Wolves
An interesting note in ATA Presidents report that wolf numbers were way down in the four major Alberta caribou protection areas. My guess is the wolves have eaten their dinner (moose/elk and deer) and now many packs are short of food.
I did not cross a single wolf track on my trapline this winter. |
The wolves are way down because alot of arial work has been done to keep the numbers way down.
The Bios have been flying from a location for the fourth year in a row all winter working to locate the packs, and then remove them. I cannot substantiate the information from another source, but it seems that when there are no operations on Cold Lake Air Weapons Range, the crews have been allowed onto the base to do wolf reduction which has made a huge difference to the caribou numbers in the Amadeau and LLB areas. Drewski |
Drewski, it would be positive that Bios are dealing with the Cold Lake packs. The numbers of wolves were also down in Grand Cache, Fox Creek, Athabasca and Manning areas.
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I was very lucky to meet a HD mechanic who is also a trapper on an Ins claim I was doing for his neighbor's wheel Loader. Turns out he traps in a northern wmu that I have hunted for 20 plus years.
It has been great chatting with him about the area. He too told me there has been some serious work done by aerial means the last few winters to thin the packs. Quite ingenious too(no poison) but I won't say how. No need to give the antis any more info. |
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Now they just gotta go wipe out the black bears in the bogs that eat all the caribou calves on the calving grounds and there could be hope for the species.
Ain't gonna happen So how 'bout opening a black bear for snare-trap trapping season, and no limit in the caribou zone. |
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Less wolves in my areas also. They may have moved or starved to death,because the ungulates are very scarce right now.
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We can’t forget those pesky ravens. Studies show the kill a large amount of calves.
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So wipe out one species to save another. This doesnt make sense to me.If the caribou are meant to survive they will.Besides the government has to cover up the total waste of time and money they have blown trying to save the caribou.
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Wipe out one species to save another. Disgusting. Oh isn’t that what humans have done.
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After the wolves starve out the ungulates will return and begin to flourish again until the wolves begin catching up population wise because they have ample food again. This has been going on for thousands and thousands of years without interference from man, because he simply wasn’t there to see it, kind of. When the ungulate population dropped the small number of humans around simply moved to another area that had ungulates, they had no choice. It was that or starve to death. Once you stand back and have a look at it from the outside in we have two choices right now. Ignore the natural cycles of predator/prey populations that have had highs and lows for tens of thousands of years without us, or manage predators to maximize ungulate numbers. I for one want moose, caribou, elk and sheep numbers maximized because that benefits me, more ungulates generate more money. That being said I also see the other side of the coin, ungulates might not matter to you..... |
wolves
Tork, you are correct on the game/wolf cycles. My only problem is I do not have enough winters left to wait for the elk and moose numbers to rebound. Man changed the cycles in BC and Alberta in the 50's with rabies and knocked wolves way down. The moose numbers really went high in the 60's and 70's, so high we only charge Americans $25 for license and they did not need a guide.
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They survive |
Marky, they were almost wiped out in the 50's almost impossible to see one or find a track.
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GOA mandate
Along the Eastern Slopes from Hinton to Grande Prairie the GOA has been shooting wolves for over 10 years with some years being well over 100 wolves shot they think the tally stands around 1500 total; in addition to this the have had an active poisioning program for almost the same many years but apparently not this 2020-2021 year. If you want to be further disgusted about the poisioning program talk to locals from the communities and native settlements and you will find out there are many stories (to many to count) that the poisioning program starts with shooting a moose or elk and leaving it laced with strychnine; the locals have walked around these areas and find many other animals dead such as eagles, ravens owls, fox, coyote and bears. When presented with the evidence they are usually written off by the GOA expert biologists with a vague statement that they are aware that at times there are unfortunately incidental deaths to other wildlife. It's kind of curious to locals as well that when you figure out there have been maybe 1500 killed by helicopter (locals call them air wolf) plus poisioning where have all these animals come from as the packs have no ability for growth it is at least very curious.
Just start googling items like dead wolves Grande Cache or Alberta wolf cull. |
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I would be one of the last, who would like to see the demise of any species but at the end of the day, if the caribou cannot adapt, then let it be and go the route of the dodo bird..I don't say they are dumb but have watched then in the wild and as I see it ....well...good money after bad being pi$$d against a hot brick wall....it stinks..
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Wolf Cull
Hey Buckman just google wolf cull Grande Cache Alberta lots of articles come up.
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Wolf numbers are down but far from wiped out... wolves and bears aren’t why the caribou are in trouble but controlling their numbers will help the caribou stabilize and hopefully recover. Bottom line is human encroachment (mines/logging/oil and gas lines) sucks for caribou but other ungulates don’t seem to mind it and even thrive. Only had a single wolf track through one of my bait stations this winter. Got a couple coyotes and fox but no wolves. Closest I’ve seen caribou to my line is about 20km, south of me. They don’t come into the line but I’m sure the wolves move through the range. Wolf numbers being down is a start. Black bear numbers can come down for sure. If I had someone to gift 6 hides to each year I’d do it one year and re asses the following year. Right now I take only one a year as a hunter . Anyone want a gifted hide? How about 6? |
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Poison damn near wiped out a lot more than wolves |
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Wouldn't it be cheaper to do away with the caribou..???...:bad_boys_20:
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I have zero roads, zero pipelines, zero mining, yet my caribou numbers are falling just like everywhere else. We kill 3-4 bulls per year, no resident has killed one of our caribou in the last 20 years. So if it’s not predators and only human encroachment why are our caribou following the exact same trends as all other caribou herds in Alberta/BC ? |
Caribou are a relic Ice Age animal that have just managed to hang on longer than mammoths, sloth bears and others. No matter what we do, or don't do - they're doomed to slow extirpation, just like other ice age animals before them. Wolves are Ice Age survivors.
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Moose seem to adapt well. From the Arctic to the muskeg boreal bogs, to the flat prairies of the south. |
Caribou survival strategy is to congregate in large herds, and drop their young all at once. This explosion of food overwhelms local predators for a very short period of time, and enough calves make it through to move on and perpetuate the herds. Once that critical mass of caribou herds is lost, this strategy fails. It's just a matter of time for our southern caribou herds, and sadly, the great northern herds are losing that critical mass as well. IMO
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Just saying
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