In my July column for the Alberta Outdoorsmen, I continue my discussion about how modern technology has changed hunting and its effect on the resource. In this part, I specifically look at the effects of All-Terrain-Vehicle use by hunters and non-hunters on wildlife. I review a study in Oregon that examined the effects of the use of ATVs, mountain bikes, horses and just walking had on some herds of elk. The study showed that ATVs and mountain bike riders have a significant effect on elk movements, sometimes permanently changing the way the animals use their habitat. When you think about it, this is not hard to understand; ATVs make a lot of noise, mountain bikes move swiftly–all things sensitive to most game species.
With our human population constantly increasing and our fixed resources being more and more stressed, governments will have to step in with more regulations and enforcement if we are to maintain the values we go to the woods to find.
So, what’s wrong with that?
Tags: Alberta, Alberta Outdoorsmen, ATV, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, hunting technology, mountain bike, technology
