Bounty: a payment to encourage the destruction of noxious animals. Webster-Merriam

Wolves in British Columbia are in grave danger at this writing. Steve Isdahl has proudly taken it upon himself on social media to have as many wolves killed in the province as he can. Contacting trappers on Facebook he is appealing to trappers and hunters in the seven regions to join him in his mission. He is raising funds for snares, leghold traps, gas for trucks and ATV access to remote management units.

It’s all there to see on his Facebook page, euphemistically named “BC Ungulate Foundation” which he wants to register as a charity. He claims that wolves have decimated deer, elk and moose populations in the province, and therefore must be killed exponentially in all regions. He provides no research on wolf populations nor research on specific ungulate populations, only the assertion of some hunters that they have been unable to kill as many ungulates as they did several years ago.

“This as fast action and awesome as it gets. 
We are literally racing the calendar to make a BIG difference before spring birthing season for 2018.”

There will be an increase in active trap lines across British Columbia this year, and snares will be set in unexpected places, with no warning signs to alert the public that these devices are nearby. In a recent incident near Nanaimo two dogs were caught in leghold traps within feet of each other. Dog walker Kim Andrews was unable to remove the trap immediately from the second dog, and took video of the excruciating pain that the trap caused.

The open season for Vancouver Island wolf trapping is November 1 to June 30. Island residents need to be aware that this mass trapping initiative will pose a danger to their pets and children while engaging in outdoor activities.

There is little to no protection for wolves in our province. By 1911 wolves were extinct in Atlantic Canada and to this day only 12% of wolf range is protected in our country. If we allow bounties on these highly evolved, keystone animals we will have learned nothing from centuries of experience. Leaving the care of wildlife to self-proclaimed “noble huntsmen” who invoke the specter of the Big Bag Wolf is poor public policy and bad management. We all deserve better.