Quote:
Originally Posted by Whelen1
So is this something that will be happening for the 2012season?
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This is the same response we all have gotten. Now I want to see all the data and assumptions surrounding SRDs claims.
Dear 'Depopulator':
Thank you for your email of January 3, 2012 regarding trophy sheep hunting. I am pleased to provide the following information.
Sustainable Resource Development staff recently initiated a discussion with key stakeholders on issues regarding trophy sheep management, including whether regulation changes are needed. This discussion is at the preliminary stage. No decisions have been made and no major changes are expected for this year’s hunting season.
The department’s Wildlife Management Branch has completed an analysis of the registration data of harvested trophy rams over the last 35 years and sheep population surveys. The analysis was completed because some stakeholders had raised concerns about the quality and quantity of trophy bighorn sheep available in some parts of the province. Bighorn sheep populations have been relatively stable over that time period. However, in most of the province, the horn size in trophy sheep has been decreasing, while the age of harvested rams has been increasing. Rams now need to be older to reach trophy size.
The Sheep Management Plan for Alberta has a strategy that states at least five per cent of the winter population of sheep should be legal rams. This objective is important to maintain trophy quality, as well as good population dynamics. In the last 10 years, most of the province has not achieved this ratio. The low number of trophy rams observed in population surveys and the declining number of rams harvested annually indicates an over-harvest of trophy rams. This trend is more obvious in some areas than others.
Department staff are raising this matter and possible solutions through the established consultation process within the community of stakeholders represented on the Alberta Game Management Advisory Group (AGMAG). The results of the department’s sheep population surveys have been distributed to AGMAG representatives and we plan to post them on the department’s website at
www.srd.alberta.ca in the near future. I can assure you that any changes to trophy sheep regulations would occur only after a wide-ranging discussion that includes the issues and suggestions you raise.
We appreciate your input and will consider it as part of the consultation process.
Sincerely,
Frank Oberle
Minister
cc: James Allen, Head, Game and Priority Species, SRD