Protect the Future of Hunting in B.C.

Historically, hunters have been among the strongest advocates for wildlife. 

The North American Model of Wildlife Conservation is the world’s most successful system of policies and laws to restore and safeguard fish and wildlife and their habitats through sound science and active management.

We have watched a multitude of species be brought back from the brink of extinction using this model. 

Across the entire continent in just over 100 years, we have watched elk go from 40,000 to well over a million.

We have watched whitetail deer skyrocket from 500,000 to well over 30 million.

Hunters conserve. Hunters care. Hunters do not want to see extirpation or extinction.

BCWF volunteers spend over 300,000 hours a year giving back. Our SIMD project alone saw volunteers process well over 1 million trail camera photos this last year.

We are advocating hard for science-based wildlife management.
We are advocating for a dedicated funding model for wildlife, with legislated goals and objectives.

And now, due to emotionally charged campaigns, the future of conservation and hunting in British Columbia is at risk. You can help change that by getting involved. Your voice matters.

To get involved, or to find out what you can do to help change the narrative, email our Conservation, Hunting, Angling and Firearms Policy & Engagement Coordinator Steve Hamilton, at advocacy@bcwf.bc.ca

The B.C. Wildlife Federation (BCWF) is responding to the call for feedback on the BC Provincial Government Commercial Bear-Viewing Strategy Public Engagement. The BCWF supports sustainable hunting and associated management practices when based on evidence, and we are calling for similar measures when it comes to wildlife and bear viewing.

We also recognize and acknowledge that Aboriginal rights and interests need to be protected, and that culturally important sites are respected and maintained.

The BCWF recognizes that commercial bear viewing is a highly profitable and sustainable use of a resource, however, we are concerned that without objectives, legislation, and regulation, there is a potential for misuse and serious impacts on wildlife and their habitats.

Leave your own feedback here until August 18.

The B.C. Wildlife Federation is responding to the call for feedback on the B.C. Provincial Government’s Grizzly Bear Stewardship Framework Public Engagement.

The BCWF is committed to working with First Nations to restore the Grizzly bear hunt in B.C., governed by science-based management. The foundations of renewable resource management include funding and capacity; science (inventory, management, monitoring, objectives, and research); legislation; and finally, governance. A number of these are missing from the stewardship framework.

Leave your own feedback here until August 18. 

Read the study on “Understanding and avoiding misplaced efforts in conservation” by Adam T. Ford et al. linked below to learn about misplaced conservation and the impact of polarization and misinformation on conservation and biodiversity (see an excerpt of the study’s abstract below).

Abstract

Conservation relies on cooperation among different interest groups and appropriate use of evidence to make decisions that benefit people and biodiversity. However, misplaced conservation occurs when cooperation and evidence are impeded by polarization and misinformation. This impedance influences actions that directly harm biodiversity, alienate partners and disrupt partnerships, waste resources, misinform the public, and (or) delegitimize evidence…

Read UBC Okanagan’s article on a group of researchers, spanning six universities and three continents, who are sounding the alarm on a topic not often discussed in the context of conservation—misinformation.

The B.C. Wildlife Federation has reviewed the paper “Large carnivore hunting and the social license to hunt.” The paper infers hunters kill carnivores such as black bears for trophies and that only a minority hunt carnivores. A literature review related to hunters’ motivations and license sales in B.C. demonstrates this claim is unsupported by available evidence.

Jesse Zeman, Executive Director of the B.C. Wildlife Federation touches on the recently published study “Large carnivore hunting and the social license to hunt.” and provides guidance for hunters on talking about hunting with the public.

On March 11, Dylan Eyers from the EatWild Podcast invited Jenny Ly with Chasing Food Club and volunteer with BC Backcountry Hunters and Anglers and Jesse Zeman, BCWF director for fish and wildlife restoration on to the podcast to try to understand what’s happening in our community. They talked about their interpretation of social licence and how the hunting community can build a social licence.

The Rookie Hunter Podcast is brought to you by the Wild Sheep Foundation. It provides an entertaining and educational view into the complex world of hunting and conservation from the perspective of Kelly and Garrett, two B.C. hunters.

In the latest Podcast episode, Kelly and Garrett are joined by Jesse Zeman, Director Fish and Wildlife Restoration at the B.C. Wildlife Federation to discuss anti-hunting pressure in relation to black bears and large carnivores. The crew also catch up on the Southern Interior Mule Deer Project and Jesse and Garrett talk horse programs.