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Old 10-09-2018, 01:33 AM
HunterDave HunterDave is offline
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Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Copperhead Road, Morinville
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Being that I was living in Renfrew County (an effected County) ON in the 80’s when this issue came to a head with the pro Eastern Wolf (aka Algonquin Wolf), perhaps I can shed a little light on this issue.

There have been numerous scientific studies about the Eastern Wolf. It’s not as simple as stating that it’s some sort of anti-trapping conspiracy. If you’ve ever seen an Eastern Wolf you would not say that it’s just a coyote. There has been some discussion that it is a distinct, ancient wolf species however it’s generally accepted that it is a Coywolf hybrid and in the US it is classified as such. Unfortunately, scientific research has stated the percentage of coyote is only between 32.5% and 35.5% with the rest being Grey Wolf. The dominant percentage of Grey Wolf makes it about 65 lbs with longer legs and a wolf face (google search pictures of an Algonquin Wolf).

If whoever is pursuing this project intends to prove through yet another study that the Eastern Wolf is merely a coyote, I highly doubt that they will be successful. Even if they did somehow manage to prove that the Eastern Wolf is merely a coyote, why do they think that thier study would trump all others?

This study was done by a non-partisan scientific group in the US for their version of our AEP. Being that they recommend removing the protected status of the Grey Wolf, it appears to me that it is impartial (long, boring and can be confusing):

http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/2/7/e1501714

The government classified the Eastern Wolf as an at risk species and in an effort to protect them they banned the hunting and trapping of them in the townships (39?) on the outskirts of three parks in ON, including Algonquin Park. Because Eastern wolves are so similar to coyotes and they can be mistaken for coyotes, shooting coyotes in those townships is also banned. Other trapping in those townships is still permitted, just not wolf or coyote.

There is much more involved, and it can be complicated, but that’s about it in a nutshell. I don’t have an answer for the Trappers effected by this and I’m Sympathetic for them, but I honestly don’t think that another scientific study will do any good whatsoever. Good luck though.

Last edited by HunterDave; 10-09-2018 at 01:58 AM.
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