Sitkaspruce
Well-Known Member
Not sure if the hunters on this board are aware of this, but there has been a major change to the region 5 deer season as well as the selling of out resident animal population the the highest bidder, who just happens to be from the US, Mexico or Europe.
Here is the new, signed off regs for region 5 Mule Deer
here are the dates and changes to the mule deer season in region 5
1) bag limit reduced to 1 deer
2) Sept 1-30th 4 point buck or larger
3) Oct 1- 31st any buck
4) Nov 1-10 4 pt buck only or larger
5) Nov 11-20th no open buck season
6) nov 21- 30th 4 pt buck or larger
This has been put in to place because of increased pressure for the G/O that there is not enough "Trophy Mule Deer" in the region, so they want less pressure from the residents so that the deer will grow up and be bigger.....
Here is the BCWF news release
PRESS RELEASE
Date: April 13, 2009
For Immediate Release
New Mule Deer regulations for the Cariboo/Chilcotin announced last Monday signals a shift towards fewer opportunities for BC residents to hunt for food and more options for trophy hunting.
Despite increasing Mule Deer populations in the Cariboo/Chilcotin that are causing a growing number of accidents on our highways and conflicts on agricultural land, the recently announced new harvesting regime is predicted to both reduce the harvest and shift it away from a food source for residents towards trophies for rich foreign tourists.
The Mule Deer regulations announced last week at the Provincial Hunting Regulations Review Committee and reported to have been signed off by the Minister of Environment, will take effect for the 2009 hunting season. Under the new changes resident’s hunters will see the following seasons this year. Sept 1st-30th - 4 point buck or Larger
October 1st-31st - Any buck
Nov 1st-10th - 4 Point buck or larger
Nov 11th-20th - No Open Season
Nov 21st -30th - 4 Point buck or Larger
Bag limit is 1 Buck
Up until 2008 residents of BC were allowed to hunt Mule Deer between September 1 and November 30 and were allowed to harvest two deer. The only restrictions during this period were four point buck or larger seasons between September 1st to 9th and November 21st to the 30th.
“These are the most restrictive Mule Deer regulations we have ever seen in the Cariboo and would seem to be custom designed to discourage BC residents from harvesting deer for food and combined with the fact that all Moose are on Limited Entry Hunting, leave the bush empty so that rich tourists can have a greater opportunity for a ‘Quality Hunt” and kill a Trophy Buck” says Quesnel resident and BC Wildlife Federation Vice-President Michael Fowler.
“Non-Residents must employ the services of a Guide-Outfitter and normally are only interested in taking home an impressive set of antlers to hang on the wall. Although provincial regulations ensure that the meat is removed to a processing facility, it will no longer be going into the freezers of ordinary BC residents.”
The membership of the BCWF sees this as one more indication of a government moving away from their promise to use the North American Wildlife Model of managing wildlife based on science to managing wildlife for political reasons. This was been recently indicated by the gutting of the Ministry of Environment’s budget. This has seriously curbed the Ministry’s ability to conduct proper species inventories and enforcement. Another example was the Government’s recent acceptance a recommendation from American environmental groups and First Nations in the Central Coast Land and Resources Management Plan to develop three Grizzly Bear Management Areas despite the advice of independent scientists that for biological reasons only one would be necessary.
The Government also agreed to limit resident harvest of Black Bears on the Queen Charlotte Islands to appease First Nations who want end Trophy Bear Hunting. It is rather ironic that the government would be attempting to create a Trophy hunt for non-residents in the Cariboo while limiting resident harvest on the QCI because of First Nations objections to an existing Trophy hunt by non-residents.
I encourage all that are not, to become members of BCWF as not only are they fighting this crap, but they are also fighting for our Hali fishing oppurtunities and our wild salmon.
Here is a letter posted in the Kelowna NP about what is going on with our hunting oppurtunities
Hunting allocations favour tourists over local hunters
By Judie Steeves - Kelowna Capital News
Published: April 07, 2009 10:00 PM
Updated: April 07, 2009 10:18 PM
B.C.’s resident hunters are losing out to non-residents in the way the provincial government is allocating Limited Entry Hunting (LEH) permits, and it’s going to get worse if hunters don’t stand up for their rights.
That’s the word from Al Springer, a director for both the Peachland Sportsman’s Association and the Okanagan Region of the B.C. Wildlife Federation.
He’s been involved for a number of years in discussions between hunters, guide-outfitters and the government on policy for allocation of hunting licenses.
He says the attitude of this government is that hunting should be a commercially-viable business, not just a sport that allows local hunters to fill their freezers with meat for their families while they enjoy the outdoors.
That means that trophy hunting by visitors to the province (who are only permitted to hunt here with a licensed guide/outfitter) is being favoured when allocation decisions are made.
And, that goes against the province’s allocation policy, says Springer.
“Hunting should be managed based on science and we should be following the policy,” he says. Yet, non-resident hunters took 14 of the moose harvested in this region in 2007, while residents harvested only 50, a split of 28 per cent for the non-resident trophy hunter, instead of the agreed-upon 15 per cent.
Since the LEH permits are given out by way of a draw, the odds of getting a moose tag are 20 to one, while the non-resident is just given one when he pays for it, slanting the harvest in favour of those with money and against those without.
“It’s not fair, and it runs contrary to what was agreed upon,” he says.
“We’ve asked for an increase in the number of LEHs this year. In many cases, these animals will just die on the highway and the meat wasted if we don’t have an opportunity to hunt them for meat to feed our families.”
Contrary to the provincial government’s policy of encouraging more hunting in B.C., such inequities have resulted in fewer people having the opportunity to hunt here, he says.
Because the government’s policy is that this is “use it or lose it,” Springer says it’s likely the allocation to local hunters will drop even further in future unless more LEHs are up for draw, because only a small percentage of those who get a draw actually harvest an animal.
On the other hand, non-residents using trained guides nearly always fill out their quota.
Guide/outfitters generally prefer the LEH system of managing game because it means there will be fewer hunters participating, and a better quality hunt for their clients, with less competition, he says.
jsteeves@kelownacapnews.com
I also encourage eveyone who is a fisher or hunter to write to all your local candidates and ask the tough questions about hunting and fishing oppurtunities in BC.
WE NEED TO BE HEARD!!!!
Cheers
SS
Here is the new, signed off regs for region 5 Mule Deer
here are the dates and changes to the mule deer season in region 5
1) bag limit reduced to 1 deer
2) Sept 1-30th 4 point buck or larger
3) Oct 1- 31st any buck
4) Nov 1-10 4 pt buck only or larger
5) Nov 11-20th no open buck season
6) nov 21- 30th 4 pt buck or larger
This has been put in to place because of increased pressure for the G/O that there is not enough "Trophy Mule Deer" in the region, so they want less pressure from the residents so that the deer will grow up and be bigger.....
Here is the BCWF news release
PRESS RELEASE
Date: April 13, 2009
For Immediate Release
New Mule Deer regulations for the Cariboo/Chilcotin announced last Monday signals a shift towards fewer opportunities for BC residents to hunt for food and more options for trophy hunting.
Despite increasing Mule Deer populations in the Cariboo/Chilcotin that are causing a growing number of accidents on our highways and conflicts on agricultural land, the recently announced new harvesting regime is predicted to both reduce the harvest and shift it away from a food source for residents towards trophies for rich foreign tourists.
The Mule Deer regulations announced last week at the Provincial Hunting Regulations Review Committee and reported to have been signed off by the Minister of Environment, will take effect for the 2009 hunting season. Under the new changes resident’s hunters will see the following seasons this year. Sept 1st-30th - 4 point buck or Larger
October 1st-31st - Any buck
Nov 1st-10th - 4 Point buck or larger
Nov 11th-20th - No Open Season
Nov 21st -30th - 4 Point buck or Larger
Bag limit is 1 Buck
Up until 2008 residents of BC were allowed to hunt Mule Deer between September 1 and November 30 and were allowed to harvest two deer. The only restrictions during this period were four point buck or larger seasons between September 1st to 9th and November 21st to the 30th.
“These are the most restrictive Mule Deer regulations we have ever seen in the Cariboo and would seem to be custom designed to discourage BC residents from harvesting deer for food and combined with the fact that all Moose are on Limited Entry Hunting, leave the bush empty so that rich tourists can have a greater opportunity for a ‘Quality Hunt” and kill a Trophy Buck” says Quesnel resident and BC Wildlife Federation Vice-President Michael Fowler.
“Non-Residents must employ the services of a Guide-Outfitter and normally are only interested in taking home an impressive set of antlers to hang on the wall. Although provincial regulations ensure that the meat is removed to a processing facility, it will no longer be going into the freezers of ordinary BC residents.”
The membership of the BCWF sees this as one more indication of a government moving away from their promise to use the North American Wildlife Model of managing wildlife based on science to managing wildlife for political reasons. This was been recently indicated by the gutting of the Ministry of Environment’s budget. This has seriously curbed the Ministry’s ability to conduct proper species inventories and enforcement. Another example was the Government’s recent acceptance a recommendation from American environmental groups and First Nations in the Central Coast Land and Resources Management Plan to develop three Grizzly Bear Management Areas despite the advice of independent scientists that for biological reasons only one would be necessary.
The Government also agreed to limit resident harvest of Black Bears on the Queen Charlotte Islands to appease First Nations who want end Trophy Bear Hunting. It is rather ironic that the government would be attempting to create a Trophy hunt for non-residents in the Cariboo while limiting resident harvest on the QCI because of First Nations objections to an existing Trophy hunt by non-residents.
I encourage all that are not, to become members of BCWF as not only are they fighting this crap, but they are also fighting for our Hali fishing oppurtunities and our wild salmon.
Here is a letter posted in the Kelowna NP about what is going on with our hunting oppurtunities
Hunting allocations favour tourists over local hunters
By Judie Steeves - Kelowna Capital News
Published: April 07, 2009 10:00 PM
Updated: April 07, 2009 10:18 PM
B.C.’s resident hunters are losing out to non-residents in the way the provincial government is allocating Limited Entry Hunting (LEH) permits, and it’s going to get worse if hunters don’t stand up for their rights.
That’s the word from Al Springer, a director for both the Peachland Sportsman’s Association and the Okanagan Region of the B.C. Wildlife Federation.
He’s been involved for a number of years in discussions between hunters, guide-outfitters and the government on policy for allocation of hunting licenses.
He says the attitude of this government is that hunting should be a commercially-viable business, not just a sport that allows local hunters to fill their freezers with meat for their families while they enjoy the outdoors.
That means that trophy hunting by visitors to the province (who are only permitted to hunt here with a licensed guide/outfitter) is being favoured when allocation decisions are made.
And, that goes against the province’s allocation policy, says Springer.
“Hunting should be managed based on science and we should be following the policy,” he says. Yet, non-resident hunters took 14 of the moose harvested in this region in 2007, while residents harvested only 50, a split of 28 per cent for the non-resident trophy hunter, instead of the agreed-upon 15 per cent.
Since the LEH permits are given out by way of a draw, the odds of getting a moose tag are 20 to one, while the non-resident is just given one when he pays for it, slanting the harvest in favour of those with money and against those without.
“It’s not fair, and it runs contrary to what was agreed upon,” he says.
“We’ve asked for an increase in the number of LEHs this year. In many cases, these animals will just die on the highway and the meat wasted if we don’t have an opportunity to hunt them for meat to feed our families.”
Contrary to the provincial government’s policy of encouraging more hunting in B.C., such inequities have resulted in fewer people having the opportunity to hunt here, he says.
Because the government’s policy is that this is “use it or lose it,” Springer says it’s likely the allocation to local hunters will drop even further in future unless more LEHs are up for draw, because only a small percentage of those who get a draw actually harvest an animal.
On the other hand, non-residents using trained guides nearly always fill out their quota.
Guide/outfitters generally prefer the LEH system of managing game because it means there will be fewer hunters participating, and a better quality hunt for their clients, with less competition, he says.
jsteeves@kelownacapnews.com
I also encourage eveyone who is a fisher or hunter to write to all your local candidates and ask the tough questions about hunting and fishing oppurtunities in BC.
WE NEED TO BE HEARD!!!!
Cheers
SS
