jjt / seattlesetters,

You are entitled to vote with your dollars, and many Americans have chosen to do so. I would do the same if the roles were reversed but only after looking at ALL the facts. My original post was simply pointing out that much of the fall off in business is not a result of economic slow down, rather a result of our federal governments foriegn policy.

However, many conversations I have had with Americans & Canadians since the war started resonates with an anti-American / anti-Canadian sentiment. It' s amazing to me that both Canadians and Americans have forgotten the long time friendship which has existed between the two countries. Seattlesetters, you seem to have forgotten that Canadians and Americans were/are fighting and dieing together in Afghanistan. And as your own embassador to Canada pointed out, Canada is currently contributing 3 warships to protecting American air-craft carriers in the gulf, more then any of your official allies with the exception of the Brit' s.

seattlesetters, your attitude will have a larger impact on your (American) ability to enjoy hunting and fishing then on the few Canadian outfitters that will go out of business. It is Canadian outfitters and the strong US dollar that keeps YOUR outfitters honest. If as a whole, Americans abandon Canada as a alternative to US outfitters prices will double within 2 years and continue to double within another 5 years. You need only look at the Journal of Wildlife Management to see trends in tresspass fees and hunting leases. Ever try hunting in S. Texas, Europe?

So don' t be so quick to label all Canadians as liars as you suggested in your post! When I tell you that the majority of Canadians (outside of Quebec) support the US and the war it means that the majority of Canadians support you!

I don' t think the people of Canada are no more responsible for their government actions any more than Americans, both our governments suck.
Just because the government takes a certain stand on an issue doesn' t actually indicate my personal views, but I got to live by them. Should I penalize an honest Canadian outfitter (merchant, ect. ) who is trying to make an honest liveing just because his government doesn' t represent him either. Since when have you Americans had a government that actually represents your views. I live outside a small towne along the Candian/US border in Montana and we depend on the revenue that the Candians bring in on a weekly basis. I will continue to support my Canuck friends as I will be going to Golden B.C. Wednesday for a few days of R&R. EH? Bobby

muskrat:
Our bear bookings were way up until the war started. We thought we would fill up. It came to a screeching halt as you say. We only had a few openings left anyways so for us it does not really matter.

My fishing bookings were on track until the war and that too cam to dead stand still. I have started getting a few more calls in the last few days though so hopefully that will pick-up.

Glad to hear it is happening all over and not just with us.

tikka
after doing a little research i am finding that the mid east of canada seems to be the downfall of the US alligance and getting most of the news coverage
however i will hunt canada again just not this year we US citizens forgive and forget very fast and as the economy gets better we just got to spend that money

its like a couple of kids in the sand box one gets mad and says hes not playing with the other any more the next day they are both playing in the sand box together again.

[Deleted by Admins]

Personally, I have two hunts booked this Fall. One is for mountain goat in BC, and the other is an elk/mule deer hunt in Idaho. What I am most interested in is the quality of the hunt I am going on. I don' t think I have ever asked questions as to the political leanings of the outfitter I booked with. You may if you wish. Blaming an outfitter in Alberta for what the cretin of a PM does is like blaming me for what my senator does, or for that matter, Hillary Clinton. I didn' t vote for either my senators nor would I ever vote for Hillary, but when she becomes president, I suppose you will blame me because I am a citizen of the USA. In short, don' t take it out on the outfitters for what their a#E#hole politicians do.

I haven' t booked any hunts for 2004 yet, but am looking to book a spring bear hunt and possibly a mule deer hunt in Wyoming if they ever let me draw a tag. As to 2005, I am thinking about a return trip to Africa. Just thinking.

http://www.hunting-pictures.com/memb...My%20moose.jpg

I' ve got a simple solution. Why don' t us Americans just simply call up the particular outfitter we want to hunt with in Canada. If he says hes pro-war book your hunt. If he says anti-war tell him off. Sounds like a simple answer to me. I would never punish a hard working man who isn' t being represented by his government.

The unfortunate part of our politic landscape is it is largely made of those members(politicians) in Quebec or Ontario. In these areas there are numbers who don' t agree with the political landscape but those numbers in the past have not been enough to help out other parts of the country that want, desire and need a change. If you look at the government make up you will see a large number of politicians from other areas (especially out west) that do not reflect the party that is in control (liberals). Unfortunately we are really at the mercy of the voters in Ontario and Quebec who they dictate to govern this nation. The alternative choices are limited, especially considering the alliance party is western based party that make up the opposition. It is pretty hard to get eastern canada to vote in large numbers for a party that is founded in the west, with western ideals, platforms and objectives. So we really have the a great divide political landscape in canada. This is just to help you understand exactly what we are dealing with and in fact the Alliance Party of which most westerns voted in to their position supported the americans in this war and said we should be offering our support and resources as required.

You see why outfitters who reside in areas and citzens who do as well are so quick to tell you they don' t agree with our PM and his desicion. Punishing those people for a party they have no vested interest in is not the way to make a point, but it is your desicion to make. I still do not agree with the idea that we must agree or feel the same as the government that makes the desicions, show me in history where any so called diplomatic government has abided by the every wish of the people it is elected to govern. Fact remains when they have majority they can pretty much do as they please with relative ease.

My comments were merely intended to show that many do not agree with the PM' s desicion and I think I can speak for a great number of canadians who say we support our american neighbours.

Back about 10 years or so ago, a friend of mine who happens to be quite liberal told me that the USA should have strong gun control laws like Canada was planning then. He called Canada a ' nation of hunters,' and said that if gun control didn' t hurt Canadians, it wouldn' t hurt us. His comment, smug and self-assured, made me do some research.

Canada at the time was a nation of about 20 million people. 90% of them lived within 100 miles of the US border. 88% lived in cities of 50,000 or more. If you took away Vancouver and Edmonton, 95% lived in Quebec and Ontario, and nearly all of those lived in the narrow corridor from Windsor, Ontario to Montreal, Quebec. Canada is really two nations. One is sparsely populated and has strong rural traditions. The other is city bound and resembles the population of Boston, Mass. in its politics. So, like the USA, most of Canada' s population are city dwellers.

In our last presidential election, Al Gore won the popular vote by about 250,000. Fortunately (IMO), George Bush won the electoral vote, and is president. Of the total land area of the USA, the people in 97% of the land area voted for Bush. The 3% of the land area that voted for Gore was the northeast corridor we call the eastern megalopolis and the West Coast population centers. I hope this puts it in perspective. We in the USA are in grave danger of being ruled by that 3% of the land area. Remember, in that 3% of the land area, they love Hillary Clinton.

I think also that it is important to be consistant. If you are using the excuse that the liberal government in Ottowa is against the war not to book a hunt with an outfitter in Saskatoon, do you also refuse to go to a baseball game in Anaheim, since the Angels are owned by Disney and Disney is against gun ownership and hunting? Do you prohibit your kids from watching Disney movies?

not that it matters ...but i wont be going to france either...