Wolves are ecologically friendlier than cattle

Wolves more Ecologically Friendly than Cattle

When wolves from Canada were reintroduced into Yellowstone in 1995 & 1996, the changes to the landscape in the next 10 years were remarkable. Wolves started predating on elk which had denuded much of northern Yellowstone’s aspen & willow forests. These are the benefits to the Yellowstone ecosystem which the wolves mainly helped create:

1.     Return of beaver colonies because the elk had chewed down all the aspen & willow so they could not eat or build their dams & homes. Beavers create wetlands & 75 times more waterfowl return to Yellowstone than before

2.     Aspen & willow started growing on the creek & river banks which repaired the riparian environment. This created shade for aquatic life & helped to stop the erosion of soil into the rivers

3.     Songbirds returned to Yellowstone & they assist with distribution of seeds & pollen

4.     Coyotes were reduced which were predating on pronghorn antelope which then made a good return.

(Ripple & Beschta 2004)

Cattle on the other hand cause much ecological damage in the production of beef. Here are some facts about beef production:

1.     Production of one pound of beef consumes 2,000 gallons of water

2.     Cattle contribute 60 million tons of GHG (methane) per year which is higher than landfills (40 million tons).

3.     One acre of land devoted to cereal production can produce twice to ten times as much protein as one acre of beef production

4.     One acre of legumes can produce 10-20 times more protein than one acre in beef production

5.     Production of grains & corn for beef food could feed 800 million people

(World Bank report 1996)

Water has become a scarce commodity & will become even scarcer as the world gets drier. This will impact the cattle industry in the future. Also, with the world population increasing another 2 billion by 2050, land use will become more extreme so beef production is inefficient & other forms of protein will be preferred.

Animal protein production requires more than eight times as much fossil fuel energy as plant protein does.

(D. Pimentel Cornell University 1997).

Methane produced by cows particularly in feedlots is a major climate change problem. Cows produce up to 50% of the methane produced in the world & methane is 33 times more carbon intensive than carbon dioxide.

The other damage cows cause is to the landscape. In BC, 85% of ranching is done on leased public land. Cattle contaminate water sources with their feces. Also the riparian environment is routinely destroyed by cattle. BC Forest Practices Board which monitors cattle grazing on leased public land says there is more damage of riparian environment when it is arid. They receive many reports where cattle have destroyed these environments. With drier conditions due to climate change, this riparian damage will only increase. In the western US, environmental groups are very successful in having ranchers lose their leases of public land for grazing because of the widespread damage to riparian environments.

The damage that cattle are doing both to the climate & riparian environments will become a much bigger issue as climate change, shortage of water & riparian environments being destroyed intensifies. The UN Food & Agricultural Organization states the livestock sector emerges as one of the top 2 or 3 most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global.  Wolves on the other hand, create & maintain healthy ecosystems.

The cattle industry is a strong lobby but going forward it is going to meet heavy opposition because it is unsafe & highly inefficient. More ranchers will leave this industry because it will not be profitable. We should have left the bison roaming the plains, eaten its meat & left the wolves alone.

BC Fish & Wildlife anti-wolf faction in a quandary

This all powerful faction has orchestrated this draconian draft wolf management plan for BC's wolves. They then thought they could slip it by the BC public & other citizens of the world by allowing only 3 weeks of public comment on their website from Nov. - Dec. 2012.

Well the response was overwhelming! Over 2,500 comments & 65% (1,600) are in favor of much stronger conservation measures. Also, at the end of November, we organized a 2 day phone, fax, & email protest & the minister offices of FLNR, Environment & Tourism were inundated with calls.

With this very significant backlash to their plan, what is this anti-wolf faction going to do now? Well they will try to delay the plan being discussed anymore & then they will hope the public will forget about it, so they can quietly implement their original draft plan. Thereby leaving out all the conservation measures you spoke up for.

Keep you eyes & ears open to detect what this anti-wolf faction will be up to again.

Draft BC Wolf Plan

Response to the Draft Management Plan for the Grey Wolf in BC

In thoroughly reviewing this draft plan which has been an ongoing draft for at least 18-24 months, I find the document to be completely unbalanced. Its main purpose is to draft a document that gives the BC Government under the auspices of the Fish & Wildlife Branch to continue to persecute this animal which they have done for decades.

It is mainly preoccupied with the killing of wolves and there are 84 references to the harvesting (killing) or consumptive uses of the wolf compared to 15 references to the conservation or non-consumptive use of the wolf. These references relate to paragraphs, discussions or comments by the author.

I find this bias to killing the wolf very troubling but not surprised that Fish & Wildlife has secured a report which clearly articulates its hatred of the wolf and the need to reduce it any opportunity. The author, Steve Wilson also wrote the report of the Mountain Caribou which he advocated aerial removal of wolves which the citizens of BC widely condemned . A senior manager for Fish & Wildlife had to admit that there was overwhelming opposition to this aerial hunting.

This anti-wolf bias in this draft plan would be akin to President Lincoln asking the KKK to write the Emancipation Proclamation to free the laves during the American Civil War.

In my view this report is incomplete & has missed many important issues regarding wolf management which are included in a more thorough wolf conservation & management  plan from another Canadian jurisdiction. One of the main reasons this report is so unbalanced is because there was no public input sought for the development of this plan. Other jurisdictions such as Alaska, Yukon & Washington State involved the public thru public meetings to make submissions.

When you allow the public to give input from all positions on the topic, you get diversity of thought which allows a frank discussion of the issues & the ability to educate each other or differing points of view. Fish & Wildlife in its fortress mentality did not even want to share this document in its draft form in 2011. Now the responses are only being sent to the Minister & there is no process for groups or citizens to present their cases publically to the Minister. When the process is flawed at the outset you get a flawed result which is this draft report.

Wolf Control due to Livestock Depredation

This is a main point of discussion in this report as it is mentioned on 17 separate occasions. However, there was not one reference to any statistics which shows that wolf depredation on livestock is a major problem. The statistics due not support the public relations campaign by the BC Cattlemen which I feel has overblown this issue.

According to Stats Canada there are 550,000 cattle in BC. The latest figures I could find attributes only 50-75 cattle killed by wolves in a year.  Stephen Hume, reporter for the Vancouver Sun in his August 5,2011 article stated his research which was exhaustive showed only one federal agency that reported in 2008 & 2009, that wolves killed 70 livestock. This very low number of wolf kills on livestock is also supported by USDA (US Dept. of Agriculture) which keeps accurate data.

Data for 2008 showed that sheep ranchers in Wyoming, Montana & Idaho lost 125,000 sheep. The wolf was responsible for 1,300 sheep (1%). The coyote killed 31,600 (or 25%) & weather deaths accounted for 28,200 (or 22%). Dogs killed more than wolves at 1,400. This data can be found in  a table on page 42 of the National Geographic Magazine, March 2010 edition.

Coyotes are much more of a problem than wolves & the Alberta Predator Control Manual is wholly devoted to controlling coyotes than wolves on livestock. Wolves are a top predator while the coyote is a mesopredator (lower ranking) & wolves kill coyotes thereby keeping them in check for ranchers. Wolf kills get mistaken for coyote kills on a regular basis. One rancher called a provincial fish & wildlife agency to complain that a wolf had killed his cow. The cow had drowned in a swamp & when the rancher pulled the cow out with his tractor, there was a dead coyote under the cow. But the rancher stated it was a wolf kill & this mistaken identity story by ranchers is more frequent than we believe.

Ranchers have displayed very irresponsible behavior towards the wolf by poisoning it in past decades, only to do incredible collateral damage to the ecosystem by killing other animals both wild & domestic. Ranchers have this mistaken belief that they can rid the environment from any threats.

In summer 2011, the ranchers in the Chilcotin & Cariboo mounted a considerable campaign to have the wolf extirpated from this area.  They stated there is a significant increase in wolf populations & they were experiencing significant livestock losses even though they could not produce any data.

The BC Gov’t capitulated with Steve Thompson, minister in charge agreeing to regulatory changes to declare open season on the wolf. Hunting was allowed every day throughout the year and there was no bag limits. Not surprising that Thompson was the Executive Director of the BC Agricultural Council before he got into provincial politics. These ranchers were his clients and friends of his organization.

This decision was strictly political and could not be supported by research or science. It was all anecdotal evidence that contributed to this decision. The scientific evidence that was supplied by the senior wildlife biologist for that region showed that radio collared wolves in these areas lived in close proximity to ranches but there was no wolf depredation on livestock.

Another environment minister, Rafe Mair was appointed in 1980  he quickly halted the control of wolves by poison & other means. Mr. Mair represented Kamloops, a major cattle producing area & his constituents bitterly complained but this Environmental Minister showed political leadership by refusing to be intimidate by the Cattlemen. Being a lawyer he looked at the evidence which did not support culling wolves.

Evidence shows clearly that culling wolves in cattle producing areas can result in unintentional consequences that can lead to more livestock depredation. A livestock conflict specialist states that a wolf pack near a ranch that is not depredating on livestock will patrol that territory & keep other predators out such as coyotes which have a higher likelihood  to kill livestock.

Paul Paquet, a wolf biologist for 35-40 years & recognized as one of the pre-eminient wolf biologists in the world, stated that predator control programs that kill wolves indiscriminately usually result in more predation on livestock rather than less due to disruption of wolf pack social dynamics & the breakdown of territories.

To assist ranchers that do lose livestock to wolves, there needs to be a compensation program to assist them with their losses. But the best program is prevention of livestock losses. Ranchers have a major responsibility in this area.

To qualify for the compensation program, ranchers must demonstrate that they are employing non-lethal means to prevent livestock depredation. This means good human surveillance, animal surveillance (guard dogs, donkeys, llamas) & keeping young livestock close to the barn & not on the open range.

Ranchers can’t leave their livestock unattended & rely on being able to kill wolves indiscriminately. Also for the rancher to be eligible for compensation, the kill needs to be verified by a biologist trained in predator control who can distinguish which predator killed the livestock. Conservation Officers are too biased to perform this role & are too friendly with ranchers. So you can see a major part of this plan has been devoted to predator control of wolves when there is no statistical evidence to support the ranchers position.

Conservation

If Fish & Wildlife is going to take the conservation of wolves seriously, then they have to adopt an attitude consistent with Conservation Ethics. This philosophy accepts the intrinsic value of wolves as a species & as individuals. They are just not an animal you can harvest for 30-40% annually & due to their high reproductive rate they will bounce back. This is not conservation!

This report does not place enough emphasis on the intrinsic value of the wolf. It does not recognize the family value of this animal & how that helps them survive as well as playing a significant, positive role in maintaining & creating healthy ecosystems. The reintroduction of the wolf in Yellowstone & Idaho has shown the important role wolves play. BC has a stable wolf population but that should not give us the right to target the wolf because it has a high reproductive rate.

Aldo Leopold, American conservationist in the 1930’s & 40’s was praising the ecological value of the wolf in maintaining  healthy forests. In fact he was recommending the reintroduction of wolves back into Yellowstone in the early 1940’s. Now some 70 years later wildlife managers are continuing to place little if any value on the wolf in being an integral part of a healthy, functioning ecosystem.

Threats to the Wolf

This draft plan seems to minimize the threats to the wolf. Habitat destruction is harming the wolf thru the destruction of traditional denning sites by logging, oil & gas development & exploration. This can cause wolves to disperse into areas with more contact/conflict with humans.

The report states hunting/trapping is very small on the BC wolf population but I submit this is not true. The very relaxed hunting regs have developed a regulatory environment which has seen a rapid increase of wolves being killed.

Trapping deaths provide more accurate stats because it is compulsory to report. The 2010 fiscal year trapping stats show that 350 wolves were trapped in BC. This si no doubt under reported because not all trapped wolves need to be reported. Non-resident hunters are also required to report wolf kills & that is about 100 wolves annually.

Resident hunters are not required to report wolf kills except for Regions 1, 3&4. However, even in these regions this requirement is not complied with nor enforced. Fish & Wildlife keeps inaccurate resident hunter kill data because they are relying on hunters to complete hunter surveys which are not accurately completed. Self-reporting is inherently inaccurate. Estimates of 500 wolves being killed annually by resident hunters is consistent with this data collection.

About 1,000 wolves are killed annually in BC from a population of 8,500 which I submit is a greater threat than acknowledged in this report.

Unethical hunting practices such as inserting frozen dee or moose legs into frozen lakes to attract wolves & then killing them is a well known practice in northern BC. This certainly violates Fair Chase hunting ethics & Manitoba outlaws this practice. Hunters & trappers intent on killing wolves know how to significantly increase their odds.

Yukon Plan

The Yukon Territory has had a very balanced & detailed plan for the conservation & management of wolves since 1992. This plan was reviewed beginning in 2010 & the final report was approved in 2012. The Yukon Territory involved the public & interested groups in the review of this plan. They called for written submissions but more importantly, the review panel visited 14 communities to get public input. They did because the wolf is important to Yukoners both involved in the conservation of wolves as well as the hunting crowd.

This public consultation has helped to develop this thorough, balanced report which is clearly lacking in the BC report. Why can the Yukon, Alaska & Washington State all involve their citizens in public meetings to develop a wolf conservation & management plan but BC refuses to consult with its citizens directly?

The original Yukon wolf plan developed in 1992, is very detailed and establishes a number of principles to guide the management of the wolf. These principles are set out in Section 3:

3.1 – wolves & their prey will be considered as integral parts of the Yukon ecosystems

3.2 – genetic composition of wolves in the Yukon will be maintained

3.3 – ongoing research & monitoring of wolves, their prey & other elements of the ecosystem will be required

3.6 – effects of habitat loss & fragmentation on wolves & their prey will be considered

3.8 – education & information efforts are a required part of the plan.

The Yukon plan also made recommendations under which wolf control may be used to manage Yukon wolf populations. These recommendations are set out in section 9 in 3 parts.

Section 9.1 – conditions required before wolf reduction programs can be considered

Section 9.2 – seven recommended guidelines which must be followed before a decision can be made to proceed with a reduction program

Section 9.3 – implementation of & follow-up to wolf reduction programs.

None of this process or recommendations are included in the draft BC plan. Not even when considering species at risk (ie. Mtn. Cariboo) & the use of a wolf control plan. Without this process being included in the plan, it is left to the discretion of wildlife managers which is unacceptable & not transparent.

The revised Yukon 2012 Wolf Conservation & Management Plan clearly states that the wolf is of considerable intrinsic value to Yukoners & the Yukon environment. There is a sincere attempt & desire to conserve the wolf in the Yukon. Contrast that to the BC Plan which is very much devoted to the harvesting of wolves.

There are 7 management goals in the 2012 Plan:

1.     conserve wolf populations in recognition of the role of wolves in the ecosystems & the maintenance of biodiversity

2.     Manage the harvest of wolves in recognition of their social, cultural & economic importance to all Yukoners

3.     Manage wolf populations in recognition of the enjoyment & appreciation that Yukoners & visitors have in experiencing wolves in the Yukon wilderness

4.     Use wolf harvest as a management tool to reduce predation rates of moose & caribou in local areas

5.     Promote research, education programs & info sharing to enhance understanding of wolf behavior & ecology & management decisions affecting wolves.

This plan severely criticizes the use of aerial control of wolves. Yukon spent thousands of dollars using helicopters to hunt & kill wolves but it had little effect on managing wolves. This plan recommends & it was adopted that aerial control of wolves is not a tool to manage wolves & it has been abandoned in the Yukon due to strong public opposition, high financial costs & the short-term impacts on wolves & ungulates.

Yukon plan does not allow hunting or trapping beyond March 31 due to the harm & disruption to pup rearing activities. The identification & protection of den sites through input to land use planning & environmental assessment  will help to minimize disturbances to wolves.

Hunting & trapping of wolves is promoted in the Yukon but not at the rate & intensity of BC hunting practices. There are 4,500 – 5,000 wolves in the Yukon & 155 are killed by hunting & 60 trapped annually. This is a significant reduction of the harvesting rate employed by BC. There also is mandatory reporting of wolf kills thru hunting & trapping so they can effectively monitor wolf populations.

The Yukon plan also promotes the ecotourism industry because many visitors come to the Territory to observe, hear & search for wolf sign in its wilderness.

Bob Hayes, senior wildlife biologist responsible for wolf control in the Yukon for 18 years, recently wrote his book, Wolves of the Yukon & he stated killing wolves is biologically wrong. This is an admission of defeat that wide scale wolf control programs do not work.

Through his research, Bob found there was approximately 4,500 wolves in the Yukon about 10,000 years ago. This was based on archaeological evidence & there is now 4,500 wolves in the Yukon. Constantly trying to limit wolf populations by their extensive wolf control programs did not work & he now recommends abandoning these programs for more intensive local initiatives.

Conclusion

This plan needs such extensive work to make it balanced that it would be better to scrap it & start anew. There is no sincere effort to conserve wolves in this Plan, not like in the Yukon Plan. That is because the author & Ministry staff never have had any interest in conserving wolves.

The two zone management strategy does not promote conservation, in fact it promotes the opposite. One zone seeks the extirpation of wolves in cattle producing areas & where there are endangered species. All the regulations allow for the extermination of wolves in these areas.

In the other zone, hunting regulations are set very liberal to ensure wolves are kept at low density. This two zone strategy which encompasses all of BC, is the antipathy of  the conservation of BC wolves.

Here are the recommendations to make the Plan much more balanced:

1.     Hold public meetings to allow all groups to exercise their democratic right to give advice to government.

2.     To curtail hunting & trapping from March 31 – Aug. 31, so wolves can raise their pups without losing their young or pack members. This killing disrupts the pack structure.

3.     No baiting of wolves to assist in hunting. This is not Fair Chase.

4.     Ban leghold traps & snares

5.     Outlaw the use of poison to kill wolves by way of legislation & regulation.

6.     No aerial control (particularly helicopters) of wolves.

7.     Establish an educational component of the Plan to educate the public about wolves in a balanced manner.

8.     Set large areas of BC aside for non-consumptive use of wolves. This would allow the wolves to live in peace & protect the social stability of wolf packs. Also allows for ecotourism of wolves for viewing & research of wolves.

9.     Return to former species licence, quotas, restricted seasons & mandatory reporting of wolf kills.

10. Continue the compensation program to ranchers for livestock predation.

The vast majority of BC residents I speak to at my wolf presentations want to see a greater emphasis placed on wolf conservation. This Plan is a major step backward in achieving this goal.

Sincerely,

Gary R. Allan

Whospeaksforwolf

    

Winter is Coming

Tundra's coat is getting thicker & more luxurious. This is the main way a wolf stays warm in the winter.  It starts growing in late August as the sun gets lower in the sky it triggers a hormone to start producing the winter coat. Wolves live in very harsh environments with temperatures getting as low as -50C in BC but even colder in the Arctic where it can reach -65C. So the thick coat is the main defence against this bone chilling cold but what about the nose & paws? They do not have fur.

Wolves have adapted a counter-circulatory circulation system where the warm blood goes to the paws first to keep them warm. Along with the nose & ears. Humans do not possess this system so the blood gets to our fingers & toes last, therefore we are cold in our extremities. This circulation system is one of the many ways in which canis lupus can adequately cope with its harsh environment.

International Wolf Conference

From Oct. 23-24, I attended this conference in Thompson, MB with many of the top wolf biologists in attendance. Many topics were presented but the main value of this conference was meeting & talking privately to the likes of David Mech, Paul Paquet, and Marco Musiani.
Thompson's SpiritWay is working on establishing their city as a Centre of Excellence for the wolf where they can attract researchers to work in northern Manitoba with wolves. They are also hoping to establish themselves as a major ecotourism centre much like Churchill is for polar bears. Dr. Mech was very impressed with Thompson's concern for the wolf which he had not witnessed anywhere else in the world.

Wolf Tracking Expedition

Jan. 23/2011

Travelled on the BC Ferries from Port Hardy to Prince Rupert, an overnite trip of 20 hours. Tundra & Meshach did very well staying in the back of the truck for that length of time. I went down every 2-3 hours when allowed by the crew to give them a walk.

On this date in the morning, I did a wolf presentation for some of the crew & 20-25 passengers. I had arranged this with BC Ferries before I boarded. The crew were quite interested in seeing Tundra as were the passengers. One couple, Henny & Vince, were instrumental in arranging another presentation which I will mention in a later post.

Jan. 24/2011

Arrived at the resort around 11AM & on route saw my first moose. Susan, owner of the resort had done some preliminary work for me by indicating areas where the local residents had recently spotted wolves, so I concentrated my search efforts on these 3 areas. I also met Roy & Linda, and developed a very good friendship with them. They were both wolf admirers & allowed me to go out to Linda's deceased parents farm where the wolves frequented.

Took Tundra & Meshach for a walk in the snow. They had about 2-3 feet & the lake was frozen but we kept off of it. Tundra, instinctively spread her paws & her claws gave her quite good traction. She loved walking on top of the snow as Meshach did. They also both plunged their face into the snow, rolled on it & ate the snow. Needless to say, this is their preferred environment.

Jan. 25/2011

Bright sunny day with temp. around -1C. This is prime wolf country. The altitude is 2,400 - 2,800 feet with lots of moose & deer. It is a high plateau with rolling hills & ringed by large mountains on 3 sides but not the east. Walked up MacDonald Lake Rd. & saw cow moose & ther were lots of moose tracks in the snow. Tundra & Meshach were quite interested in the moose but stayed close to me(they were on leashes but did not pull). In the afternoon, on the Owen East Rd. saw cow moose & this year's calf in the bush alongside the road. Was able to get a picture of them. While walking on the road saw fresh wolf scat & Tundra found some frozen, buried wolf scat in the road, which she vigorously scent rolled in. So, we know they are about in this area.

Jan. 26/2011

Cloudy & quite warm today. Unseasonably. Walked 2-3 km up the Macdonald Lk. Rd in the morning & on the way back to the cabin, saw a wolf out on the frozen lake by Paradise Island where they had been spotted. The wolf was standing & when I stopped the truck & took a picture, it promptly laid down on the lake. It was about 100 yds. offshore & was quite content to lay there. It was colored much like Tundra with a lot of grey. It was quite exciting see my first wolf up there in only the third day up there.

Jan. 27/2011

Bright sunny day & Susan had organized a wolf presentation with Tundra at the resort in the afternoon. Word had travelled fast that there was a wolf staying there so about 20-25 local residents came. This included trappers, guide outfitter & a mother & her 3 children. Tundra was well received by all & I was amazed at the incredible interest there was in seeing her since they lived amongst the wolves. Shows you our incredible connection to this animal.

Jan. 28/2011

Bright sunny day but getting colder at -14C. Went up to the farm & saw 4 moose in a 2-3km area. There is lots of prey up here for wolves, along with the deer. The moose & deer enjoy the clear cut areas where they have logged but the moose are spending more time in the woods because the mountain pine beetle has killed many pine trees allowing the sun to penetrate into the forest where they can feed more.

When we were walking on the road back to the farm, we could hear the wolves howling in the distance. Tundra & Meshach listened but did not respond. They were very interested in what was up the hill to the east but there was no movement but you knew they were up there.

Had lovely dinner with Roy, Linda & 3 other guests. They told me of their local wolf stories. Delightful evening.

Jan. 29/2011

Quite cold this morning at -18C. Went for our morning walk up Macdonald Lk. Rd. which is quite icy with the trucks driving on it. On our way back, about 50 yds. up on our left were 2 moose. Tundra & Meshach were quite alert & when the 2 moose came onto the road & ran down the road, well they were off to chase them. I was trying to hold them back with absolutely no success. I was trying desperately not to fall on this very icy road. I had spikes on the bottom of my shoes which was the only thing keeping me vertical. I finally after 100 yds got over to the left & into the snowbank & I got Meshach under control but Tundra was still pulling on the leash real hard. We ran another 100 -150 yds down the road & by this time the moose ran into the bush to the right. Eventually, Tundra stopped pulling & I got my upper body workout, cardio workout & my agility training all in less than 5 minutes. It must have looked really funny seeing this spectacle. Tundra was so enthralled with this chase that I had absolutely no effect upon her. I was very grateful that neither her collar or leash broke because a face to face confrontation with a moose could be very fatal.

Jan. 30/2011

Was -20C last nite & day started off bright & sunny but the clouds did roll in later in the day. Went out the Owen East & saw 2 moose.

Jan. 31/2011

Somewhat warmer this morning. Remember Henny & Vince? Well they organized a presentation on wolves with Tundra at an elementary school in Houston. Did the presentation in the afternoon for 200 students, teachers & 12 sets of parents. They all enjoyed meeting Tundra & I have received many emails from the students & parents thanking me & Tundra for the show. We had a great time & the local newspaper is doing an article on Tundra.

While travelling into Houston saw another wolf on the left side of the road. As usual it was 100 yds. away & when you get up to that spot, it is long gone into the forest. Lots of moose in that particular area & one of the locals told me a few days late they saw a black wolf out on the lake right where I saw this wolf but it was lighter in color. That is 2 wolves I have seen now.

Feb. 1/2011

On our early morning walk before breakfast, we heard wolves howl to the west of us & the pack across the lake to the south, responded for about 3-5 minutes. Tundra & Meshach listened intently & then a most exciting thing occured. Tundra who seldom howls as she is very quiet, let out a howl for 8-10 seconds. It was a very deep howl & after 5 seconds of silence, she howled again for 8-10 seconds. It was so incredible to see her respond to her wild cousins & it showed me the real wolf in her. The pack across the lake responded with some noise but it was not a howl. They must of been thinking, who is this new, strange wolf. It was an incredible moment.

Later in the morning, Linda & Roy phoned to say there was a wolf on the bay just outside their property. I drove the 2km to their place & the wolf was out on the ice heading back towards the resort. I got back into the truck & drove back 1km & saw the wolf out on the ice about 100yds. out. I got a picture & followed it with my binoculars. It was walking back towards the resort & I followed on foot but the wolf kept the 100yds. distance between it & me. It came up the bank, crossed the road & went into the woods where we walk early in the morning. Quite a successful wolf day! But it was not finished. Friends gave me a dead fawn they found on their farm which had apparently starved, so Tundra & Meshach got deer legs.

Feb. 3/2011

Lightly snowing today. Had a beautiful 6km walk up Macdonald Lk. Rd. it was so inspiring to be out in the wilderness all alone & just enjoying its beauty. No wolves today.

Feb. 4/2011

Cloudy today & on our early morning walk we encountered 3 moose but thankfully Tundra & Meshach did not pull. Just enjoyed this beautiful country by hiking in its presence again.

Feb. 5/2011

Got colder again as it dropped to -12C. Had 2 local residents to come & see Tundra again to get pictures. Don & Karen took pictures & marvelled at her beauty. In afternoon, went out to Maureen's farm where she has seen wolves but they do not harm her livestock of sheep, goats, pigs, cows, llamas, as she has many dogs which keep the wolves honest. She says she shows the other farmers & ranchers that she can co-exist with the wolves but many of the local ranchers just shoot the wolves if they see them on or near their property.

Feb. 6/2011

Well it was the day I had to depart. It had been snowing since the previous evening & we were supposed to get 15-20cm. It would have been great fun hiking in this weather because I would have been able to see fresh tracks. I had a great time enjoying this country & its residents. Tundra has left an incredible impression on them & I look forward to going back next year to continue our search.

More anti-wolf actions

February 15, 2010



Hon. Barry Penner
Minister of Environment



Dear Minister:



"The caribou feeds the wolf, but it is the wolf who keeps the caribou strong"

Inuit Proverb



For many centuries, the wolf, caribou, and Inuit lived in harmony. The caribou provided sustenance to both the wolf and Inuit people. The wolf kept the caribou strong by killing the weak, old, injured and caribou calves, thereby eliminating the weak caribou, reducing disease to the herd and allowing the caribou herd to flourish. The Inuit people who depended on the caribou watched this interaction for centuries and kept it in balance.



What has gone so terribly wrong?



Why has the caribou in BC been so decimated that it ended up on the endangered species list?



Do not look to canis lupus as the problem because the wolf kept the caribou strong for centuries. Michael Bloomington, head of Alberta's Caribou Management Plan from 1978-83 stated, "the wolf is being made to pay the price for what is really the consequence of human activity in the area."



This human activity in BC which has caused the mountain caribou herds to be placed on the endangered species list is:

• Extensive logging of old growth forests which the mountain caribou depend on


• Disruption and fragmentation of the mountain caribou habitat by logging, mining and other resource extraction


• Disruption of the winter mountain caribou environment by heli-skiing and snowmobiling


• Human caused over hunting of the mountain caribou

These human activities cause many more mountain caribou deaths than any predation by wolves.

Your ministry along with all British Columbians must be better stewards of the environment because the environment and the wildlife belong to all British Columbians, not the Ministry of Environment. You are just the Trustee!

Many wolf biologists in their studies have concluded that wildlife managers must carefully and continuously monitor prey populations so that wolf predation is not additive but merely compensatory.

The Ministry's proposed wolf cull is yet another response by the anti-wolf faction in your ministry and the contractors you employ. Stephen F. Wilson's report "Recommendations for Predator-Prey Management to benefit Mountain Caribou Recovery" is an example of the anti-wolf bias.

There is no evidence in his report or the reports of the Mountain Caribou Recovery Team that wolves are heavily preying on mountain caribou calves. Evidence would include conclusive evidence of wolf kills of caribou calves and caribou found in wolf scats.

Wilson relies on the vague statement of Bergerud that wolf predation is considered the major factor limiting the growth of caribou populations in North America.

L. David Mech and Rolf O. Peterson dispute Bergerud's analysis. They state, "while Bergerud's analysis provides evidence that predation by both wolves and bears can be strongly limiting, his claim that wolf predation is generally regulatory is based more on reasoning that on actual evidence." (Mech & Peterson 2003)

Wilson admits in his report that grizzly and black bears are major predators on mountain caribou calves but due to public pressure on conserving grizzly bears and reductions of bear populations would have to be large because it is difficult to identify and remove problem bears. No where in his report does Wilson admit that removing problem wolves would be difficult or against public perception. No he justs recommends removing whole packs!

In fact studies have shown that grizzly and black bears can be a very high source of ungulate calf death (91%) (Ballard 1979 & 81)

Ministry of Environment again recommends further wolf control even though many prominent wolf biologists (Mech, Haber, Theberge) state that wolf control programs do not work. Mech and Peterson (2003) state, "during the 1980's & 1990's there were extensive efforts, primarily through wolf control in Alaska and Yukon, to induce prey populations to increase to a high stable equilibrium, but none was successful."

Wilson states in his report that Mountain Caribou Science Team and MOE biologists consulted in the drafting of the report strongly recommended that wolves targeted for removal should be shot from helicopters.

Are your staff not aware of Section 27(2) of the Wildlife Act (BC) which states, (2) A person commits an offence if the person (a) hunts wildlife from an aircraft?

The Minister does not have the authority to authorize predator control programs by shooting from aircraft including helicopters because this activity is regulated by the Federal Government. Is the Minister aware of the Canadian Aviation Security Regulations?

The Canadian Aviation Security Regulations prohibit any carrying of loaded firearms or shooting from an aircraft. Under subsection 27(1) there is a provision to allow a federal or provincial department or agency that is engaged in wildlife control to have an unloaded firearm on the plane. Transport Canada officials have assured me that no firearms can be loaded on an aircraft nor can any shooting from an aircraft occur.

Can the Minister assure me that no hunting of wolves by ministry staff, or staff contracted by the ministry or any other sanctioned wolf control activities by the ministry, is being conducted or considered from helicopters or any other aircraft?

In the Caribou Progress Report of April 29,2008 it states that there has been extensive radio-collaring of wolves. 22 packs or 70% of wolves between Williams Lake and Revelstoke are now collared. MOE staff in the past have used these radio collars to locate wolf dens and have killed the pups and adult wolves. This is by way of their own admission that I obtained this info. Can the Minister assure me that these radio-collared wolves are being studied for research purposes and not a means for wolf control?

This same report stated that 6 male wolves and 6 female wolves have been sterilized in the Quesnel Highlands. Is this unethical practice of sterilization of wolves continuing? Who is performing this sterilization?

How many wolves have been killed in BC as a direct result of managing the Mountain Caribou Recovery?

There is a fundamental principle of human justice which is equal treatment for all under the law. As a society we have advanced minority rights, women's rights, and rights of oppressed religious groups to have equal treatment under the law. I submit that this same principle applies to how we treat wildlife. Under your ministry care, wolves have always experienced unequal treatment as compared to other species. The MOE has promoted bounties on wolves, poisoning of wolves, and recently harsh wolf culls like the 1980's Muskawa/Kechika wolf slaughter. This harsh, unequal treatment continues under the guise of predator control to augment the mountain caribou herds.

Wolf control is always the default position of the MOE. There has to be a paradigm shift from this thinking to wolf control as the very last measure after extensive research and consultation by a panel of prominent wolf biologists.

I ask the Minister to give canis lupus in BC the treatment it deserves as stated by L. David Mech, "I hope I can help other people to see the wolf for what it is: one more magnificent species, superbly adapted to contend with its harsh environment, and highly deserving of our understanding and acceptance."

I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Gary R. Allan, JD