The Guide-outfitters Association of BC (GOABC) has requested that the government put all resident sheep hunting opportunities across the Province on LEH (a draw system) or remove all guide-outfitter quotas. This move could put sheep populations at serious risk or it would throw resident hunters under the bus. Either way this is the latest attack on resident hunting opportunity and priority in BC.
A paper released by GOABC in January which was never to be seen beyond bureaucrats in Victoria or MLAs states: “If there is a conservation concern or a need to control the harvest then guides should be on quotas and the recreational hunters should be on Limited Entry Hunting (LEH), and vice versa.” GOABC considers this fair.
Currently there are several hunts where outfitters are on quotas and resident are on GOS and for good reason. No guide-outfitter quotas was tried up until the 70s with devastating results. In the Peace non-resident hunters were harvesting up to 86% of the sheep and putting sheep herd health at risk resulting in LEH in one area.
As a result RAMS (Resident Action for Mountain Sheep) was formed and it was only after a long and hard fought battle that outfitter quota and compulsory inspection was put in place to bring non-resident harvest down.
The driving force behind quota was a major over-harvest by non-residents, thus creating a conservation concern. Removing guide-outfitter quota is not a place resident hunters want to go back to.
Continue reading Sheep on LEH: GOABC tries to throw resident hunters under the bus
