This same thread came up on Bass Haven, a site I help to moderate.
A couple of years back I took the time to contact the biologists at Pelee and here is the gist of the conversation that I posted on Bass Haven
A crutial point to remember is a cull is NOT A HUNT...hunting is not allowed in federal parks like Pelee..which is why there isnt a public hunt vs a cull (provincial parks do have some hunts)
"I was able to connect today with a couple of people from Pt.Pelee Park. I believe the gentleman was Kevin (but I may be wrong..sorry) and Lyndsay. He is involved in the native affair section, Lyndsay is involved with the management of invasive species, wildlife, etc that require controls for the overall health of the parks ecosystems.
Let me say right off the bat that they were both extremely professional, pleasant, well informed and very very transparent. They were there to provide time for an open dialogue, and acknowledged that there are a lot of varying opinions and community concerns. They are not only open to calls and questions, but encourage you to call with any questions, etc that you have. I'll include Lyndsays contact # at the end.
I'll try to review the main points that we discussed as accurately as I can. Please remember that this is information that can be easily accessed through them, and its factual, not emotional. Obviously there will be varying degrees of agreement/disagreement but please don't make it a racial argument.
The cull is done with the Caldwell band as part of Parks Canada's plan to strengthen the relationships with native community groups in the park areas that require a wildlife cull. It recognizes long standing native rights and access to lands across Canada, and is intended to allow them to regain the use of these lands in these instances. Some of the right to access is entrenched in treaty both Federally and regionally. Apparently some of the local treaties were long ago folded into the bodies of larger treaties. It is not meant to discriminate against any group (eg non-aboriginals) but to support and recognize the long standing land usage of the local aboriginal communities. The Caldwell band is also local, already organized as a community group, etc which makes the planning and use of local resources easier.
I asked about the parks locally that did use non-native hunters such as Long Point, Wildwood, Pittock, etc and what is the difference with a park like Pelee. The parks like Pelee are federal Parks Canada, and there is no hunting allowed in any of their parks. The others I mentioned are Provincial and do allow hunting during the hunting seasons under certain conditions. I guess the difference is in Pelee, it is a cull vs a hunt. Lyndsay explained from a wildlife damage reduction standpoint, a cull is only one way to control species that are damaging the ecosystem in an area. Live trapping, poison baiting, etc are all ways used. In some cases like Pelee, a long gun cull is the best approach..? to be able to control exact #s of animals removed?
I presented the obvious opinions I've heard from non-native community members, outdoor organizations, etc as far as the appearance of exclusion, the appearance of bias towards the native groups. They both acknowledged that this is a very real and very sensitive issue. They reinforced that Parks Canada plan is to strengthen the relationships with aboriginal groups, especially given the recent residential school scandals, the court decisions supportive land claims, etc.
Lyndsay (Rodger) encourages anyone to call her and discuss concern, offer ideas, ask questions. They want to be as transparent as they can..and were with me. Please call here and have a conversation. Its good for the Parks Canada officials to hear what the community is thinking. Lyndsay's direct # is 819 420-9272
On a final note, and a personal request....
They both asked about the Bass Haven web site. I explained about the forums, how the site is intended to give honest up to date info regarding the outdoor opportunities in the area and across Ontario. Absolutely the best place to go. With this in mind, if you do contact them (and I hope you do) let them know you are from the Bass Haven forum, and please represent us all with the courtesy and respect we demand on this site. We're all ambassadors for the hunting/fishing community!!"
So, keep in mind that this is NOT a hunt or a hunting opportunity as we would like to see..which is why, despite what I would love to see, its not open to the public with a tag draw
Also....Kebodge made a very real post re singling out our native members. You may had personal opinions about how you view native rights but this board isn't the place to vent. Native rights are guaranteed in law..just like everyone else's..just different at times. We have native members here, some of us have native family members. This is a family forum.
