TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 15, 2015
STUDIO 64
TYLER HORNBY IN CONCERT
See LOCAL NEWS page 3
FEDERAL ELECTION
MORE CANDIDATE QUESTIONS
See FEATURES page 5
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Biologists keeping close eye on deer populations TRE VOR CR AWLEY
As the season turns into fall, hunters are hauling out their gear to head out into the backcountry to search for their elusive ungulates. Hunting season, starting with an early archery phase, opened on Sept. 1st for elk, mule and whitetail deer, and moose. For the most part, ungulate populations in the area seem to be doing alright, according to a wildlife biologist with the Fish and Wildlife branch of the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations. However, the government is keeping an eye on the mule deer population, as hunting regulations recently replaced an any mule deer buck season with a four-point mule deer buck season. “That was mainly because of concerns about low buck-to-doe ratios in some areas,” said Tara Szkorupa, a wildlife biologist. “And then we just have concerns about the mule deer population overall. We don’t believe that there was any correlation between the any buck season and the declines in the mule deer because there was still good fawn recruitment and breeding and there didn’t appear to be any effect on breeding.” A combination of animal health and predation are potential factors to the population decline, she added. “Those can interact and there can be less complicating factors around that, but those are the main two factors that we’re looking at,” Sz-
korupa said. “So the health and the body condition of the animals—that would point to habitat potentially being limiting and then we have radio collars that a signal goes off when the animal dies and we can get in on the animal quickly and look at which predators—if it was predated on—which predator was involved.” Wildlife biologists aren’t as concerned about Whitetail deer, but are still watching the populations very closely, she added. Hunters have reported fewer whitetail sightings to the Fish and Wildlife branch in areas with good road access and heavy hunting pressure. However, based off the harvest records from 2014, hunters seem to be having a lot of success with Whitetails, she said. “Whitetail, overall, appear to be doing quite well, but we’re watching the populations very closely and we’re discussing options for changing hunting regulations for the future as well.” For both Whitetail and Mule Deer, the provincial government is also looking for hunters to bring in the heads of their animals to select butcher shops or the Ministry of Environment office to test for Chronic Wasting Disease. According to a provincial online resource, Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a fatal disease of animals in the Cervid family, which include mule deer, whitetailed deer, elk and moose. See DEER, page 3
BARRY COULTER PHOTO
Federal NDP leader Thomas Mulcair (right) met with Cranbrook residents at a private home Monday, Sept. 14, to discuss the difficulties of caring for family members afflicted with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Mulcair (pictured with Kootenay-Columbia candidate Wayne Stetski, then announced the NDP’s plan for a national Alzheimer’s and Dementia strategy. See more, Page 4.
Body of father of Amber Alert girl found, police suspect homicide C A NA D I A N PR E S S
BLAIRMORE, Alta. — A frantic search for a missing two-year-old girl was launched Monday after her 27-year-old father was found dead of a suspected homicide inside a home in southwestern Alberta. RCMP issued an Amber Alert across Alberta, British Columbia and Montana for little Hailey Dunbar-Blanchette, then hours later confirmed they had found the body of Terry Blanchette in the family home in Blairmore, Alta. Investigators believe the girl had been
taken from the home around 3:30 a.m. by a suspect or suspects in a newer model white van with a large rear antenna and a flag flying from it. Witnesses reported seeing the van fleeing the scene at a high rate of speed heading west. As Hailey’s mother, Cheyenne Dunbar, rushed from her home in Edmonton to be with relatives in the Crowsnest Pass, family friend Corette Harrington was both devastated and sick with worry. “We just pray that whoever has her will keep her safe,” Harrington said in an emo-
tional, tear-filled interview. “It’s heartbreaking to know that when she comes back, her dad’s not going to be there.” Tony Hamori, RCMP assistant district commander for southern Alberta, called the situation very troubling. “This type of incident combined with the scene at the residence that we found is concerning to the highest degree both to the RCMP and to the communities in the Crowsnest Pass,” he told reporters at a news conference.
See AMBER, Page 4
HAILEY DUNBAR-BLANCHETTE