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Thread: Re: small game hunting changes....?

  1. #31
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    Quote Originally Posted by Larson View Post
    Is it possible they did it to limit the potential for hares being killed that have dependent young? Generally this is not a bad conservation approach to build populations. However, I doubt there is enough impact from late spring hare hunting to have any effect on the overall population, so I highly doubt we will see an increase in hare numbers because of it (though I hope I'm wrong!). Short of an argument about population, there would be an argument about not letting young dependent hares starve. This can also be a good humane policy. Don't forget the argument around orphaned cubs was enough to get the spring bear hunt cancelled the first time, even though the number of orphaned cubs was seriously misrepresented and over-stated. Also young dependent hares already have a very high natural mortality so in the big picture, hunting is not even a drop in the bucket.... so there is no reason this change couldn't have been rolled out for next year rather than stopping it immediately mid season. But who knows, Suzuki just successfully got turtle trapping cancelled, even though trapping might have only accounted for a dozen or so snapping turtle deaths a year.... while thousands get run over on the roadways. I'm totally making this up, but maybe the MNR got wind that the "spring hare hunt" was next in his sights.
    The first litter of the year is always in doubt. The second litter of the year has the most impact on recuitment for the following year.

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  3. #32
    Getting the hang of it

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    Quote Originally Posted by welsh View Post
    The David Suzuki Foundation's position on this is well supported by the science. Snapping turtles are a species at risk and their life history makes them vulnerable to hunting pressure.


    Hunters used to be conservationists, but in recent years, the hunting community has largely forgotten what that means.
    I take your point about their life history, and I don't completely disagree that hunting a very slowly reproducing species at risk is, at least on the face of it, not a good idea. My point more pertains to what exactly the hunting pressure is on them. In 40 years of hunting and fishing, I've never met anyone who has captured a snapping turtle. A few years ago Ontario introduced mandatory reporting of snapping turtle harvest.... I believe the annual reported legal harvest was in the area of 12 turtles. Granted many may go unreported, ... but that is poaching and will likely continue after the ban. I don't completely disagree with the ban, but unless snapping turtle hunting became exceedingly popular overnight, I think it is a biologically insignificant gesture given other sources of mortality, and therefore much ado about nothing.

  4. #33
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    Quote Originally Posted by Larson View Post
    In 40 years of hunting and fishing, I've never met anyone who has captured a snapping turtle. A few years ago Ontario introduced mandatory reporting of snapping turtle harvest.... I believe the annual reported legal harvest was in the area of 12 turtles.
    This supports ending the hunt. If there's no significant participation, there's no reason to leave that door open.

    Pushing back on things like this IMO just makes hunters look bad.
    "The language of dogs and birds teaches you your own language."
    -- Jim Harrison (1937 - 2016)

  5. #34
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    https://www.ofah.org/2017/04/rabbit-...ed-in-ontario/

    MNRF reconsiders stance and brings back hunting seasons following pressure from OFAH and hunters

    PETERBOROUGH — The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry has restored rabbit and hare hunting seasons in Wildlife Management Units (WMU) 1-50 and 53-59 for the remainder of the 2017 season — effective April 11, 2017 through June 15, 2017.

    In case you missed it, while making broad changes to the small game hunting regulations that came into effect on April 1, 2017, the MNRF closed the remainder of this year’s rabbit and hare hunting seasons in northern Ontario, which were originally scheduled to close June 15. The announcement was made March 31 and the government provided no notice to hunters beyond an Environmental Registry posting of the immediate closure.

    Since the decision was announced, the OFAH has heard from many small game hunters who were directly affected. The mid-season changes have left many cancelling their plans and looking for answers to explain why their spring hunting traditions had been eliminated so abruptly. Minister Kathryn McGarry responded quickly to the concerns of the OFAH and the hunting community in signing a regulation today that restores the remainder of this year’s rabbit and hare hunting seasons in northern Ontario.

    The changes came into effect immediately, but unfortunately are just a temporary measure and will only remain in effect until June 15, 2017. The season will end on March 31 each year in the future.

    “Although this is a great first step for the minister to show she is listening to the concerns of northern hunters, the abrupt season closure for this year is only the start of the conversation. We want to have a discussion about how we can work towards a commitment to restore these important spring hunting traditions moving forward,” says Matt DeMille, OFAH manager of fish and wildlife services.

    The OFAH did not support the reduction in rabbit and hare hunting opportunities when proposed earlier this year because there is no evidence to suggest these hunting seasons are not sustainable.

    While this will be a priority issue for the OFAH, it is important to recognize that there were many enhancements to small game hunting with the recent announcements.

    “The OFAH has been pushing for modernized small game hunting regulations for many years. We are extremely pleased to see so many positive changes, and we don’t want this one issue to completely overshadow the rest,” says DeMille. “It is an important issue that needs to be resolved, but some of the MNRF’s recent changes give small game hunters many reasons to be optimistic about the future of small game hunting in Ontario.”

    For more information on all the changes, visit www.ofah.org/smallgamechanges.

    With more than 100,000 members, subscribers and supporters, and 740 member clubs, the OFAH is the province’s largest fish and wildlife conservation-based organization — and the VOICE of anglers and hunters. For more information visit us online at www.ofah.org, follow us on Twitter @ofah and find us on Facebook or Instagram @theofah.

    Media contacts

    Matt DeMille
    Manager of Fish and Wildlife Services
    705-748-6324 ext. 249
    matt_demille@ofah.org

    Shawn Cayley
    Manager of Communications
    705-748-6324 ext. 270
    shawn_cayley@ofah.org
    Make sure you have finished speaking before your audience has finished listening.

    Dorothy Sarnoff

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