A Voice For Canada’s Wild Turkey

© Othmar Vohringer

(Column originally published in the Merritt Herald)

It is no secret that organizations like Ducks Unlimited, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Wild Sheep Society of British Columbia and a long list of similar organizations right down to the many local Fish & Game Clubs across Canada pour millions of dollars and countless volunteer hours into wildlife conservation. Some of these organizations concentrate on a single species and its conservation needs. One of these is the Canadian Wild Turkey Federation; it is the new kid on the block of Canadian operated wildlife conservation organizations and was founded, like most, by concerned hunters.

Until last year the conservation efforts for the growing Canadian wild turkey population has been represented by the American based NWTF (National Wild Turkey Federation). When the NWTF closed its Canada branch in the spring of 2014 to concentrate on turkey conservation issues occurring in the U.S. the vacancy was taken up by the founding of the Canadian Wild Turkey Federation (CWTF). This new, not-for-profit organization’s mission statement is to promote the establishment, restoration, preservation and sustainable management of wild turkeys and their habitats across Canada. As well, to develop conservation and research programs and engage in projects to preserve and enhance wild turkey hunting practices, traditions and heritage. It is also to focused on working with governments, other organizations and stakeholders to develop programs and engage in projects to protect wild turkeys and their habitat though education and youth conservation programs. The CWTF, with head office in Ontario, has many chapters across Canada and is hoping to set chapters up in British Columbia too. CWTF chapters are concerned with fundraising events, public education and other programs to aid the conservation needs and CWTF mission on a provincial level.

Canada has a thriving turkey population with the main population residing in the province of Ontario, however, here in British Columbia turkey populations also exist. The presence of these birds has been ongoing for probably a century or more; turkeys have been migrating from the south and entering Canada in a fairly recent natural expansion of their range.
Unlike in other provinces, British Columbia has yet to establish a conservation program for wild turkeys and in fact, regards the birds as an alien species. Yet, there are records going back to 1910 of wild turkey sightings in BC. Other records state that in the 1960’s flocks of turkeys migrating from America established themselves in the East Kootenay range.

When I emigrated from Switzerland to America and encountered wild turkeys I was instantly mesmerized by these fascinating animals and joined the National Wild Turkey Federation in an attempt to learn more about this remarkable bird and do my bit to aid in their conservation. Turkeys soon became my favourite bird species to hunt and to study. When news broke last year that a group of Canadian hunters founded the Canadian Wild Turkey Federation I signed up as a member of the new organization here in my own home country. It is my hope that in the near future the CWTF can set up several chapters in BC. Education is important since there are still many misconceptions about wild turkeys. Two of the most persistent myths are that wild turkeys have a devastating effect on agriculture and to other upland birds, such as the Ruffed Grouse and Pheasants. However, locally based studies conducted in the mid 1990 have addressed these issues with the conclusion being that turkeys do not inflict more damage on agriculture than any other wildlife and they do not cause any threatening effect on other upland bird populations.

The Canadian Wild Turkey Federation hopes to work closely together with provincial and federal governments to ensure a secure and prosperous future for the Canadian wild turkey. To achieve this goal the CWTF relies on memberships and support from the conservation and hunting community. To learn more about the CWTF and how you can help visit their website www.cwtf.ca.

An Email From An Anti-Hunter

© Othmar Vohringer

A few days ago I received an email from an animal rights activist. It’s not the first time and like the ones before, mostly contains the kind of language that cannot be printed in a publication such as this. The thing that baffles me time and again is how these people can put “love”, “respect” and “compassion” in the same sentence with wishes “… that you will die a gruesome death.” And to add emphasis to their universal hatred for hunters: “people like you should all be rounded up and summarily shot.”

Make no mistake, I am a great supporter of animal welfare organizations and have even volunteered my time for such. My faithful dog “Gazu” came from an animal shelter and the hard work volunteers do there every single day earns my deepest respect. But I deplore the many animal rights organizations, like PeTA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), the HSUS (Humane Society of the United States), and the slew of similar organizations that raise vast sums of money, most of which disappears into the pockets of their board members. These groups resort to lies and fabrications that are designed to tug on the heartstrings of children and city folks, to get them to donate money.

While PeTA claims that they do not endorse violence against people to intimate others a little research about that organization quickly shows that they readily support radical and militant animal rights terrorists, that blow up, or set fire to, farms and other animal husbandry systems. PeTA founder and president for life, Ingrid Newkirk, even went so far as to say; “The activists of the ALF (Animal Liberation Front) are the true heroes of animal liberation.” This is the organizations that the FBI and the US government officially declared “Domestic Terrorists”.

How far this hatred can go became evident a few weeks ago. A father posted a picture on his facebook site of his son with the first deer he shot. It took all of 24 hours to get over 150 comments from animal rights activists. Most of the comments in some form or other voiced not only displeasure about the image but also a violent death to the child. One of the animal rights activists recognized the boy and revealed his address on facebook, commenting “…someone should go there and kill that little f… the same way he killed that innocent deer.” I followed some of the protester’s profile links and to my horror learned that these comments were made by adults, most of them parents too. It begs the question of how low can someone sink in his political views that he wishes someone would inflict harm or kill a child. The father of the boy felt the need to contact the police and seek protection for his son from these radicals. This is by no means an isolated case. There are thousands of cases on social media where hunters are threatened. How are animal rights activists even made aware of hunters on social media? From organizations like PeTA which posts 24/7 “alerts” on their sites with the urging of “take action against this atrocity”. With that these organizations openly engage in the spread of hatred.

The fact animal rights folks overlook, and purposely so, is that all life on this planet is sustained by ending another life. Even vegetarians and vegans, which are some of the most hateful, ignorant and violent among the animal rights crowd, have blood on their hands. The crop fields, fruit and vegetable plantations were at one time wildlife habitat, and so are the towns and cities vegetarians live in and the roads they drive on with their cars. Pesticides used to protect crops kill billions of insects- insects which are the food source of songbirds, mice and other animals.

The wildlife that called these places home did not just yield willingly, they were displaced or killed. Vegetarians and animal rights activists wear shoes that are made from the skins of slaughtered cattle. Nutritional supplements like Iron and Vitamin B 12 that vegans need to supplement their diet, are for the most part derived from animal by-products.

Everybody dreams of a fantasy world where the lion sleeps with the lamb. But that is not how nature works. Nature works on the principle of eat and be eaten. Every living thing on this earth, even plants, prospers because something else died. It’s an endless cycle of creating life through death. It has been so since life first took hold on this earth and no animal rights terrorist agenda is going to change that.
When I kill an animal I do not gloat about it. I am proud of the fact that, as a hunter, I am able to provide healthy, organic and nutritious meat for our dinner table. Unlike animal rights activists, I have not lost touch with the real world around us and the part we play in it. I realized a long time ago that death must occur to sustain life. The difference is that some people can accept that fact and are stronger for it while others prefer to ignore the facts of life and choose to commit violent acts to support their radical political agenda.

Sturgeons –BC’s Very Own River Monsters

© Othmar Vohringer

Sturgeons are truly unique creatures believed to be on earth in their present form for the last 200 million years, the end of the Triassic period, ranking them among the most ancient animals to inhabit earth. There are 25 different species of sturgeons around the globe from China to Russia, Europe and North America. North America is home to the species “White Sturgeon” which also happens to be the only sturgeon species listed LC (least concern), whereas all other species are either listed as “critically endangered”, “endangered”, “threatened” or “vulnerable”.

The white sturgeon is North America’s largest fresh water fish that can reach an age of over 150 years and weigh as much as 816 kg (1,700 lb) and reach a size of 6.1 m (20 ft.) The largest sturgeon ever caught on record weighed 498.9 kg (1,100 lb.) and measured 3.76 (12 ft. 4 inches)

An important reason why the white sturgeon is doing so well here is British Columbia is because sturgeon fishing is big business. Annually thousands of anglers from around the world and across Canada come to British Columbia to pursue this prehistoric river monster. Anglers going for a sturgeon must use barbless hooks that do not harm the animal and it must be released again. Sturgeon anglers also must obtain a special sturgeon conservation licence costing eight dollars per day for British Columbians and 15 dollars per day for all non-residents. The money from this fee goes in its entirety to sturgeon conservation.

It was last year when a friend asked me “Have ever gone sturgeon fishing?” To his utter surprise I answered “No!” which led him to comment “How can that be, thousands of anglers pay top dollar to travel to BC to fish sturgeon and you practically live in the middle of the action.” That got me to thinking that as an angler and a hunter I probably owed it to myself to at least try sturgeon fishing once in my lifetime and began to give some serious consideration and planning on catching a BC river monster. It just so happened that I knew somebody to ask for advice on sturgeon fishing and he was most helpful and even offered to assist me on the trip.

Originally I set the sturgeon fishing date to coincide with the annual sturgeon fishing derby held in Lillooet, but a change in work schedule nullified that idea, which turned out to be a very good thing. I rescheduled the fishing trip for the last weekend of August; that way I could share this unique experience with my brother who was visiting us from Switzerland and with my wife. On Sunday, August 31st, we met my sturgeon expert friend and followed him to his secret sturgeon fishing place. The weather was mixed with light rain and sun periods, just perfect for some good fishing, although at times heavy winds made it difficult to cast far enough out into the deep water of the mighty Fraser River, where big sturgeons swim. After several hours of watching for the tell-tale twitch on the rod tip it finally happened: “Fish on!!” My sturgeon expert friend Clay hooked the fish and asked “Who wants to real the beast in?” We quickly decided that this honour should belong to the guest and so my brother had the task of getting the sturgeon on land and have the pictures taken. It was not a big fish by any means, maybe 4ft at most, but it was the first BC river monster that I ever have seen close-up and touched with my own hands.

I am thankful for everything Clay did in assisting us on the trip with his advice and tips. It was for sure one of the best outdoor experiences I had in many years and best of all I was able to share it with my wife Heidi and my brother Roland and it doesn’t get any better than that.

Image caption: My brother, visiting from Switzerland, posing with a four foot sturgeon caught in the Fraser River near Lillooet.

Leave No Trace Behind

(Column orginally published in the Merritt Herald - Othmar Vohringer - The Outdoorsman)
© Othmar Vohringer

When we return from our trips in the wilderness we should make sure that we leave no trace of our visits behind. Yet it seems as the years pass I see more and more people leaving refuse in the bush. Sometimes it is just a few beverage cans but more and more often I am finding discarded tarps, tents a, bags of household garbage, motor oil canisters, broken buckets, roles of wire, plastic bags, ropes…the list of human civilization's waste could go on for the rest of this column.

Not only is it a criminal offense in the eyes of the law to pollute nature with garbage it is also a deadly hazard to wildlife. Many years ago when I lived in Illinois, USA, I was a volunteer for the Illinois DNR (Department of Natural Resources) and in this position I assisted in more wildlife rescues than I care to remember. Most times the rescues involved freeing the animal from some human caused predicament. Most vividly in my memory are two cases:

The first involved a deer that got its head stuck in a bucket. Nobody knew for how long the deer was in this pitiful state but judging by its haggard condition and the cuts and bruises on its legs it is very likely that the deer was staggering around blindly for several days, unable to eat or rest until it was reported. We had to tranquilize the deer obviously in order to cut the bucket away.

In the other case we spent over an hour freeing a whitetail deer buck that had somehow managed to tangle himself into a carelessly discarded rope. His front feet, head, neck and antlers were bound so tightly to the point that he was close to strangling himself. He too required tranquilization in order for us to remove the rope that had cut deeply into his flesh. There is no telling how many animals we could not get too in similar situations and because of that died a long and agonizing death.

Most wildlife are very curious animals that like to investigate and are often attracted by human garbage, especially if they smell something edible like a chocolate wrapper or a plastic bag that was used to take food into the camp. Items like this are often found carelessly thrown in the bush. Deer, moose, bears and other animals are attracted to plastic bags and wrappers and will eat them. Plastic is indigestible and will cause a blockage in the animals’ intestines which in turn kills the animal slowly over a period of days, suffering great agony.

Over the years I found that the worst days of nature pollution occur during long weekends holidays when everybody heads out in the wilderness to camp, hike, bike and fish. It puzzles my mind that outdoor visitors don’t mind carting all their supplies into the camp but are too lazy to bring the garbage back out again. If you can bring it with you then you can take it out again too. Nature is the home of the wild animals and it is our responsibility to make sure that their home remains free of civilisation’s refuse. This coming long weekend holiday, and of course at every other time too, be a conservationist and take your garbage, tents, tarps, glass bottles, drink cans and everything else you brought into the wilderness home and discard it in the proper manner.

Enjoy your outdoor activities to your hearts content but when you go home leave no trace behind of your visit so that others too can enjoy unspoiled nature and wildlife does not have to suffer because of irresponsible actions. If you witness environment pollution in progress make notes of the people involved, write down, or take a picture with your cellphone of the vehicle licence plate and call the RAPP-Line (Report All Poachers and Polluters) 1-877-952-RAPP (7277) Cellular Dial - #7277. Let’s all get a handle on trash dumping in our great outdoors.

Childhood Memories That Last A Lifetime

© Othmar Vohringer

On Facebook I came across a “Meme” that contained the following verse: “Memories aren’t made playing video games on the computer.” I had to think about this for a minute and realized that there is a lot of truth in it. Virtually all of my most treasured and vivid childhood memories revolve around outdoor activities with family and friends. Conversely I have almost no recollection of when I started to play (the then) popular video games like Mario and Pong in coffee bars, let alone with whom I played them with and if I lost or won.

While surely not all of the widespread problems with youth today can be blamed on video games, recent social research shows us that some of the more serious social problems can be attributed to these games, especially when children spend many unsupervised hours on the computer. Research done at the Center for the Study of Violence at Iowa State University showed a clear link between juvenile violent offenders with video games as a high risk factor. Other studies on the social aspect of video gaming and online networking seem to reveal that excessive use, up to 3 hours per day, results in a severe lack of attention leading to reduced school grades, lack of patience and loss of reality in real world life. The research also showed that this in turn leads to violent and angry behaviour patterns in over 80 percent of the research subjects. An equally disturbing trend in the research found that these children also suffer from a lack of empathy, compassion and poor social skills.

In other words, they lose touch with the real world and how to behave in a social group which can lead to emotional and behavioural conflicts within the family and society.

On the flip side, a study commissioned by the Eckhard Foundation showed that outdoor activities provide children with self-esteem, a sense of belonging, and a heightened ability to learn. These children also showed more patience and better social adjustment.

There are scientific reports that children exposed to outdoor activities vastly improve their academic skills and lessen considerably their disruptive behaviour. The benefits of outdoor activities is so great in the positive development of children that many schools and youth offender facilities have developed educational outdoor programs with great success in turning “behaviourally disordered” youth into “behaviourally normal” youth.

To me these findings are a no-brainer, because all outdoor activities can be enjoyed as a family and have fun while doing it. An often ignored factor is that family is the most important social structure in a child’s life. It is in the family where our children learn social skills and the associated problem solving skills without resorting to violence, like in video games.

On that note, engage your children in some of the great outdoor activities, not only will this provide provide youth and adults alike with much needed exercise but create memories shared as a family that will last a lifetime.

B.C. Government Allows Hunters To Shoot Feral Pigs Anywhere At Anytime

© By Othmar Vohringer

Wild and feral pigs have been spotted in the Kamloops, Okanagan, Peace, Kootenay and Lower Mainland regions, and the government doesn’t want any of it. In a media release the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations announced that the swine are now listed as a “schedule C” animal and hunters with a valid hunting license could shoot them anywhere and anytime they encounter this invasive species.

Having lived and traveled for a few years in America and seen firsthand how fast wild and feral pigs multiply and spread - and the devastation they create on habitat and agricultural crops - I can fully understand and appreciate our government’s drastic measure.

Where do these pigs come from? Wild pigs (like pheasant, fallow deer and many other species) are not native to North America; they were introduced by the first European settlers for sport hunting and agricultural purposes. The current “North American wild pig” is predominantly a hybrid of Russian wild boar and domesticated pigs that escaped. This interbreeding has created a particularly hardy animal that is able to survive in almost any condition from the desert to the lower alpine regions.

So far British Columbia is a small corner of North America where feral pigs are still small in numbers compared to other parts where the pig population, despite relentless hunting from ground and with helicopters, has gone totally out of control. The B.C. government views the “war on pigs” as a proactive measure to make sure we do not end up with the same problems that exist elsewhere.

Once established in an area wild pigs are extremely hard to control and keep their populations in check. Under the right conditions a sow can have two litters of piglets in any given year. While nursing one litter she is already impregnated with the next litter. The piglets are independent within six months and ready to reproduce. The average litter size can be as high as eight to ten piglets with the average surviving to adulthood being five to seven.

The good news for hunters is that wild hogs make for some very good and healthy table fare. Wild pork is some of the best meat that I ever had the pleasure to eat, and being wild it is also totally organic and is not dripping with excessive fat like domestic pork. Hunting wild pigs can also be very challenging. While pigs can’t see much beyond the tip of their noses their incredible sense of smell and hearing make them nearly unapproachable. Something else that makes pigs a challenge to hunt is their “bravery”. When cornered, injured, threatened wild pigs have no hesitation to attack their adversary with the ferocity one would attribute to a lion. There have been eye witness accounts that even a bear or cougar would run if he encountered an angry wild boar. It is for this reason that in Florida and some other American jurisdictions it is mandatory to hunt wild pigs from an elevated platform, like a treestand or shooting house.

In my forays throughout the Nicola Valley I have never seen feral pigs or any sign of them and can’t tell with certainty if we have any roaming around or not. Having said that, I will pay more attention to it in the future, it’s been a while since I had barbecued wild pork ribs and I wouldn’t mind having it again.
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If you have seen any feral or wild hogs in British Columbia or hunted them we would like to hear your story.

Will the BC mountain caribou be extinct in our lifetime?

© By Othmar Vohringer

That might very well be the case if drastic conservation measures are not enacted quickly. The emphasis here is on “quickly”, which is a bit of an oxymoron in politics. The southern mountain caribou populations are in rapid decline despite an extensive provincial recovery plan. Why? The caribou recovery plan is complex and contains important short and long term measures that need to be addressed and implemented if we hope to save the mountain caribou herd.

There are many contributing factors to the steady decline of mountain caribou populations that need to be urgently addressed. Obvious factors are logging of old growth forests, mining and snowmobiling in sensitive caribou habitat. If that wasn’t enough, caribou herds face voracious predation by overpopulation of cougars and particularly wolves. This is a problem that can be fixed right now and with little expense to the taxpayers and would help the caribou enormously to sustain their numbers.

Even more simply and effectively is the government’s own wolf management plan which is essentially culling. Culling however, is controversial to many city people (potential voters) and therefor is not being fully implemented nor promoted.

The science is very clear on what needs to happen right now to save the mountain caribou. It takes time to regrow the forests and restore the habitat to the point where the caribou population can thrive and prosper. However, even these measures are of little use if the wolf and cougar population continues to grow with no controls. The latest survey, conducted by the Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations, suggests that only 1’5033 mountain caribou are left in BC. In 2007 the population count was 1’900, when the government announced a recovery goal to increase the herd to 2,500 by 2027. At the rate the caribou population loss occurs now there won’t be any caribou left within a few years from now.

Even the extensive captive caribou breeding program with animals transported from Alberta will fail if the wolves kill the caribou faster than they can be re-introduced back into the wild. A year ago, in addition to captive breeding, the government transplanted caribou from a “healthier” herd but that plan failed miserably: all the animals were killed by predators. The experts say that it would take approximately 20 years of intensive captive breeding and habitat restoration to bring our caribou herd back to its former glory but this is impossible as long as the wolf populations remain at such high numbers. Rather than trying to appease animal rights and anti-hunters, or worry about votes, it would be welcomed if the government would listen to wildlife experts and enforce the caribou recovery and wolf management plan. This not the time to worry about the opinions of the anti-wolf cull lobby and the misinformed. We need to implement the wolf management plan now or stand to lose the woodland caribou for ever.

Are We Destroying Our Wildlife And Nature?

© Othmar Vohringer

How many of you can remember the time during the 1960’s when news from around the world of eagles and other birds of prey falling dead from the sky terrified us? After much research it was found that the then commonly used insecticide DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) was the culprit. The highly toxic insecticide was not only deadly to the insects but every other animal that ate insects, such as frogs, songbirds, fish and others. The birds of prey in turn ate the songbirds, frogs and fish. It was a deadly chain reaction all the way up the food chain. DDT also made its way into our food and scientists quickly found that DDT caused birth defects and cancer among other illnesses.

The outcome of the DDT aftermath research and how it affected nature, wildlife and humans caused an international outcry and started the “global environmental movement”. Eventually, after much political wrangling, DDT was internationally outlawed as an insecticide. Public opinion put a stop to the global poisoning, at least that is what we all thought.

Jumping forward from the 1960’s to 2013 and we are in a new crisis. Again we hear news from around the globe of fast declining honeybee populations and more recently of songbirds, frogs, salamanders and other small critters which at one time were plentiful but are now vanishing fast. Again the liberal use of pesticide is blamed for the decline of these animal populations. But what about larger animals such as our moose and mule deer populations right here in British Columbia? Are they affected too by the use of pesticides and other chemicals in the agriculture industry? Or are these animals the victim of the much hyped “global warming” effects? Not so if we are to go by what scientists say. We had global warming and global cooling before with little effect on wildlife. Animals, like humans, are very adaptable to climatic changes. What wildlife cannot adapt to is the poisoning of the food sources and the rapid loss of habitat. Both of these are plaguing our wildlife populations. DDT is outlawed but there are still tonnes of other equally deadly chemicals and poisons sprayed every day of the year all across the world, not to mention the genetically manipulated crop seeds killing every other plant growing nearby and insects eating from the plant.

Habitat loss occurs at a staggering pace. No matter how much we insist that we are environmentally conscious and how many laws and taxes we create in the name of “environmental consciousness”, when push comes to shove, we humans are not willing to forsake a new highway, shopping mall, golf course, housing projects and the extraction of renewable resources in the name of progress, prosperity and economic success. For as long as humans strive to make life easier with more gadgets and gizmos, bigger houses, easier access to shopping, more transportation networks and more use of renewable resources, wildlife always will be drawing the shorter straw. When wildlife and nature lose then so do humans and no matter how much we might believe ourselves to be above it all, we are an intricate part of nature and without it we’re as doomed as the honeybee. To think otherwise is simply foolish.

Wolf Population Booming In The Nicola Valley

The following column has been previously published in the Merritt Herald in response to the wolf attack on a forestry worker near Merritt.

© Othmar Vohringer

Merritt has been in the international headlines again. This time it had nothing to do with feral cats or bobcats roaming in our city. This time it was much more serious. The headlines read: “Aggressive wolf pack attack near Merritt prompts warning”. The encounter was serious enough for the BC Forestry Safety Council to issue a warning to all their employees and people living in the Merritt area. As much as some try to convince us that this is just a singular case it happens more frequently each passing year. The provincial government has stated that the wolf population in our province is growing each year and in some areas has reached the point of over-population.

The regular readers of this column may remember my article about the peril of the BC mountain caribou. Part of the problem is a growing wolf population killing off these endangered animals at a rate that puts the survival of the entire herd in jeopardy. There are government reports that elk and moose population in some areas are facing similar pressure from wolves. With a growing wolf population the danger to humans increase dramatically too. Once the wolves have decimated their natural prey they quickly learn that human inhabited areas within their range are an easily accessible food source. Each year there are reports of farmers and ranchers that loose cattle and horses to packs of wolves. In one case it was reported that two wolves in a single night killed over 170 sheep. Wolf advocates try to convince us that wolves only kill what they need for food. Not quite true. Research has shown time and again that in areas where wildlife and livestock exist in large numbers wolves, for reasons not fully understood yet, will indiscriminately kill every animal they can catch. Humans in these areas are also attacked more frequently.

Hunting Pheasants Without a Dog

© By Othmar Vohringer

There is no denying that hunting pheasants with the aid of a dog is a huge advantage. However not every hunter owns an upland birding dog or has the time and commitment it takes to turn an ordinary dog into a trusted and well-adjusted hunting partner. Does this mean that hunting pheasants without the aid of a dog is not possible? Far from it. It just means you have to adjust your hunting tactics. Hunting without a dog means you have to know how to read pheasant habitat and how the birds use available cover. Another aspect to consider is the recovery of downed birds. With the lack of a dog’s astonishing sense of smell it can be a bit of a chore to find a downed bird, especially if they come down in thick cover. This means you have to consider carefully when to shoot a flushing bird so that it does not fall, or manages to fly, into thick cover.

Without a dog at your service I find it best to hunt in pairs or in a small group. Personally I prefer a group to consist of not more than three hunters; any more and safety usually becomes an issue. My personal experience is that pairs work best when hunting along the edges of known pheasant habitat. Hunting in pairs still necessitates the establishment for some simple rules; one of the most important is to establish shooting directions. Usually this means to establishing the direction each hunter can shoot and can not shoot. For example, hunters never should shoot in the direction of the other hunter, regardless of how thick the cover is. Also, shooting over head of the other hunter regardless of the angle must be avoided at all times. It is therefore very important to know exactly the whereabouts of your hunting partner at all times. As a pair it is best to walk parallel to each other on either side of the cover. Remember that flushed birds often flush into the wind and then turn downwind to escape.

There are two different likely pheasant habitats that I would like to discuss here that are well suited for hunting without a dog. I will start with the forested habitat (thick cover) and then discuss farmland habitat (open cover). By the way, the tactics discussed here work equally well for other upland birds like the Ruffed Grouse and Blue Grouse among others.

Should Trapping Be Banned in British Columbia?

© Othmar Vohringer
(This column has been originally published in the Merritt Herald)

I got the idea for this column after giving an interview to Cam Donavin from the Merritt Radio station Q101. In the interview I was asked about my take on trapping and the anti-trapping petitions that are being circulated in Merritt, among other towns. After the interview I came to the conclusion that there is more to be said about the issue then can be said in two minutes on the radio.
In order for petitions to effect change to a particular law it needs several thousand signatures and they all must be from eligible British Columbia voters and not, as is often the case with animal rights engineered petitions, minors and foreigners. Often animal rights activists attempt to gain momentum for their agendas by using emotional appeals (think: “Bambi”) to bring their ideas across. To do that animal rights are often willing to fabricate information or grossly exaggerate.

Claims about phone calls from throughout the region to the petitioner regarding pet dogs having been killed or badly injured in traps have not turned up in police and conservation office reports.

Would a distressed pet owner in the face of such a scenario search the phone book for animal shelters in Merritt instead of calling 911? I find such an idea farfetched.

Pursuant to the BC Wildlife Act a person commits a serious offense to let a dog hunt or pursue wildlife, except as it is in accordance with existing regulations. A supervised dog is not likely to get caught in a trap …unless the owner of the animal is negligent and allows it to roam at will.

As a means of “non-violent” wildlife control animal rights often propose short sighted ideas in jurisdictions that find favour with them. But what they don’t mention in these proposals is that most “non-violent” measures they advocate do not actually offer solutions to wildlife population control. When we lived in Langley the town was approached by an animal rights group and persuaded to choose their solution of reducing the over population and consequent problems of beaver activity. Instead of allowing trappers to come in and remove the surplus animals permanently they chose to trap and relocate the beavers into other areas where they no doubt carried on as before…they continued to dam up canals and clog drainage pipes in other parts of the community. This was a hugely expensive “non-violent beaver management program” that simply put the problem off for two years; the city reversed its earlier decision and hired trappers to do the job correctly.

So should trapping be banned in British Columbia? Absolutely not! When we discuss wildlife management we need to approach it from a scientific aspect, not an emotional aspect, if we want to have any measure of balance. The reason why Canada, and America, is so successful in wildlife management, at a minimal cost to taxpayers, is because we realized that hunting and trapping are the only effective methods of wildlife management and conservation. For those that worry about the “humane” aspect of hunting and trapping, it is far more humane than any methods Mother Nature applies.

What's your take on this?

Local Anglers And Hunters Meet With NDP Leader Adrian Dix

(Previously published in the Merritt Herald - Othmar Vohringer, The Outdoorsman)
 
© By Othmar Vohringer

On Sunday, December 2, 2012, NDP leader Adrian Dix and Fraser-Nicola LMA Harry Lali hosted an election information event at the Tropico Spice restaurant in Merritt. Among the 100 plus people attending was a delegation of the Nicola Valley Fish & Game Club (NVF&GC). Harry Lali, who had attended a NVF&GC general meeting in early fall to discuss with us land access and confirming his political support, suggested that meeting Adrian Dix would be helpful to our cause. Rick McCowan, the land access committee chair of the NVF&GC had a chance to meet person to person with Mr. Dix before the event, providing him with the current information and a newly published information leaflet about land access problems here in the valley and across the province.

At the event Adrian Dix spent quite a bit of time at our table talking about the issues we presented to him and he seemed to be as concerned about land access as we are. A good sign!

Since I am not directly involved with the land access committee I must say that I am very impressed with what this small group of dedicated people in our club has achieved so far and all the hard work they put in to creating broad public awareness of the crown land access problem in our province.

While the BC Wildlife Federation, the province’s largest hunter and angler organization, is twiddling its thumbs on the issue our club has gathered immense momentum, attracting national media attention and support from many other organizations throughout our nation. The NVF&GC has without a doubt become the driving force of the land access campaign.

While our fathers and grandfathers could enjoy hunting and fishing without any concerns for the future, times have drastically changed since then. Today we have to become politically active in order to secure our heritage for future generations. Our outdoor sport heritage faces many challenges of which our forefathers wouldn’t dream of in their worst nightmares. Loosing access to public land is only one of these problems. Other problems are instigated from the myriad of popular self-proclaimed “animal welfare” organizations using vilification and misinformation targeted against hunters, and their recruitment of largely ignorant city/suburban peoples to their cause; particularly impressionable youth.

We need to challenge these problems as a united force in public, on the political stage and even in the courts or we stand to lose it all. I am proud to be a member of a small local organization that doesn’t just complain but is on the forefront of fighting for our future generations so they too can enjoy hunting, fishing and accessing lands, lakes and streams for generations to come. If you’re a concerned outdoor sportsperson and want to do your bit to preserve our heritage, rights and freedoms then you should be thinking about joining the Nicola valley Fish & Game Club.

A Hunting Holiday You Probably Haven’t Heard About

© By Othmar Vohringer

A few days ago I learned that in parts of Canada a special hunter holiday is celebrated of which I am very well aware to be a big deal in many parts of Europe. Each fall, in the first week of November, schools and factories are closed while hunters and tens of thousands of other people gather to hold festivities and attend a special Mass in churches and cathedrals to honour St. Hubertus the patron saint of the hunters.

In parts of Canada, such as Quebec, St. Hubertus Day is celebrated in early September with the Mass of St. Hubertus in the local church. Hunters attend dressed in hunting clothing, bringing their dogs and guns to be blessed by the priest. The procession has the clergy, conservation officers and other guests enter and exit the church by walking under an archway of guns held up high by hunters wearing camouflage and hunter orange clothing.

After Mass the hunters attend trap and skeet shooting events, parades and wild game dinners, inviting the community to share with them the bounty nature has to offer. I am sure not many people here have heard of St. Hubertus, so I’ll provide you with some background.

Hubert was born in 638 AD as the oldest son of Bertrans, the Duke of Aquitaine. He enjoyed the good life of nobility and loved to hunt, so much so that on one Good Friday he skipped Mass and instead went hunting. Hubert’s hounds quickly cornered a big stag but when Hubert attempted to slay the stag he suddenly had a vision of a glowing crucifix between the stag’s antlers. He heard a voice saying; “Hubert, unless thou turnest to the Lord, and leadest a holy life, thou shalt quickly go to hell.” Moved by that experience Hubert promised to better himself. He went to the Bishop of Maastricht to learn the priesthood and in 705 AD made a pilgrimage to Rome where the Pope selected him to become Bishop of Maastricht.

During his clergy career Hubert applied the passion for hunting to his faith, establishing Christianity to vast sections of the Ardennes forest where he converted many hunters and others to Christianity. It is also said that he had been blessed with miraculous powers to heal man and beast alike. Hubert died in 727 AD and in 1744 Pope Benedict XIV canonized him as the patron saint (patronus sanctus Hubertus) of the hunters, trappers, archers and hunting dogs.

Growing up in Switzerland the St. Hubertus Day is still in vivid memory. As a child I marveled at the festive spectacle of the colourful procession making its way to the church, the ringing of the church bells mixed with the sound of marching bands and the cheerful greetings of “Weidmansheil patronus sanctus Hubertus”. I am glad to learn that this tradition is celebrated in parts of Canada too and with that in mind I wish all fellow hunter for the reminder of the hunting season a hefty and heartfelt “Weidmansheil” (Hunters luck!)

95-Year-Old Nova Scotia Woman Bags Her First Moose With 1 Shot

© By Othmar Vohringer

The following news item is the kind of hunting stories that inspire me.

Laura Wood, a 95-year-old woman from Yarmouth Nova Scotia, fulfilled her lifelong dream of going on a moose hunt. It was the last day of her hunt, just when daylight broke when Laura’s dream materialized in form of a 600-pound moose appearing. Laura brought the critter down with a single shot form her rifle. The Sandy Point Lodge, which hosted Laura’s hunting trip, said it's the first time they can remember a 95-year-old hunter in camp.

Now that Laura Woods has fulfilled her dream she won’t go moose hunting next year, because "I'm getting too old." She said “but I still plan on deer hunting." Wood said she has been hunting rabbits and deer since she was 16 years old. And to the one shot kill on the moose she said modestly, "Well I used to be a good shot. Well it must have been pretty good if I got that one...it's in my freezer now."

Laura Woods made headlines in the Canadian newspapers but that doesn’t faze her one bit. “Since I’ve been back people have been so good to me. The phone’s been ringing off the hook. I don’t know why they call me. I’m not worth it.” Well Laura you may think you’re not worth the media attention, but as far as I am concerned you are. There are not many hunters around that still hunt at that age let alone planning on continuing hunting.

(Photo courtesy of Sandy Point Lodge)

Tribute To A Loyal Friend

© By Othmar Vohringer
(Originally published in the Merritt Herald - Othmar Vohringer Outdoors Column)

On Tuesday morning (October 2nd, 2012) my loyal friend and companion for over 16 years passed away. Gazu, a Rottweiler/Labrador mix, had not an easy start in life. When I adopted him, then about one year old, from a pet shelter in Montreal, Quebec, he already had two previous owners that abused him badly. I learned that Gazu was destined to be euthanized because of the many behavioural problems he sustained from his abusers. Because of that I was at first denied adoption, however, when the manager at the shelter found out that I am a professional animal trainer and behaviourist he agreed with the adoption. My immediate concern at the time was not about Gazu’s behavioural problems. Having dealt with a fair number of animals with such issues I was sure I could cure him. My concern was what my other “pets”, 16 tigers, would think of this new addition. Training, performing and caring for the tigers took up many hours of my day and Gazu would have to fit into that schedule.

Gazu quickly adapted to his new life and surroundings and within two weeks we had a very close relationship and he slowly started to develop the outgoing and friendly character that would become the hallmark of his entire life. The most difficult part was taking his fear of travel from him. In his past a trip in a car signified yet another drive to the dog shelter but once he realized that this was not the case with me he started to enjoy traveling to new places all around Canada and America with me and the tigers. Later Gazu traveled with us by airplane and ship to China and Brazil. Wherever we traveled in the world Gazu’s outgoing and enthusiastic nature made him friends everywhere, even in China where people are generally afraid of large dogs.

The only time Gazu showed any sign of slight displeasure was when I meet Heidi, my future wife, two years after I got Gazu. My guess is he suffered a brief case of jealousy. However, it only took him a short time to realize that he did not have to “loose out” and instead, he gained another friend and so he quickly adopted Heidi as part of “his family”. Gazu liked making friends; be that tigers, elephants or humans. Throughout his life, even in old age and in the last months where it was apparent he had cancer, Gazu’s loyalty, outgoing nature and unassuming friendship was exemplary and humbling for those that knew him.

Gazu will be dearly missed and there always will be a very special place in my heart for him. Heidi and I would like to thank Dr. Anne Flemming at the Merritt Veterinary Hospital for her respectful treatment, marked by dignity, for Gazu and letting us be with him until he took his last breath while resting in our arms. Thank you Gazu for your loyal friendship, unquestioned trust and also for the many things I learned from you, rest in peace until we play together again.

Are Trophy Records Destroying Hunting As We Know It?

© By Othmar Vohringer

For years I have been saying that the “trophy” aspect of hunting perpetrated in every magazine and hunting TV show eventually will backfire on our hunting heritage. It is my contention that if trophy record books would only give credit to the animal without the name of the hunter they would go quickly out of business. The reason hunters enter trophy’s in these books is for the sole reason to see their name in print. In magazines and hunting TV shows trophy animals are used solely for the purpose to sell products and to give “testimony” that the writer or TV show presenter is an “expert”.

Now don’t get me wrong. I like to kill a trophy animal as much as the next guy but to me it is not a contest and I certainly never would enter one in a record book. I am not a trophy hunter and I am not a meat hunter either. I am just a hunter. While I fully respect that some hunters may only hunt for a trophy animal to please their own ego or their own sense of achievement it needs to be mentioned that the trophy hype does affect new and young hunters in a very negative way. How so? I lost count of how many times I heard a young or new hunter say something like; “I will not waste a bullet on a lesser animal.” Or “I want to be a trophy hunter.” These are all people that may go many years without killing a deer waiting for that big trophy buck. They do so because they want not to be ridiculed by their peers for shooting a lesser animal.

Hunting Tactics: Read All About It

© Othmar Vohringer

Common belief has it that outdoor writers are the lucky ones because they can spend all their time in the great outdoors. While I admit that I call myself “lucky” I do not spend all my time outdoors. A good part of my time as an outdoor writer is used up in my office writing about the outdoors. Proof of that are my new articles published this fall in the BC Outdoors and western Sportsman magazine, available on the newsstands now.

Western Sportsman magazine. September/October 2012: Beat Them To It. On page 69 I reveal seven of my favourite early season deer hunting tactics that may help you too to get an early season buck this year. Here is a teaser.

Hunt Escape Routes.

For most hunters there is nothing worse than having to share the same area with hordes of other hunters. In fact, dealing with all the other hunters used to be the reason why I rarely went out in the early season. Not anymore! I learned how to use the other hunters as my involuntary deer drivers. When hunting highly pressured areas I forget about scouting for deer sign. Instead, I scout for other hunters and the sign they leave behind. Given the habitual human nature the hunters will do the same things again this season. Try to find trail markers hunters have left behind (they always do), stand locations and easy walking and driving access routes to the area.

I wish my wife would understand

(Originally published in the Merritt News)

© By Othmar Vohringer

I am fortunate in that my wife supports my hunting lifestyle. Going by what I hear from fellow hunters many are not so lucky. “My wife doesn’t like when I go hunting” to “My marriage is in trouble because she thinks I spend too much time away from her” are some of the complaints I hear more often than I care to count.

I wonder why so many hunters seem to have relationship problems. Is it because they put hunting before marriage and family? I know of a few hunters where this definitely is the case. Is it because the hunter fails to see it from the perspective of the spouse? In my view and perhaps as advice to others we need to get away from thinking of hunting as a “manly” (macho) activity in which women have no place or are only a secondary thought.

The Dog Days of Summer

(Originally published in the Merritt News)

© By Othmar Vohringer

The spring hunting season is over and the fall hunting season is still a few months away. It is the months between hunting seasons, the dog days of summer, which causes many hunters to slip into the summer doldrums.

That doesn’t need to be the case. Instead of dreaming about the opening of hunting season and the experiences you will make, how about working on your shooting skills or going scouting and hiking to get fit for the upcoming season. That is exactly what I am planning to be doing during the summer months.

Impressions From The Wild TV Huntfest In Chilliwack, BC

© By Othmar Vohringer

 

On Saturday, June 23rd, Heidi and I drove to Chilliwack to visit the Wild TV Huntfest. It was the first time that this event was held in British Columbia. The first time I heard about the Huntfest was last year when they had a series of events in Alberta and Ontario. Naturally I was very curious to visit this new kid on the block as far as hunting trade shows go when I learned that they would come to my home province.

From what I had heard so far about Huntfest I had quite high expectations. There were not as many exhibitors in attendance as I had hoped for but I had expected that given that this was their first event in British Columbia. The atmosphere was friendly throughout and it started right at the entrance to the building: a polite event staff attended to the visitors and everybody we talked to- both visitors and exhibitors alike- seemed to be having a good time.