Free: Contests & Raffles.
Ever since I was a university student studying to get my bachelor’s degree in wildlife and fisheries biology, I’ve been amazed at the lack of common sense and on the ground knowledge of some biologists and the general public when it comes to the topic of predator and land management. I recall doing my first research paper on mule deer management, where we reviewed a peer-reviewed paper for a report. I chose one that dealt with overwinter fawn survival and the “ground breaking” conclusion the researcher found from two years of study was that coyotes and other predators had a drastic effect on overwinter fawn survival.I was shocked that this was shocking to the researcher. Two years of research and resources all to find out that predators have a negative effect on fawn survival. Unbelievable. I brought this up to my professor and was lambasted for criticising a researcher. I quickly learned where I stood and that in order to go far in the wildlife management world you had to keep your mouth shut and do as you’re told and often-times ignore facts. Well, that’s not me and 20 years later I read articles like this from the CBC and see that the trend continues.British Columbia (or B.C.) has been utilizing cull efforts to help control wolf populations and their decimation of northern caribou herds. Again, the fact that predators left unchecked have devastating effect on ungulates and other wildlife isn’t earth shattering news, but the rebuttal from the wolf-lover-community continues to blow my mind with the lack of attention to on-the-ground knowledge and results of this effective effort from the province. From the article we read, “Critics have argued that habitat loss and human encroachment are to blame for the decline of the caribou, and say there is little evidence to back up the theory that wolves are the problem.”Are you kidding me?! Have these “critics” even been to the North Country? Loss of habitat?! Really?! One of the struggles wildlife managers have always had in managing caribou herds is the vast expanses of habitat that make it difficult for humans to tag along with caribou herds to effectively monitor their populations on a long-term basis. It isn’t cost-effective and is sometimes impossible for us to go where they live in certain times of the year. No…loss of habitat isn’t the problem.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/caribou-wolf-cull-1.4915683?fbclid=IwAR2A4Mm9LfZCelYy1B_TQD_BEmBsaSQdQz7luDfv_46qyDqS4Om89QaBZtoWhy don't our Biologists admit this? Instead WDFW'S been protecting wolves and other predators in the NE corner. It's too late for our Caribou, but if the current management continues it'll be the moose next. WDFW is 100% responsible.
