Resident Angler and Hunter Preservation Fund

During 1989 and 1990 moose calf recruitment in the Kootenay Region of BC fell to an all-time low and the Fish and Wildlife Branch started to think about putting moose on a Limited Entry Hunting (LEH) draw system

Up until 1990 non-resident interest in Kootenay moose was negligible but about this time the Safari Club International re-classified moose in southern BC and Alberta as Shiras Moose, despite very little biological evidence that supported the fact that moose in the Kootenay Region were actually of the Shiras sub-species.  However, this change generated some non-resident interest and moose suddenly became a marketable item for Kootenay Region guide-outfitters.

In 1991 LEH was announced and the allocation split, recognizing the previous low non-resident harvest, was set at 94% for residents and 6% for non-residents.  The LEH was initially announced as a temporary measure that would be eliminated when the population had recovered (yah right!). With the implementation of LEH resident moose hunting participation fell from 2500 to 500 hunters and the annual resident hunter harvest fell from 450 to 150 moose.  This is very similar to what occurred in many other parts of BC when LEH was implemented and Kootenay resident moose hunters today anxiously await an immature (spike-fork) bull season being proposed by MOE for 2009.

As non-resident interest increased the moose quota assigned to guide-outfitters was established at 15 moose divided amongst the outfitters of the Kootenay Region.   At that time three-year allocation periods were the norm and every three years guide-outfitters, resident hunters represented by the BCWF, and MOE met to negotiate the allocation percentages for the next three years.

In 2000 the MOE regional buearocracy allowed guide-outfitters in the Kootenay to stand down from allocation negotiations and to provide input directly to MOE, bypassing negotiations with residents.  That move, although very annoying to resident hunters, was a very successful and by 2003 moose quotas assigned to guide-outfitters by the MOE Region had risen from the previous 15 to 127 non-resident tags.  During the same period resident LEH authorizations for residents declined even though the moose population was making a significant recovery.

In 2004 negotiations on a new allocation policy and formula began.  It was eventually determined that too many moose were being allocated to non-residents and new allocation percentages were calculated and roll-backs to non-resident quota began in 2007.

Continue reading Moose Management Inequities In the Kootenay Region