Timothy Schafer,聽Trail Daily Times
TRAIL 鈥� Unlike Greater Victoria, where concerns are about an abundance of deer, hunters in southeastern sa国际传媒 are worried about how few of the animals they鈥檙e finding.
With the region鈥檚 hunting season now mostly in the bag, the head of the Trial Wildlife Association says there was little success for hunters hoping to put venison in their freezer this winter. Terry Hanik says hunters from Nelson to Castlegar, Trail, Creston and Grand Forks, noticed a sparse population of deer 鈥� both white tail and mule.
He says the low deer count is concerning and hunters are wondering how to re-establish the natural balance.
Hunters have noticed a high number of predators including wolves, coyotes, cougars and even black bears.
Hanik suggests the remedy could be to get rid of some of the fiercest beasts, but although local wildlife associations have been lobbying for the province to formulated some controls a plan has not yet been implemented. 鈥淵ou talk to different hunters and they aren鈥檛 happy. The odd hunter is getting their game,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e need a management plan to see what we can do with the deer, and why their numbers are down.鈥�
The province released a draft plan in November for managing the grey wolf population, including the continuation of wolf hunting and the culling of animals in some areas.
鈥淲e have no other way if we want to save our deer, but also moose and elk,鈥� said Hanik. 鈥淲e are in bad shape all over. There has to be a remedy [soon] or else we are in dire straits.鈥�
The province has found wolf numbers are stable, increasing by about 400 over the last 20 years to 8,500. But the plan also noted that in some parts of the southern Interior wolves are killing livestock and endangered mountain caribou.
In contrast, Hanik said he counted fewer than 100 deer in an area south of Trail between March and October. 鈥淎t one time you used to be able to see 600 to 700 deer down in the area. Now you are lucky if you can count 75 to 100 down there,鈥� he said.
