Two Different Positions On Big Game Increase For Guides
Prince George- BC hunters are receiving two different positions from the Province when it comes to the matter of the allocation of big game hunting licenses in the province.
In a story in the Vancouver Province last week , Energy Minister Bill Bennett said, the province didn’t get it quite right when they increased the allotment of some big game species to the guides and outfitters at the expense of resident hunters. The resident hunters have been up in arms over the announcement, and have been lobbying government to have the decision reversed.
Bennett says in his interview that the province will need to go back to the drawing board later this month ,” we have to change what we have announced”.
Jim Glaicar, President of the Spruce City Wildlife Association , said “we welcome the review, It is the right decision and we look forward to sitting in on the process”. “The government is listening to the residents of BC , it is a very passionate issue , and we look forward to the government fixing the mistake it has made”.
On the other side of the coin however, 250news is receiving a different message from, Forests , Lands, and Natural Resources Minister Steve Thomson. Ministry staff say the total number of animals that the guides would receive in the increase is less than 200. In responding to questions put to his ministry staff, here is what Thomson had to say;
This latest decision is a result of another comprehensive 18-month review in which both resident hunters and non-resident hunters participated. Government’s intent is for a consistent and transparent policy that is fair to all wildlife user groups.
- Sustainable hunting contributes over $350 million to the B.C. economy.
- Our principles in wildlife management are conservation first, followed by First Nations’ need, then hunting.
- Resident hunters are given a higher priority than non-residents, however, this does not imply that resident demand must be fully satisfied before non-residents can be granted harvest opportunities. Instead, it means that the share that goes to residents is considerably greater than the share that goes to non-residents.
- It’s also important to note that the allocation decision does not include General Open Season opportunities such as mule deer, whitetail deer, black bear, etc. which are unaffected.
- Since I released my decision to the BC Wildlife Federation and Guide Outfitters Association of British Columbia in December, I have received lots of feedback.
- I am currently considering that feedback and have asked ministry staff to evaluate the comments being received.
Comments
shoot the buffalo
What a joke there is no wildlife management or conservation. The natives need to band together and say “NO MORE” to this BS there is no animals left for sustenance.
Most of the guiding outfits are American owned now. Giving them permission to harvest another 200 animals? I ask myself who’s pockets are getting lined on that deal? American owned outfitters should have there numbers reduced. LEH should be abolished until there is sustainability for your residents. Wintering grounds should be closed period for LEH hunting.
Greedy selfish greed! Criminal charges should be laid for acts such as these!
Odds of getting a bull moose draw in 7-15, Prince George area, last year were 8.4:1 or 12%. According to the hunter survey information odds of successfully shooting a bull moose with that tag was about 1:3 or 33%. I don’t believe my odds of getting a draw should be further reduced so a guide can sell that opportunity. I live, work, vote and pay taxes in 7-15 and I don’t want my elected representatives to make a decision to reduce my opportunity to get a draw locally. The Province of BC and our local MLA’s should reconsider their proposed actions.
If you are a hunter in Prince George, join the Spruce City Wildlife Association so we can have a more effective lobby to balance the, apparently very effective lobby of the Guide Outfitters Association of BC.
There are 102,000 resident hunters in British Columbia, there are about 4000 guided hunters coming each season to trophy hunt here.
What sort of mathematics determines those 4000 non-residents should get 25%
[1 in 4] of the bull moose tags in 7A? It’s pretty clear the guided hunters don’t even comprise 4% of the hunters in BC and the vast majority of them are hunting grizzly bears, sheep and goats….which Minister Thomson wants to give them up to 40% of the tags.
What sort of mathematics determines that less than 4% of the legal hunters in this province should be gifted 40% of anything?
Maybe 250 could enlighten us about how much GOABC donated the the BC Liberals last campaign?
I think the guides and their clients should have to remove all meat once the animal is shot….
I am not a fan of seen perfectly good meat left on the hillside ir in the sweamp or where ever it is, to rot…if it it too far or hard to pack out, don’t shoot it!
Not quite true the meat does not rot. Soon consumed by all the critters out there.
I am not a fan of guide outfitters, in fact if they were a thing of the past it would make me very happy. That being said, I think the days of only removing the trophy from an animal is in the past. Nowadays I am pretty sure they are obligated to remove the entire useable part of the animal. Also Seamut is correct in saying, just because humans don’t get the meat, does not automatically mean it is going to waste. I have come across dead animals that were definitely shot by someone in my hunting trips, so the act of shooting an animal and leaving it is more common than you may think. But I also think they are simply being PC by saying conservation comes first followed by natives rights to sustenance hunt, I would say that is probably in reverse in most areas I have hunted.
This latest decision is a result of another comprehensive 18-month review in which both resident hunters and non-resident hunters participated. Government’s intent is for a consistent and transparent policy that is fair to all wildlife user groups.
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That statement [above] from Minister Thomson isn’t true either. The BCWF and GOABC were part of the review. The 60,000 plus resident hunters that are not members of the BCWF didn’t even know they were planning these obscene distributions until the information leaked out.
What a crock! Known many guides in my time in the bush, never met one that left the meat behind, quit slurring people.
O little bambe look out here come those big guns looking for you.
Cheers
Posted on Monday, January 12, 2015 @ 11:29 AM by bcracer
I think the guides and their clients should have to remove all meat once the animal is shot….
I am not a fan of seen perfectly good meat left on the hillside ir in the sweamp or where ever it is, to rot…if it it too far or hard to pack out, don’t shoot it!
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Please post your sources that claim the meat is being left to rot. That’s utter BS.
The guides and outfitters regularly donate meat to local charities. Further more how could Americans own the guiding outfits? I thought they had to be owned by licensed outfitters.
Posted on Monday, January 12, 2015 @ 3:15 PM by Grizzly2
What a crock! Known many guides in my time in the bush, never met one that left the meat behind, quit slurring people.
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Here’s one:
http://www.yukon-news.com/news/wasted-meat-leads-to-hefty-fines-for-hunter-and-guide/
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