Newsletter- Resident Hunter II
The newsletter is longer than normal but I am trying to educate you with the facts
that are highly critical of the provincial hunting opportunity agenda. If as expected the
2020-2022 Provincial Hunting Regulations have no significant reduction in Hunting
Opportunity then the political game going forward will resemble the North Atlantic Cod
and Pacific Salmon story, lots of criticism but no reduction in the harvest of wildlife.
Alex Rose’s message on the cover of his critical journal, Who Killed The Grand Banks
16 years on July 2, 1992 has been conveniently ignored by British Columbians “There’s
a price to pay when a society ignores it’s role as a steward of the environment. This
book poses the question of our generation: will the ecological disaster that befell the
northern cod happen again?”
Rose has salvaged one hard truth: the Grand Banks cod fishery was wiped out because
of made in Canada greed and wilful blindness.
The Hunting Opportunity Agenda in B.C. was driven by convenient facts that in
due course would prove to be one of the major reasons wildlife populations have
declined. The sad reality is that Hunting Opportunity was a fool’s game and has punched
a hole in the credibility of the British Columbia hunting fraternity.
The wildlife management bureaucracy is broken and needs a major overhaul.
Harvey Andrusak, the former B.C.W. F president and former provincial government
Fisheries Biologist, has insightful comments on the problem: Jan/Feb 2019-
B.C.Outdoors:
Central Authority- an issue that I am all too familiar with is the structure of the
Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resources and Rural Development which is
problematic for managing Fish and Wildlife. When the Fish and Wildlife Branch was
eventually shuffled into this ministry some years back it moved from a central
authority model to a regional model!
The downsizing of Fish and Wildlife positions over at least two decades has also
resulted in the loss of experienced staff due to retirement and that is true for the rest of
their ministry. Fish and Wildlife management expertise is now most often outside of
government.
Too often we have observed that inexperienced biologists don’t want peer review of
their proposals or management measures and find it easy to simply convince the
regional decision maker who knows little about fish or wildlife.
In summary,central authority is required for the effective management of fish and
wildlife. There are too many examples of poor decision making within Regions that
Victoria staff know about but can do little about. This situation needs fixing.
How do British Columbians who care about the province’s wildlife resource square up
with the wildlife management statistical dribble masquerading as science: preseason
ungulate population estimates, wildlife theory – you can’t compromise whitetail
populations with a rifle season on the whitetail doe and Hunter questionnaires which
obviously extrapolate the information in the wrong direction.
It is sad but true there is no better words to describe the sorry state of wildlife
management in B.C. than Mark Twain’s call: there are only lies, damn lies and
statistics.
Together for Wildlife, A Proposed Pathway for Improving For Improving Wildlife
Management and Habitat Conservation in British Columbia in reality is a weak
government document dominated by bureaucratic thinking and decisive words and
action that could instantly have a positive impact on wildlife are totally lost.
The new buzz phrase wildlife stewardship will be a long painful journey when the
mandate is to modernize our data and knowledge systems in collaboration with
indigenous governments, local governments, resource industries, stakeholders, nongovernment
organizations and the public.
The measure of Together For Wildlife and the credibility of the bureaucracy will be
front row centre when British Columbia’s ungulate species regional population estimates
and status preseason 2020 report is released to the public. Since 2000 the reports have
been released every three years. I will send you the 2017 report to once again remind
you that not one credible hunter I have spoken to agree with the numbers for large
ungulate populations.
How do we convince Premier John Horgan and his Cabinet colleagues the only way
to save the credibility of Together For Wildlife is to totally bypass the bureaucracy
The History Lesson-Hymns of the Republic. The story of the final year of the
American Civil War: S.C.Gwynne
President Abraham Lincoln and Ulylesse S. Grant Lieutenant General of union
armed forces marginalized the authority of war department officials. Consequently
Lincoln and Grant were able to agree on the disposition of Union soldiers which
resulted in the defeat of General Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia.
“Within the week Halleck, a brilliant political infighter was lobbying hard for large
transfers of troops from Virginia to northern cities with potential draft riots. This was
typical war department thinking: almost paranoiclly cautious, logical in a small
way but strategically unwise, unable to assess actual risk, and always willing to
overestimate a threat.”
“ Grant, with Lincoln’s oratory language sounding in head, asserted full control over
military affairs. The union commands on the Upper Potomac would be consolidated
as Grant had wanted them to be.”
The seven interconnected principles of the North American Wildlife Conservation
Model of Management is another marker for the collapse of responsible wildlife
management in British Columbia.
The North American Wildlife Conservation Model is an amazing natural
resource success story that most non-hunters and many hunters are unaware:
Conservation Matters Executive Summary- Guide Outfitters Association of British
Columbia Dec. 2011:
- Wildlife is a public resource
- Balance the market for wildlife
- Manage wildlife through law
- Hunting should be democratic
- Wildlife should only be killed for legitimate reasons
- Wildlife is an international resource.
- Use science to guide wildlife management decisions.
The Executive Summary is a wake up call that should be read by hunters and
non-hunters.
I have cherry picked a few quotes appropriate for the newsletter:
Social change and the 70% in the middle
“ If hunters are not active in promoting conservation and defending sustainable
use society will add hunting to the list of things that had to go.”
Looking Forward- The Fundamental Shift “The public wants to know that those
who use resource are thinking about the future. Accusations that hunters are selfish
and shallow are best countered with tangible proof of conservation projects, community
initiatives and funds dedicated towards science and conservation. The proof is in the
pudding. When it is obvious that hunters truly care about the future of wildlife the
70% in the middle will become more receptive to the benefits of hunting.
How do we reconcile the Looking Forward message with Hunting Opportunity?
B.C.Wildlife Federation Indictment
Outdoor Recreation Report Sept. 2017
Harvey Andusak, the new BCWF president explains that the organization is
evolving from being primarily a hunting organization to primarily a conservation
organization. Over the past 10 years B.C. resident hunters have increased by 20% to
102,000
The Federation Strategic Objectives are centered on the sound long term
management of British Columbia’s fish, wildlife, park and outdoor recreational
resources in the best interest of all British Columbians.
BCWF is concerned about the state of up to date wildlife inventories.
Harvey is confident that the only way to succeed in our common conservation goals is
to work co-operatively. I agree with Harvey Andusak’s message but how do we
reconcile hunting opportunity with the Federation’s concern about the state of up to
date wildlife population inventories and sound long term management of wildlife?
The truth of the matter is challenged by the following facts:
Plan to declare open season on white tailed deer draws fire-Ministry’s estimates are
inflated, guide-outfitter says- Vancouver Sun May 2010. “Brandow believes a general
open season on whitetails is not sustainable and irreparable harm could occur.”
Jese Zeman , co-chair for wildlife allocation the Wildlife Federation said the Ministry
has the best available science at it’s disposal to estimate numbers. Zeman said he
believes the ministry’s numbers and pointed out that in the town of Grand Forks, the
white tailed deer are so numerous they have become a major nuisance.
The 96-97 winter was long and brutal and as a consequence a few whitetail sought
refuge in the City of Grand Forks. A few residents fed them and the population steadily
grew. To-day the population in the city, regional district are down dramatically and the
whitetail on their historic range are down 95%.
Robert D. Pietro, a veteran hunter from Creston challenged the white tailed doe rifle
season and subsequently advertised his message on http://www.nomoredeaddoes.ca Jan. 16,
2018.
“The rural deer population is in drastic decline and in some areas has already
been decimated but our provincial wildlife biologists, working with outdated data and
very little resources still recommended the hunting of whitetail does or their fawns in a
21 day General Open Season. The population is crashing and every year countless
numbers of whitetail does and fawns are still killed.
The B.C. Wildlife Federation’s response to Robert DiPietro initiative was an e-mail
dated Dec. 11, 2017 by Gerry Paille- The B.C.W.F. Supports the principle of wildlife
management for the purpose of both consumptive (hunting and trapping) and nonconsumptive
uses and sees retention of hunting opportunity as a major priority.
Conservation is always of primary concern- that being said the B.C.W.F supports
General Open Season whenever possible and does not oppose the harvest of
anterless animals unless there is a conservation concern.
B.C. Outdoors magazine March/April 2019. President’s Report.
Moose and deer are in steep decline throughout the interior of the province-
Changing local hunting regulations will have little effect given the extent of the
decline.
The science indicates the moose and deer habitat are in poor condition due to
road and other linear development, extensive use of round up in the north, overgrazing,
extensive wildfires and forest in-growth.
The key to future success is continued emphasis on conservation as the B.C.W.F.
Primary purpose.
B.C. Wildlife Federation Member Update Jan. 9, 2020
The proposed provincial government regulations include more hunting restrictions for
some ungulate populations such as deer, elk, moose and caribou. The Wildlife
Federation wants the government to address declining wildlife populations by
investing significantly in better research and management rather than merely
regulating hunters.
BCWF-Outdoor Recreation Report 2017
As a large organization with a hefty membership base, the BCWF often uses it’s voice
to lobby government to advocate more support from provincial agencies.
The BCWF to-day claim they have 43,000 members but how many are hunters? How
many are members because of liability insurance and shooting range privileges?
In my strong opinion the BCWF message sum and total does not connect with
Guidelines for Wildlife Policy in Canada- 1982.
Preface
Wildlife is a great Canadian heritage, yet too little has been done to ensure it always
will be.
Introduction
Economics apart, the enjoyment of wildlife is widespread and greatly valued.
Therefore Canadians wish to ensure that wildlife will always exist in something like its
present diversity and distribution.
The Concept
The first is that all Canadians are free yo use and enjoy wildlife subject to laws: the
second is that the maintenance of wildlife populations must take precedence over their
use.
Guiding Principles
The maintenance of viable wildlife stocks always takes precedence over their use.
Canadians are the temporary custodians not the owners of their wildlife heritage.
Conservation of wildlife relies on a well informed public.
The Brandows in Grand Forks have owned and operated a Guide-Outfitting
business since June 1,1980. In our world credible hunters and outfitters must be a strong
voice for wildlife and have a C.V curriculum vitae to validate their measure.
Yes, there is at least one more chapter to the sorry story.
Barry Brandow Sr.
wildlifeheritageforever 