Agriculture-Wildlife Strategy

Managing conflicts between wildlife and agriculture, including competing demands for rangeland, can be a challenge. In the Cariboo-Chilcotin, discussions about a range management strategy began in early 2009, with participation of the Province of BC, First Nations, agricultural producers and organizations, and guide, outfitting and hunting organizations.

A working group, later to become the “Cariboo-Chilcotin Regional Agriculture-Wildlife Committee,” was formed to look into the economic impact of wildlife on agriculture in the region and propose a strategy to prevent loss of forage, annual crops and livestock.

Coordinating the Committee’s work was the Cariboo Cattlemen’s Association, BC Sheep Producers and two provincial ministries, with funding from the BC Agriculture Research and Development Corporation (ARDCorp). FBC provided secretariat services.

In June 2011 the Committee adopted a draft plan with agreement on these priorities:

• Mitigating forage loss, crop damage and impacts on infrastructure — The approach includes increased hunter coordination, modified hunting regulations, experiments in ungulate behaviour modification and improved fencing and infrastructure.
• Mitigating the impact of predators on livestock — Steps include better coordination of trappers, guide outfitters and First Nations.
• Improved Crown land and resource management — More research is needed on migrant and resident deer populations and better mule deer management. Techniques include lure cropping (to draw deer away from private land) and better grazing opportunities through prescribed burning and ecosystem restoration.
• Small landowner impacts — More information is needed on the impact of small landowners and any link between deer habituation on small properties and crop losses on agricultural lands.

Throughout this planning process, there was a shared acknowledgement that Aboriginal rights must be respected in any actions taken to mitigate wildlife impacts on the agriculture sector.

In July 2014 a meeting was convened for agricultural producers, guide outfitters, trappers, First Nations and local government representatives in response to a call for public on a proposed Elk Management Plan for the Cariboo. The Committee prepared a response in August.

For more information, contact: , Regional Manager, Cariboo-Chilcotin.