Message from the President

Hello There Fellow Hunters,
I trust everyone had a good hunt. It certainly was a nice fall to be in the bush. A little cooler weather and some snow in November would have made it feel more like hunting season. Setting up camp and moving out after the hunt sure was a lot easier.
In speaking with other hunters it seems that very few deer fawns and moose calves were seen this fall. Wolf scat and tracks in the mud indicated an over abundance of wolves and there certainly is no shortage of bear. One resident of a small village claims that 11 bear were shot off the deck of their home. Even if this was in close proximity to a garbage dump (but it wasn’t) that’s a lot of bear. The last few winters have been mild so we are told that is good for the winter survival of the deer and moose. If, however, the young are gobbled up by the predators hunting opportunities are diminished. Most of us do not dedicate a specific hunt for bear or wolves. Perhaps, we should. A practical alternative in my opinion is that all hunters as part of their deer and /or moose hunt should not overlook the opportunity to eliminate the competition. It goes without saying that everyone should abide by the game laws in effect at the time and carry the proper licences.
The Ministry is still tweaking the issuance of extra deer seals where the numbers support such a harvest. Deer numbers were reduced significantly so very few of those opportunities existed this year. Changes to the moose harvest system are still underway. Check the Ministry website for the very latest. Attendees at our last two annual meeting were brought up to date with the latest information. Attend our next annual meeting in Orillia, at the Orillia Royal Canadian Legion on September 11, to be kept informed. Have a good winter. See you in Orillia.
Fraternally Yours,
Andy Millar, president OHCA