BC’s Wolf Cull — Why We Have To Kill Wolves to Save At-Risk Caribou

Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada. I’m Robert Koopmans. I’ve hunted and fished in BC for more than 30 years, and come to love everything about this province and all it has to offer.

This year, I’ve teamed up with Randy Nelson, a retired fisheries officer and a skilled hunter with a lot of wisdom and experience to share. We’re going to chat through the coming months about a wide range of topics related to wildlife, hunting and fishing.

If there’s a specific topic you’re interested in, let us know, we’ll see what we can do. If nothing else, send us an email letting us know how we’re doing. Reach us at [email protected] … 

Today, Randy and I talk about the BC government’s recent decision to extend its wolf cull program in parts of the province to save at-risk woodland caribou. The wolf cull is always a hot topic in BC, with strong opinions  both for and against.

We decided to reach out to a biologist to learn more about the complexities of tis issue. Doug Heard retired in 2015 from his job as a wildlife biologist with both the governments of the NWT and BC and is now an independent researcher with his company, Tithonus Wildlife Research. He is also an adjunct professor at the University of Northern British Columbia.

He has devoted much of his life to the study of caribou and ways to keep them on the landscape. 

His knowledge of caribou and wolves and the relationship between them made for a fascinating discussion that will hopefully help others understand more about the issue.

Before we called Doug, however, we spent a few minutes catching up on our recent outdoor activities.

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Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. If you want to share a thought, send us an email at [email protected] …  I’m Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we’ll catch you next time.