reduced limit

[swampsinger]

I suppose the MNR thru one right past me. I never saw a press release or announcement, nada. In their wisdom they have reduced the daily bag for snowshoe hare, from five to three. I could believe the rationale for parts of southern ontario. Give me a break, you are allowed to snare north of the french and mattawa . How can you control your daily bag limit setting snares. Wait don't tell me, now your only allowed to put out 3 snares. Have I got this right, your bag limit is higher for grouse than snowshoe hare.

Sorry my mistake, that bag is for the falconry people

[finsfurfeathers]

so you might be peeved with a reduced limit? Have to admit had a laugh reading your post as you went from anger to relief with the realization of your mistake.
Anyways happy hunting and get the dogs ready.

[Fenelon]

Amazes me that the government is making conservation decisions regarding hare while they sit and watch the exterpation of our remaining Ruffed Grouse and Woodcock populations. Considering what is remaining of our continental Woodcock population, and its continual decline, I personally think it's disgusting that you can still kill eight in a day and have 24 in your possession. Same with S. Ontario Ruffed Grouse. They are now almost absent now from some WMU's. It's now so bad think some WMU's should be closed to harvest.

[swampsinger]

It's not that I'm peeved about a reduced limit. I don't believe I have ever taken my limit. That is a personal choice for every hunter.
My recent experience with the MNR and snowshoe hare "conservation", has left me highly skeptical and prone to jump to conclusions
{Insider joke regarding limits}

[finsfurfeathers]

It's not that I'm peeved about a reduced limit. I don't believe I have ever taken my limit. That is a personal choice for every hunter.
My recent experience with the MNR and snowshoe hare "conservation", has left me highly skeptical and prone to jump to conclusions
{Insider joke regarding limits}

Ah just having a bit of fun with the reaction more than anything else. When it comes to regulations I leave it to those with more letters after their names to figure it out. My responsibility is to follow the regs as best as I can.

Amazes me that the government is making conservation decisions regarding hare while they sit and watch the exterpation of our remaining Ruffed Grouse and Woodcock populations. Considering what is remaining of our continental Woodcock population, and its continual decline, I personally think it's disgusting that you can still kill eight in a day and have 24 in your possession. Same with S. Ontario Ruffed Grouse. They are now almost absent now from some WMU's. It's now so bad think some WMU's should be closed to harvest.

Yup still surprised the limit is 8 woodcock double check it every year expecting a drop. Have faith the powers that be know what they are doing. I take comfort that since its a shared resource with the American's where their limit is 3 a day that if we were taking more than our fair share limits would be reduced.
In the end population loss has more to do with habitat than hunting pressure. on the west side of simcoe grouse has had a limit of 2 birds for a while now, whereas on the east its 5. I'm having about the same number of contacts on either side. If limits where the concern it stands to reason to the east I'd see none and to the west piles.
So with no extensive habitat management plan the numbers will continue to evaporate. Take away hunting and I believe that will happen even faster.

[desben]

Amazes me that the government is making conservation decisions regarding hare while they sit and watch the exterpation of our remaining Ruffed Grouse and Woodcock populations. Considering what is remaining of our continental Woodcock population, and its continual decline, I personally think it's disgusting that you can still kill eight in a day and have 24 in your possession. Same with S. Ontario Ruffed Grouse. They are now almost absent now from some WMU's. It's now so bad think some WMU's should be closed to harvest.

I've been thinking about this too. Had hunter reporting been in place for the past two decades for those species, they would have had hard data to see the decline, I would think. Some US states have hunter reporting for upland birds.

Here around Ottawa, I'm walking 4-8 hours per grouse flushed ! They are around, but not abundant. The bag limit of 5 per day seems like a joke; you'd be lucky to get 2.

[finsfurfeathers]

I've been thinking about this too. Had hunter reporting been in place for the past two decades for those species, they would have had hard data to see the decline, I would think. Some US states have hunter reporting for upland birds.

Here around Ottawa, I'm walking 4-8 hours per grouse flushed ! They are around, but not abundant. The bag limit of 5 per day seems like a joke; you'd be lucky to get 2.

Would be good to have a spring drumming assessment in the spring like the states where game seems much more managed. However until forest management has a paradigm shift from timber production to wildlife management nothing will change. For woodcock there is a hunter reporting system its called the wing survey. If you hunt migratory birds and you're not reporting your take than can't blame the MNR if they are not on top of it.

[werner.reiche]

The issue with reducing hare limits is that hunter take does not have a significant effect on the population. They have figured this out for ruffed grouse - that's why the limit of 5 is still in place where they are almost non-existent. Strange that they can figure it out for grouse, but not for hare.

[swampsinger]

I agree that hunters have no impact on hare numbers. When the cycle is up have fun, when its down start saving for new boots.
We rabbit hunters know that no one ever took their limit, because there wasn't one. Until the wynne liberal government imposed a limit and shortened the season by 3 months in wmu 1 thru 59. The hare population in those units is still on the same cycles it has been on since the ice age ended.
In hind sight I believe it was just a back handed way to restrict firearm use. They managed to restrict legal firearm use during 3 holiday weekends labor day, easter and victoria day.

[finsfurfeathers]

In hind sight I believe it was just a back handed way to restrict firearm use. They managed to cease legal firearm use during 3 holiday weekends labor day, easter and victoria day.

Ok I'll give you easter however if you really need to smell gun powder you got turkey on Vic' day and dove on Labour day, so bit of a stretch to say it was just an effort to restrict gun use.