Heck I would do you 1 better as a 1 bird limit is really all you need. Unfortunately now you have to add the cost of enforcement and we are back to square 1. Really the only way you would achieve your goal would be a system where you could arrive purchase your 3 pheasants and release them yourself. That way you can spend as much or as little as you like for a days hunt.Quote:
Originally Posted by outdoorlife
I could be wrong here, but I think there is something existing in the Hullett PWA constitution that prohibits charging day use or membership fees.
I don't think there is any point in protecting hens either. The chances of any birds surviving into the spring to actually nest are slim to none. I base this on the number of hawk-kills I find.
There is no easy answer here. Users have to find it within themselves to give back.
Quote:
Originally Posted by outdoorlife
I've been hunting hullett for almost 20 years now. It is probably the best thing we have here in south Ontario for hunters, I would be glade to pay a $50 or $100 a year membership, It is well worth it. All you would have to do is get those parking lot style things that hang from the rear view mirror or something along those lines along with wallet cards, then with the revenue from that they might be able to hire a few more people patrolling the area and checking to make sure people have paid there membership fees, and get hullett back up to where it was before.
FOH thank you for all you guys do. I wish you had more resources to manage it better and get it back to what it was years ago.
FOH is not selling a service. They are operating the Hullett Provincial Wildlife Area on behalf of the MNRF, which owns the property and its management plan. As Dilly points out, FOH's mandate from MNRF does not permit charging fees for the use of the area, which makes your idea a non-starter.Quote:
Originally Posted by outdoorlife
However, if that mandate were to change, charging a fee of over $100 would probably get you into diminishing returns pretty quick. Considering the backlash against the suggestion that hunting and fishing licence fees ought to rise with inflation, how do you think people would react to the MNRF turning Hullett into a pay-to-play game farm?
Hiring a few full-time employees to patrol the area in the hunting season is going to cost even more money than the pheasant release. And you'll run into another problem: that patroller can't tell whether I'm out there shooting pheasants, or birdwatching. You can't ticket a car on the assumption that people are pheasant hunting, and you can't reasonably expect other users of the area to buy passes to support the pheasant release. Hullett is a multiple-use area.Quote:
Originally Posted by Big Gunner
The real problem is upland hunters have been taking Hullett for granted. Nothing prevents pheasant hunters from forming their own group (as waterfowlers have) and raising additional funds to support the pheasant release. But the problem with this is (as always) finding people with the time to do it.
Welsh Have you ever been to Hullett?
Pretty great place to go don't you think.
I totally disagree, I think you would have just as many people going to Hullett as they do now, and with more funding the better quality of hunting resources we have. Membership numbers would increase I'm sure. Its easy math. Not only for upland but waterfowl,deer,turkey, ext........
You are the first person I have ever heard opposed to this idea.
And yes when picking any hobby you are passionate about it comes at a price, You have to "Pay to Play"
Hullett marsh is a god sent to people who may not be able to afford land or have been able to access private property, not to mention for the people who do own or have access to private property but do not have the proper habitat for the particular game they are after. Hullett has it all. I'm fortunate enough to have a family property plus neighboring property's that has great habitat for everything and very healthy numbers of everything and I still love going to Hullett, and one main reason is the pheasant.
Pheasant hunting here is a privilege, The only other place you will be able to hunt pheasant should Hullett stop the release program would be at a game farm and at $25 bucks a bird that adds up pretty quick. Easy math, Which brigs me back to my point, people would still be happy to go there and pay the $100, its cheaper for what you can get, Not to mention the opportunity at many others type of hunt-able game there not just pheasant, and the fee would not only be for the pheasant hunters but everyone, deer, waterfowl, turkey exc.. hunters as well. We've walked out of there with game bags consisting of pheasants, rabbits, ducks, woodcock and grouse all in the same day,
And yes even the birdwatchers
And of the 20 years of going to Hullett I have never ever seen a bird watcher during pheasant season lol, I don't think their bird watching is very productive with guns going off, I cant see very many birds siting still for to long.
And even if they were just bird watching then offer that pass at $25 a year as they are not harvesting game, and only offer it on specific days of the week as Fingal does during the hunting season. This way theirs no confusion of which car is who's, If its there on hunting days look for the hunting pass in the window, its easy, No pass you get a ticket, again after a couple of tickets it'll be cheaper to just get the pass..
Get ride of the free loaders who contribute nothing and expect everything.
And hey if money is really the problem then they can have a set of hours one could volunteer to get a free membership.
My vote has to go to Welsh on this one. Even the FOH guys says if you want to shoot a bunch of pheasants go to a game farm. For me its a place I get to 1 or 2 a year to let the dog stretch its legs. This year took 1 pheasant so at a 100 dollars would I come back? Keep it as it is no need to fix something that is not broke. Forcing people to throw money at a problem never fixes anything. My only suggestion again is to look into the possibility of purchasing your own pheasants for release on the property. That way those who want to see more pheasants can see their dollars at work.Quote:
Originally Posted by Big Gunner
This question wins the Leacock medal for humour writing.Quote:
Originally Posted by Big Gunner
Funny, I shot six pheasants last weekend, and I wasn't at Hullett or a game farm. Home by lunchtime both days.Quote:
Originally Posted by Big Gunner
So we've established that (a) you don't really read this forum much, or you'd know I've "been to Hullett" once or twice, and (b) you know squat about pheasant hunting opportunities in this province.
Why should people who aren't hunting pheasants pay to support your pheasant hunting habit? It's the cost of the pheasant program that's the issue, not the cost of running the area as a whole.Quote:
Originally Posted by Big Gunner
I've only been up there three times this season, if I recall correctly. And in those three trips, I encountered non-hunters in the area on two occasions. Not birdwatchers, in this case, but horseback riders. This is a multiple use area, not a hunting preserve, and much of the FOH membership is actually non-hunters. Indeed, non-hunters shoulder much of the burden of fundraising and volunteering. They make this area work.
The problem is the cost of the pheasant program. The solution is simple: upland hunters can get together and form their own user organization, as waterfowlers and trail users have done, and raise money to support the pheasant release and the maintenance of the upland zone.
Most of the hunting season falls on weekdays. So you're going to patrol this area with volunteers, who you're going to authorize somehow to issue trespassing tickets? And they're going to cover it seven days a week?Quote:
Originally Posted by Big Gunner
Or, get the same volunteers to run a fundraising event or two.
Which of these is pie-in-the-sky thinking?
FFF The Guys at FOH have no chose but to tell people that, look this thread was started to try and raise money for the next years release.
Like someone else said you go once or twice a year that's awesome get a day pass. Or if you cant afford it don't go. There's lots of other people who will still go.
And as for that 1 pheasant you got his year, congrats that's awesome. But if you went to a game farm most have a min 5 bird limit at $25 bucks a bird. That's $150.00, Still cheaper to get the pass.
And if you want to buy your own pheasant throw it up in the air and shoot it lololol you can do that anywhere, but to somewhat realistically hunt pheasant in someone of a natural setting Hullett is your place.
The thing is it is breaking, so why wait till its broken before fixing it. Cheaper to start now before its really screwed.
There's people near Toronto who pay way more for the privilege to hunt pheasant.
Quote:
Originally Posted by welsh
Like I said get ride of the free loaders, who contribute nothing and expect everything
Must you always argue with everyone?
If you have hunted at Hullett for 20 years like you claim to have, you sure don't see the big picture.