THE NEXT GENERAL MEETING: THURSDAY MARCH 7TH, 7:30 PM,  AT THE CLUB HOUSE, LINCOLN PARK ROAD, IN DERBY TOWNSHIP.

The March General Meeting will have SSA member and president of the engineering consulting firm Henderson and Paddon, Jeff Graham, who will be explaining the work and studies being done in Bighead River tributaries to protect and enhance these top quality trout streams. Jeff' gave the same presentation to the MNR workshop last fall where it was much appreciated.

Note the following agendas for April and May General Meeting programs:
 

April Meeting:	Primus game call representative and turkey hunting guide Trevor Aljoe returns to the SSA April meeting to give lots of turkey hunting tips for the third year in a row.
May Meeting:	The Research Director of the Long Point Waterfowl and Wetlands Research Fund at Port Rowan, Dr. Scott Petrie has agreed to come to the SSA clubhouse to talk about his fascinating work with wild bird research on Lake Erie. He is presently teaching Wildlife Ecology and Management at Western University as well as continuing his research. This will be the second year in a row that Dr. Petrie has agreed to be our guest speaker.

The S.S.A. welcomes the following new members!!! 

Tenders Requested for Surplus SSA Property
 

The SSA Executive at their February Meeting declared the two items as surplus and have offered them for tender to the members of the SSA and the general public. The first item is one lot of roof steel 20 gauge white, which is no longer required by the SSA. This may be viewed at the club property by interested parties by contacting Ken Cowtan, SSA Property Chair at 372-2957.

The second item is the chain link fence and gate previously surrounding the "kidney pond" on the Weaver property "fish hatchery site". The Weaver family requested that the fencing be removed from the "kidney pond" as they wish to beautify their yard. The fencing and gate have been removed from the Weaver property and are presently available for viewing at the SSA property. Please contact Fred Geberdt, Fisheries Advisory Committee Chair at 376-2369 for further information as to condition of the fence and viewing.
Both items are offered on an "as is, where is basis" with the successful bidder required to remove the items at his/her own expense. The sealed and marked "surplus offer" tenders are required by no later than March 11, 2002 to the club correspondence secretary Rob Wilson either in person or to the club mail box and will opened at the March Exec meeting on March 21st. The highest or any tender will not necessarily be accepted.

Submitted by Murray Smart

DATES TO REMEMBER!!!
 

2002 S.S.A. Board of Directors
  

** denotes Directors elected for 2 year term.

Youth Activities Program
 

The winter campout on February 2nd and 3rd went very well, although it was very small this year. There was snowscuplturing, sledding, twister competitions, breakfast in a bag . . . Well, the breakfast in a bag worked for some of us!

On Saturday, February 16th, Jesse and Cory Henrich, as well as myself and Sarah Stephenson, attended the Outdoorsman's show in Toronto. It was great fun, and all of the people there were very nice. There were some incredible displays! Thanks go to Terry Faulkner for driving four teenagers down there.

Sarah and I will be going to the OFAH conference in Kingston as members of the YAP, and we will be taking notes. If you have any questions about how the conference went, or any of our other activities, please call Sarah and I at 363-2893. A meeting will be scheduled for March.

Laura Stephenson, YAP Co-Chair

Hand Gun Committee
 

This is my first input to the news letter and I want to start putting some information in every month, if possible, for the pistol shooters. There has been a lot going on this winter of interest.

I think everyone knows we have a pistol team participating in the Western Ontario Pistol League but you may not know just how well we are doing. Our little group of about seven shooters has averaged better than three points out of a possible seven every match and more important, are having a lot of fun! ANYONE interested in attending a match or coming out for some informal shooting would be welcome. Just give me a call at 986-2731 and I can provide some information.

The "authorization to transport" certificates are an item at the top of my list to start working on. I have to learn to walk before I run but, I am extremely happy to advise you that four qualified instructors in our membership have VOLUNTEERED to help me with the program. "

Thank you gentlemen!

I would ask that ALL members interested in getting their "A.T.T.s" please phone me so I can start compiling a list of names and scheduling some dates. My mandate is to try and accommodate the members with times that will allow you to attend. The ball is in you court now! Call me!

For anyone interested in air pistol, some of us have or are getting air guns and plan to schedule some indoor shooting. Give me a call. The name of the game is participate and have fun!

David Tebbutt. Chairperson, Hand Gun Committee

Forestry and Wildlife Advisory Committee
 

Spring is just around the corner and many FWAC duties are coming up.

We hope to have a Ducks Unlimited representative give some instructions to our Wood Duck nest inspectors. this will help them interpret their observations on the annual SSA nest box monitoring program. Verle, Brian, Lorne and Jerry take note.

We intent to put up a few "Turtle Crossing" signs in critical areas such as McNabb Wetlands and Woodford. It is hoped that this will be a joint project for our Juniors along with the Owen Sound Field Naturalists.

The barn and driveshed at Issac Lake have been burned, because of MNR concerns over liability from Histoplasmostis contamination. Now, the Bats must have a place to live. Dave, Lorne and Lloyd Jackson, along with Merle Gunby from the Owen Sound Field Naturalists, are busy manufacturing new Bat houses in an effort to save one of the largest Bat colonies in this part of Ontario. We hope to enlist the help of other Rankin Resource Group members when it comes time to put them up. This has to be very soon, before the Bats return this spring.

We will have several wildlife habitat tree/shrub planting projects on the go in April and May. We will need help for two or three days. It would be nice to see a good showing of help from the shooting sports. A few of the gun/archery sportsmen have been staunch volunteers in the past. This year, we will need a few more. Tom Vandervoort has already volunteered to help out with the newly acquired Hokhansen property down at the Bentinck townline. Just remember, more good habitat, equals more wildlife ,equals better hunting.

Our Club President told me that he knows of several people who are quite ignorant of the Federal Government's legal requirements for transportation and storage of firearms. Some have landed in a bit of trouble. He asked me to clarify these items in the newsletter. In this bulletin, we will outline the transportation requirements first of all, remember that there are both Federal and Provincial regulations governing firearms transportation.

The Federal Government says: non-restricted firearms, that is long guns, when being transported, must be unloaded. Note, the gun does not have to be encased and does not require a lock.

If you leave the long gun in an unattended vehicle, the gun must be unloaded, out of sight and the vehicle must be locked.

A gun is considered to be loaded if there is a round in the chamber or attached magazine. If there is no round in the chamber and the clip is removed, the gun is not loaded.
A muzzle loader would not be considered as being loaded if the cap is removed or in the case of a flintlock, the flashpan powder is removed from the flashpan and preferably the vent or touch hole is plugged with something such as a feather.

Again, please note that trigger or similar locking devices are not required.

The Provincial Government's requirement varies somewhat from the Federal law. The Province states that in a game area, (almost everywhere), a firearm must be unloaded when in a vehicle, however, Federal regulations take precedent and therefore guns must be unloaded at all times when in a vehicle. In addition, the Province requires, whether in a vehicle or not, that a firearm must be unloaded and encased from one half hour after sunset till one half hour before sunrise.

In the April issue, we will cover off storage requirements.

Blake Smith, Co-chair, Forestry and Wildlife Advisory Committee

For Sale!!
 

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