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6TuesdayJanuary282014ResidentbisonhuntdrawsAboriginalcriticismByMEAGANWOHLBERGAboriginalgroupsintheSouthSlavearecon-cernedtherecentdecisiontoopenthebisonharvesttonon-AboriginalhuntersintheSlaveRiverLowlandscouldhaveanegativeimpactontheherdalongwithmoosepopu-lationsandexistingtraplines.ThedepartmentofEnviron-mentandNaturalResourcesENRannouncedinDecem-berthatforthersttimesincethe1980sresidenthunterswouldbeabletopurchaseonetageachtoharvestbisonwithintheSlaveRiverLow-landsmanagementunitnearGrandDetour-HookLake.SomeAboriginalharvestersintheareasaytheherdwhichcarriesbovinetuberculosisandbrucellosisisnothealthyenoughtosustainadditionalhunting.SmithsLandingFirstNationelderFrancoisPaulettewhohuntslowlandsbisoninthePointeBruleeareatwiceayearsaidtheherdhas-nallyachievedasenseofbal-anceaftertheseveredeclineinthe1970scausedbyoverhuntingwolvesdiseaseandforestres.Eversincethattimetheherdhasnevergoneup.Italwaysstaysataconstantofaround5000buffalosin-cludingthoseinthepark.Itseemslikethewolvesandbuffaloarenowmaintain-ingabalancePaulettesaid.WithdiseaseandtheriskofafutureanthraxoutbreakPaulettesaidheisworriedthosenumberscoulddropsuddenlywithoutwarning.Thisherdcannotsustainthishuntfromnon-indige-nousbiggamehunters.IvehuntedallthetimeandIveneverseenanincreaseinthoseherdshesaid.Thepopulationofthelowlandsherdaccordingtoa2009GNWTsurveyisestimatedat1700animalsconsideredstablebythedepartment.ThoughtheareabetweenFortSmithandFortResolutionboastsbetween6-7000bisonthemajorityofthoseareconsideredpartoftheherdbelongingtoWoodBuffaloNationalPark.ThoughthereisnolimitontheamountoftagstobeissuedbythedepartmentonlyseventagshavebeenissuedsofarforthehuntingseasonthatendsonMar.15fourinYellow-knifeandthreeinFortSmith.HuntisgoodnewsMinisterENRMinisterMichaelMiltenbergersaidthedepart-mentlefttheamountofavail-abletagsuncappedbecauseitdidnotexpectamassivesurgeinresidenthuntersgoingforthelowlandsbison.ComparativelyhesaidtheMackenzieBisonSanctuaryherd-priortotheanthraxout-breakin2012-couldeasilywithstandthe100bisonhar-vestedfromiteachyearbyapopulationvetimesthatoftheSouthSlave.ThisisagoodnewsstorythattheherdhasreboundedenoughinnumbersandinhealththatallNorthernerscannowbenetfromitasaresourceMiltenbergertoldTheJournal.Butweretrackingitcarefullyandifwehavetoswitchtoadrawsystemoratagsystemthatssomethingwelllookinto.MiltenbergersaidmostbisonharvestedintheSouthSlavearenotfromthelow-landsbutfromWoodBuf-faloNationalParkwhichAboriginalharvesterstakefromalongthehighwaywhenthebisonwanderoutsideoftheparkboundaries.MtisworriedaboutmoosetraplinesThoughunopposedtotheresidentharvestFortSmithMtisCouncilpresidentKenHudsonsaidmembersoftheNWTMtisNationfromFortSmithHayRiverandFortResolutionarecon-cernedthataninuxofhunt-erstotheareacouldseeparkbisonhuntedalongtheroadinadditiontothelowlands.Hesaidpeoplearealsoworriedaboutadditionalhuntingpressuresbeingputonthemoosepopulationaswellaspotentialimpactsonpeoplestraplines.AlotofpeopleinFortReswereconcernedaboutthedis-turbanceoftraplinestoaccessthesebuffalo.TheydbeusingtraditionaltrailstogettothesebisonsotherewasconcerninthatrespectHudsonsaid.TheMtisalsoexpressedconcernovertheconfusingandinadequateconsultationdoneontheharvestbeforeChristmas.ENRhassincemetwiththeMtisNationinHayRiverlastweekandhasasimilarmeetingscheduledwithSaltRiverFirstNation.AccordingtoMiltenbergerrenewableresourceofcerswithinthedepartmentareensuringresidenthuntersreceiveapackagewiththeirtagsoutliningtheareainwhichtheyaresupposedtohuntalongwithmapsshow-ingexistingtraplinesandinformationonidentifyingdiseasedanimals.Huntersarerequiredtore-porttoENRwhentheyaregoingouthuntingandiftheyaresuccessfulaswellasanyindicationsofdisease.Theministersaidarecentmoosepopulationsurveyshowsthereisahealthypop-ulationofmooseintheSouthSlaveandthatdifcultiesnd-ingmoosealongthehighwaymeanstheymayhavejustmovedtolessaccessibleareas.Miltenbergersaidthede-partmentistrackingtheout-comeofthehuntandusingconcernsbroughtforwardbyAboriginalgroupstomodifyanyfutureharvestingaswellasconsultation.PoliticsFirstNationsBisonintheSlaveRiverLowlandsareopentonon-Aboriginalhuntersthisyearforthersttimesincethe1980sbutsomeareworriedthediseasedherdwillbenegativelyimpacted.FilephotocascadegraphicsNewYearNewLook.Wemayhavechangedourlookbutwestillofferallthequalityproductsandservicesyouareusedtoplusmore.