Author Topic: Alberta Caribou? (Read 9165 times)

walleyes · « **Reply #80 on:** March 18, 2013, 05:56:25 PM »

Quote from: Alberta_huntress_83 on March 18, 2013, 05:24:54 PM

LOL no sympathy seeking here. I don't like preferential treatment either, but I just saw this article and was shocked! Wondered if there was any validity to it....or if I've been living under a rock for 6 months lol.

My appoligies then Huntress,, I miss understood your stance on it.

Alberta_huntress_83 · « **Reply #81 on:** March 19, 2013, 05:39:51 AM »

Quote from: Tuc on March 18, 2013, 05:28:05 PM

Whow Huntress, how did you find this....and am I reading this correctly. Does he really have the gatunya's to go there.

I think this is a thread on it's own. Huntress, do you mind if I steal that link?

LOL nope steal away, that's what I posted it for.

Walleyes, I don't believe in preferential treatment, but have also accepted that my efforts to fight it are futile, so I just don't bother arguing it anymore. I know by this thread I stood up for FN rights, and I do believe certain things should be left alone but really I was just being a devils advocate as per usual. I love a good debate so if I argue for both sides on things don't be surprised lol. Anyhoo, will continue this on the other thread

Joe Fehr · « **Reply #82 on:** March 19, 2013, 11:08:52 AM »

Saw a heard of mountain caribou up the Muskwa while hunting, we weren't packing a caribou out of there tho. Beautiful animals tho!

honkerhitter · « **Reply #83 on:** March 21, 2013, 09:10:26 AM »

I was chatting with a buddy from the Yukon he basically said forget about the caribou bring a fishing rod and we'll go fishing. Asked why he said there is no challenge in hunting them you could kill them with a big rock. That's one guy that lives there opinion.
One thing I can't wrap my head around is that when a snowmobiler flys off a cliff, or a skier goes out of bounds and gets burried in an avalanche, people casually say it was a Darwin Award , or the Darwin theory kicking in. Yet when an animal like the woodland Caribou can't adapt or won't adapt to changing conditions which is truly Darwin theory at work . We then rally around the hope of falsely propping up the population is actually going to solve something when the writing is on the wall. Shooting moose, banning off road vehicles, stopping forestry are all band aid fixes for a problem that ain't going away and cannot be remedied by man. Unless the can learn to adapt like the whitetail or the coyote they are done for.

deerman · « **Reply #84 on:** March 21, 2013, 10:20:24 AM »

Quote from: honkerhitter on March 21, 2013, 09:10:26 AM

I was chatting with a buddy from the Yukon he basically said forget about the caribou bring a fishing rod and we'll go fishing. Asked why he said there is no challenge in hunting them you could kill them with a big rock. That's one guy that lives there opinion.
One thing I can't wrap my head around is that when a snowmobiler flys off a cliff, or a skier goes out of bounds and gets burried in an avalanche, people casually say it was a Darwin Award , or the Darwin theory kicking in. Yet when an animal like the woodland Caribou can't adapt or won't adapt to changing conditions which is truly Darwin theory at work . We then rally around the hope of falsely propping up the population is actually going to solve something when the writing is on the wall. Shooting moose, banning off road vehicles, stopping forestry are all band aid fixes for a problem that ain't going away and cannot be remedied by man. Unless the can learn to adapt like the whitetail or the coyote they are done for.

I can't quite see your logic there? Are you saying that there is no use having any wildlife or fish management? If an animal cannot survive against man's superior mind and equipment and numbers then it is destined to and should be extinct?

honkerhitter · « **Reply #85 on:** March 21, 2013, 11:44:46 AM »

All I'm saying is despite the efforts to help the woodland caribou in this province they continue to dwindle. I'm saying just leave them alone do not spend any extra time and manpower and resources on them if they were meant to be they will survive if they can't well ......

walleyes · « **Reply #86 on:** March 21, 2013, 02:29:41 PM »

Some good points honker..

Like I say in many regions the caribou are not doing as bad as they make it seem. In our area they seem to be adapted quite well. It's not unusual to see some decent sized herds around our leases and bush roads,, with many young ones in tow. Like a lot of things when it comes to our wildlife, it's propaganda.

deerman · « **Reply #87 on:** March 21, 2013, 10:33:22 PM »

LOL!

For those of you who are interested, I would say that our trained and experienced wildlife and fisheries staff do the best they can to manage wildlife and fish. They don't always get it right and they often get trumped by politicians but by far most of them are dedicated to protecting populations and providing recreational opportunities for us sportsmen.

Guido · « **Reply #88 on:** March 21, 2013, 10:49:09 PM »

Quote from: deerman on March 21, 2013, 10:33:22 PM

LOL!

For those of you who are interested, I would say that our trained and experienced wildlife and fisheries staff do the best they can to manage wildlife and fish. They don't always get it right and they often get trumped by politicians but by far most of them are dedicated to protecting populations and providing recreational opportunities for us sportsmen.

You're the only one ever trying to back up our wildlife employees. If it wasn't for the erroneous grizzly count of 6 bears south of hiway 3 a few years ago, that contributed for the loss of the grizzly season, they might have a bit more credibility.

Paul · « **Reply #89 on:** March 21, 2013, 11:43:25 PM »

The real question is why can most species thrive in Alberta, just look at the elk numbers, but not caribou. I used to see caribou tracks as far south as near fort assinaboine from the slave lake side of big bend in the south mitsue, but not sure if there are any of them left.

deerman · « **Reply #90 on:** March 22, 2013, 09:03:47 AM »

Somewhere I have kind of before and after air photos of an area. One pic shows a bit of "wilderness" without roads and pipelines and cutlines and cut-blocks and well sites. The other is the same view only it is criss crossed, dotted and splashed with industrial disturbance. All of which provide more access for human activity and help predators get to game.

Caribou have been effected more by this activity than other animals. I am not sure exactly why but that is what I have heard.

A friend was in the states at a fisheries conference and he told me this story. A fellow from Alberta was giving a presentation on a Bull trout study in Alberta in the Clearwater drainage (west of Rocky). On his power point he put up a pic of part of the study area. Then he clicked and all the roads, pipelines, well sites and cut-blocks appeared. There was an audible gasp from the crowd. And I guess a realization that a fish that does well in "wilderness" was running out of it.

JIMMY 808 · « **Reply #91 on:** March 22, 2013, 04:30:28 PM »

Extinction Is a part of earth if the caribou can't make oh well. I hope the last woolly mammoth tasted as good as the first.

Lurch · « **Reply #92 on:** March 26, 2013, 04:22:18 PM »

Quote from: Paul on March 21, 2013, 11:43:25 PM

The real question is why can most species thrive in Alberta, just look at the elk numbers, but not caribou. I used to see caribou tracks as far south as near fort assinaboine from the slave lake side of big bend in the south mitsue, but not sure if there are any of them left.

Woodland Caribou which are the species found here are old growth forest dwellers.

The oil and gas and agricultural and forestry expansion obviously have a big impact on their habitat - much like the footprint expansion in the areas of native rangeland and Sage grouse in the south.

I don't think either are understood that well - but we will never likely stop development for any animal species so my guess is they are a dying breed.

Sonny · « **Reply #93 on:** March 26, 2013, 04:30:59 PM »

Quote from: Lurch on March 26, 2013, 04:22:18 PM

Woodland Caribou which are the species found here are old growth forest dwellers.

The oil and gas and agricultural and forestry expansion obviously have a big impact on their habitat - much like the footprint expansion in the areas of native rangeland and Sage grouse in the south.

I don't think either are understood that well - but we will never likely stop development for any animal species so my guess is they are a dying breed.

I think you're right on the dying breed.

Used to see them all the time on #40 highway south of Grande Cache,now,not so much anymore.

Same in Jasper,was common to see them on the icefields parkway in the Sunwapta falls area but there is no oil/gas activity there so I just don't know what's up with that?

*edit*
Just remembered that back in 1981 or 82 maybe some joker from Hinton was caught with a Caribou in his truck.

Yup,he put an elk tag on it..

Lurch · « **Reply #94 on:** March 26, 2013, 05:00:17 PM »

I remember seeing them up by the Chinchaga river - we even had to drop the pipelines we were installing for when they migrated. Trouble was they didn't like the activity and didn't take the historic route. Not sure what happened to them.

That Jasper area had a pretty good sized fire in the late 60's - I remember reading how it made the bear and Elk habitat great post fire. Whatever would make good habitat for them would likely not be so great for caribou.

And being a specialist is really their downfall.

Elk can adapt to many forages and habitat. As can Hungarian Partridge.

Species like woodland caribou and Sage grouse are doomed unless the habitat that supports them is deemed important enough to retain them.

Sonny · « **Reply #95 on:** March 26, 2013, 05:12:54 PM »

Hmm..that fire scenerio makes a lot of sence,adapt to new surroundings or die.

Thanks Lurch.

AxeMan · « **Reply #96 on:** March 26, 2013, 06:37:14 PM »

I saw one on Friday evening and a million tracks from the rest of the herd. I also saw lots of wolf tracks on the plowed roads and pipe lines. I believe human activity makes hunting easier for the wolves. In three feet of deep snow in the bush I would say advantage caribou. On a hard pack blown snow lake, or a road, or plowed pipeline I would say advantage wolves.

Speckle55 · « **Reply #97 on:** March 26, 2013, 11:15:59 PM »

In 1936 or so 4 box car loads of Elk were brought to Jasper (JNP) .. in 1937 2 box car loads of Elk were brought to Athabasca ranch.In the 1950 the Elk showed up at Rock Lake. in 1962 we started seeing Whitetail deer in the Athabasca valley.. if it's 4 degrees warmer on average .. and the antelope are higher in thier range .. more warmer weather diseases in ungulates etc are showing up(EHV etc).

is the Woodland Cariboo in Alberta being adjusted by allot of factors and is one of the biggest we have little or no control

Whats happening to Cariboo herds in Yukon/Northwest Territories/Nunavit/Lab/NFL

Food for Thought

David

Author Topic: Alberta Caribou? (Read 9165 times)

walleyes

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Alberta_huntress_83

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Joe Fehr

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honkerhitter

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deerman

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honkerhitter

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walleyes

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deerman

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Guido

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Paul

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deerman

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JIMMY 808

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Lurch

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Sonny

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Lurch

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Sonny

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AxeMan

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Speckle55

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