Dear Editor;

I have been reading your paper’s articles on culling the wolf population with great interest. My late father grew up and worked on farms for many years. I can still remember him telling us that his flock of sheep were killed by predator animals. He was not a happy camper over this.

One hunting trip many years ago we were up the Alaska Highway to the northeast in the Aitken Creek area. Driving around a corner and a quarter mile further down, we saw the biggest black wolf I have ever seen. I kid you not! He was the size of a buck deer. The alpha male for sure! Over the years I have also encountered many coyotes and three cougars. These cougars were all within five miles of FSJ along the Fish Creek draw up from the Beaton River Valley.

Now, our family helped welcome the Rich Peterson family when they moved into our neighbourhood many years ago. His continuous association with the Rod and Gun Club has been both responsible, productive and community minded. I have no doubts that they are doing the right thing by culling the wolf population to help save the farm and rancher animal populations.

Government resources often are not sizable enough to create the necessary low numbers for the wolf cull. One need only to talk to local farmers about the ever increasing deer populations that are eating our farmers hay at great expense to them, make no mistake about this. Motivated farmers, ranchers and hunters can reach the predator wolves in their own area in a more timely culling fashion. Please let them keep up the good work!

Brian H. Ruddell

Fort St. John, B.C.