Table Mountains

VOCM NEWS:
Jackman Talks Caribou With Outfitters
November 29, 2008

The Newfoundland and Labrador Outfitters Association is worried more caribou quota cuts are on the way. The group has seen their license allocations cut by more than 80 percent over the past couple of hunting seasons. The minister responsible for wildlife, Clyde Jackman, spoke during the group's meeting in Corner Brook yesterday. He says government is completing a 15 million dollar, 5 year study of the herd and he's waiting to look at the final numbers. Outfitters are asking government to bring in a plan to protect caribou now, rather than wait for the results of the five-year study.

This new proposal reminds me of how the government studied the Coyote population when Hunters and Outfiters suggested we start hunting them before their population got out of hand. We don't need a five year study. Data already exists and many of us already know what has to be done now so that the Newfoundland Caribou can recover. We saw the herds drop from an estimated 200,000 to around 6,500 in the early 1900's and this time with a predator such as the Coyote roaming the island we might not see a recovery. So Minster Jackman, start a Coyote cull by introducing a bigger bounty and promote a Coyote hunt to non residents by letting them have free Coyote licenses when they hunt big game here on the island.