© By Othmar Vohringer
Yesterday the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission issued a press release, stating that the use of crossbows is now legal during the regular bowhunting season of that state. I welcome this news and congratulate North Carolina for using commonsense and put crossbow hunting where it belongs, in the bowhunting season.
In a future column I will write more about crossbows and why they belong in my opinion in the bowhunting season and not the firearm season. As a bowhunter using traditional, compound and crossbow I will provide you with the unbiased information and the truth about crossbows.
As much as I welcome the addition of the crossbow in North Carolina I am dismayed about the following statement.
State law requires that anyone buying or otherwise receiving a crossbow in North Carolina first obtain a pistol permit from the sheriff’s office in their county of residence or hold a valid concealed handgun permit.
Questions about obtaining pistol permits and issuance of concealed handgun permits should be directed to the local sheriff’s department.
Am I the only one wondering why anyone wishing to purchase and own a crossbow would need to apply for a concealed weapons permit in NC? I’ve searched the Internet for a reason but couldn’t find any explanations that make sense. To me it just seems very strange to classify a crossbow in the same category as a handgun. If any of my North Carolina readers know why this weird law exists please let me know. Are there any other states with similar crossbow laws?
This blog post has been brought to you by Othmar Vohringer Outdoors
Read my bi-weekly newspaper column online.
Tags: North Carolina, Crossbow Hunting
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Are you fit to hunt?
© By Othmar Vohringer
As an outdoor writer I am supplied with a lot of statistics from Canada and even more from America. One of the statistics that I look forward to every year is the Recreational Accident Statistic.
I am pleased to see that hunting ranks very low in the overall accident statistic, lower then rollerblading and even basketball. What I am not pleased about is that the number one hunter accident is still connected to treestand hunting. I would have thought that by now every hunter uses a safety harness (supplied with every treestand) when hunting from a stand or climbing in and out of one.
The next most common hunter accident is guess what? It's not firearm related. It's heart attacks. Heart attacks not only affect the aging hunter population but more often the younger hunters aged between 30 and 40. The reason, so the statistic, is poor physical condition. What's the main cause for heart attacks during hunting? Dragging a downed deer out of the bush. Number two, setting up treestands. After a hunter shoots a deer, especially a big buck, ranks on place three.
Hunting, like any sport, requires physical fitness unless you're road hunter and even then you have to load the downed animal onto your truck.
To keep fit I hike a lot and as hunting season approaches I hike even more, mostly in full hunting gear, loading my backpack with stones to add weight.
What are you doing to stay in physical hunting shape? Do you hike? Lift weights? Hit the gym?
This blog post has been brought to you by Othmar Vohringer Outdoors
Read my bi-weekly newspaper column online.
As an outdoor writer I am supplied with a lot of statistics from Canada and even more from America. One of the statistics that I look forward to every year is the Recreational Accident Statistic.
I am pleased to see that hunting ranks very low in the overall accident statistic, lower then rollerblading and even basketball. What I am not pleased about is that the number one hunter accident is still connected to treestand hunting. I would have thought that by now every hunter uses a safety harness (supplied with every treestand) when hunting from a stand or climbing in and out of one.
The next most common hunter accident is guess what? It's not firearm related. It's heart attacks. Heart attacks not only affect the aging hunter population but more often the younger hunters aged between 30 and 40. The reason, so the statistic, is poor physical condition. What's the main cause for heart attacks during hunting? Dragging a downed deer out of the bush. Number two, setting up treestands. After a hunter shoots a deer, especially a big buck, ranks on place three.
Hunting, like any sport, requires physical fitness unless you're road hunter and even then you have to load the downed animal onto your truck.
To keep fit I hike a lot and as hunting season approaches I hike even more, mostly in full hunting gear, loading my backpack with stones to add weight.
What are you doing to stay in physical hunting shape? Do you hike? Lift weights? Hit the gym?
This blog post has been brought to you by Othmar Vohringer Outdoors
Read my bi-weekly newspaper column online.
Monday, July 12, 2010
The Most Popular Destinations For U.S. Hunters
© By Othmar Vohringer
Today I read in the Cabela’s Outfitter Journal that, according to HunterSurvey.com, Canada ranks with 46.9 percent of America’s 500,000 traveling hunters as the number one foreign hunting destination. Africa ranks second with 23 percent followed by Mexico, South America, Europe and Australia in that order.
The traveling U.S. hunter spends on average $6,718 per person. This amounts to a total of 3.6 billion dollars in the past three years. Here in British Columbia hunting and fishing is a big part of our economy, generating in the neighborhood of 46 million dollars annually. In addition resident hunters bring in annually 70 million dollars revenue, amounting to a total of 116 million dollars. Now, just for the heck of it, lets add British Columbia’s annual sport-angling revenue of 480 million dollars to the 116 million and it becomes very clear, hunting and fishing are a huge economic factor for our province.
Besides the revenue, hunting and fishing tourism provide an estimated 9,300 workplaces in our province alone. This provides additional revenue of 65 million dollars in provincial taxes and 80 million in federal taxes. These figures are only for British Columbia. Other Canadian provinces provide similar hunting and fishing revenue statistics, proving that Canada indeed is the number one hunter and angler destination in the world and not only for the American sportsman/women.
This blog post has been brought to you by Othmar Vohringer Outdoors
Read my bi-weekly newspaper column online.
Tags: Hunting Destinations, Canada Hunting Economy, British Columbia, Hunting In Canada
Today I read in the Cabela’s Outfitter Journal that, according to HunterSurvey.com, Canada ranks with 46.9 percent of America’s 500,000 traveling hunters as the number one foreign hunting destination. Africa ranks second with 23 percent followed by Mexico, South America, Europe and Australia in that order.
The traveling U.S. hunter spends on average $6,718 per person. This amounts to a total of 3.6 billion dollars in the past three years. Here in British Columbia hunting and fishing is a big part of our economy, generating in the neighborhood of 46 million dollars annually. In addition resident hunters bring in annually 70 million dollars revenue, amounting to a total of 116 million dollars. Now, just for the heck of it, lets add British Columbia’s annual sport-angling revenue of 480 million dollars to the 116 million and it becomes very clear, hunting and fishing are a huge economic factor for our province.
Besides the revenue, hunting and fishing tourism provide an estimated 9,300 workplaces in our province alone. This provides additional revenue of 65 million dollars in provincial taxes and 80 million in federal taxes. These figures are only for British Columbia. Other Canadian provinces provide similar hunting and fishing revenue statistics, proving that Canada indeed is the number one hunter and angler destination in the world and not only for the American sportsman/women.
This blog post has been brought to you by Othmar Vohringer Outdoors
Read my bi-weekly newspaper column online.
Tags: Hunting Destinations, Canada Hunting Economy, British Columbia, Hunting In Canada
Saturday, July 03, 2010
British Columbia – New Campfire Regulations
© By Othmar Vohringer
Summer has finally come to British Columbia and for many that means sitting around campfires. If you, like me, enjoy campfires you may want to pay attention to new regulations effective on Canada Day (July 1) or it could get very expensive for you.
The new regulation is shrinking the size of campfires from one metre across (39 inches) to half metre (19 inches). The reason, according to Forest Minister Pat Bell, is to reduce the risk of wildfires caused by careless people.
In addition to this new regulation it is also required, and that makes a lot more sense to me, that some sort of fireguard has to be built around the fires, such as stones or a dirt mound. It’s also required to scrape the area free of all flammable debris, such as twigs, leaves and pine needles. A shovel and at least eight litres (2 gallons) of water must be stored at all times nearby to extinguish the fire.
Failure to comply with these new rules will result in a fine of $ 345 and additional $ 345 will be charged if a fire is lit during a campfire ban. Should a person be found guilty of starting a forest fire the punishment will be very severe. The new law states that a person starting a forest fire can be charged with paying a fee exceeding more than a million dollar and, or imprisonment.
In British Columbia every year are over 350 wildfires reported. The sizes of the fires vary from a few acres to thousands of hectares that destroy entire forests and surrounding homes. The annual damage of wildfires is estimated in excess of 300 million dollars. New laws or not if you head out on a camping, hiking, fishing or hunting trip and make a campfire use commonsense around campfires. Observe the BC fire warnings posted on highways and at park entrances.
This blog post has been brought to you by Othmar Vohringer Outdoors
Read my bi-weekly newspaper column online.
Tags: British Columbia, Camp Fire,Wildfire
Summer has finally come to British Columbia and for many that means sitting around campfires. If you, like me, enjoy campfires you may want to pay attention to new regulations effective on Canada Day (July 1) or it could get very expensive for you.The new regulation is shrinking the size of campfires from one metre across (39 inches) to half metre (19 inches). The reason, according to Forest Minister Pat Bell, is to reduce the risk of wildfires caused by careless people.
In addition to this new regulation it is also required, and that makes a lot more sense to me, that some sort of fireguard has to be built around the fires, such as stones or a dirt mound. It’s also required to scrape the area free of all flammable debris, such as twigs, leaves and pine needles. A shovel and at least eight litres (2 gallons) of water must be stored at all times nearby to extinguish the fire.
Failure to comply with these new rules will result in a fine of $ 345 and additional $ 345 will be charged if a fire is lit during a campfire ban. Should a person be found guilty of starting a forest fire the punishment will be very severe. The new law states that a person starting a forest fire can be charged with paying a fee exceeding more than a million dollar and, or imprisonment.
In British Columbia every year are over 350 wildfires reported. The sizes of the fires vary from a few acres to thousands of hectares that destroy entire forests and surrounding homes. The annual damage of wildfires is estimated in excess of 300 million dollars. New laws or not if you head out on a camping, hiking, fishing or hunting trip and make a campfire use commonsense around campfires. Observe the BC fire warnings posted on highways and at park entrances.
This blog post has been brought to you by Othmar Vohringer Outdoors
Read my bi-weekly newspaper column online.
Tags: British Columbia, Camp Fire,Wildfire
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Nicola Valley Fish & Game Club Family Fishing Day Event
© By Othmar Vohringer
On Fathers Day Weekend, June 20, the Nicola Valley Fish & Game Club hosted the Family Fishing Day event at the kids’ pond, located between Kentucky and Alleyene Lake. This was the fourth annual hosting of this event and to date by far the most successful with well over 120 people and families attending with well over half being children, including a group of Beavers (boys and girls aged 5 to 7) led by local conservation officer Jeff Hanratty. For once the weather was cooperating, providing much appreciated sunshine and comfortable temperatures.
The Family Fishing Weekend is a program initiated by the non-profit Family Fishing Society. Recreational fishing is a key part of British Columbia’s way of life and the Society’s goal is to celebrate this fact while at the same time promoting it to new anglers, especially children. Sports anglers contribute nearly $1.2 billion annually to B.C.'s local and regional economies while supporting thousands of jobs throughout the province. To maintain this robust industry there must be a strategy in place that continues to develop the vibrant and growing sports angling community and that is where the Family Fishing Day events come in.
The event started at 9 am and by the time it was over at 2pm many young anglers caught fish. For some it was their first fish and, judging from the smiles on their faces when they proudly displayed their catch, some of them are probably now ‘hooked’ to the sport! The fish caught ranged from small to a respectable 3 lb. Thanks to the generosity of the angling industry and organizations we had many prizes to give away to the children, among them over 50 Shakespeare rod and reel combos.
It goes without saying that such an event would not be possible without the tireless volunteer work of many Nicola Valley Fish & Game Club members assisting in the registration of the anglers, manning the hospitality tent, organizing the event, plus the many guides assisting the anglers and providing their knowledge and tips on how to catch fish. A special thank you to Conservation Officer Jeff Hanratty and his team for the time spent on the event and all their assistance to the anglers. Our conservation officers are an often-underestimated community asset. These fine men and women in uniform do a tremendous job ensuring a future of our natural resources and providing community assistance on events like the Family Fishing Day.
All in all it was a wonderful event that each consecutive year grows in popularity far beyond the borders of our region. I look forward to next years Family Fishing Day and hopefully will see even more children attending than previous years. It is important that we get the children outdoors and teach them to become future stewards of our heritage and nature.
This blog post has been brought to you by Othmar Vohringer Outdoors
Read my bi-weekly newspaper column online.
Tags: Family Fishing Day, Trout, British Columbia, Fishing Event
On Fathers Day Weekend, June 20, the Nicola Valley Fish & Game Club hosted the Family Fishing Day event at the kids’ pond, located between Kentucky and Alleyene Lake. This was the fourth annual hosting of this event and to date by far the most successful with well over 120 people and families attending with well over half being children, including a group of Beavers (boys and girls aged 5 to 7) led by local conservation officer Jeff Hanratty. For once the weather was cooperating, providing much appreciated sunshine and comfortable temperatures.
The Family Fishing Weekend is a program initiated by the non-profit Family Fishing Society. Recreational fishing is a key part of British Columbia’s way of life and the Society’s goal is to celebrate this fact while at the same time promoting it to new anglers, especially children. Sports anglers contribute nearly $1.2 billion annually to B.C.'s local and regional economies while supporting thousands of jobs throughout the province. To maintain this robust industry there must be a strategy in place that continues to develop the vibrant and growing sports angling community and that is where the Family Fishing Day events come in.
The event started at 9 am and by the time it was over at 2pm many young anglers caught fish. For some it was their first fish and, judging from the smiles on their faces when they proudly displayed their catch, some of them are probably now ‘hooked’ to the sport! The fish caught ranged from small to a respectable 3 lb. Thanks to the generosity of the angling industry and organizations we had many prizes to give away to the children, among them over 50 Shakespeare rod and reel combos.
It goes without saying that such an event would not be possible without the tireless volunteer work of many Nicola Valley Fish & Game Club members assisting in the registration of the anglers, manning the hospitality tent, organizing the event, plus the many guides assisting the anglers and providing their knowledge and tips on how to catch fish. A special thank you to Conservation Officer Jeff Hanratty and his team for the time spent on the event and all their assistance to the anglers. Our conservation officers are an often-underestimated community asset. These fine men and women in uniform do a tremendous job ensuring a future of our natural resources and providing community assistance on events like the Family Fishing Day.
All in all it was a wonderful event that each consecutive year grows in popularity far beyond the borders of our region. I look forward to next years Family Fishing Day and hopefully will see even more children attending than previous years. It is important that we get the children outdoors and teach them to become future stewards of our heritage and nature.
A large crowd gathered waiting for the registration booth to open.
The action is on.
Conservation officers and children play an important role in the future of hunting, fishing and nature stewardship.
The smile on this boys face says more than a 1,000 words.
This blog post has been brought to you by Othmar Vohringer Outdoors
Read my bi-weekly newspaper column online.
Tags: Family Fishing Day, Trout, British Columbia, Fishing Event
Monday, June 21, 2010
Monster Buck Found Dead
© By Othmar Vohringer
Hunters in Petersburg, North Dakota, observed this buck all of last season and tried to hunt him, but to no avail. This was a very smart buck. No matter what the hunters tried to get close to him it was no avail. To the local hunters dismay some pheasant hunters found the monster buck dead at the end of the deer hunting season. Wildlife officials decided after an examination of the remains that the buck died of natural causes.
It’s a little known fact that most big bucks die not because of a hunter but because of old age or accidents. The reason bucks as this one get that big is because they learn at a young age how to stay away from hunters and predators.
This is a true monster buck, check out the mass in the main beams and the tines. Notice the huge drop tines. It’s a giant alright!
This blog post has been brought to you by Othmar Vohringer Outdoors
Read my bi-weekly newspaper column online.
Hunters in Petersburg, North Dakota, observed this buck all of last season and tried to hunt him, but to no avail. This was a very smart buck. No matter what the hunters tried to get close to him it was no avail. To the local hunters dismay some pheasant hunters found the monster buck dead at the end of the deer hunting season. Wildlife officials decided after an examination of the remains that the buck died of natural causes.
It’s a little known fact that most big bucks die not because of a hunter but because of old age or accidents. The reason bucks as this one get that big is because they learn at a young age how to stay away from hunters and predators.This is a true monster buck, check out the mass in the main beams and the tines. Notice the huge drop tines. It’s a giant alright!
This blog post has been brought to you by Othmar Vohringer Outdoors
Read my bi-weekly newspaper column online.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
British Columbia Internet Hunting and Fishing Camp
© By Othmar Vohringer
BC Outdoors, British Columbia’s premier hunting and fishing magazine, has a brand new website. Some of the new features added are hunting and fishing blogs and a forum for BC hunters and others interested in our rich hunting and angling opportunities to gather, meet, discuss and share stories, news, tips or simply chat.
The website is divided into an angling and a hunting section. By simply clicking on the appropriate link on the entrance page you will get to the part of the website catering to your interest.
In the hunting section BC Outdoors features blogs by Greg Blackburn, a hunter and wildlife biologist, and I write another blog. We both offer general information, tips and news pertaining to Britisch Columbia hunting and answer any questions readers may have in this regard .
In the fishing section blogs by BC angling experts Brian Chan, Phil Rowely, Jenna McRae and Trevor Welton provide a wealth of knowledge for anglers of every skill level.
If you’re a hunter or angler from British Columbia, or if you’re thinking of visiting our province for our legendary hunting or fishing opportunities then the new BC Outdoors website, blogs and the forum are the places that will provide you with all the important information from the experts.
Join us at, what soon will become British Columbia’s premier Internet hunting and angling campfire, the BC Outdoors Forum. On the forum I go by the handle “Huntwriter” and I look forward to welcome you and engage with you in conversations about our rich hunting and angling heritage.
Talking about me for a moment, you might also want to purchase the newest issue of BC Outdoors Magazine now available on the newsstands. It’s the pre-hunting season issue and features my article “The Four Factors Of Deer Movement – Scouting for Early Season Bowhunting Success”. The article will provide the reader with all the information to get your bowhunting season off to a good start.
Visit the BC Outdoors Website
Read the BC Outdoors Hunting Blogs.
Read my BC Outdoors Blog.
Read the BC Outdoors Fishing Blogs.
Join me and other BC hunters and anglers on the BC Outdoors Forum.
This blog post has been brought to you by Othmar Vohringer Outdoors
Read my bi-weekly newspaper column online.
Tags: Othmar Vohringer, British Columbia, BC Outdoors Magazine, BC Hunting and Fishing, Hunting Blog, BC Hunting Forum
BC Outdoors, British Columbia’s premier hunting and fishing magazine, has a brand new website. Some of the new features added are hunting and fishing blogs and a forum for BC hunters and others interested in our rich hunting and angling opportunities to gather, meet, discuss and share stories, news, tips or simply chat.
The website is divided into an angling and a hunting section. By simply clicking on the appropriate link on the entrance page you will get to the part of the website catering to your interest.
In the hunting section BC Outdoors features blogs by Greg Blackburn, a hunter and wildlife biologist, and I write another blog. We both offer general information, tips and news pertaining to Britisch Columbia hunting and answer any questions readers may have in this regard .
In the fishing section blogs by BC angling experts Brian Chan, Phil Rowely, Jenna McRae and Trevor Welton provide a wealth of knowledge for anglers of every skill level.
If you’re a hunter or angler from British Columbia, or if you’re thinking of visiting our province for our legendary hunting or fishing opportunities then the new BC Outdoors website, blogs and the forum are the places that will provide you with all the important information from the experts.
Join us at, what soon will become British Columbia’s premier Internet hunting and angling campfire, the BC Outdoors Forum. On the forum I go by the handle “Huntwriter” and I look forward to welcome you and engage with you in conversations about our rich hunting and angling heritage.
Talking about me for a moment, you might also want to purchase the newest issue of BC Outdoors Magazine now available on the newsstands. It’s the pre-hunting season issue and features my article “The Four Factors Of Deer Movement – Scouting for Early Season Bowhunting Success”. The article will provide the reader with all the information to get your bowhunting season off to a good start.Visit the BC Outdoors Website
Read the BC Outdoors Hunting Blogs.
Read my BC Outdoors Blog.
Read the BC Outdoors Fishing Blogs.
Join me and other BC hunters and anglers on the BC Outdoors Forum.
This blog post has been brought to you by Othmar Vohringer Outdoors
Read my bi-weekly newspaper column online.
Tags: Othmar Vohringer, British Columbia, BC Outdoors Magazine, BC Hunting and Fishing, Hunting Blog, BC Hunting Forum
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