S
Saskman
Guest
LAST EDITED ON Mar-11-08 AT 10:51AM (MST)[p]You guys have feeding programs to help out your deer herds. Check out how we help our deer herds up here in Canada. If you are squeemish don't look any further. This is what the Alberta government is doing to deal with CWD. Makes me absolutley sick.
Photos are at the bottom
The attached pictures were taken February 28, 2008 on
farmland 10 miles north of Provost Alberta.
Mandatory head submission of all hunter killed deer was
implemented in 2007 by the Alberta Government to monitor the
spread of C.W.D. (Chronic Wasting Disease). A positive case
was found in a deer shot 10 miles north of the town of
Provost. Due to this one positive case, the government has
resumed the cull of deer herds around the Provost area. To
date, of 5170 heads submitted throughout the province of
Alberta in the 2007 hunting season, 7 have tested positive.
This works out to 0.135% of all deer submitted throughout
the hunting season.
The section of land where the deer was harvested in the
Provost area has been deemed a ?hot zone? and as such, the
government plans to eliminate every single deer within a
10km radius around the initial site. In addition to the
total elimination of deer within this zone, the Alberta
government plans to reduce the deer population to 1 deer per
square kilometer in the deer wintering zone. The deer
wintering zone is a heavily wooded area stretching from the
hamlet of Metiskow northeast to the village of Chauvin.
This move will reduce the deer herd in W.M.U. 234 from an
estimated 10 000 head down to 1600 animals.
The Process of the Cull:
A helicopter is used to locate, chase, kill, and then
transport the deer back to the processing area. The pilot
of the helicopter will hover over the bush until the deer
taking cover within become nervous and run to a different
area. Once the deer enter a clearing and the pilot has
spotted the deer the chase begins. The pilot overcomes the
deer and drops the helicopter to about 10? off the ground at
which point the gunner begins shooting. The gunner uses a
semiautomatic .223, (smaller than the minimum legal gun for
hunting purposes) to shoot the animals. Once a deer has
been wounded the gunner switches to another and continues to
shoot. (Wounded deer are not killed until all deer in the
clearing have been shot). Once the shooting is finished,
the transportation of carcasses begins. The helicopter will
hover a foot or so off of the ground and the gunner will hop
out and attach a cable around the deer?s head. Once the
deer has been secured the gunner will hop back into the
chopper to pick up the next
deer. At no time during this process does the pilot land
the chopper. On average 5 deer are attached to the chopper
per trip and transported to the waiting trucks. Once the
deer reach the trucks the processing of the meat is supposed
to take place.
The processing of the meat involves the skinning of the
animal (removal of the hide), gutting the deer, removal of
the head for testing, and hanging the meat in storage until
the results of the tests are back. Landowners and hunters
around the area were led to believe that this process would
be followed and that the meat would not be wasted.
A resident of the Chauvin area flew over one of the areas
where a cull was being conducted and noticed the pit that
you can see at the bottom of the email. When questioned
about the pit, the response of the game wardens was that the
pit contained animals that could not be processed fast
enough and animals that were shot in a manner that was
deemed unsafe for human consumption. Deer were deemed
unsafe for human consumption by the wardens when the deer
were shot multiple times or when the deer were shot in the
guts. The wardens were also of the impression that any
animal that was not processed within a 4 hour time frame
from the time of death was also unfit for human consumption.
Animals that were thought to show signs of sickness were
also placed into the pit.
The rifle season around the Provost area occurs throughout
the month of November with some extension based on the type
of tag issued. Hunters that were issued C.W.D. tags had
until the 20th of December whereas landowners had until the
15th of January to fill tags. Deer that are harvested in
this time will appear healthier than deer harvested later in
the year due to the fact that the deer have not had to
struggle through the winter months. The winter experienced
around the Provost area was harsher than previous years due
to a heavy snowfall early in the year and a weeklong cold
snap of -40 weather occurring in mid February which would
result in the apparent ?sickness? of many of the animals. A
rifle season throughout November also allows hunters the
opportunity to harvest doe (female deer) before the breeding
season is in full swing. Once a doe has been bred the
resulting strain of carrying a fawn will also contribute to
the appearance of the animal.
As a hunter I know the difficulties with placing a ?clean?
hit on a running animal. When you are shooting deer on the
run from a moving chopper the odds of hitting the deer?s
vital area (heart or lungs) decrease immensely and as a
result more animals are gut shot or shot in areas that will
ruin meat and require additional shots to end the suffering
of the animal. As a hunter I also know the length of time
it takes to properly field dress an animal, remove the meat
for consumption, and the penalties for wasting the meat.
Hunters that are found shooting game and allowing the meat
to purposely spoil may loose their hunting privileges for a
period of time or face criminal charges depending on the
severity of the incident (hunters are also responsible for
the cleaning of their game should they accidentally
gut-shoot the animal).
After following the helicopter around and witnessing the
amount of deer harvested on the 28, there is no possible way
that the deer could be processed in the 4 hour time period
allowed by the government leading to the disposal of mass
quantities of meat that any hunter would face charges for.
The placement and subsequent burial of deer in pits also
constitutes a great offence (farmers who bury dead cattle
can face up to 10 years in prison) as one of the theories
surrounding C.W.D. is that the disease originated with and
is present in the soil. The placement of deer carcasses
into pits simply results in the retention of the disease
should one of those deer be a carrier of C.W.D. Mass burial
sites like the one pictured may also result in the leaching
of harmful substances into ground water sources
contaminating the water supply for many areas around the
site. This issue is especially important when considering
the proximity of the pit in relation to a provincial park.
The pit is located 1 mile north of D ilberry Lake, a
provincial park where many families from the Provost and
surrounding area take their kids for the summer. In
addition, the soil composition of the area is sandy which
will greatly contribute to the leaching of blood and bodily
fluids considering the quantity of the deer present in the
pits.
Saskatchewan and many states within the U.S.A. have tried to
stop the spread of C.W.D. in the same manner that the
Alberta government is currently undertaking. After many
attempts these areas realized that this disease could not be
stopped in this manner and have since sought alternate
methods for control.
As set out in the 2007 Alberta Guide to Hunting Regulations
that all hunters must follow:
GENERAL:
It is unlawful to:
2. harass, injure, or kill any wildlife with a vehicle,
aircraft, or boat. 3. hunt any wildlife with or from an
aircraft, or communicate, for the purpose of hunting, the
signs or whereabouts of wildlife seen during a flight on an
aircraft. 6. allow the edible meat of any game bird or big
game animal, except cougar or bear, to be wasted, destroyed,
spoiled, or abandoned. 7. have a loaded firearm (live
ammunition in breech, chamber, or magazine) in or on, or
discharge a weapon from
-a boat unless the boat is propelled by muscular
power or is at anchor and the person is hunting, or
-any kind of aircraft or vehicle whether it is
moving or stationary.
BIG GAME:
It is unlawful to
1. set out, use, or employ any of the following items for
the purpose of hunting big game:
-ammunition of less than .23 caliber,
-an auto-loading firearm that has the capacity
to hold more than 5 cartridges in the magazine,
-bait, except as permitted for the hunting of
black bears 13. hunt big game within 6 hours of having
disembarked from an aircraft, except for a jet or
turbo-propelled aircraft.
If a hunter breaks any of the above regulations they may be
persecuted to the maximum extent of the law, yet the Alberta
Fish and Wildlife division is breaking all of these
regulations on a daily basis during the process of the cull.
Recently positive cases of C.W.D. have been found in various
areas along the W.M.U. zones bordering the province of
Saskatchewan with a case as far north as Clandonald (North
of Vermillion). There is talk of extending the area of the
cull from W.M.U. 234 to W.M.U. 200 starting after the next
hunting season. Unfortunately it is too late to save the
quality of hunting that many hunters have enjoyed for
countless years through W.M.U. 234, but other areas may yet
be saved. I ask that you please forward this email to the
contacts in your list so that the awareness of the
atrocities being performed by the Alberta Fish and Wildlife
Department will grow. Even if you are not a hunter, or do
not know any hunters keep the email in circulation. With
enough support on this issue we can stop the needless
slaughter of countless deer in other areas surrounding the
Saskatchewan border.
To voice your concern over the deer cull occurring in W.M.U.
234 simply call 310-0000 and ask to be transferred to Ted
Morton?s office. Ted Morton can also be reached by email at
[email protected].
Photos are at the bottom
The attached pictures were taken February 28, 2008 on
farmland 10 miles north of Provost Alberta.
Mandatory head submission of all hunter killed deer was
implemented in 2007 by the Alberta Government to monitor the
spread of C.W.D. (Chronic Wasting Disease). A positive case
was found in a deer shot 10 miles north of the town of
Provost. Due to this one positive case, the government has
resumed the cull of deer herds around the Provost area. To
date, of 5170 heads submitted throughout the province of
Alberta in the 2007 hunting season, 7 have tested positive.
This works out to 0.135% of all deer submitted throughout
the hunting season.
The section of land where the deer was harvested in the
Provost area has been deemed a ?hot zone? and as such, the
government plans to eliminate every single deer within a
10km radius around the initial site. In addition to the
total elimination of deer within this zone, the Alberta
government plans to reduce the deer population to 1 deer per
square kilometer in the deer wintering zone. The deer
wintering zone is a heavily wooded area stretching from the
hamlet of Metiskow northeast to the village of Chauvin.
This move will reduce the deer herd in W.M.U. 234 from an
estimated 10 000 head down to 1600 animals.
The Process of the Cull:
A helicopter is used to locate, chase, kill, and then
transport the deer back to the processing area. The pilot
of the helicopter will hover over the bush until the deer
taking cover within become nervous and run to a different
area. Once the deer enter a clearing and the pilot has
spotted the deer the chase begins. The pilot overcomes the
deer and drops the helicopter to about 10? off the ground at
which point the gunner begins shooting. The gunner uses a
semiautomatic .223, (smaller than the minimum legal gun for
hunting purposes) to shoot the animals. Once a deer has
been wounded the gunner switches to another and continues to
shoot. (Wounded deer are not killed until all deer in the
clearing have been shot). Once the shooting is finished,
the transportation of carcasses begins. The helicopter will
hover a foot or so off of the ground and the gunner will hop
out and attach a cable around the deer?s head. Once the
deer has been secured the gunner will hop back into the
chopper to pick up the next
deer. At no time during this process does the pilot land
the chopper. On average 5 deer are attached to the chopper
per trip and transported to the waiting trucks. Once the
deer reach the trucks the processing of the meat is supposed
to take place.
The processing of the meat involves the skinning of the
animal (removal of the hide), gutting the deer, removal of
the head for testing, and hanging the meat in storage until
the results of the tests are back. Landowners and hunters
around the area were led to believe that this process would
be followed and that the meat would not be wasted.
A resident of the Chauvin area flew over one of the areas
where a cull was being conducted and noticed the pit that
you can see at the bottom of the email. When questioned
about the pit, the response of the game wardens was that the
pit contained animals that could not be processed fast
enough and animals that were shot in a manner that was
deemed unsafe for human consumption. Deer were deemed
unsafe for human consumption by the wardens when the deer
were shot multiple times or when the deer were shot in the
guts. The wardens were also of the impression that any
animal that was not processed within a 4 hour time frame
from the time of death was also unfit for human consumption.
Animals that were thought to show signs of sickness were
also placed into the pit.
The rifle season around the Provost area occurs throughout
the month of November with some extension based on the type
of tag issued. Hunters that were issued C.W.D. tags had
until the 20th of December whereas landowners had until the
15th of January to fill tags. Deer that are harvested in
this time will appear healthier than deer harvested later in
the year due to the fact that the deer have not had to
struggle through the winter months. The winter experienced
around the Provost area was harsher than previous years due
to a heavy snowfall early in the year and a weeklong cold
snap of -40 weather occurring in mid February which would
result in the apparent ?sickness? of many of the animals. A
rifle season throughout November also allows hunters the
opportunity to harvest doe (female deer) before the breeding
season is in full swing. Once a doe has been bred the
resulting strain of carrying a fawn will also contribute to
the appearance of the animal.
As a hunter I know the difficulties with placing a ?clean?
hit on a running animal. When you are shooting deer on the
run from a moving chopper the odds of hitting the deer?s
vital area (heart or lungs) decrease immensely and as a
result more animals are gut shot or shot in areas that will
ruin meat and require additional shots to end the suffering
of the animal. As a hunter I also know the length of time
it takes to properly field dress an animal, remove the meat
for consumption, and the penalties for wasting the meat.
Hunters that are found shooting game and allowing the meat
to purposely spoil may loose their hunting privileges for a
period of time or face criminal charges depending on the
severity of the incident (hunters are also responsible for
the cleaning of their game should they accidentally
gut-shoot the animal).
After following the helicopter around and witnessing the
amount of deer harvested on the 28, there is no possible way
that the deer could be processed in the 4 hour time period
allowed by the government leading to the disposal of mass
quantities of meat that any hunter would face charges for.
The placement and subsequent burial of deer in pits also
constitutes a great offence (farmers who bury dead cattle
can face up to 10 years in prison) as one of the theories
surrounding C.W.D. is that the disease originated with and
is present in the soil. The placement of deer carcasses
into pits simply results in the retention of the disease
should one of those deer be a carrier of C.W.D. Mass burial
sites like the one pictured may also result in the leaching
of harmful substances into ground water sources
contaminating the water supply for many areas around the
site. This issue is especially important when considering
the proximity of the pit in relation to a provincial park.
The pit is located 1 mile north of D ilberry Lake, a
provincial park where many families from the Provost and
surrounding area take their kids for the summer. In
addition, the soil composition of the area is sandy which
will greatly contribute to the leaching of blood and bodily
fluids considering the quantity of the deer present in the
pits.
Saskatchewan and many states within the U.S.A. have tried to
stop the spread of C.W.D. in the same manner that the
Alberta government is currently undertaking. After many
attempts these areas realized that this disease could not be
stopped in this manner and have since sought alternate
methods for control.
As set out in the 2007 Alberta Guide to Hunting Regulations
that all hunters must follow:
GENERAL:
It is unlawful to:
2. harass, injure, or kill any wildlife with a vehicle,
aircraft, or boat. 3. hunt any wildlife with or from an
aircraft, or communicate, for the purpose of hunting, the
signs or whereabouts of wildlife seen during a flight on an
aircraft. 6. allow the edible meat of any game bird or big
game animal, except cougar or bear, to be wasted, destroyed,
spoiled, or abandoned. 7. have a loaded firearm (live
ammunition in breech, chamber, or magazine) in or on, or
discharge a weapon from
-a boat unless the boat is propelled by muscular
power or is at anchor and the person is hunting, or
-any kind of aircraft or vehicle whether it is
moving or stationary.
BIG GAME:
It is unlawful to
1. set out, use, or employ any of the following items for
the purpose of hunting big game:
-ammunition of less than .23 caliber,
-an auto-loading firearm that has the capacity
to hold more than 5 cartridges in the magazine,
-bait, except as permitted for the hunting of
black bears 13. hunt big game within 6 hours of having
disembarked from an aircraft, except for a jet or
turbo-propelled aircraft.
If a hunter breaks any of the above regulations they may be
persecuted to the maximum extent of the law, yet the Alberta
Fish and Wildlife division is breaking all of these
regulations on a daily basis during the process of the cull.
Recently positive cases of C.W.D. have been found in various
areas along the W.M.U. zones bordering the province of
Saskatchewan with a case as far north as Clandonald (North
of Vermillion). There is talk of extending the area of the
cull from W.M.U. 234 to W.M.U. 200 starting after the next
hunting season. Unfortunately it is too late to save the
quality of hunting that many hunters have enjoyed for
countless years through W.M.U. 234, but other areas may yet
be saved. I ask that you please forward this email to the
contacts in your list so that the awareness of the
atrocities being performed by the Alberta Fish and Wildlife
Department will grow. Even if you are not a hunter, or do
not know any hunters keep the email in circulation. With
enough support on this issue we can stop the needless
slaughter of countless deer in other areas surrounding the
Saskatchewan border.
To voice your concern over the deer cull occurring in W.M.U.
234 simply call 310-0000 and ask to be transferred to Ted
Morton?s office. Ted Morton can also be reached by email at
[email protected].
