By The Canadian Press

Hunters say elk populations fall in southeastern B.C., but hunting ban opposed

Jul 11, 2016 | 10:37 AM

CRANBROOK, B.C. — Hunters in British Columbia’s East Kootenay region are warning of what they say is a dramatic drop in the number of elk in the southeastern corner of the province.

The president of the East Kootenay Hunters Association, Larry Hall, says the province must do more to protect elk and moose.

He says elk populations, in particular, have declined by almost 75 per cent in less than 50 years.

Hall does not support a ban on hunting, saying hunters are very conscious of the problem and don’t believe a ban would help replenish stocks.

Instead, he calls on Cranbrook-area hunters to join a club to add clout to organizations demanding change.

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Hall says elk populations have fallen steadily over several decades.

“We’ve had as much as 30,000 elk in the East Kootenay and now we are down to 7,500 to 8,000 elk. We’re down to about a quarter of the elk population that we had 40 and 50 years ago,” he says.

The East Kootenay Hunters Association is a member club of the regional wildlife association.

(CHBZ)