Mountain pine beetle, salvage logging and overhunting spell trouble for B.C. moose

Salvage logging in mountain pine beetle-ravaged forest is responsible for a drop in moose numbers in the Cariboo region of B.C. because it opened up areas to more hunting, says a report recently acquired by the Vancouver Sun through an access to information request.

According to a story in the Sun, “vast clearcuts left moose exposed on the landscape — to human and wild predators — and a proliferation of logging roads made it easier for hunters on motorized vehicles to get at them.”

While the report points the finger at all hunters, it singles out First Nations hunters, who are not obliged to report their kills. Therefore, it’s harder for wildlife managers to get a clear picture how many moose are being harvested.

The report concluded that an “unsustainable portion of mortality must come from either unregulated hunting or natural sources.”

The Cariboo region extends approximately from Clinton north to Quesnel and from Tweedsmuir Provincial Park east to the Cariboo Mountains.