It's legal to shoot wolves, but not leaving them to rot

Marcel Tetrault, Comox Valley Echo
Published: Tuesday, October 20, 2009

A wolf shot dead and left to rot on the edge of Comox Logging Road was an unwelcome sight for the backcountry guide who came across the creature Saturday afternoon.

Mike Blake of Sea Peak Adventures was heading into the backcountry when, as he traveled along Comox Logging Road, he saw the dead wolf lying on the side of the road.

"It was shot for sure," said Blake. "It was a pretty good shot, it looked like a high-powered rifle.

"I've never actually seen a grey wolf in the wild on the Island, I've been here for 15 years. I've seen hundreds of bears and dozens of elk, but to see a grey wolf is quite a magical thing. To see one dead is not.

Blake was not pleased to see that the wolf had been shot but he was even less pleased to see that its carcass had been discarded at the side of the road just past the hydro dam.

"If they were going to eat it, sure whatever, or if they were going to make it a trophy, but it just got tossed," he said. "To just leave it on the side of the road is such a waste. That's just not right.

"That area is known for litter, there's lots of garbage, beer cans and all that kind of crap, but to see a wild animal ... shot on the side of the road was quite a sore sight."

Ben York, the supervisor for the North Island for the B.C. Conservation Service, agreed that the inappropriate action in this case was leaving the carcass at the side of the road.

It is, in fact, open season on wolves and the area where the dead wolf was found is one in which hunting is allowed.

York said there is a healthy population of wolves on the Island and they are typically a pretty tough species to hunt.

"They're usually very hard to see," he said. "They tend to be quite wily for the most part. Your typical wild wolf is long gone before you even know they are in the area."

But while killing the animal, assuming the hunter was properly licenced and following the appropriate regulations, was legal, failing to remove the carcass can result in anything from a verbal warning to a date with a judge and a potential $25,000 fine.

"That alone is a violation," said York. "But realistically, (any penalty) would depend on the circumstances."

York said that the conservation service is going to conduct an investigation into the incident. Anybody with any information is asked to call the Report all Poachers and Polluters hotline at 1-877-952-RAPP (7277).

mtetrault@comoxvalleyecho.com

© Comox Valley Echo 2009

http://www2.canada.com/comoxvalleyecho/news/story.html?id=c7059cba-868d-4feb-bed1-ef5ee9e5ce58

A wolf lies dead on the side of Comox Logging Road just past the hydro dam on Comox Lake. Shooting the wolf, assuming the hunter had the appropriate licence and followed the applicable regulations, was not illegal, but leaving the carcass at the side of the road was.
(Photo courtesy Mike Blake