Bear hunting spring 2008

Well we finished our spring bear hunt and it was another very successful season. Lots of bears, great guests and nobody got hurt.
The harvest consisted of a nice blonde, 3 cinnamons, and some big black bears. the largest this spring scored 20 3/16 and several 18 and 19's. the coats on all of them were perfect even the last week of the season. Avg sightings at the baist were 5-7 bears including cubs and almost every bait had a pair of cubs or more. Very good for the future of our area as most were color phase cubs also.
We had one big black bear (shown here)with a bald patch on his forehead, we called the Great Outdoors Bear.
It was all scarred up and hair was worn right down to the scalp. I can't imagine what happened to him for that to happen but it am guessing it was from fighting since there were fresh wounds and it was mating season.

Thats is all for now, there are more pics but i only will post a few at a time.

hang 'em high

Non-resident Hunting in Manitoba

Manitoba has many hunting opportunities for non-resident hunters. Non-resident hunters are defined as follows:

• A non-resident is a person who is a Canadian citizen, but is not a Manitoba resident.
• A non-resident alien is a person who is neither a Canadian citizen nor a resident of Manitoba.

To hunt big game (deer, moose, black bear, and caribou) in Manitoba, all non-resident alien hunters must book their hunt through a registered lodge or outfitter, authorized to outfit non-resident alien hunters. It is also mandatory for all non-resident alien hunters to be accompanied by a licensed Manitoba guide, with no more than three hunters per guide. Non-resident hunters must only use the services of the outfitter specified on their hunting licence.

During the wolf season, non-resident and non-resident alien may hunt gray wolves only if they possess an unused deer, moose, black bear or caribou game tag (personal or party), which is valid for that area, species and time period. Non-resident alien gray wolf hunters must be accompanied by a licensed Manitoba guide.

All non-resident and non-resident alien game bird hunters (migratory and upland game birds) do not require the services of a guide. Non-resident aliens, wanting to bring their dogs into Canada, should contact the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for information on permits.

Non-resident and non-resident alien youth hunters are not eligible for any of the resident youth hunting opportunities. All non-resident youth must purchase the appropriate big game or game bird hunting licence if they plan to hunt in Manitoba.

When bringing firearms into Canada, non-resident alien hunters are advised to contact the Canadian Firearms Centre for information on permits, possession, storage and transportation. Also, it is recommended non-resident alien hunters contact Canada Border Services Agency when crossing the border from United States into Manitoba.

Non-residents shippring or transporting big game or game birds out of the province or the country may be required to meet certain conditions and/or obtain relevant permits.

Hunters may purchase licences by mail.

Be sure to review the appropriate section in the hunting regulations guide for more information on the species you wish to hunt.Copies of this guide are available at any Manitoba Conservation office and at hunting licence vendors. You can also download this guide for printing.

Hunting Regulation Changes - 2008

	Changes For 2008 Changes in general regulations are indicated in blue type and by this icon . Seasons and bag limits may change significantly from year to year. Please check all big game and game bird season dates and bag limits carefully. Sunday Hunting Sunday hunting has been expanded to include Game Hunting Areas (GHAs) 13A, 18A, 18B, 18C, 19, 19A, and 19B. Please see Big Game, Sunday Hunting for more information. GHA 23 and 23A Draw Elk Seasons Bag limit The bag limit for all draw elk seasons in GHA 23 and 23A has been returned to any elk or moose. Due to this regulation change the conservation moose season in GHA 23 and 23A has been discontinued. GHA 13A and part 14 Winter Draw Elk Seasons GHA 13 has been added to the area included in the winter elk seasons. GHAs for the winter seasons are now GHA 13, 13A and GHA 14 (excluding the Swan-Porcupine Provincial Forest). GHA 31 and 31A Boundary Change The boundary between GHA 31 and 31A has been realigned along PTH 34. Due to this boundary change GHA 31 is now excluded from all big game draw seasons. Non-draw Archery Moose Season Bag Limit GHA 12, 14, 14A, and 21A archery moose season bag limit has been changed to one bull or calf moose. Gray Wolf Zone C Season Dates The gray wolf season in zone C has been extended to March 31. New For 2008 Creation of a new category of permit to allow hunters with a permanent upper body disability to use a crossbow or mechanical device to hold a bow at full draw during all the archery seasons. An adult supervisor/mentor may be held accountable for the actions of a youth hunter. Manitoba Conservation is in the process of developing a hunting opportunity for licenced big game hunters. Hunters will be able to take one coyote under the authority of a big game hunting licence with a similar format as the wolf season. Complete details will be available at licence vendor locations before the start of the fall big game seasons

Hunting Regulations In Manitoba

The following is the fees according to Manitoba Conservation

Resident

• a Canadian citizen who has his/her home and is ordinarily present in the province immediately preceding the time that he/she purchases a licence, or
• a person who is not a Canadian citizen but has his/her home and is ordinarily present in the province for a period of six months immediately preceding the time that he/she purchases a licence, but does not include a tourist, transient or visitor.

Non-resident

• a person who is a Canadian citizen but is not a Manitoba resident.

Non-resident alien

• a person who is neither a Canadian citizen nor a resident of Manitoba.

(Youth)	Resident	$9.82
Deer	Resident (archery, muzzleloader, shotgun/muzzleloader, general rifle)	$34.35
	Second Deer (resident)	$19.62
	Third Deer (resident)	$19.62
	Non-resident (archery, muzzleloader, general rifle)	$147.20
	Non-resident alien (archery, muzzleloader, general rifle) [Note]	$206.07
Moose
	Resident (archery, general rifle)	$49.07
	Resident Conservation Moose Licence Package	$78.52
	Non-resident	$284.58
	Non-resident alien [Note]	$343.46
Caribou
	Resident	$44.16
	Second Caribou Licence (resident)	$98.13
	Non-resident [Note]	$343.46
	Non-resident alien [Note]	$343.46
	Second Caribou Licence (non-resident and non-resident alien) [Note]	$343.46
Elk	Resident	$49.07
Black Bear
	Resident	$29.44
	Non-resident	$98.13
	Non-resident alien [Note]	$206.07
Big Game	Draw licence application fee	$6.87
Game Birds
	Resident	$20.61
	Non-resident	$78.51
	Non-resident alien	$147.20
Wild Turkey
	Resident	$21.59
	Youth (Resident)	$4.9

Canada Migratory Game Bird Hunting Permit and Wildlife Habitat Conservation Stamp

$17.00 (plus G.S.T.)

To hunt migratory birds in Canada, a Canada Migratory Game Bird Hunting Permit and Conservation Stamp are required. This federal permit and associated conservation stamp are used by the Canadian Wildlife Service to select hunters for national game bird surveys to determine hunter activity and species harvest. Revenue from permit sales is used across Canada for wildlife conservation projects.

Be Prepared - Packing for Elk and Deer Hunts

Whenever you venture into the wilderness - even if it's no wilder than your state park - you need to make sure you're well prepared for any eventuality. If you're going on a guided hunt, your outfitter will probably give you a list of suggested items to pack. But still, it pays to plan ahead. First, think about where you're going and what you're going to be doing - a guided fall deer hunt in Michigan will have a different set of requirements than winter elk hunting in Sheridan, Wyoming. Similarly, you'll need different supplies for an Ozark elk hunting trip than for one on a California deer hunting ranch.

The first step to smart packing for a hunting trip is basic research. If you're traveling to somewhere that you've never been before, hop on the Internet and find out as much as you can. If you've never been to Manitoba during elk hunting season, learn as much as you can before you start packing. Look into what sort of conditions you'll be encountering, what the weather will be like, what the wildlife is like. You can check city, state and county websites, and send away for brochures on the area where you'll be. Don't take for granted that the weather will be good, or that it'll be like it is in your own backyard. If there's even the smallest chance of rain or snow, take that into consideration when packing - it's better to be overprepared than underprepared.

You will, of course, be packing your hunting gear. Your hunting rifle, of course, in a sling carrier to save you bag. Ammo - more than you need, but don't go crazy. 50 rounds for your main rifle is a good number. A sidearm, if you're so inclined. And a cleaning kit. If your rifle has a scope, make sure you have lens brushes. Depending on where you'll sleep, you may need a sleeping bag. Whatever the weather or season, pack a "space blanket," a thin sheet of plastic material coated with a metallic substance that reflects about 80 percent of your body heat back to you when you're wrapped in it. These come folded up small enough that they can fit in your pocket, and could save your life if you get lost on the trail while hunting elk and deer.

Pack clothes that will keep you warm and dry while hunting, and make sure you have a first aid kit stocked will all the basics. Also pack enough food to keep you going for the long days hunting outdoors - energy bars are good, as they take up little space but pack a lot of nutrition. Once you know where you're going and what the weather will be like, packing for an elk or deer hunt is merely a matter of common sense and smart planning.

Learn more about hunting rifles and equipment on our site. You'll also find other information such as saddles and funnels for deer hunts and game hunting in Wyoming. DeerElkHunting.com is a comprehensive resource to deer and elk hunters with information on hunting grounds, equipment and useful hunting tips.

Deer and Elk Hunters Beware of Chronic Wasting Disease

Chronic Wasting Disease is a member of group of transmittable brain diseases that affect elk and deer. What causes this horrible disease? Even scientists in the field really do not know fully. Some say it is a little protein called a prion which causes the brain to manufacture toxic chemicals horribly toxic to your brain. The brain becomes riddled with holes looking almost like a sponge. Hence Chronic Wasting Disease is referred to as being in the spongiform group of wasting diseases.

You may have heard of other similar brain diseases such as "Scrapie" which affects sheep. Scrapie disease has been around for a long time - 200 years at least. Next is "Mad Cow Disease" which kills domestic cattle and has been known to be transmittable to humans. Lastly is a disease, which is the model for "Mad Cow Disease" called "Ceeutzfeldt-Jacob Disease", referred to simply as "CJD". The point is the exercise is that CJD serves as the model; "Mad Cow Disease" has been known to be somehow transmittable to human beings after eating infected or tainted meat. So far it appears that the Chronic Wasting Disease found in America and Canada does not infect or transfer to people who have eaten this infected meat. It is true that any effects take up to decades to appear. Still Chronic Wasting Disease does not appear to be able to spread by eating infected meat - obtained by hunting big game in North America.

To give you an idea of the time frame scientists first discovered this Chronic Wasting Disease in a captive mule deer near Fort Collins in Colorado in 1977. Shortly thereafter it appeared in mule deer at a sister research station nearby. Whether it existed previously in captivity in the wild is not known and will probably never be known. In the area known as the heart of the disease problem - in certain areas of Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska- rates of infection are as high as 15 % of the mule deer population and 1 to 2 % of the sparse population of elk that reside there. That should give you some idea of the incidence and history of reports of Chronic Wasting Disease in big game animals.

CWD is definitely spreading. There are reports as far away geographically, across national borders, as to the north in Canada. However this seems to be the result of game farms, not the spread in wild animals.

In terms of reassurance to people who have eaten wild game, or plan to do so in the future no cases of Chronic Wasting Disease or even Mad Cow Disease have been produced or reported among people who have eaten deer meat or elk meats. People who did get Mad Cow Disease acquired it by eating infected beef from infected cattle. I seem that no people acquired this horrible disease by eating infected game products. In a similar vein sheep scrapie has been around a very long time and does not appear to produce any disease or diseases in human beings. People have been eating sheep and sheep products for eons and no case of human scrapie diseases have ever been reported.

Be reassured that this horrible disease is not transmittable through hunting and eating wild game.

Jadran Z.E. Trasncona

Autoimmune and Spongiform Diseases

International Medical Diseases and Care

Is California Losing thier duck population?

I found this on the wire. Are we finding a decrease in our wildlife? I am attaching a link so you can read the story in its entirety:

"The California Department of Fish and Game announced duck populations in California decreased this year, according to the agency’s annual waterfowl breeding population survey."

Read Story

Funny Side of things..

I was browsing around, as I usually do and I came across this joke and I thought I would pass this along to our readers.

Have yourself a good laugh!

Two boys went out duck hunting for the first time. They were out in the cold morning for hours, and though ducks were everywhere, they and their hunting dogs hadn't been able to get even one. Finally, one boy says to the other, "Maybe we ought to give this up." The other replies, "Naw, let's give it a while longer."

"C'mon, let's face it, we just ain't duck hunters."

"Well, let's keep trying. Maybe we're just not throwing the dogs up high enough."