed liberal open seasons, increased access, and over-hunting.I'm not sayong wolves do not prey on big game, of course they do but we have to accept our responsibility for declining populations as well. In the case of the caribou herd, I agree that they need all the help they can get, including wolf population management, but I believe we, not natural predation, brought them to this level. GD
What do you mean by liberal open seasons? Is 1 mule deer buck or 1 bull elk too liberal?? it wasn't 10-20 years ago.....
I dont blame the decline in game in general on the wolves alone, its really a decline in game because of many things.
If there were more fires that produce suitable habitat for game and limited road access then we wouldn't be having any issues with a depleted game pops in most if not all of southern BC.
With that said.... 1 wolf is known to kill 15 elk annually so...fingers can be pointed at them too I guess, but it is how they have adapted to hunting the network of roads that humans have created, we can never have an impact on the wolves if it were left up to hunters in bc to keep the pops in check,, just not gonna happen.
I too have hunted all over southern bc and the wolf thing isn't just a kootenay/caribou issue, its alot bigger than that,, as one of the area's I like to hunt has been really hit hard by wolves, no question, sure there are alot of hunters, natives, resident hunters, outfitters, its the surprising amount of game I find to have been killed by wolves, then at night they come and investigate my camp, howling all around you, then when you go have a look in the morning their tracks in the snow show they have circled all around the camp.
