Sheep Changes Coming
- Thread starter sheephunter
- Start date
I'm having a hard time believing what I'm reading. How is it that some "top" US sheep bio would be your go to. Why are these groups at this meeting not talking to the bios here in Alberta. Do these top sheep bios have a better understanding of the Alberta herd than our own bio's? I would love to hear what it is that they brought up that our bio's wouldn't have considered? I just spent a couple hours with one of our bio's and I had to wait for him to get off the phone with a counterpart in BC so I have a great deal of difficulty with your suggestion that they don't interact with others. When do you think the last time these so called "top" bios contacted Alberta bios for advice it would seem prudent considering our enviable position with regards to over the counter tags. Considering you have the inside track on these "top" bio's and considering they apparently will be having a say on how my hunting of bighorn sheep will be managed would you be so kind as to tell us who they are and what they suggested.
Has any one of these three outfits APOS, AFGA, WSF talked directly to the bio's involved in these changes? Well I guess that isn't fair considering how much pressure APOS has put on the bios to put it to a draw. And for any of the AFGA members that might be here APOS and WSF are not looking out for resident hunter interests regardless of what is been suggested in these posts by sh. If you want the info go and get it talk to the bios here in Alberta.
The effort being applied to make these changes so that it won't go to draw are weighing on those trying to avoid a draw and its getting closer and closer for them to just give up. Regardless of what is being spread as concern, the facts are that the herd dynamic is scewed (this is different then genetic harm has nothing to do with genetic harm) and ESRD is going to do something. If the incremental step of going to a full curl restriction isn't going to work for everyone they will put in a draw.
Read the management plan it is in there, when the numbers dictate a change they have only so many options available to them. And if this whole draw thing comes to pass I'll be on top of the mountain yelling to get outfitter allocations cut below 10% because even that is in the management plan ...Resident recreational use will have precedence over non-resident use.
You are giving up harvest opportunity...plain and simple. If there is no need to give up anything....why would we? Your desire to give away part of our hunting heritage so readily frightens me. There's no hurry to throw the baby out with the bathwater here. Relax and see what ESRD brings to the table and what much more intelligent minds than you or I have to say about the data and then we can decide first if anything is warranted and, if it is, what has the least impact on hunters while still achieving management goals. There are many things to consider here, including the fact that protecting young rams may actual increase the spread of disease. Lots we don't know and very little we do know.
Who knows...according to ESRD full curl is all that's on the table...the AGMAG groups on the other hand are looking at this as if everything is on the table.
Now that is hilarious.
Considering none of Alberta's senior bios are willing to talk I suspect that the AGMAG groups haven't got much from them. They outright refused to discuss full curl at a meeting yesterday. The groups are asking for dialogue. ESRD promises it will come March 4. It will be nice to have some independent bios look at the data. I'm sure even you can see the benefit of that. When our top sheep bio is pushing the genetic harm theory, it kind of makes me a tad less trusting.
As for the management plan, pretty hard to read it....it's being peer reviewed right now and again, no one seems to be privy to what's in it.
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LOL...I guess my use of the word "everything" was a tad zealous... I'm pretty sure you understood the meaning of my post but thanks for letting me clear that up. I suspect ending outfitting in Alberta and ending all hunting in Alberta are not on the table either. How about everything palatable to the collective groups involved...is that better
Well with this last comment I think we can wrap up any and all concern that we had that you have any credibility on this topic. I'm not even going to suggest that I misread this comment or that the new rallying cry is HARVEST OPPURTUNITY. You and whatever agenda it is that you think you are protecting is absurd. I almost hope that you bring this up to ESRD just for them to realize just how ridiculous you and those around you are. What bio would even bring this up? Give us names!!! Never mind I'll get it from someone else.
Learning new things can be frightening to some.......it was quite the topic of conversation at one of the Wild Sheep meetings last week. It's becoming more prevalent in some of the U.S. states but as far as I know unknown in Canada yet but that could be for no other reason than lack of testing. No one is saying it's happening here but it could possibly explain our low lamb survival rates on some ranges.....or perhaps it's just wolves and cougars. I'm sure open to listening though...as was everyone at the meeting. We can make informed decisions on management or we can make knee jerk ones.....thankfully all the groups involved seem to favour "informed"
I take it you didn't know about the new sheep management plan speaking of credability....lol
Bull. Simply time put in. Give me a couple months to dedicate to nothing else and see if my success goes up.
But if what you say is true they should have no problem finding full curl rams either...
Once full-curl rams exist I suspect they won't have difficulties but considering they will exist in smaller numbers than 4/5 curl rams, I suspect their success will drop in proportion...just as resident success will. The stats from 400/302 bear that out pretty well.
Their success is based primarily on two week hunts.....I'm sure you can spare two weeks
How am I giving up our hunting heritage? trying to put words in my mouth?
Perhaps by conceding on the harvest opportunity we protect our hunting heritage by still being able to hunt.
"protecting young rams may actual increase the spread of disease. Lots we don't know and very little we do know"
You just jumped the shark again Fonzie...
No I can't - I actually have 2 and 3 day hunts and I still manage success. Give me 2 weeks and I can pretty much tell you my success goes up 3 fold.
Full curl may well be the best option...I certainly haven't discounted it but it seems pretty foolhardy to embrace it before we know the facts.
As for the disease comment....you may well be much smarter that a number of the top U.S. sheep bios but for now I'll keep my mind open. Do you even know the disease being discussed or are you just discounting it because I brought it up? Count down to norski getting on Google....10...9....8 You will likely want to edit your posts then
I thought you hadn't killed a ram?
- Location
- AB foothills
And where exactly did he say that?
- Location
- AB foothills
Couldn't agree more!
I have, just don't advertise I guess.
I am in it for myself and what the trophy means to me, not accolades, awards or articles.
I thought I read that earlier...perhaps not....hence the "?"
Google not helping you identify that disease you feel is bunk......lol?
