As with the previous ATV bans and moose area closures, this
ONLY effects Regulated Hunters.
Pretty much handing preferred access to the government's preferred sector.
Two schools of thought over the fires and their impacts:
First, the type of knee jerk reaction coming forth from the coalition government - shut down access, and even areas by species (despite LEH's confirmed) for all but FN's. Thought (or lack thereof) being the animals are stressed, and are much more able to be seen & therefore vulnerable. No thought (surprise) to biological ramifications...
Second, the thoughts & advise from biologists and managers: The fires destroyed one hell of a lot of the available wintering areas over wide expanses. This will result in the remaining animals concentrating heavily, and competing for the limited resources remaining over this winter. The result of that will be die-offs due to stress / starvation, with a more than even possibility of disease transmission among crowded hers. Depredation is also expected to be quite high under these circumstances. Therefore the vast majority of managers and biologists were calling for hunting to proceed in the effected areas to reduce the potential of the events described.
As expected, the government threw the advise of the professionals they pay to analyze such situations out the window, and went with the knee jerk reaction that "
appears" to be doing "
something" while catering to the stated desires of the FN's in effected & adjacent areas.
Just sayin'...
Nog
