Show Time

© By Othmar Vohringer

It’s that time of year again, were I  am getting ready for the seminar and trade show tour. Starting of with the BC Boat & Sportmen’s Show on March 2nd to 4th in Abbotsford. This years seminars are on how to get better results with calling whitetail deer and in the second seminar we will replace commonly held whitetail deer rut myth with scientific facts. Keith Beasley from Canada in the Rough Television will also be there with seminars and talk about the Canada in the Rough television show.

On the fishing seminar stage we will see Brian Chan, a true BC flyfishing icon, plus others. I always look forward to the BC Boat & Sportsmen’s Show and not only because it is my home turf but this show is getting from year to year better and bigger. It going to be a great show highlighting all the aspects of what makes British Columbia the avid outdoors enthusiast number one destination.

I am looking forward to meet with hunters from my home province, so come on by the hunting stage and say hello.

White Sturgeon’s Increase in Trail, BC

© By Othmar Vohringer

It has long been known that the white sturgeon, a fish renowned for its primitive appearance, is under threat. Once abundant, it has declined drastically since the 1990s, with research showing that only 1,000 wild adult sturgeon currently exist in British Columbia’s upper Columbia River.

The federal government consequently classified the upper Columbia white sturgeon population as ‘Endangered’ under the Species at Risk Act in 2006.

Now, it looks like efforts to protect the species are working – with an increase in sightings of young white sturgeon in the City of Trail over the summer months. Gerry Nellestijn, an Environmental Watershed Steward in the Kootenays, who is part of a team that monitors between Hugh Keenleyside Dam and the Canada/US border, has seen more white sturgeon in the Columbia River, downstream of Trail, in recent years than ever before.

Another Hunting Season Past

(Originally published in the Merritt News - Othmar Vohringer The Outdoorsman)

© By Othmar Vohringer

Taking my brother on his first hunting trip.

As you read this the British Columbia 2011 fall and winter hunting season is closed with the exception of geese and coyotes. The reports I received from across North America suggest that this will be another of “those seasons”. It seems that the experiences of most hunters reflected my own observations, namely that deer movement was somewhat erratic and sporadic compared to previous years. While some hunters managed to shoot respectable mule and whitetail deer bucks, some of which were taken right here in our backyard, for the most part very few bucks of either species were seen during legal hunting hours.

That dilemma extended to other game species too like bears, waterfowl and small game animals. Nobody seems to know why this was one of those seasons where wildlife behaved “strangely” but of course we all have our opinions… some say it’s global climate change while others suggest that the La Niña weather system moving though the northern hemisphere was to blame. Despite it all I had a very successful and rewarding hunting season. As I wrote about in an earlier column my brother from Switzerland, whom I haven’t seen in over 20 years, came to stay for a month. Besides showing him the beauty of British Columbia I also took him hunting. On our very first hunting trip my brother saw the first real live black bear in his life. It was a young animal and we were quite close. I could feel the tension building up in my brother at the sight of the bear, but a week later as we encountered a big black bear for a brief few seconds my brother was much more relaxed and even suggested we go and see where the bear had run.

Roland on his first salmon fishing trip.

Besides bears we saw other wildlife such as mule deer and whitetail deer. We managed to stalk quite close to a big mule deer buck but unfortunately he never got in a position for a safe and ethical shot. We saw many other animals like coyotes, eagles and salmon among others that Europeans only know from books or TV. As my wife and I played willing tourist guides and witnessed my brother’s amazement of the vastness and breathtaking beauty of our seemingly untouched wilderness something began to dawn on me. It was the fact that we live in one of the most beautiful places on earth with more wildlife variety and numbers then anywhere else in the world, with the exception of Africa, and yet we take it for granted. My brother’s visit has reminded me again of this fact and how very fortunate we are to call this unique place on earth our home. At the end of the hunting season it didn’t matter to me that, apart from a coyote (read about it here), I had not taken any other animal. My biggest trophy of the season was spending time with my brother and being reminded by his amazement of what he saw here that we are a truly privileged people to be able to go hunting and enjoy the vastness and diversity of nature in all it’s wild untamed beauty.

Winter Means Ice Fishing Is Here

(Originally published in the Merritt News - Othmar Vohringer The Outdoorsman)

© By Othmar Vohringer

When I moved from Europe to America and for the first time saw people huddled up in warm clothing sitting on a frozen lake fishing through a hole in the ice I thought “They are crazy.” Since then I’ve become one of those “crazy” people too. Not only do I like ice fishing, I look forward to it every year.

Fishing on a frozen lake has many advantages over fishing on an open lake. The biggest advantage is that no boat is needed, you can walk anywhere on the frozen lake. Ice fishing makes for a perfect family outing with small children since there are no worries about the little ones falling out of the boat or concerns about how many people can participate. The fishing will be easier too because in winter fish concentrate in small areas where there is more oxygen and more food available. The equipment needed is minimal. Basically all you need is an ice fishing rod with line and hook, bait and something to drill a hole into the ice. If you’re new to ice fishing visit the Nicola Valley Outdoors store or Ponderosa Sports in Merritt. The dedicated people in these stores will be happy to advise you on equipment and pass on a few tips on how to catch fish through the ice.

Last winter I ice-fished on a few lakes around Merritt and while I didn’t catch fish on every trip I enjoyed it anyway. This year is going to be even better because my wife, Heidi, wants to get more serious about ice fishing. She tried it a few years ago but now needs to be outfitted with her own ice fishing gear. It’s going to be great. I can picture it now: sitting together with a cup of steaming hot coffee or chicken soup in one hand and fishing rod in the other waiting for a fish to bite.

All this talk about ice fishing reminds me of a great and very popular event coming up. On Sunday, January 15th the Nicola Valley Fish & Game Club will hold their ice-fishing derby at Mamette Lake. This event has over the years become one of our regions most winter events, attracting anglers and their families from as far away as Vancouver Island. Having been involved in the ice fishing derby for a number of years I can promise that you will have a good time, and especially if you have children, there will be many prizes to win. For more information call Fran George at: (250) 378 2735

See you on the ice.

Headline News For Hunter And Anglers

© By Othmar Vohringer

As an outdoor writer I spend a considerable amount of time researching news headlines on the internet to gather information about topics I want to write about. It’s a tedious job. On my research rounds I come across many newspaper articles that cover issues that are of importance to hunters and anglers, such as conservation issues, government regulations and many other topics the informed sportsman and women should know about. I am also aware that many outdoor communicators spend as much time each day, or more, as I do searching the news.

This has given me the idea to create a new blog. The BC Headline Hunter is a convenient place where hunters, anglers and outdoor writers/journalists can find all the latest news pertaining to British Columbia hunting, fishing, conservation, related politics and legislation in one single place, gathered and compiled daily just for you.

Visit the BC Headline Hunter.

My First Coyote Hunt

© By Othmar Vohringer

My first, but not last, coyote.

Over the years I often thought about extending my hunting season beyond deer hunting, which around here closes on December 10. Hunting coyotes seemed always a possibility to do that but for some reason I never went out again once the deer hunting season closed.

A few weeks ago as I walked to my stand I could hear coyotes howling from every hilltop. Walking along the trail my flashlight beam caught eight shiny spots in the field. Living in bear country my first thought was “bears”, but when I turned the light beam up a notch I could see four coyotes looking at me. Walking further I noticed a hump on the side of the trail and as I got closer the hump turned out to be a dead deer. The carcass was still steaming in the frosty air. That deer had not been dead for longer than a half hour and by closer examination I could see bite marks to the deer’s neck and hindquarters. I got mad for two reasons. First because that dead deer, obviously killed by the coyotes I’ve seen earlier in the field, spoiled one of my most productive stand sites for days if not weeks to come and second because the coyotes killed the deer.

Hunting Success Is The Result Of Learning

(Originally published in the Merritt News - Othmar Vohringer The Outdoorsman)

© By Othmar Vohringer

Over the years the one thing I’ve noticed about successful hunters is a trait they all have in common: Knowledge! Successful hunters have spent many years perfecting their skills and have studied the habits and behaviours of animals. They have learned how wild animals use the landscape features to navigate around in their territory and because of this they know what features to look for that enables them to encounter wildlife. Knowledge permits the hunter to make an educated decision on where to go and at what time of the season and day, and if he should be in a particular spot in the morning or afternoon.

Hunters who lack knowledge will have to depend on luck. Luck, however, is fickle. Sometimes it comes to you the very first time but more often than not it ignores you for all of your life. Is there a shortcut to becoming a successful hunter? A way to shave off years of learning by trial and error? Yes there is! By learning from successful hunters that are willing to share their “secrets.”

November Changes Everything For Deer

(Originally published in the Merritt News – Othmar Vohringer The Outdoorsman)

© By Othmar Vohringer

This year’s summer was hot and the fall had the occasional rain, which provided deer with plenty of nutritious food and good conditions to raise their offspring.

At the opening of the hunting season the deer usually grazed late in the fields; often after dark to avoid the heat of the day and early evening. During the day the does and fawns browsed and bedded in the timber or in patches of tall grass along field edges. The bachelor groups of bucks seeking cooler climates and isolation tended to stay in the higher elevations.

At the first hints of frost in late October the bucks started to become more active. The maturing fawns fed more widely separated from each other and their mothers. The juvenile bucks began to test each other’s strength by mock-fighting each other.

Now with the temperatures falling well below zero Mother Nature begins to change drastically and so does the deer herd. Soon to be gone are the beautiful fall colours, to be replaced with tones of grey. This is the time for deer to prepare for the most important event of the year: the Rut.

For us who call ourselves hunters this may also be the most productive time to be out and about in the fields and woods. The bucks start to come into the open as they lose some of their cautious nature as they actively start to seek out the doe family units. The bucks are not yet actively looking to breed with does, they just want to know where they are and more importantly, they want to know where the older, more mature does will be. Those are the ones that will come into oestrous first.

The smart hunter knows that now is the time to observe the does closely and keep track of their movement. Now is the time a hunter has the best chance at a usually weary mature buck. But make no mistake; although bucks loose some of their suspicious nature as their hormone levels rise, they are not totally oblivious to danger.

Mature mule deer bucks visit the does only at night in the fields. Before daybreak they return to the hills and wait for the does to return from the fields where they join them. Your chances at a mature buck are much better if you learn where the does go to bed down and then set up close to them and wait for a buck to pay his visit.

Mature whitetail bucks are seldom seen standing in open fields during daylight hours; they mainly wander along woodland edges and in strips of brush or tall grass, providing them with good cover and a view of the open doe feeding areas. Try to find these buck travel corridors and you’re very likely to have an encounter with a mature whitetail buck in search of a doe.

If you haven’t had much hunting luck keep at it. Plan on hunting all day long because bucks will be moving around in search of does from dawn to dusk and all night long, eating little and sleeping even less. Good luck to you all.

Finally – Harper Government Announces Law To Abolish Long-Gun Registry

© By Othmar Vohringer

It was like a ton of bricks had been lifted off my shoulders when I heard it in the radio; “The Harper government announced this morning (October 25th) Bill C-19, a law to abolish the long-gun registry.” It finally happens. The two billion dollar feel-good policy introduced in 1991 that did absolutely nothing to keep guns out of criminals’ hands, that didn’t save a single life but turned every law-abiding Canadian firearm owner into a potential crime suspect will be gone before Christmas. I am very pleased to hear that the government in addition to getting rid of this useless piece of legislation will also destroy all the information on individual gun owners too.

A Conservative government official said, “Rather than leave the door open for a new registry we will not assist provinces to set up a back-door registry.” Candice Hoeppner, whose private member's bill to eliminate the registry came close to passing in the last Parliament, was among the MPs attending the announcement event. "Today is a defining moment for our government. The requirement for owners of rifles, shotguns and other long guns to register their firearms has unfairly targeted law-abiding citizens instead of criminals and burdened them with red tape." she said as she laid out the case for scrapping the registry.

BC Bear Facts (part 2)

(Originally published in the Merritt News –Othmar Vohringer The Outdoorsman)

Part 1 of  BC Bear Facts

© By Othmar Vohringer

Ten years after the decision to cancel the spring bear hunt, the rural and urban Ontario people are now living in constant fear of bears attacking children and breaking into houses. In other words, in many rural areas of Ontario, bears have been declared a nuisance animal. Just like here, the people were "educated" about bear-safe behaviour, and there are even ridiculous bylaws in place, like having filters on kitchen fans so bears can't smell when dinner is cooked. Yet, despite all these bear attractant prevention measures, the numbers of marauding bears are on a continued increase.

Bears are fiercely territorial, so much so that they will not share their territory with other bears. Male bears in particular continually patrol their territories and attack every other bear, including their own male offspring, for trespassing on their territory. Because of this behaviour, relocating them has never been successful. This very expensive and utterly useless practice of relocation has been the method in many rural areas throughout British Columbia. A few years ago in North Vancouver, a captured marauding bear had been equipped with a radio transmitter and then transported 600 miles north—far away from any human development. Within two years, that bear was back in North Vancouver and eventually had to be shot by conservation officers. Until that event, taxpayers spent a fortune on a useless feel-good policy to mollify the minority of people that believe that bears should have more rights than people.