 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
VOLUME 25 NO. 4 April 2006
THE PRESIDENTS CORNER “ The minister delivers on Sunday gun hunting ” I ’ m sure most of you read this article in the Anglers & Hunters Hotline section of the March Ontario Out of Doors magazine. To date 67 municipalities in southern Ontario have said “ yes ’ to Sunday gun hunting and, according to Minister Ramsay, those new opportunities will start this fall. Details can be found in the 2006 Hunting Regulations Summary. O.F.A.H. Executive Director Mike Reader stated “ Our push for more hunting opportunities has only just begun and we ’ ll be going back to the municipalities that said “ no ” or are undecided about Sunday gun hunting, and we anticipate that most will eventually reconsider. In the months ahead, we will be working with our members and local clubs to make sure this opportunity is thoroughly discussed in their communities. ” The SSA is certainly behind this Sunday gun hunting program and encourage all our members to write letters to a] congratulate those southern Ontario municipalities that have supported Sunday gun hunting, and b] to encourage those other municipalities that are undecided or opposed to the MNR proposal and lastly c] to thank the Natural Resources Minister David Ramsay for his government ’ s interest in province-wide Sunday gun hunting. For current updates on Sunday gun hunting and the complete lists and maps of the municipalities that have said “ yes ” visit the web site www.ofah.org. Bill Douglas, President . A REPORT ON THREE PRESENTATIONS MADE AT THE 78TH, O.F.A.H. ANNUAL FISH & WILDLIFE CONFERENCE HELD IN MISSISSAUGA, FEBRUARY 16,17,18, 2006 HONOURABLE DAVID RAMSAY, MINISTER OF NATURAL RESOURCES PRESENTATION Ramsay announced that John Madill is his new policy advisor. He went on to say that 67 out of 200 municipalities support Sunday hunting and he is moving to have the regulations passed on this issue. He stated that there will be an expansion of big game and small game seasons this fall, but he did not say on which species or when and where this would occur. He said that educational programs are coming on biodiversity. In the new revised fishing regulations, a landscape approach will be used for managing fisheries instead of individual lakes and watersheds. Some large lakes however will be exceptions. This change in fisheries management along with new ,regulations on Southern Ontario walleye are presently posted on the M.N,R.'s / E.B.R. web site until April and interested anglers need to check it out. Ontario has signed an agreement with Quebec to protect the lower Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River from future water diversions, and the Bay of Quintey management plan will be completed by September of 2006. The M.N.R. has completed or are working to complete three research programs on Cormorant impacts on fishery resources, and the proposed hydro electric development for the Steel R. in Northern Ontario, ha been cancelled. This one is good news for the folks living in the Schreiber I Terrace Bay area north of Lake Superior. This past year 1,500 samples were taken on Ontario's white tailed deer for chronic wasting disease, (C.W.D.), and all were negative. The M.N.R.·s TIP's (Turn in a Poacher') program resulted in 900 investigations this past year. In the near future, M.N.R. Conservation Officers will be trained in, and will be allowed to enforce the small vessel regulations. Ramsay then went on to say that again this year the M.N.R. will be financially flat lined, and that this action will result in an M.N.R. financial review resulting in reduced M.N.R. programs and the laying off of some staff. At this point in his presentation I thought that with these continued catastrophic financial cutbacks, pretty soon we will no longer have a 'Ministry of Natural Resources in the Province of Ontario. Ramsay wrapped-up his presentation by stating that the M.N.R. has accepted the proposal to hold an Outdoor Heritage Day in the Province of Ontario. This day would not only celebrate hunting and fishing but would also celebrate other outdoor activities such as; photography, bird watching, mushroom or berry picking, hiking, camping, canoeing. etc. I had another personal thought after this last announcement on holding an Outdoor Heritage Day. Could this result in a move by the M,N.R. to have the other users of our great outdoors requiring a Provincial Outdoors Card, which in turn may result in them requesting a seat or seats on the Fish and Wildlife Heritage Commission? At present we only have anglers and hunters sitting on the Commission. Could this result in a good thing? Personally speaking I think not ! TRENDS AND CONTROVERSIES IN THE MANAGEMENT OF AMERICAN BLACK BEARS PRESENTED BY HANK HRISTIENKO, MANITOBA CONSERVATION Hristienko's research on American Black Bears was undertaken on a broad North American scale which covered all the jurisdiction in both U.S.A. and Canada that had populations of black bears. He found that prior to the 1990's eleven jurisdictions had no bear problems and four jurisdictions did have some black bear problems. All geographical areas that he studies had a stable growth rate of 2 percent a year. He found that hunting does not change the fact of having bears in the bush, it just changes the bears time of death. Earlier research that he found indicated that only 10 percent of a black bear population should be harvested, but through his research, he found that in all jurisdictions that allowed hunting of black bears that up to a 50 percent harvest of the population did not effect the overall population of the black bears. His research also found that the spring bear hunt resulted in only a 2 percent or less mortality rate for black bear cubs, while natural 'mortality in the wild can be as high as 40 to 50 percent. He also found .that a harvest of 40 percent on female black bears would not impact negatively on the bear population. Two additional comments he made were interesting. If you wondered about black bears visiting bird feeders, Hristienko stated that 7.7 pounds of sunflower seeds is equal in food energy to 80 pounds of wild berries. He also: stated that you· and I are 180 times more likely to be killed. by bees or· wasps than a black bear ! FISHERIES CONSEQUENCES FROM CORMORANT OVERPOPULATIONS PRESENTED BY DR. MARK RIDGWAY, RESEARCH SCIENTIST, AQUATIC RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT SECTION, M.N.R . Ridgway stated that Lake Huron / Georgian Bay had approximately two hundred cormorant nests in 1979. Now at the present time, 2006, there are twenty two thousand nine hundred ninety seven nests located in seventy cormorant colonies in the same Great Lakes area of Lake Huron / Georgian Bay. Why did this happen? He stated that positive changes in prey species populations in our Great Lakes waters and changes in fish production in southern United States where they migrate to, have stimulated the massive increase in cormorant populations. He also stated that the present major decline in alewife over the past two years, will likely result in a decline of up to three thousand cormorant nests in this same study area. This M.N.R. research looked at a number of approaches to conduct this type of study: A diet study on a small bay to see the effects on fish biomass. Compare contrast areas, one with cormorants, one without cormorants Compare Lake Huron / Georgian Bay with large inland lakes. None of these proved to be workable in finding the answer to what cormorants take in annual fish production. The question was then asked; If we oil cormorant eggs, do we get a fish result? With this question in mind an experiment was set up which covered three .hundred square kilometres along the shoreline of the north channel in Georgian Bay. Each of the seven study areas were twenty by twenty kilometres in size. Cormorant populations, nest numbers and existing colonies were surveyed by aircraft, boat, and on the ground. Fish abundance in these same areas was indexed through surveys done by electrofishing, trap netting, and sonar and hydrocustic findings. They then reduced the birds by oiling in some areas and not in 'other areas. The results from oiling showed a fifteen to thirty percent reduction in annual fish (prey) consumption. This being caused by the reduced demand by cormorant chicks for food. A two to four kilogram per hectare of prey consumption was shown in all other none oiled locations, and in peak abundance years during the study, four to seven kilograms per hectare of prey fish species were consumed by cormorants. This unbelievably showed that~ the cormorants in Georgian Bay were most or exceeding annual fish production in the near shore environment, and in the north channel of Georgian Bay it resulted in exceeding annual fish production in the near shore areas. It was also shown that the oiling of cormorant eggs resulted in about a 2 kilogram per hectare increase on fish populations, but this diminishes after a third and fourth year. Oiling of cormorant eggs reduced the birds but in the third and fourth years, bird numbers returned to previous high numbers in all the study areas. This was probably the result of young bird from other areas of the Great Lakes migrating into the study areas. RESULTS .Oiling does show a positive result on fish numbers. However, oiling only shows an increase in fish biomass in the first and second years. Nest count is reduced initially, then effects diminishes as birds take up the slack. Cormorants in the study areas of Georgian Bay and the north channel were shown to being responsible for consuming nearly all or exceeding the annual production of prey fish species in the near shore areas. Ridgway also stated that the alewife crash was not caused exclusively by cormorants. This was shown by the fact that hydrocustic surveys showed collapse of alewife in areas of the Great Lakes not inhabited by cormorants The alewife collapse is strongly suspected to be the result of the long cold winter of the early 2000's. Fred Geberdt HANDGUN ADVISORY COMMITTEE Another winter under our belts and seven months of poor skiing weather to look forward to. Poor for skiing but much more conducive to shooting handguns on an outdoor range ( and riding motorcycles ). Having said that, we have a couple of shooters who shoot on a regular basis during the winter. Mark Cordon and Dan Peters not only shoot on a regular basis but throughout the year keep the range in great shape. They cut grass, shovel snow, clear up the empty brass and keep the target holders in good shape. Thanks to both of you for making my job easier. All I have to do is turn up and shoot. Perfect. As you know by now, the Federal Government is likely to make things easier for owning long guns. This, in my opinion, is unlikely to spread over into the handgun world as the regulations, although Federal, are administered at the Provincial level. We all know what the Provincial Government's attitude is towards handguns. There are hoops through which handgun shooters must jump and , once licenced, they are not that onerous. I know that I'm preaching to the converted when I mention at monthly club meetings about the need to “use it or lose it “, but one of the requirements for the re-issuing of an A. T. T. is that the applicant MUST have shot on the range, and signed the book a minimum of twice each calendar year. Not too much to ask in order to retain your privileges. The rational, with which I agree, is that if you aren't shooting your gun at the range, why do you need a permit to transport it there ? So,...to retain you A.T.T.,.....PLEASE use the range and sign the attendance book. Twice a year...not too much to ask. Stew . Wallace, Handgun Chair . SYDENHAM JUNIORS GET OUTDOORS CLUB REPORT It has been awhile since our last report and the kids have been busy. We owe thanks to the people who have assisted in making our outings with the juniors happen successfully. In December Dave Fidler guided about 8 people around the club's property in search of winter birds. Although the day was abit blustery we still saw Crows, a Golden Crown Kinglet amid a flock of Chickadees and down by the river we saw a Hairy Woodpecker. After the hike Dave joined our meeting to discuss the possibility of our club doing a joint project with the junior naturalists to protect turtle nests in vulnerable areas near roads this spring. Thanks Dave for sharing your knowledge and interest with our junior members! This winter we were fortunate to have Dan Laxton help our club with indoor pellet gun shooting which was eagerly enjoyed by about a dozen juniors, unfortunately our February shoot had to be cancelled due to that wicked winter storm the first weekend of the month but I know that the kids were eager to shoot again, thank you Dan for your expertise and guidance at the "range". Our plans for a winter campout this year were put on hold due to the OFAH Get Outdoors Conference in Toronto that is done in conjunction with the OFAH General Conference. Seven members accompanied us down and had a terrific experience with ice fishing on Lake Simcoe Saturday morning followed by time at the Spring Fishing Show and a Pizza and pool party Saturday night. We met many new friends at the conference and we thank the club for its continued support sending our members. We such a good time on the ice at Simcoe that our last meeting was spent ice fishing at Wilders Lake near Durham. The weather was fantastic, the kids enjoyed it and we even had a few fish caught including a Smallmouth Bass of about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds in size !! That brings us up to date and our next meeting is going to be March 19 where Gerry Powers is going to be talking about his Eastern Bluebird and Tree Swallow nesting box project and bird conservation in general followed by our April 2 meeting when Jim Hastie and some of his flyfishing friends are going to demonstrate fly tying and flycasting to the kids. These meetings will be at the clubhouse on Sundays starting at 1pm. Any juniors wanting to participate can show up at these meetings, we are always willing to bring more kids out, or if you have questions or want to get a youth member involved call John McNamara 369-3269 or Steve Lustig 371-6070. John McNamara/ Steve Lustig Youth Activities Program/Get Outdoors YOUTH OUTDOORS DAY As anyone at the October general meeting may be aware the Sydenham Sportsmen threw their support behind starting a Youth Outdoors Day to introduce kids who may not have had the opportunity to get outdoors to learn about how to enjoy their surroundings. I, John McNamara, volunteered to be this clubs representative on the committee to get things started. So to bring the club up to date , we have a committee with representatives from SSA, Ducks Unlimited, OS and Saugeen Field Naturalists, Grey Sauble and Saugeen CA, Grey County Forest Stewardship Network, OFAH Zone H, and the Outdoor Ed Center. We held our first meeting where the priority decisions to be made were when to hold the event, it will be September 9 2006,and where, it was felt the best location for many reasons was the SSA club property and we have secured the booking through Audrey Smart .All members please be aware that we plan to have 50 to 80 kids as well as volunteers to run the event that day and we will likely be using the entire property. As we get more details firmed up we will be asking for volunteers with enthusiasm and even some specialized skills to help put on the event. I will be keeping you updated on our progress. John McNamara Co Chairperson Youth Activities Program Fisheries Advisory Committee Thinking of what to write I sometimes feel that I am letting the newsletter down because I didn't have anything new or relevant to say but I guess I should recall the saying that 'no news is good news' . Our hatchery took some significant losses during the heavy rains, warm temperatures and the subsequent heavy water flows during March break. The hazard of the swelling water flows bringing silt, fine gravel and other debris into our intake pipes is not a new one and a problem that we are ever watchful for. Steps have been taken in the past to reduce this hazard by installing an alarm system and although after checking, it was found that the system was activated, the water flow wasn't enough to set it off, just enough to reduce oxygen in our holding tanks. We will continue to look at ways of stopping this seasonal problem. Although a setback and very disappointing, especially to our many volunteers who put in a lot of hours looking after these fish, our club has always been resilient in continuing our conservation efforts. Mike Prevost F.A.C. Chairman Restarting our S S A Awards Program Many of you, particularly if you are fairly new S S A members, are probably unaware that we have an Awards Program. Jack Doherty, Brian Clements are myself have volunteered to try to activate this once important activity. Some members will remember our Awards Banquets, the last was held in 2004 for the year 2003. The awards are in a number of different categories. We plan to promote these each month, both in the newsletter and at the club meetings. First, we have a Big Fish Contest comprised of three categories. The Junior category is up and including age 12 while the Student category includes ages 13 to 16. Our Adult category starts at age 17 and goes up. Within each category we have trophies, which we plan to display at the May general meeting, for Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, Brook (Speckled Trout), Bass, Lake Trout and Brown Trout. There is a special Perch Trophy for Juniors only. The fish are not weighed. All you need to do is to measure the fork length and girth. You will need a witness to verify the measurement or a picture showing the fish beside a tape to verify its length. If you choose to release the fish after measuring it, that is your option. We will provide fish contest entry forms in this newsletter (which we ask you to save), have a number at the club house on the bulletin board and have a number at Watson’s Tackle House where you will deposit the completed entries in our box. For 2005 we only have one fish entry, let’s all change this for 2006. A second component of our awards is the Big Turkey Contest. If you are a successful turkey hunter, you are aware that your bird must be registered. It happens that Watson’s Tackle House is a check station. Drew Watson will weigh your bird, measure the beard and spur and calculate a score. This score goes on the entry form, along with other pertinent information provided by you, and the information is verified by Drew. Dave Hartrick is building the trophy as you read this. You must tell Drew when you bring in your bird that you are a S S A member and want to enter it in our Turkey contest. Again the completed entry form goes in our Box. Another component of the Awards program is the Best Buck Contest. We will provide these entry forms in a future newsletter closer to the deer season and make them available at the clubhouse and at Watson’s Tackle House as well. You bring in your rack to Drew, who will measure it and provide a score to go on the Entry form. The completed form is placed in our Box. Other important awards include Handgun, Archery as well as Conservationist of the Year in Junior and Adult areas and High 5 Awards in the Student area. With your help, we can have many recipients for 2006 presented in 2007. We hope to present the 2005 awards at the June general meeting this year. Next month, we will provide a listing of the different trophies within each category. Thanks in advance for your help; John Ford, Jack Doherty, Brian Clements |
|
2007 membership renewal forms may be downloaded in 2 formats, Adobe Acrobat Reader (best) or Word Document. Click this link to open the 2008 Membership renewal form in your Browser Click this link to open or save the form in Word Document format |
|
|
|
© 2001, Sydenham Sportsmen's Association |