I've been seeing posts that the caribou in Newfoundland are not doing well. A moose/caribou hunt has been a long standing dream of mine. What is the problem and what are the prospects.
Thanks
Bfly

from what I gather, its calf predation by coyotes.

I was there last year, dissapointed to only see one Caribou!
I was told that they have a form of CWD that"s wiping them out(that and predation from high bear numbers and new populations of coyotes recntly arrived)
Many zones will not have a season for "bou in the near future.
good shooting

There has been a 60% decline in caribou since 1996. During this period, coyotes have gotten onto the island - how is unknown. In the past, the herds were preyed upon by lynx and black bear and maintained a balance. With the addition of coyotes, the additional losses have resulted in big decreases in calves surviving.

One portion of the country is closed altogether for caribou hunts and there have been large reductions in numbers of available tags.

The government has started a multi-year study to evaluate the problems. Here's a quote from an announcement in February of this year.

quote:

Caribou populations have been in a state of decline since the mid to late 1990s. A provincial assessment of caribou populations, carried out by the Wildlife Division of the Department of Environment and Conservation over the past couple of years, has confirmed these declines. From an estimated peak of over 90,000 caribou in 1996, the current population is estimated at 37,000, representing a decrease of approximately 60 per cent. Predators such as the black bear, coyote and lynx are the major factors associated with this decline. Results to date indicate declines have been in the range of 40-60 per cent for most herds on the island portion of the province; however, the Grey River Herd has decreased by approximately 90 per cent of its historically highest population level. This has resulted in the need to close this area to all hunting efforts, commencing the fall of 2008.

Thanks, that was the rumors I heard. Sad state of affairs.
Bfly

Yes, it's sad especially since some believe the coyotes were intentionally released.

I was there during the rut last year in the NW part of the island. Five hunters worked hard for a week and came home with one nice caribou, two typical animals, and one small forked horn. Only two moose were taken.

In the week I saw only 3 bulls, one too far away to hunt, half a dozen cows, and no calves. The outfitter warned us on arrival that bulls were scarce and to take the first decent one we saw.

I didn't have a moose tag and had a nice moose 75 yards away broadside for 10 minutes. I did have a bear tag and wanted one badly but never saw a bear or bear sign.

Here's the caribou - one of the typical animals. Taken at almost 300 yards with a .30-06 and 180 gr Nosler Partitions after a half mile stalk.

quote:

Yes, it's sad especially since some believe the coyotes were intentionally released.

FYI- Actually, coyotes have been seen crossing the sea ice onto the island. Not intentionally released. There were articles about them crossing over as early as a few years ago.

Too many caribou permits, combined with poaching/shooting at animals is another cause of decline. I saw many dead caribou that had been shot and left by so-called "hunters". That, combined with increased predators is going to cause the demise of the caribou, unless, we do something about it.

I will say that in Labrador I've seen hundreds of caribou shot and left for dead. Some in deep freeze conditions, could have been left to be picked up later, but most likely were raven/crow/wolf/fox food or spring bear food. There was a deliberate destruction of caribou in some areas, mainly because the herds were so large that the thought that they would decline was unthinkable, until it started to happen in front of their very eyes...

Moral of the story: Let's not make caribou the bison of the north.

Coyote and Black Bear predation are having major impacts on calf mortality rates. There is no CWD in Newfoundland!!! There is a caribou parasite called Brainworm that was accidentally introduced to our Caribou population early in the 20th Century by a Dr. Grenville who helped import a number of European Reindeer to the province as beasts of burden. The experiment was a failure and the end result was the introduction of a new parasite to a population of Caribou that had no historical immunity to the worm. Populations flat-lined and then eventually rebounded. In recent years the Avalon Peninsula herd was hard hit with another outbreak but has made a comeback of sorts.

The problem right now is calf mortality rates make herd pops unsustainable. I'm sure there is some poaching going on, but I'm also wondering about "trophy" hunting and its impact? Constantly removing the best genetics from a population cannot help but have some negative effects.

However, the simple fact is, the provincial government has constantly neglected the Dept. of Wildlife in favour of Forestry. We're paying for that neglect now with massive declines in Caribou populations. I used to hunt Area 64, "Middle Ridge" on a regular basis. I noticed a big decline in caribou sightings from the late 1990s compared to the early 2000s. My written concerns to the Dept. of Wildlife never received any comments or reply.

Studies are well and good, however, the government should instantly make Black Bear licenses free and available over the counter. To encourage more coyote hunting, they should remove caliber restrictions and permit local hunters to use whatever firearm they currently own. Many are unwilling or simply cannot afford to purchase a dedicated coyote rifle. Saying that poaching rates will rise isn't true. Poachers aren't going to obey the law regardless. Honest hunters will no matter the "temptation."

The Dept. of Wildlife should also invest in a free hunter education courses on hunting coyotes and black bear, as neither species have been traditionally hunted by local hunters. Black bears were hunted as targets of opportunity mostly by moose/caribou hunters. Coyote hunting wasn't even permitted until a few years ago and most locals simply don't know how to do it successfully. I had to invest in lots of books and videos to teach myself the basics and ask lots of questions on on-line hunting forums before I became successful. The government should also stress the fact that they pay for Coyote carcasses.

I'm tellin you guys, an outfitter could have a shot at making some great predator hunts! Win-win, dead coyotes, happy predator hunters getting to take advantage of 'yotes that aren't used to being hunted. Just need some guides to learn a few things about calling them in. You could even do it in off seasons of the big game hunts to make more use of the camps. Offer hunters a small % off a moose or bear hunt or a fishing trip for every several coyotes they take. Let the outfitters collect the bounty on the carcasses. Everyones happy!