Had a birthday last week, and acknowledging i have more seasons in the mountain behind me than ahead has had me in a reflective mood.
I know a lot of the folks in this section of the forum are non-resident hunters hoping to chase sheep in BC (or elsewhere in western Canada) so i'll share some of my predictions moving forward but bear in mind this a BC focused view.
Sheep hunting will not look anything like it has in the past by 2030 (for both resident and non-resident hunters). The combination of Truth and Reconciliation measures with First Nations, the blunders of wildlife managers and the loss of social license due to urban voting will see sheep hunting diminished to the point of extinction.
I will provide some context here, so bear with me.
As First Nations are given more authority over land usage (especially in Northern Areas), access to both resident and non-resident hunters will be choked off (see the Tsilhqot'in Ruling on land use/hunting rights as an example). To the East, we see First Nations now allowed to hunt Bighorns inside of a National Park in Alberta as part of this process.
Wildlife Managers have not done effective monitoring or predator control in the province for over thirty years. Tag allocations and seasons are not predicated on science and effective management of resources. As an example we have seen Bighorn Sheep units in Region 4 moved to an LEH model in a reactive manner not based on good science.
The fixation on sheep and sheep hunting as a "trophy endeavour" has diminished the ability to defend it to the 80% of the public of BC that are non-hunters that vote and are swayed by rational arguments. When i engaged with my local Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) last year to discuss the growing threat to sheep, goat and cougar hunting he was very clear that he and many others did not view these pursuits as "hunting for food" and as such the government had no social license from its constituents to support it. This is a rural MLA with a Phd. in ecology. The majority of BC residents (urban and rural) support hunting when it is ethical, is sustainable and is seen as providing food.
I know that there are a few folks that say "screw 'em, i don't care what a bunch of city folks think" but as we saw with the grizzly bear hunt, the voting public guides policy. And before this becomes a "left wing/right wing" discussion, folks of all political stripes have the capacity to be enemies or allies.
When hunters become fixated on "ram size and age class" with no sound science to back up why these animals are pursued other than they are "the biggest and oldest" that social license will be lost. When non-resident hunters are perceived to come up and spend $60-80K just to shoot a ram of a certain age/horn class it is solely regarding as trophy hunting at that point.
The fine line that is necessary to be walked is unsustainable from a public perception standpoint as such some are likely to lose access to sheep hunting. Let's be honest: social media doesn't help.
So, in summary Guide outfitter tenures will be returned to First Nations control, and they are unlikely to allow non-resident hunting. Resident hunters will see a very small LEH allocations annually in very limited areas.
Sheep hunting as we have known it and enjoyed it will be forever changed.
I know a lot of the folks in this section of the forum are non-resident hunters hoping to chase sheep in BC (or elsewhere in western Canada) so i'll share some of my predictions moving forward but bear in mind this a BC focused view.
Sheep hunting will not look anything like it has in the past by 2030 (for both resident and non-resident hunters). The combination of Truth and Reconciliation measures with First Nations, the blunders of wildlife managers and the loss of social license due to urban voting will see sheep hunting diminished to the point of extinction.
I will provide some context here, so bear with me.
As First Nations are given more authority over land usage (especially in Northern Areas), access to both resident and non-resident hunters will be choked off (see the Tsilhqot'in Ruling on land use/hunting rights as an example). To the East, we see First Nations now allowed to hunt Bighorns inside of a National Park in Alberta as part of this process.
Wildlife Managers have not done effective monitoring or predator control in the province for over thirty years. Tag allocations and seasons are not predicated on science and effective management of resources. As an example we have seen Bighorn Sheep units in Region 4 moved to an LEH model in a reactive manner not based on good science.
The fixation on sheep and sheep hunting as a "trophy endeavour" has diminished the ability to defend it to the 80% of the public of BC that are non-hunters that vote and are swayed by rational arguments. When i engaged with my local Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) last year to discuss the growing threat to sheep, goat and cougar hunting he was very clear that he and many others did not view these pursuits as "hunting for food" and as such the government had no social license from its constituents to support it. This is a rural MLA with a Phd. in ecology. The majority of BC residents (urban and rural) support hunting when it is ethical, is sustainable and is seen as providing food.
I know that there are a few folks that say "screw 'em, i don't care what a bunch of city folks think" but as we saw with the grizzly bear hunt, the voting public guides policy. And before this becomes a "left wing/right wing" discussion, folks of all political stripes have the capacity to be enemies or allies.
When hunters become fixated on "ram size and age class" with no sound science to back up why these animals are pursued other than they are "the biggest and oldest" that social license will be lost. When non-resident hunters are perceived to come up and spend $60-80K just to shoot a ram of a certain age/horn class it is solely regarding as trophy hunting at that point.
The fine line that is necessary to be walked is unsustainable from a public perception standpoint as such some are likely to lose access to sheep hunting. Let's be honest: social media doesn't help.
So, in summary Guide outfitter tenures will be returned to First Nations control, and they are unlikely to allow non-resident hunting. Resident hunters will see a very small LEH allocations annually in very limited areas.
Sheep hunting as we have known it and enjoyed it will be forever changed.
