© 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.
Showing posts with label Outdoor Column. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Outdoor Column. Show all posts
Monday, November 03, 2014
Saturday, September 06, 2014
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.
© Othmar Vohringer
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.
Thursday, June 26, 2014
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.
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.
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Merritt Teenagers Ranking High At Shooting Sports
(This column has previously been published in the Merritt Herald)
© Othmar Vohringer
With all the news in the media about youth drug addiction and crime it is refreshing to see that there are still young people working hard to achieve success in life.
I met Sunshine and Dakota O’Donovan for the first time five years ago when they took part in the youth archery that the Nicola Valley Fish & Game Club organized. The siblings enjoyed the bow shooting lessons and eagerly absorbed the knowledge provided. Outside of the program they practiced often and soon became proficient at shooting bows accurately. Two years later they enrolled in the club’s small caliber rifle shooting program under the knowledgeable tutelage of Bruce Merkely, and this has lead Dakota and Sunshine to the point in the shooting sport they are now. With dedication, endurance and many hours of practice at the shooting range Dakota just recently scored another gold medal for his air pistol shooting and is hopeful to reach the necessary points to join the BC shooting sports team that will represent our province in the Canadian Winter Games in February of 2015.
Dakota is training every week three times in Kamloops plus physical conditioning here in Merritt. Sunshine, Dakota’s sister, shows the same dedication with air rifle and is only a few points short of joining the air rifle team to represent British Columbia at the North American Indigenous Games. She too trains hard- in spite of a hectic schedule promoting the film “Shana– The Wolf’s Music” which was filmed last year here in the Nicola Valley and in which she played the lead.
When I spoke to the two teenagers in preparation of this column I could not help but to be amazed at the two. It is indeed rare to find young people in this age of entitlement that still believe in hard work and dedication to achieve their set goals. Throughout the conversation it became apparent that they both enjoy what they are doing and are fully prepared to work for it. Dakota, for example, proudly explained that he delivered newspapers for eight years without missing a single day. The money he earned from that was spent on a compound bow and his biggest pride, his own truck. Sunshine, with all the fame she garnered with her role as “Shana” is still the quiet, modest person that she always has been. With a movie role under her belt she now concentrates on her other goals in life, like joining the team for the North American Indigenous Games.
With that kind of commitment it is hard to believe that the two youngsters still find time to do other things, yet they do. Dakota is, among other things, an accomplished kayaker and a member of the Merritt Search and Rescue Team. Both believe that it is their civic duty to give back to the community by getting involved through sports and charitable activities. During our conversation there were a few times were I had to remind myself that these two are still teenagers 13 and 17 years of age and not adults, such was the wisdom and common sense approach to life the two exuded. As I said, in a time when most teenagers sit around and wait for others to give them things it is refreshing to meet two young people of Dakota’s and Sunshine’s calibre. I wish them both the best of luck in the shooting sport and in life, whatever their achievements will be; they have worked hard for it and that counts for much in today’s world.
© Othmar Vohringer
With all the news in the media about youth drug addiction and crime it is refreshing to see that there are still young people working hard to achieve success in life.
I met Sunshine and Dakota O’Donovan for the first time five years ago when they took part in the youth archery that the Nicola Valley Fish & Game Club organized. The siblings enjoyed the bow shooting lessons and eagerly absorbed the knowledge provided. Outside of the program they practiced often and soon became proficient at shooting bows accurately. Two years later they enrolled in the club’s small caliber rifle shooting program under the knowledgeable tutelage of Bruce Merkely, and this has lead Dakota and Sunshine to the point in the shooting sport they are now. With dedication, endurance and many hours of practice at the shooting range Dakota just recently scored another gold medal for his air pistol shooting and is hopeful to reach the necessary points to join the BC shooting sports team that will represent our province in the Canadian Winter Games in February of 2015.
Dakota is training every week three times in Kamloops plus physical conditioning here in Merritt. Sunshine, Dakota’s sister, shows the same dedication with air rifle and is only a few points short of joining the air rifle team to represent British Columbia at the North American Indigenous Games. She too trains hard- in spite of a hectic schedule promoting the film “Shana– The Wolf’s Music” which was filmed last year here in the Nicola Valley and in which she played the lead.
When I spoke to the two teenagers in preparation of this column I could not help but to be amazed at the two. It is indeed rare to find young people in this age of entitlement that still believe in hard work and dedication to achieve their set goals. Throughout the conversation it became apparent that they both enjoy what they are doing and are fully prepared to work for it. Dakota, for example, proudly explained that he delivered newspapers for eight years without missing a single day. The money he earned from that was spent on a compound bow and his biggest pride, his own truck. Sunshine, with all the fame she garnered with her role as “Shana” is still the quiet, modest person that she always has been. With a movie role under her belt she now concentrates on her other goals in life, like joining the team for the North American Indigenous Games.
With that kind of commitment it is hard to believe that the two youngsters still find time to do other things, yet they do. Dakota is, among other things, an accomplished kayaker and a member of the Merritt Search and Rescue Team. Both believe that it is their civic duty to give back to the community by getting involved through sports and charitable activities. During our conversation there were a few times were I had to remind myself that these two are still teenagers 13 and 17 years of age and not adults, such was the wisdom and common sense approach to life the two exuded. As I said, in a time when most teenagers sit around and wait for others to give them things it is refreshing to meet two young people of Dakota’s and Sunshine’s calibre. I wish them both the best of luck in the shooting sport and in life, whatever their achievements will be; they have worked hard for it and that counts for much in today’s world.
Thursday, March 27, 2014
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.
---
If you have seen any feral or wild hogs in British Columbia or hunted them we would like to hear your story.
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.
---
If you have seen any feral or wild hogs in British Columbia or hunted them we would like to hear your story.
Thursday, March 20, 2014
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.
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.
Monday, November 18, 2013
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.
© Othmar Vohringer
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.
Friday, November 15, 2013
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.
Tuesday, October 08, 2013
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?
(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?
Monday, October 07, 2013
Melissa Bachman Bullied Off National Geographic Channel By Anti-Hunting Lobby Petition.
By: Othmar Vohringer
Melissa Bachman, known as the “Hardcore Huntress”, producer and co-host of Winchester Deadly Passion, has been dropped as a planned participant in the of an upcoming National Geographic production called “Ultimate Survivor Alaska”. The decision has apparently been made after a petition, calling for the dismissal of Mellissa, a “heartless trophy hunter”, signed by more than 13,000 anti-hunters has been sent to the TV channel management.
According to a news story National Geographic apparently wasted no time to deny Bachman to take part in the show. In other words they let themselves be bullied into a decision by a mere handful of extremists. What boggles my mind is why would National Geographic reach such a decision? Isn’t hunting a part of the “ultimate survival” in the wilds of Alaska? To my knowledge you can’t survive in the vast wildness on vegetables alone.
But what more important, at least it is to me. Is the fact that Melissa Bachman has been discriminated against and I can’t help wondering what a smart lawyer could do with that blatant ant violation of the anti-discrimination act. Have we really come that far in our “civilized” world that a handful of radicals can decide what or who we can see on television? It’s not that National Geographic makes excuses about dropping Melissa, they are quite open about it that the decision has been made because of a petition.
While anti-hunters celebrate their victory over the “death celebrating murderer” they themselves show the true radical intensions with hundreds upon hundreds of death threats against Melissa Bachman.
Here’s a small sample of the more printable comment left on a facebook page.
“We will find you bitch and skin you alive.”
“I hope you and your children die a horrible death.”
“I’ll hunt you down and the slowly torture and kill you the same way you do with the animals.”
“We need to kill all hunters as they do not deserve to breathe the same air as the rest of the decent humans.”
Shocking, and these are people that promote compassion and kindness to all living things on this planet. The fact it that animal rights and anti-hunters are some of the most vile, hateful and self-centred people anyone could encounter.
As hunters, regardless if we agree with trophy hunting or not, we should weigh in on this issue and contact National Geographic and let them know what we think. To be quiet about this means we’re easy bush overs and bow down to discrimination against us. The last time I looked it up hunting was still a legal activity all across North America.
What’s your take on this story?
According to a news story National Geographic apparently wasted no time to deny Bachman to take part in the show. In other words they let themselves be bullied into a decision by a mere handful of extremists. What boggles my mind is why would National Geographic reach such a decision? Isn’t hunting a part of the “ultimate survival” in the wilds of Alaska? To my knowledge you can’t survive in the vast wildness on vegetables alone.
But what more important, at least it is to me. Is the fact that Melissa Bachman has been discriminated against and I can’t help wondering what a smart lawyer could do with that blatant ant violation of the anti-discrimination act. Have we really come that far in our “civilized” world that a handful of radicals can decide what or who we can see on television? It’s not that National Geographic makes excuses about dropping Melissa, they are quite open about it that the decision has been made because of a petition.
While anti-hunters celebrate their victory over the “death celebrating murderer” they themselves show the true radical intensions with hundreds upon hundreds of death threats against Melissa Bachman.
Here’s a small sample of the more printable comment left on a facebook page.
“We will find you bitch and skin you alive.”
“I hope you and your children die a horrible death.”
“I’ll hunt you down and the slowly torture and kill you the same way you do with the animals.”
“We need to kill all hunters as they do not deserve to breathe the same air as the rest of the decent humans.”
Shocking, and these are people that promote compassion and kindness to all living things on this planet. The fact it that animal rights and anti-hunters are some of the most vile, hateful and self-centred people anyone could encounter.
As hunters, regardless if we agree with trophy hunting or not, we should weigh in on this issue and contact National Geographic and let them know what we think. To be quiet about this means we’re easy bush overs and bow down to discrimination against us. The last time I looked it up hunting was still a legal activity all across North America.
What’s your take on this story?
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Are We Destroying Our Wildlife And Nature?
I've been remiss posting on this blog of late and the only, but true, apology for it is that I have been over both ears in work the past couple of months. Here is my most recent column I wrote for the Merritt Herald.
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.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Merritt Ice Fishing Derby - A Popular Family Event
(Originally published in the Merritt Herald - Othmar Vohringer, The Outdoorsman Column)
© By Othmar Vohringer
On Sunday, January 13, the Nicola Valley Fish & Game Club hosted its 12th annual ice fishing derby at Mamit Lake. The weather was mostly cloudy but without the cold winds common on that lake, making for cold but pleasant conditions. Close to 200 people and families attended the event for a day of family fun and fishing. Over the years the ice fishing derby has become a traditional staple of Merritt’s winter events that attracts many anglers from our region and beyond. The recent snowfall leading up to the derby had the organizers worried about the ice conditions on the lake. Measurements showed that the ice had not been as thick as in previous years and participants were asked to park vehicles on the lake shore as a safety precaution.
Due to a fractured elbow I was unable to attend the event from the beginning to the end, but have been told that the fishing has been fair with a few respectable trout being caught. A warm hospitality tent provided the anglers a place to warm up and consume free hot chocolate and coffee. For the hungry there were hotdogs with all the trimmings available for a minimal price of two dollars. Courtesy of the generous donations from the Merritt merchants and business community there were plenty of door and draw prizes awaiting the anglers and children plus cash prizes for first, second and third heaviest trout and heaviest coarse fish caught. The lucky winners this year are; B. Spinks and C. Mike (hidden weight tie), B. Smit (best coarse fish), P. Robison (1st. place trout), M. Mosley (2nd. place trout) and R. Mc Gowan (3rd. place trout).
© By Othmar Vohringer
On Sunday, January 13, the Nicola Valley Fish & Game Club hosted its 12th annual ice fishing derby at Mamit Lake. The weather was mostly cloudy but without the cold winds common on that lake, making for cold but pleasant conditions. Close to 200 people and families attended the event for a day of family fun and fishing. Over the years the ice fishing derby has become a traditional staple of Merritt’s winter events that attracts many anglers from our region and beyond. The recent snowfall leading up to the derby had the organizers worried about the ice conditions on the lake. Measurements showed that the ice had not been as thick as in previous years and participants were asked to park vehicles on the lake shore as a safety precaution.
Due to a fractured elbow I was unable to attend the event from the beginning to the end, but have been told that the fishing has been fair with a few respectable trout being caught. A warm hospitality tent provided the anglers a place to warm up and consume free hot chocolate and coffee. For the hungry there were hotdogs with all the trimmings available for a minimal price of two dollars. Courtesy of the generous donations from the Merritt merchants and business community there were plenty of door and draw prizes awaiting the anglers and children plus cash prizes for first, second and third heaviest trout and heaviest coarse fish caught. The lucky winners this year are; B. Spinks and C. Mike (hidden weight tie), B. Smit (best coarse fish), P. Robison (1st. place trout), M. Mosley (2nd. place trout) and R. Mc Gowan (3rd. place trout).
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Local Anglers And Hunters Meet With NDP Leader Adrian Dix
(Previously published in the Merritt Herald - Othmar Vohringer, The Outdoorsman)
© By Othmar Vohringer
© 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.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Orphaned Kermode Bear Makes International Headlines
The truth of the matter is that the bear, which had gotten used to people, would return to humans every time as he has done in the past. In addition bears are notoriously territorial and no matter how far away they are taken they always will return to their original territory and very often need to be shot by Conservation Officers. In addition, given that “Clover” is only 18 months old his survival chances in another male bear’s territory would be slim at best. With all that in mind the best place for this bear is a facility like the Wildlife Park in Kamloops. Of course animal rights activists are not known to care about facts. Theirs is a purely emotional agenda based on wishful thinking and aimed largely at metropolitan populations that are totally removed from the natural world. People who have been spoon-fed a Walt Disney view of nature.
Monday, November 05, 2012
A Hunting Holiday You Probably Haven’t Heard About
© By Othmar Vohringer
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.
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!)
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Are You Overanalyzing Hunting?
© By Othmar Vohringer
There used to be a period in my hunting career where I would analyze everything down to the smallest detail. While this can be a good thing it also can quickly turn into self-doubt caused by trying to analyze too much. I used to ask myself all kinds of questions before a hunt.
Things like.
What stand should I hunt today? Will the wind be right for that stand? Will the deer move by that particular stand or elsewhere? In addition to all this, and more, I was concerned about the wind, weather, moon phase, the gear I had with me and on, and one it went.
I constantly asked myself; “What if?” The questions and analytical process seemed endless. It came to a point were hunting became a chore rather than an enjoyable time in the deer woods. One day a few seasons ago I just had enough of it all and told myself. “Just go hunting.” Ever since that day I enjoy hunting more and appreciate the time in the woods more.
Hunting has become too complicated, when in fact it is simple. If you’re doing your scouting right then what else can you do? With years of hunting experience under by belt I remind myself that I should trust my knowledge and gut feeling more. I’ve been a successful hunter before I started to worry about every little detail and I am still a successful hunter now. But now I enjoy hunting more again.
The lesson learned here is. Don’t overanalyze hunting too much. Just go out and hunt.
Things like.
What stand should I hunt today? Will the wind be right for that stand? Will the deer move by that particular stand or elsewhere? In addition to all this, and more, I was concerned about the wind, weather, moon phase, the gear I had with me and on, and one it went.
I constantly asked myself; “What if?” The questions and analytical process seemed endless. It came to a point were hunting became a chore rather than an enjoyable time in the deer woods. One day a few seasons ago I just had enough of it all and told myself. “Just go hunting.” Ever since that day I enjoy hunting more and appreciate the time in the woods more.
Hunting has become too complicated, when in fact it is simple. If you’re doing your scouting right then what else can you do? With years of hunting experience under by belt I remind myself that I should trust my knowledge and gut feeling more. I’ve been a successful hunter before I started to worry about every little detail and I am still a successful hunter now. But now I enjoy hunting more again.
The lesson learned here is. Don’t overanalyze hunting too much. Just go out and hunt.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
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.
(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 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.
Monday, October 08, 2012
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.
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.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Hunting Season Opener
© By Othmar Vohringer
For hunters the season opening date is like Christmas for children. The closer it comes the more impatient we grow. We have been preparing all year for this event and as it gets closer we become restless, counting down the months, weeks, days and finally the hours. What will the new hunting season bring? Will we get that big deer or bear that eluded us last year? Will it be as good as last year or even better? The morning of the hunt is the only day of the year that I am awake before the alarm begins its annoying blaring. An hour before the sun rises over the mountain tops I am on my way to the spot where the deer leave the field in single file and head up a trail to the top of the hill where they will rest for the day.
When it gets just enough light to see shapes I put an arrow on my bow string and lean back against the tree. The waiting game begins. The deer will shortly start to move off the field and cross by my set-up and if I’m lucky my day will end in the kitchen - cutting and wrapping venison. But an hour later no deer have been seen at my set-up or on the other end of the field. What happened? There is only one way to find out: get up and search for another spot. I hiked up the mountain and found several good places that I know hold deer but I’ll wait to hunt them until the firearm hunting season opens. The worst thing I could do is walk around and risk alerting deer to my presence at this time of year.
This is hunting - there are no sure-fire recipes for success. Despite all the careful preparations you never know what will happen. Some hunters are out every day they can and still end the season with no deer taken. Other hunters are lucky and tag out early in the hunting season like twelve-year-old Tyler Mosley (Photo) from Merritt, BC. On the second day of the youth hunting season Tyler went out with his family to camp in the Petit Creek area. After years of following his father and older brothers on hunting trips this was the first time he would be the hunter and the others would accompany him. Brayden, Tyler’s older brother, led him along a trail where he had captured a large buck on a trail camera a few months previously. With any luck the buck would still be in the area. As the pair walked along the trail they noticed movement in the bush; it was the very same buck. Tyler aimed his rifle carefully and when everything felt right he squeezed the trigger and a few seconds later Tyler proudly admired his very first buck. It will be a memory that will last a lifetime and will be relived and retold many times at many campfires.
I wish you all have a good and above all safe hunting season.
When it gets just enough light to see shapes I put an arrow on my bow string and lean back against the tree. The waiting game begins. The deer will shortly start to move off the field and cross by my set-up and if I’m lucky my day will end in the kitchen - cutting and wrapping venison. But an hour later no deer have been seen at my set-up or on the other end of the field. What happened? There is only one way to find out: get up and search for another spot. I hiked up the mountain and found several good places that I know hold deer but I’ll wait to hunt them until the firearm hunting season opens. The worst thing I could do is walk around and risk alerting deer to my presence at this time of year.
This is hunting - there are no sure-fire recipes for success. Despite all the careful preparations you never know what will happen. Some hunters are out every day they can and still end the season with no deer taken. Other hunters are lucky and tag out early in the hunting season like twelve-year-old Tyler Mosley (Photo) from Merritt, BC. On the second day of the youth hunting season Tyler went out with his family to camp in the Petit Creek area. After years of following his father and older brothers on hunting trips this was the first time he would be the hunter and the others would accompany him. Brayden, Tyler’s older brother, led him along a trail where he had captured a large buck on a trail camera a few months previously. With any luck the buck would still be in the area. As the pair walked along the trail they noticed movement in the bush; it was the very same buck. Tyler aimed his rifle carefully and when everything felt right he squeezed the trigger and a few seconds later Tyler proudly admired his very first buck. It will be a memory that will last a lifetime and will be relived and retold many times at many campfires.
I wish you all have a good and above all safe hunting season.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
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.
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.
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