Bullets fly at illegal Lanark deer hunt
06-16-2003, 06:07 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 380
Bullets fly at illegal Lanark deer hunt
Bullets fly at illegal Lanark deer hunt
Adam Grachnik
The Ottawa Citizen
Sunday, June 15, 2003
They said the killing would start, and yesterday bullets were flying in Lanark County, as residents illegally hunted deer that they say are destroying their land.
Randy Hillier, the president of the Lanark Landowners Association, said a large group entered the bush yesterday morning, but he wouldn' t confirm how many kills were made.
One of the hunters, John Vanderspank, said they saw almost 20 deer during yesterday' s hunt.
Full article:
http://www.canada.com/ottawa/story.a...7-2F518F46001F
Adam Grachnik
The Ottawa Citizen
Sunday, June 15, 2003
They said the killing would start, and yesterday bullets were flying in Lanark County, as residents illegally hunted deer that they say are destroying their land.
Randy Hillier, the president of the Lanark Landowners Association, said a large group entered the bush yesterday morning, but he wouldn' t confirm how many kills were made.
One of the hunters, John Vanderspank, said they saw almost 20 deer during yesterday' s hunt.
Full article:
http://www.canada.com/ottawa/story.a...7-2F518F46001F
06-16-2003, 05:09 PM
#2
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Port Hope Ontario Canada
Posts: 493
RE: Bullets fly at illegal Lanark deer hunt
These guys sound a little too extreme for me. And if reducing the deer population is the real goal, WHAT WERE THEY DOING IN JANUARY!!! Were they all in Florida playing golf? If you wanted to cull deer, and I`ll say cull because this is not hunting then wouldn`t you do it when your chance of harvesting the most deer was greatest? This sounds more like some nut bar " We can do anything on our own land" . Next thing they`ll be deciding that they need helicopters because they can`t shoot enough without them. And as far as having to high fence, ask if the majority of the cost for the fence was covered by the taxpayer. Most high fence costs are covered by government funds. If the deer population needs to be reduced by all means give more tags for the fall hunt, and extend the season but to shoot them in June is in my opinion disgusting and I hope the MNR treats them for what they are POACHERS! Charge them all.
06-16-2003, 07:07 PM
#3
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 604
RE: Bullets fly at illegal Lanark deer hunt
Turk_man they might have been able to kill them in January, they might not have been there at that time. The farms in question might not be in the wintering grounds. Actually most prime farm lands do not winter deer. Do not get me wrong, I am not supporting or attacking what they are doing, I do not know enough about it to voice an educated opinion. But I have seen what deer can do to a farmers field and his livelyhood (his crop).
This farmer solved his problem with some very active hounds which he let go for a run evening and dawn. The deer just moved to another farm, but his crop was saved to where he could make a living with it. But guess what, letting his dogs run loose is a serous offence acording to the MNR.
My question is this. If they have been trying for over 5 years to get some action from the MNR to lower the deer herds, how come the MNR does not have good data on the herd size and what problems the local farmers are having? Is that not the job of the MNR, to check into problems like that and then try to solve conflects between animals and people?
This farmer solved his problem with some very active hounds which he let go for a run evening and dawn. The deer just moved to another farm, but his crop was saved to where he could make a living with it. But guess what, letting his dogs run loose is a serous offence acording to the MNR.
My question is this. If they have been trying for over 5 years to get some action from the MNR to lower the deer herds, how come the MNR does not have good data on the herd size and what problems the local farmers are having? Is that not the job of the MNR, to check into problems like that and then try to solve conflects between animals and people?
06-17-2003, 08:56 PM
#5
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Port Hope Ontario Canada
Posts: 493
RE: Bullets fly at illegal Lanark deer hunt
Just as I thought, their not real farmers having problems or they`d let someone in. And if the guys already hunting these farms aren`t killing enough deer I got some buddies, we`ll come up and shoot some for them
.
.
06-18-2003, 06:22 AM
#6
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 380
RE: Bullets fly at illegal Lanark deer hunt
Ontario Hunter, good points...
I wonder why they are holding out? Maybe for compensation for losses? Maybe it is a question of timing? I believe this group feels that waiting for the fall is too little too late. Is the MNR allowing summer bow activity? Do you have to call the MNR for signing up in the registry? 300 people already eh? Sounds like Hunter support to me...
Turk_man, good point too, I' m sure there are those with legitimate problems looking for a solution but nothing is happening as it should be. I heard through some locals that the shots were fired to chase the deer away, none were fired upon. And as the article says, the OPP and MNR officials were there heard the shots but could do nothing about it anyway.
I wonder why they are holding out? Maybe for compensation for losses? Maybe it is a question of timing? I believe this group feels that waiting for the fall is too little too late. Is the MNR allowing summer bow activity? Do you have to call the MNR for signing up in the registry? 300 people already eh? Sounds like Hunter support to me...
Turk_man, good point too, I' m sure there are those with legitimate problems looking for a solution but nothing is happening as it should be. I heard through some locals that the shots were fired to chase the deer away, none were fired upon. And as the article says, the OPP and MNR officials were there heard the shots but could do nothing about it anyway.
06-18-2003, 06:49 AM
#7
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 604
RE: Bullets fly at illegal Lanark deer hunt
Turkman just because they would not allow or sign up to allow those hunters that the MNR had signed up does not mean that they are not real farmers with a real problem.
It might have been in the way the MNR offered these hunters. I know if I was the farmer, I would not blindly allow hunters on my land. There is just too many out there that would not take care of my land, equipment. I would want control of who I allow. Hunting is a dangerous activity and if I did not have confidance in their ability and their saftey I would not want them near my animals, house, equipment.
Knowing the MNR and their constant desire to run things the way they want to run them, I would figure that they would want to control who is there and who is not. This is just my opinion and I could be wrong.
Waiting until the fall could cause serious damage to the crop for this year. What I would like to see happen is having the MNR take volenteers to hunt the deer for the farmers, then have the deer donated to needy people. There are many in Ontario that go without proper food becuase they can' t afford it, espically meat. I bet they could find butchers or even if they talk to hunting organizations that would help get the meat processed.
This would be a win win for both sides. the MNR would still have control, the farmers would lower the # of deer in the herds on their farms, yet only the farms having troubles would have the cull.
It might have been in the way the MNR offered these hunters. I know if I was the farmer, I would not blindly allow hunters on my land. There is just too many out there that would not take care of my land, equipment. I would want control of who I allow. Hunting is a dangerous activity and if I did not have confidance in their ability and their saftey I would not want them near my animals, house, equipment.
Knowing the MNR and their constant desire to run things the way they want to run them, I would figure that they would want to control who is there and who is not. This is just my opinion and I could be wrong.
Waiting until the fall could cause serious damage to the crop for this year. What I would like to see happen is having the MNR take volenteers to hunt the deer for the farmers, then have the deer donated to needy people. There are many in Ontario that go without proper food becuase they can' t afford it, espically meat. I bet they could find butchers or even if they talk to hunting organizations that would help get the meat processed.
This would be a win win for both sides. the MNR would still have control, the farmers would lower the # of deer in the herds on their farms, yet only the farms having troubles would have the cull.
06-18-2003, 08:11 AM
#8
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 380
RE: Bullets fly at illegal Lanark deer hunt
Excellent response, GrumpyTom, very well put...
The Deer, to the MNR, means $$$$ in the way of tags...any we know they can' t be doing anything for free now don' t we... free tags in the growing season means less paid for tags in the fall...
The Deer, to the MNR, means $$$$ in the way of tags...any we know they can' t be doing anything for free now don' t we...
free tags in the growing season means less paid for tags in the fall...
06-18-2003, 06:35 PM
#9
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Port Hope Ontario Canada
Posts: 493
RE: Bullets fly at illegal Lanark deer hunt
If these landowner/farmers are so determined to get rid of the deer on their farms how come they can`t? Are these same landowners willing to say no shooting of coyotes? Fifty to sixty deer in a single field, so the success rate is 100% for muzzleloaders and shotguns or rifles, what ever they get to use. I just checked and I now see the problem, a short gun season and a long archery season. So the real truth is a bunch of gun hunters are mad because they don`t feel their season is long enough and want it extended. What if they just gave out unlimited tags for the gun hunt? I will still bet they`d be mad because they won`t get what they want. If they want to reduce the deer population give them a January hunt, bet there won`t be too many sitting on a run in January. I will admit I`m a disgruntled bowhunter who has seen his season get cut apart because the gun hunters cried loudest and although my season is just as long as ever they took November away and gave me September(some deal that is, I would give the gun hunters all of September if I could have November). This kind of pressure, if we don`t get what we want we`ll just start shooting deer in JUNE, come on I`ve talked to 3 farmers this week and all have problems with deer and all think that shooting them in June when they got fawns is disgusting. On a side note they want to know what this farmers growing that he can loose $40 000 and still be in business because these farmers say if they lost that much every year they wouldn`t be farming long. Hope they show up at their news conference with a bunch of fresh kills and lose their guns and trucks and the right to have a hunting license.
06-18-2003, 07:07 PM
#10
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 604
RE: Bullets fly at illegal Lanark deer hunt
Turk_man I have a problem with your comments of MY SEASON/ THEIR SEASON. A hunter is a hunter no matter what tool he chooses to hunt with. In Ontario there is very little time when you are not allowed to hunt with a bow. Archery hunters get to hunt deer starting Oct 1 in some areas and mid Oct. in others all the way through to Dec 31 in most areas. Archery is only elininated during select controled hunts, and very few of them at that. With that in mind, where does the gun hunters take any of the deer season away from you. Just means you have to share the woods with them.
I am sorry to say this, but to me it just looks like you are being selfish and do not want others in YOUR hunting season. Sorry to say, but it is not your season, it is our season, everybody' s season.
I am sorry to say this, but to me it just looks like you are being selfish and do not want others in YOUR hunting season. Sorry to say, but it is not your season, it is our season, everybody' s season.