Sled Dog Watchdog: Yukon News Tristin Hopper 'Wolf bag-limit' article

'Wolf bag-limit more than doubles'
Tristin Hopper, Yukon News - August 13th, 2008

The wolf bag-limit for Yukon resident hunters has been increased from three to seven. It's necessary to
control wolf populations in the absence of trapping, say proponents. The change was proposed in
mid-2007 by both the Teslin and Alsek Renewable Resource Councils, with the goal of seeing
"wolf-hunting opportunities enhanced."

On the official proposal drafted by Environment Yukon it was estimated that given the small number of
wolf hunters in the Yukon, the change would enhance the capabilities of the wolf-hunter minority, yet
leave the wolf population relatively untouched.

Between 2001 and 2005, only nine out of a total of 74 resident hunters took the maximum bag-limit of
two wolves, said the proposal.

Allowing hunters to bag more wolves is essential for Champagne-Aishihik's caribou and moose recovery
progam, said a statement by Alsek Renewable Resources Council executive director Susan Desjardins.

"In the past, predators were controlled through trapping," said the statement. Now, with fewer trappers,
increased bag-limits are required for the few existing wolf hunters, wrote Desjardins. "Wolves are not
hunted by many people; this regulation change offers an opportunity to the few who do harvest them and
use their pelts, while helping to keep the wolf population in check," she wrote.

"The majority of people aren't into hunting wolves," said Gord Zealand, executive director of the Yukon
Fish and Game Association. "You would have to be a very good hunter to be able to (take more than
three wolves)," he said.

The proposal was initially brought before the Yukon Fish and Wildlife Management Board, which
conducted public consultation in communities throughout the territory.

Following a final public meeting in Whitehorse, incorporating all the Yukon's renewable resource councils,
an official recommendation was passed by the board to the Minister of Environment. Public consultations
were host to some opposition, including the Yukon Conservation Society.

"There's no information provided to justify increasing the limit from an ecological point of view," said a
comment submitted to the board by the society. "More information on wolf populations in the current
management zones is needed."

"If the only reason for the changes is that wolves are perceived to reduce game animal populations in
some zones, then what we would have liked is studies on the impact of wolf predation to be provided,"
said Karen Baltgailis, executive director of the Yukon Conservation Society. "We didn't feel there was
enough information to justify (the change)," she said.

Environment estimates that 40 per cent of the wolf population dies of natural causes in the Yukon
wilderness each year. The territory's wolf population stands at 4,500, according to the department.

Graham Van Tighem, executive director of the Yukon Fish and Wildlife Management Board refused to
comment on the record.

Members of the Teslin Renewable Resources Council could not be reached for comment.

[Contact Tristin Hopper at tristinh@yukon-news.com]

'Yukon's rigor mortification' [Letter to editor published in Yukon News]

Re: 'Wolf bag-limit more than doubles' (Yukon News - August 13th, 2008)

Requesting an amendment to the Wildlife Act seems akin to writing a letter to Santa Claus—it doesn’t hurt
to ask, and you never know, if you are in good favour with the Man, you may get what you want. You
don’t even have to justify your request. Just ask nicely, and if there are plenty of
whatever-it-is-you’re-asking-for in the warehouse, your wish will be granted.

Take the example of the increased “bag limit” on wolves. This increase was proposed by both the Teslin
and Alsek Renewable Resource Councils, and judging by the public consultation booklet on the proposed
Wildlife Act revisions, neither RRC provided any scientific rationale for their request.

At the public consultation meeting last winter, spokespeople for the two RRCs said they wanted to
increase the “bag limit” simply because the wolves exist, as if it’s a real shame to have animals there to
shoot at, and not to be able to shoot them. They didn’t seem prepared to justify their proposals, and no
wonder, given that the proposals were being assessed by a panel of hunters. As Graham van Tighem (the
Fish & Wildlife Management Board’s Executive Director) put it at the public meeting, “We’re all hunters
here.” In the Yukon , it seems the foxes have been asked to guard the hen-house.

Now the Alsek Renewable Resources Council has released a statement that Champagne-Aishihik's caribou
and moose recovery progam would benefit from an expanded wolf hunt (Yukon News - August 13th,
2008 ). Have they not considered that the decline in caribou and moose is likely due to human activity
(i.e. over-hunting) and not an over-abundant wolf population? How can we justify saving a moose from a
wolf today, just so a hunter can kill the moose tomorrow? This is a self-serving and ultimately ecocidal
approach to wildlife management.

Despite the flimsy argument in favour of expanding the wolf hunt, the “bag limit” has now been raised
from 3 to 7 wolves.

If we followed modern standards in wildlife management, a scientific evidence base would be required
before any such changes were made. I’m appalled at the lack of rigour that is applied to evaluating these
“wish-list” types of proposals. Then again, maybe I should start believing in Santa Claus. Just think what I
could ask for this coming winter.

Rachel Westfall
Whitehorse

'Wolf murderers' [Letter to editor published in Whitehorse Daily Star and Yukon News]

Open letter to the new Environment Minister Elaine Taylor:

Wolves are legally murdered in the Yukon from August 1- March 31. Alpha male, alpha female, pregnant
wolves and wolf pups are all targets! And now you are permiting local hunters to murder 7 wolves each
(up from three), and non-resident killers can murder two wolves each.Your department has not released
the official report behind this decisions to kill even more wolves (and other animals).

We (the public) have a right to know the rationale behind your decision to kill more wolves. Is it because
wolves are considered competition for hunters? It's ironic that we allow people to kill wolves because we
view them as competition, since they eat moose and caribou. Instead, we could stop hunting entirely and
let the wolves take what they need to survive. We don't need to hunt to survive.

Wolves have a right to live out their own lives. They play an important role in the health and diversity of
the ecosystem.

Let them be!

Mike Grieco
[Contact Mike at info@yukonwolves.com]