If I had it my way these are some of the changes I would make to how Manitoba Conservation conducts their operations:
1) Fire everyone who does not agree to or cannot meet the new set of goals and targets regarding game population numbers, age structure and quality, hunter success rates, etc. The mandate will now be to provide a 90% chance of harvesting a mature animal 4 years old or older, either ###, in 4 full days of hunting to each licensed hunter and from any of the available species that currently inhabit the province without causing any long term declines in the numbers of any of the species.
2) Add a 25% tax onto the sale of each tag and the sale of each fishing license. Use the funds generated to exclusively fund habitat acquisitions and strategic initiatives. The current $5 enhancement fund fee is inadequate and generates about $500,000 annually, and only a small portion of this goes directly to habitat.
3) Survey aerially each wildlife management zone as well as wildlife management areas within each zone which are set aside by the province to provide habitat. Note game population numbers, age and ### to establish density and other demographic characteristics each and every year. The survey does not have to be comprehensive, however it must take place.
4) Provide incentives for landowners who agree to maintain at least 320 acres of productive habitat for wildlife. Such incentives will include landowner only tags which are transferable or salable if they should so choose. Tags for elk and moose will be available for landowners who provide at least 1280 acres of suitable habitat and can prove a population of animals. Everyone else will be on a draw system for each species unless they donate $500 to the wildlife enhancement fund, in which case they will have priority of zone or area.
5) Landowners who claim damages from wildlife will have an opportunity to work with a hunter directly to compensate for the damages in exchange for the opportunity to hunt the animals responsible so long as all other measures have been taken by the landowner to prevent such damages. The landowner is expected to prove damages prior to having the opportunity to work with a hunter to control the problem. The current practice of landowners taking care of the problem themselves will be frowned upon and investigated. However in some cases there may be no other rational option.
6) All hunters who purchase game tags or licenses will be required to fill out a post season survey and such individuals who refuse will be refused hunting or fishing licenses next season. This will allow a more thorough understanding of hunter harvest success rates, and other valuable information like age and health of the animals.
7) Individuals involved in vehicle insurance claims with wildlife will be assessed a penalty fee depending on what they killed. A $500 fee will be assessed for a moose or elk, $250 for deer, smaller animals as to be determined. This would drastically reduce the collision rate as many users of the road begin to adjust their speed and driving habits to avoid collisions with wildlife. Fixing cars is a costly business in both human lives and insurance premiums. Both can easily be reduced by making drivers responsible for their own driving choices. In many cases dropping your highway cruising speed 15kmph during certain times and in certain areas is sufficient to avoid collisions with wildlife.
8) All 83 Wildlife Management Areas encompassing a total area 2 million acres will be fenced, monitored, managed and studied intensively. In each of these 83 areas, a seasoned hunter or other knowledgeable person will be appointed, and responsible to manage hunter relations in such areas as well as maintain statistics and take samples from animals harvested from these zones, which will be tested for CWD & bovine TB or other diseases such as rabies (the most deadly disease currently know to humans). Genetic diversity issues such as gene flow and genetic drift will be addressed through transfer and exchange of selected animals to new locations after disease testing and careful thought. This is very similar to and modeled after the 80 year old PFRA pasture system currently in Saskatchewan and Manitoba used by cattle producers. In addition to protecting the investment, the fencing will prevent animal - vehicle collisions, saving many human lives. It will also make disease monitoring and treatment much easier and assure that herds are maintained at carrying capacity limits to provide max hunting opportunities. All ecosystems seek to establish max carrying capacity limits, however, left to their own devices, populations crashes occasionally occur, giving rise to cycles. Such management efforts will seek to remove these occurrences.
9) All bears shot will be reported to the department and the gall bladders will be forfeited to the department where they will be sold directly to Asian markets. The money raised from such sale will be used to prevent poaching, enforce chosen laws, improve habitat quality and the quality and quantity of game. 3,500 bears x $1000-$5000/gall bladder = 3.5 million - 17.5 million that we currently throw away like idiots.
10) All previously seized antlers including trophy sets, furs, and animals parts will be sold on the open market and such funds generated will be reinvested into wildlife related initiatives including research to prevent and control diseases like Chronic wasting disease, bovine tuberculosis, and rabies, which may include inoculation or ingestion of antivirals through feed.
11) Tags and bag limits available to hunters will be available based on how many animals can be harvested without causing a decrease in numbers. Generally no more than 10% of a herd can be harvested without some declines, however, intensively managed herds can see higher rates of harvest. Eventually when game numbers increase to carrying capacity levels, the max tag output opportunity will have been reached. Until such time a draw will have to suffice.
Because Manitoba currently has 90% crown land there will be more than enough areas to freely hunt. This will not change. But the above mentioned initiatives will directly contribute over 100 million dollars in funds to be invested back into wildlife protection and conservation. Roughly 2/3 of the current 2015 budget of Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship and more than 25 million dollars more than what hunters and fisherman contribute annually in all of Ontario.
