BC Wolf & Cougar Reduction: To Benefit Recovery of Mountain Caribou

[bearpaw]

http://www.foundationforwildlifemanagement.org/Recommendations_Predator-Prey_Management_Final.pdf

Recommendations for Predator-Prey Management to Benefit the Recovery of Mountain Caribou in British Columbia

Prepared by:
Steven F. Wilson, Ph.D., R.P.Bio.,

Prepared for:
BC Ministry of Environment, Victoria

Executive Summary

On 16 October 2007, the BC government announced its endorsement of an implementation plan for mountain caribou recovery. The plan included several commitments, including managing predator and primary prey populations to reduce predation pressure in areas where predators are preventing caribou recovery. The purpose of this report is to recommend a framework for predator-prey management in support of mountain caribou recovery efforts in British Columbia.

The government-appointed Mountain Caribou Science Team was very clear that without immediate action to reverse population declines by reducing predation losses, some mountain caribou herds could be extirpated before the benefits of other management actions are realized. Therefore, it is imperative that the intensity of predator-prey management actions be scaled to the relative risk facing different mountain caribou herds.

Wolf predation is considered the major factor limiting the growth of caribou populations in North America and there is ample evidence that reductions in wolf populations can result in immediate and dramatic increases in caribou populations. The role of other predators in limiting caribou is less clear; however, high cougar abundance was correlated with a large decline in mountain caribou abundance in the South Purcells in the late 1990’s.

The following are recommended principles to guide predator management:

1. wolves and cougars will be the focus of predator management to benefit mountain caribou;
2. actions to benefit mountain caribou will be balanced against conservation objectives related to wolves and cougars; and,
3. wolf and cougar management will vary with the risk to mountain caribou herds. Grizzly and black bears are also important predators throughout mountain caribou range; however, reducing the risk of predation posed by bears would require either large-scale reductions, or the identification of individual problem bears, both of which are difficult. As a result, bears will continue to pose a mortality risk to mountain caribou, which will reduce the effectiveness of other predator management actions.

Based on available literature and data, predator densities in mountain caribou range and in the surrounding “matrix” habitat should average <6.5 wolves/1000 km2 and <10 cougar/1000 km2 and in most areas should be much lower, depending on the size and trend of mountain caribou herds. Other studies have indicated that only very aggressive reductions of 80% or more of the wolf population will
result in immediate, positive responses by mountain caribou populations. Even this level of reduction might not result in responses similar to those observed elsewhere because of the role of bear predation.

Removal of all resident packs and/or individuals is a legitimate goal where even rare predation events would further jeopardize the viability of a caribou herd. Sterilization of alpha male and female wolves might also be effective in reducing the growth rate of resident packs.

Regulated hunting and trapping will not be sufficient to reduce wolves to target densities. Hired trappers can be more effective but many biologists doubt that recovery objectives can be met without resorting to shooting wolves from helicopters, which they consider to be the most effective and humane approach. In contrast, cougars can be well-regulated by conventional hunting techniques.

Predator-Prey Management to Benefit Mountain Caribou Recovery ii

In the long term, caribou persistence will likely require reducing prey abundance within and adjacent to mountain caribou range, otherwise, predator reductions will need to be ongoing and intense. Based on the outcomes of a workshop in January 2008 ungulate and caribou biologists deemed it possible to reduce moose to reduce wolf carrying capacity. But biologists concluded that the population of white-tailed deer in southern BC is too large and resilient to be effectively reduced; therefore, high hunting pressure on cougars will need to be maintained indefinitely.

Biologists expressed concern about the northward expansion of deer and cougars and the subsequent effect on mountain caribou. As a result, they recommended that deer should be prevented from increasing where populations are currently low.

The following are recommended principles to guide the implementation of primary prey management:

1. moose will be the focus of prey reductions to benefit mountain caribou;
2. moose reductions to benefit mountain caribou will be balanced against moose conservation and use objectives;
3. moose targets will fall within the bounds generally expected under a natural disturbance regime; and,
4. deer populations should be prevented from increasing, where feasible. There are several methods that can be used to inform moose density targets: a review of wolf and moose densities observed in other jurisdictions; static biomass-based equations; dynamic modelling; and, habitat
analyses based on natural disturbance return intervals. Analyses based on available data suggest that target densities of 50-300 moose/1000 km2 would benefit mountain caribou recovery, depending on the circumstances of individual caribou herds.

Reducing moose to benefit mountain caribou has a strong theoretical basis, but it has not been tested experimentally. Trials are underway in two mountain caribou planning units and future decisions need to be informed by the outcomes of these trials. It may be necessary to initiate reductions in other areas where mountain caribou are most at risk, before results of the trials are known.

The relationships between management action outcomes and mountain caribou herd sizes and trends will be the basis for assessing the effectiveness of the predator-prey strategy. The Ministry of Environment has established specific population goals for mountain caribou and evaluation of the programme should be based on the soonest-available caribou data following implementation of predator-prey management actions.

More here:  http://www.foundationforwildlifemanagement.org/Recommendations_Predator-Prey_Management_Final.pdf

[bearpaw]

This is a really good read: http://www.foundationforwildlifemanagement.org/Recommendations_Predator-Prey_Management_Final.pdf

[huntnphool]

This is a really good read: http://www.foundationforwildlifemanagement.org/Recommendations_Predator-Prey_Management_Final.pdf

And yet the our "genius" of a commission voted to approve the wolf plan anyway.

[AspenBud]

I didn't read all of it but if you get past all the bold you also see they are recommending lower moose and deer numbers. I'm assuming this would be done in tandem with cougar and wolf hunting to keep the wolves from having as much to eat and limit pup survival??? So are they saying moose and deer up there are able to handle wolf and cougar predation?

Maybe I misread it...??

[KFhunter]

I didn't read all of it but if you get past all the bold you also see they are recommending lower moose and deer numbers. I'm assuming this would be done in tandem with cougar and wolf hunting to keep the wolves from having as much to eat and limit pup survival??? So are they saying moose and deer up there are able to handle wolf and cougar predation?

Maybe I misread it...??

Typically the Caribou are above the predators and other game species in the winter but not in the spring/summer/fall months.  You should read this thinking moose and deer draw predators and in summer seasons overlap with the caribou.

If deer and moose were kept at very low levels the idea is they won't draw predators and caribou getting taken as a side menu.

   

[deaner]

<10 cougar/1000 km2                   correct me if my conversion from metric is wrong, but isnt 1000 square kilometers 600 square miles?  so ten coug for 600 square miles?  hell here we have 10 coug for 10 square miles.  not even joking.  why is it we cant run hounds again?

[bearpaw]

I didn't read all of it but if you get past all the bold you also see they are recommending lower moose and deer numbers. I'm assuming this would be done in tandem with cougar and wolf hunting to keep the wolves from having as much to eat and limit pup survival??? So are they saying moose and deer up there are able to handle wolf and cougar predation?

Maybe I misread it...??

They say the healthy moose and deer herds are causing wolf numbers to expand in caribou country. They can reduce predator numbers but they will likely expand quickly again with lots of prey available. By reducing moose and deer numbers the wolves will not be able to maintain as high of population level. Fewer wolves means less predation on caribou, so fewer prey animals will support fewer wolves which ultimately should allow caribou numbers to expand. It makes sense. This scenario also involves reducing cougars.

[AspenBud]

I didn't read all of it but if you get past all the bold you also see they are recommending lower moose and deer numbers. I'm assuming this would be done in tandem with cougar and wolf hunting to keep the wolves from having as much to eat and limit pup survival??? So are they saying moose and deer up there are able to handle wolf and cougar predation?

Maybe I misread it...??

They say the healthy moose and deer herds are causing wolf numbers to expand in caribou country. They can reduce predator numbers but they will likely expand quickly again with lots of prey available. By reducing moose and deer numbers the wolves will not be able to maintain as high of population level. Fewer wolves means less predation on caribou, so fewer prey animals will support fewer wolves which ultimately should allow caribou numbers to expand. It makes sense. This scenario also involves reducing cougars.

I get that, it makes sense, but it seems to me that they must feel fairly confident that wolves won't kill off their moose and deer despite lowering the number of moose and deer. They're effectively saying their deer and moose are growing in number despite wolves and cougars and causing the predator numbers to grow too large for caribou to handle as a result. That's a little different take than what we hear down here. Sounds to me like they're saying some ungulates can handle the pressure better than others. My question is why? Do they have more stable populations? More appropriate habitat? Are they more prolific?    The fact that they manage wolves up there can't be the only reason when they are talking about managing cougars, wolves, deer, and moose. If anything the piece would seem to indicate the four animals live a little too well together. What makes BC different?

[bearpaw]

I didn't read all of it but if you get past all the bold you also see they are recommending lower moose and deer numbers. I'm assuming this would be done in tandem with cougar and wolf hunting to keep the wolves from having as much to eat and limit pup survival??? So are they saying moose and deer up there are able to handle wolf and cougar predation?

Maybe I misread it...??

They say the healthy moose and deer herds are causing wolf numbers to expand in caribou country. They can reduce predator numbers but they will likely expand quickly again with lots of prey available. By reducing moose and deer numbers the wolves will not be able to maintain as high of population level. Fewer wolves means less predation on caribou, so fewer prey animals will support fewer wolves which ultimately should allow caribou numbers to expand. It makes sense. This scenario also involves reducing cougars.

I get that, it makes sense, but it seems to me that they must feel fairly confident that wolves won't kill off their moose and deer despite lowering the number of moose and deer. They're effectively saying their deer and moose are growing in number despite wolves and cougars and causing the predator numbers to grow too large for caribou to handle as a result. That's a little different take than what we hear down here. Sounds to me like they're saying some ungulates can handle the pressure better than others. My question is why? Do they have more stable populations? More appropriate habitat? Are they more prolific?    The fact that they manage wolves up there can't be the only reason when they are talking about managing cougars, wolves, deer, and moose. If anything the piece would seem to indicate the four animals live a little too well together. What makes BC different?

You are missing the point. Sure wolves will eventually reduce deer and moose as they multiply in southern BC. But they need to act before wolves over populate to that point. Caribou are at low enough levels that incidental kill of them by the large predator population must be reduced now to save the specie. They plan to take out a large percentage of wolves but the wolf population will rebuild unless they take out deer and moose so that there isn't enough prey to support a large predator population. Otherwise they will be stuck killing large numbers of wolves every year. They can use liberal hunting seasons to reduce deer and moose numbers which will make it tougher for predators to recover as quickly and wolf reductions won't be needed as often.

[bearpaw]

One big thing that's different in BC is the amount of remote areas. There simply isn't enough public hunting pressure to control wolf numbers.

[AspenBud]

I didn't read all of it but if you get past all the bold you also see they are recommending lower moose and deer numbers. I'm assuming this would be done in tandem with cougar and wolf hunting to keep the wolves from having as much to eat and limit pup survival??? So are they saying moose and deer up there are able to handle wolf and cougar predation?

Maybe I misread it...??

They say the healthy moose and deer herds are causing wolf numbers to expand in caribou country. They can reduce predator numbers but they will likely expand quickly again with lots of prey available. By reducing moose and deer numbers the wolves will not be able to maintain as high of population level. Fewer wolves means less predation on caribou, so fewer prey animals will support fewer wolves which ultimately should allow caribou numbers to expand. It makes sense. This scenario also involves reducing cougars.

I get that, it makes sense, but it seems to me that they must feel fairly confident that wolves won't kill off their moose and deer despite lowering the number of moose and deer. They're effectively saying their deer and moose are growing in number despite wolves and cougars and causing the predator numbers to grow too large for caribou to handle as a result. That's a little different take than what we hear down here. Sounds to me like they're saying some ungulates can handle the pressure better than others. My question is why? Do they have more stable populations? More appropriate habitat? Are they more prolific?    The fact that they manage wolves up there can't be the only reason when they are talking about managing cougars, wolves, deer, and moose. If anything the piece would seem to indicate the four animals live a little too well together. What makes BC different?

You are missing the point. Sure wolves will eventually reduce deer and moose as they multiply in southern BC. But they need to act before wolves over populate to that point. Caribou are at low enough levels that incidental kill of them by the large predator population must be reduced now to save the specie. They plan to take out a large percentage of wolves but the wolf population will rebuild unless they take out deer and moose so that there isn't enough prey to support a large predator population. Otherwise they will be stuck killing large numbers of wolves every year. They can use liberal hunting seasons to reduce deer and moose numbers which will make it tougher for predators to recover as quickly and wolf reductions won't be needed as often.

I didn't miss that. The Canadians are doing what we should be doing.

I'm just fascinated that they aren't worried the combination of wolves and increased limits won't effectively create a predator pit. They're essentially showing with proper management that the two can coexist.

[Bean Counter]

  stupid question again:

Mountain caribou = woodland caribou?

[Bean Counter]

Interesting study and discussion. Reminding me that money talks.... Canada in many ways is more liberal than the United States and even Washington. But they see the handwriting on the wall for the millions and millions of dollars that hunting is to their economy. There would still be enough general tax revenue is Washington for a wildlife department in Washington even if nobody hunted and that doesn't strike me as the case in Canada. 

[AspenBud]

Interesting study and discussion. Reminding me that money talks.... Canada in many ways is more liberal than the United States and even Washington. But they see the handwriting on the wall for the millions and millions of dollars that hunting is to their economy. There would still be enough general tax revenue is Washington for a wildlife department in Washington even if nobody hunted and that doesn't strike me as the case in Canada.

 

[bearpaw]

I didn't read all of it but if you get past all the bold you also see they are recommending lower moose and deer numbers. I'm assuming this would be done in tandem with cougar and wolf hunting to keep the wolves from having as much to eat and limit pup survival??? So are they saying moose and deer up there are able to handle wolf and cougar predation?

Maybe I misread it...??

They say the healthy moose and deer herds are causing wolf numbers to expand in caribou country. They can reduce predator numbers but they will likely expand quickly again with lots of prey available. By reducing moose and deer numbers the wolves will not be able to maintain as high of population level. Fewer wolves means less predation on caribou, so fewer prey animals will support fewer wolves which ultimately should allow caribou numbers to expand. It makes sense. This scenario also involves reducing cougars.

I get that, it makes sense, but it seems to me that they must feel fairly confident that wolves won't kill off their moose and deer despite lowering the number of moose and deer. They're effectively saying their deer and moose are growing in number despite wolves and cougars and causing the predator numbers to grow too large for caribou to handle as a result. That's a little different take than what we hear down here. Sounds to me like they're saying some ungulates can handle the pressure better than others. My question is why? Do they have more stable populations? More appropriate habitat? Are they more prolific?    The fact that they manage wolves up there can't be the only reason when they are talking about managing cougars, wolves, deer, and moose. If anything the piece would seem to indicate the four animals live a little too well together. What makes BC different?

You are missing the point. Sure wolves will eventually reduce deer and moose as they multiply in southern BC. But they need to act before wolves over populate to that point. Caribou are at low enough levels that incidental kill of them by the large predator population must be reduced now to save the specie. They plan to take out a large percentage of wolves but the wolf population will rebuild unless they take out deer and moose so that there isn't enough prey to support a large predator population. Otherwise they will be stuck killing large numbers of wolves every year. They can use liberal hunting seasons to reduce deer and moose numbers which will make it tougher for predators to recover as quickly and wolf reductions won't be needed as often.

I didn't miss that. The Canadians are doing what we should be doing.

I'm just fascinated that they aren't worried the combination of wolves and increased limits won't effectively create a predator pit. They're essentially showing with proper management that the two can coexist.

Nice try, you are a crafty one... 

Here's the difference, the Canadians are trying to save their caribou herd and have identified wolves as the primary limiting factor and are taking all measures needed to save the caribou. Whitetail are nearly looked upon as an intrusive specie that is expanding it's range, so the Canadians don't mind limiting them and the moose are seen as a temporary casualty in the scheme of saving the caribou from wolves because they can't afford annual wolf control.

Here in the northwest US, we are trying to save our elk, moose, and deer herds from wolves and we have a lot more hunters and trappers per square mile who can make an impact on wolves, so we are faced with an entirely different set of circumstances and reductions in prey is not as needed to control wolves, we just need the government to recognize wolves are a problem and get out of the way and we'll make giant steps toward controlling wolves in the northwest US.

Unfortunately it appears that the WDFW has no concern about the caribou in GMU 113. That is the only GMU in WA that somewhat resembles the circumstances being experienced in BC.