At the 90th annual Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation (SWF) convention held in Moose Jaw, the River Ridge branch of the SWF presented a $2,000 donation to the Habitat Trust Fund.
Making the donation on behalf of River Ridge was Kathy Thomas, president, at the convention which ran from February 14 to 16. Other River Ridge representatives joining Thomas at the convention were: her husband Hal, Cliff and Kate Lockert, and Brad and Pat Thompson.
One of the topics of concern at the convention was zebra mussels, an aquatic invasive species (AIS.) Jeri Geiger, provincial AIS co-ordinator, was a presenter at the convention. She said zebra mussels could have a huge impact on fisheries and infrastructure in Saskatchewan, which highlights the importance of prevention.
In 2018, 2,922 watercraft were inspected, stated Geiger. Of those, 831 were considered high risk and 50 were decontaminated. A total of five were found positive for zebra mussels.
Those in attendance were reminded that the law requires watercraft users to stop at inspection stations and plugs must be removed.
To this point, 121 water bodies are being monitored for zebra mussels and all are negative so far, concluded Geiger.
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) was a topic of concern for many, and was addressed at the convention by Iga Stasiak, provincial wildlife health specialist. CWD is a disease which affects deer, elk and moose, said Stasiak. In 1996 it was discovered in an elk farm in the Regina area. To date, 349 animals have tested positive in Saskatchewan, including a significant number in northern regions of the province. Stasiak had several suggestions which hunters could follow to benefit the situation:
- submit heads for CWD testing
- dispose of carcasses in landfill
- don’t move carcasses over long distances
Stasiak went on to mention that the Saskatchewan ministry of environment is monitoring game farms to minimize the risk of CWD.
Katie Rasmussen, provincial wildlife ecologist, addressed the convention regarding moose management.
In recent years there has been a 30 to 50 per cent decline in moose populations in Canada and the United States, reported Rasmussen. She gave several possible causes of this decline:
- parasites
- predators
- changing landscape
- hunting pressure
Rasmussen went on to add that, in zones 56 and 57, located in the region south of Hudson Bay and east of Greenwater Lake Provincial Park, moose populations are significantly higher than other regions; in some cases, more than double. The province plans to collar moose in this region and follow their mortality to see if there are any apparent reasons why moose are, by comparison, flourishing there.
Elk management was discussed during the convention. According to information that was provided, in the last 10 years elk draw applications have gone from 10,000 to 30,000. Future topics for study are to include:
- hunter success rates
- cow/calf ratios from field reports
- crop insurance data
- winter severity
- hunter surveys
Hunters were reminded that it’s very important to fill out hunter surveys, since the ministry of environment uses the submitted information to help plan future draws and quotas.
Among the topics discussed at the convention was the involvement of women in SWF. The latest membership data indicates women comprise 40 per cent of the membership, a number which has been on the rise in recent years. A significant number of those women are studying biology and/or environmental topics in university, leading to careers in those fields. Thomas said she and other members are hoping to see women get more involved in the SWF executive in future years.
The convention passed a number of resolutions where SWF would like the provincial government to make changes.
Voted as the best resolution at the convention, it was resolved that all levels of government mandate all existing and past game farms and other captive deer and elk enclosures, including previously de-commissioned sites, maintain suitable fencing to prevent native and wild species of deer, elk and moose from entering these lands until science determines the CWD prions are no longer a threat.
A resolution was passed that the proposed regulation change to allow barbed hooks in 10 of the province’s catch and release waters for 2019 be stopped until there is supporting research that barbs, in fact, are not going to have a negative impact on resources.
It was resolved that the SWF urge the provincial government to develop policies and guidelines, regarding shoreline development around lakes, based on the total health of the ecosystem of each lake.
Since cellular service can be patchy in certain areas and not everyone has a data plan, it was resolved that SWF request that the ministry of environment issue printed copies of the Hunters and Trappers Guide and Anglers Guide for 2019 and future seasons.
The customary parade of cheques raised over $169,000 for SWF programs. On February 15 alone, nearly $33,000 was raised on the convention floor for Habitat Trust.
Thomas said with the conclusion of the convention, the River Ridge branch is busy planning its 30th annual banquet and awards night, which is scheduled for March 2 at Rainbow Hall in Canora.
