Hopefully, we at the Outlook aren’t the only ones out there disturbed by our story on wolf bounties (page 4).
We realize that, given the choice, wolves do what wolves do – they hunt and kill their food – and we realize there are those that may find that upsetting.
The thing is, this is Western Canada, not the Wild West.
The idea of people out there, killing off wolves because they don’t want them feasting on livestock, or because they believe they’re reducing the number of trophy rack ungulates that can be hunted, just doesn’t fly.
Worse yet, the idea nobody’s really monitoring the situation borders on the ridiculous.
In this area, we expect our wildlife managers, be they federal or provincial, to be the ones at the controls, not third-party pro-hunting groups or municipal governments that want to tinker with Mother Nature in their backyards.
If Canmore council decided to put up a bounty on cougars because the occasional one kills a dog in the municipality, would that be all right? The way people shower money upon pets in this area, little Fido or Fifi is likely much more valuable, dollar-wise, than a steer or sheep out in a pasture.
Here’s the quote we find most disturbing, from an ESRD (Environment and Sustainable Resource Development) spokesperson – “With the exception of southwest Alberta, the department does not maintain records of the number of wolves hunted, or the number of wolves trapped on private land.”
This from the same department that predicts wolves could sustain a 70 per cent reduction with no lasting effects? Which scientific study offers those results? Even if that 70 per cent number was proven to be workable, how would they know it’s being approached if nobody is keeping a running tally? Would that include a pack of 10 being reduced to three?
In the case of wolves, while a person might feel sorry for a rancher who’s lost a few head of sheep or cattle to wolf predation, what must be pointed out is that they are compensated for their losses through ESRD. Not only for losses, but veterinarian bills as well.
According to ESRD’s website, confirmed losses are compensated at a $400 minimum, or more, depending on the average commercial value of the animal on the day it was killed. This includes cattle, bison, swine, sheep and goats.
Nobody’s out of pocket in this situation, though there are complaints of compensation not being adequate.
For more on Environment and Sustainable Resource Development compensation programs, visit http://srd.alberta.ca/FishWildlife/WildlifeDamageControlPrograms/WildlifePredatorCompensationProgram.aspx
Speaking of anecdotal evidence, we haven’t seen any reports of wolf predation reducing the number of trophy mule or white-tailed deer, or moose or elk. While livestock compensation payouts could be monitored for some idea of wolf predation, what’s the situation with huntable ungulates?
Do hunters feel there more wolves are out there? Does there seem to be fewer trophy animals? Are wolf-killed trophy ungulate carcasses being encountered?
In the end, we can’t have a free-for-all out there of people with grudges against wolves taking their elimination into their own hands – and that includes municipal governments and special interest groups.
It’s time for provincial wildlife managers to take control of the wolf bounty situation – before it’s completely out of control.
