Hunting and Technology (Part 2)

In my July column for the Alberta Outdoorsmen, I continue my discussion about how modern technology has changed hunting and its effect on the resource. In this part, I specifically look at the effects of All-Terrain-Vehicle use by hunters and non-hunters on wildlife. I review a study in Oregon that examined the effects of the use of ATVs, mountain bikes, horses and just walking had on some herds of elk. The study showed that ATVs and mountain bike riders have a significant effect on elk movements, sometimes permanently changing the way the animals use their habitat. When you think about it, this is not hard to understand; ATVs make a lot of noise, mountain bikes move swiftly–all things sensitive to most game species.

With our human population constantly increasing and our fixed resources being more and more stressed, governments will have to step in with more regulations and enforcement if we are to maintain the values we go to the woods to find.

So, what’s wrong with that?

www.donmeredith.ca

Owls in My Backyard

Female barred owl

If there is just one reason I enjoy living in the country, it is because of the wildlife I can watch from my window or deck. And if there is just one type of bird I enjoy watching, it is the owls that rarely make an appearance. Of course, I enjoy many things about living in the country and I enjoy seeing many birds and other kinds of wildlife, from the little chickadees and pine siskins, to the hawks, eagles, deer and moose that occasional grace us with their presence.
Over the last few years, we have been hearing (more than seeing)  barred owls (Strix varia) near our place. The first time we heard the owl was in the middle of the night in the early spring. The bird’s call is very distinctive, hooting in the rhythm “who-cooks-for-you, who-cooks-for-you”, and that call sounded like it was coming from just outside our open window. When I searched to have a look at this owl, it wasn’t quite as accommodating.

Male barred owl

All this changed a few evenings ago when we heard a ruckus outside. Something was disturbing the robins and the red squirrels–all were chattering wildly. When my wife, Betty, went outside to have a look, an owl buzzed her and landed in a tree. Betty called  me and I got these pictures with my Nikon D70 (300 mm). The darker bird is the female and the lighter one is the male. These birds were very cooperative, despite the robins harassing them by diving at them, only to break away at the last moment.

The death mask of a barred owl staring down at a squirrel nest in the cavity of a tree.

The owls were most likely looking for something to eat, and we think we know what they were after. A female red squirrel with young ones lives in a nest carved out of the cavity of one of the poplar trees near our deck. She is very bold and chases off all other squirrels and birds who might be after her caches of seeds and mushrooms. However, she met her match with these giant birds sitting above her nest. I heard her bravely trying to defend her young from the safety of her tree cavity; but that chatter was more of a whimper than the usual harangue she gives an intruder.

Fortunately, the squirrel was safe as long as she stayed in the nest; and she did. Eventually the owls departed to hunt elsewhere, but I imagine they have this location on their “future considerations” list, as those young red squirrels will soon be emerging to learn what life is like outside the cavity of a tree.

The barred owl is an interesting bird. It nests from the southern Yukon to Florida and although nocturnal does occasional move around during the day.

So, what’s wrong with that?

www.donmeredith.ca

Hunting and Technology

As our human population grows there are more and more demands on our limited natural resources. At the same time we keep developing newer and better ways of getting things done that increases our efficiency in the field. Hunting and fishing are not immune. From the latest range finders and global positioning systems (GPS) to the greatest, four-wheel drive, all-terrain-vehicles, there are many ways to use technology in the bush. In my June column for the Alberta Outdoorsmen, I discuss how technology not only helps us enjoy our outdoor activities but also increases the potential to abuse the resources we seek to enjoy.

In the first part of a two-part series, I look at how technology can sometimes be the goal instead of the means to an outdoor trip.

So, what’s wrong with that?

www.donmeredith.ca

Wars and Climate

With the election of the Obama government in the U.S. and the vanquishing of the climate-change-deniers to the sidelines of relevant conversation, the opportunity to make some gains in bringing greenhouse gas emissions under control world-wide has never been better. That’s why when I saw the book Gwynne Dyer wrote about the consequences of climate change, Climate Wars, I had to read it. Dyer is a well respected military historian and geopolitical specialist who has written several books and articles. He is perhaps most famous for his book War, which was made into a Oscar-nominated documentary.

In Climate Wars, Dyer interviews military strategists and climate scientists and develops possible scenarios as to what might happen if 1) we do nothing about stopping global warming, 2) we do some of what is needed, or 3) we take the crisis as seriously as we should  and actually reduce our emissions in time to avoid tripping so-called “feedback loops” which would cascade the planet into a warming period from which it would be impossible to recover.

Dyer points out that  governments around the world regularly develop scenarios to counter possible threats to their country’s security. In recent years, those scenarios have included the consequences of climate change, where food will become scarce in many parts of the world, low lying coastal areas will be flooded, and large populations will be dislocated. The resultant unrest will threaten many nations, and senior military officers have been planning for these eventualities. Even in the U.S., where discussion of climate change or global warming was suppressed for the last eight years, strategists have been busy planning to protect borders and move preemptively to curb unrest and protect resources.

In creating these scenarios, Dyer points out that the chances of any one coming true are remote but they do illustrate what is possible. The real question is whether or not we as a species and society have the will to make the changes that we have the know-how and technology to accomplish.

Dyer writes in a crisp style that effectively laces the quotes from his interviewees into the narrative. He produces an information-packed tome that is easy to read and understand.

So, what’s wrong with that?

www.donmeredith.ca

The Enemy is Us

There was a time in this great land when hunters and anglers were the ‘go-to’ people for concerns about environment and conservation. Those who took to the outdoors to put some meat on the table and explore the interconnectedness we all have with nature were looked up to by young and old alike for their wisdom and outdoor skill. Well, no more. Since the 1980s  the number of hunters and anglers has been steadily dropping at least until the last couple of years when the free fall appears to have stopped. However, our percentage in the overall population continues to fall.

As I related in my May column in the Alberta Outdoorsmen, “Our Own Worst Enemies”, we hunters and anglers often blame others for this problem, but in actual fact, we are the cause for more people leaving these sports than are recruited. While anti-hunting and fishing groups use the news media effectively to get their messages across, we fail to see the value of spending the time and money to do so ourselves.

So, what’s wrong with that?

www.donmeredith.ca

Fish Tumours and Tapeworms

In the article I wrote for the 2009 Alberta Guide to Sportfishing Regulations, “On Tumours and Tapeworms”, I discussed why some fish caught by anglers seem diseased. I particularly mentioned skin tumours that are typically found on northern pike, walleye and yellow perch. They are harmless to humans and the fish usually recover. However, they are unsightly and unappetizing; and most anglers release these fish.

I also discussed how anglers sometimes find hard white objects in the meat of whitefish. These are cysts of the tapeworm, Triaenophorous crassus. The adult tapeworm is found only in the digestive tract of the northern pike. However, like many parasites, this tapeworm has a complicated life cycle that involves a crustacean and the lake whitefish. The cysts are not harmful to humans, but like the skin tumours, are unsightly; and they can affect the commercial sale of this fish. It was this concern that prompted pioneer fisheries research biologist R.B. Miller to investigate in the 1950s the life history of the parasite. He determined that control measures would be too costly and detrimental to the environment of the lakes where the parasite occurred.

Parasites and other diseases are a common aspect of living for wild fish. If fish are properly prepared for eating, they are not a problem for people.

So, what’s wrong with that?

www.donmeredith.ca

Happy 10th Anniversary

Rob Miskosky receives 10th Anniversary plaque from writers Duane Radford, T.J. Schwanky (l-r) and Don Meredith (r).

When I first took the job of writing a column for the newly minted Alberta Outdoorsmen magazine back in 1999, I had no idea that the column or, for that matter, the magazine would last the next two or three years, let alone ten. But here we are, 10 years down the road this month with Volume 10, Number 12.

In the  opening article of the historic edition, “10 Years and Counting”, I chronicle some of the history that led Rob Miskosky and Sports Scene Publications to create a new magazine (not the easiest job in the world), and why it has been such a success. Fundamentally, it boils down to good, old-fashioned hard work and the passion to express what many Albertans feel, their love for Alberta’s wild heritage.

Congratulations, Alberta Outdoorsmen!

www.donmeredith.ca

Cormac McCarthy and The Road

I don’t usually become obsessed about the books of a single author and read them one after the other. However, when I found Cormac McCarthy’s works, that’s exactly what I did. I got interested in him, like many people I’m sure, when I saw the Coen brother’s film adaptation of McCarthy’s No Country for Old Men, the 2008 Academy Award winner for best picture, among others (I’m also a tremendous Coen brothers fan, but that’s another tale).

That story was so dark and interesting, I just had to know the writer behind it. I searched McCarthy out and found that before reading that book I should invest in a copy of his The Border Trilogy, which includes three of his earlier novels, All the Pretty Horses, The Crossing and Cities of the Plain. That was a good recommendation because a lot of the scenery and characterizations that are portrayed in No Country, in both the book and film, come from those early novels.

If you like westerns, but with a realistic feel that gives you some historic background into where we are going today, I can’t recommend enough the The Border Trilogy. Yes, it’s dark and things don’t always work out for the best, but the telling is true and the characters feel real. His characterization of west Texas and northern Mexico, during the war (WWII) and post-war eras, particularly rang true for me. I have spent some time in that country and can attest to its harshness and beauty.

No Country for Old Men is a natural progression of the developing chaos that is portrayed in the Border Trilogy. The theme of us not being as in control of things as we would like to think we are rings all too true when you read today’s newspaper or watch the news on TV. What amazed me about the movie was how much the Coens followed McCarthy’s book, almost to the letter in the early going. Of course, the book explains a little more about the motivation and some of the statements that were made near the end of the story. If you had questions from the movie, the book might answer some, but it also may raise others–which is what a good novel is all about.

Which leads me to McCarthy’s Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Road. This book takes you right to the dark time that is subtly referenced in the background of the above novels. The holocaust has happened (nuclear war is hinted, but never really confirmed) and a father and his young son are pushing a cart  across the burnt out landscape, looking for the “good guys” but witnessing some of the worst of human behavior. It is a moving story that keeps you turning the page and asking how you would respond to the horrors and situations. In a world where hope is all but crushed, the two are desperate to find some.

After finishing that book, one wonders whether the powers-that-be really understand the crises that are coming, whether they be economic, environmental, or the result of all when hope has indeed been crushed: war.

Now, I’m off to read a non-fiction book about retirement investing, hmmm.

So, what’s wrong with that?

www.donmeredith.ca

‘Open Spaces’ Struggles to Its Feet

It was an interesting presentation for a government minister to make at the Alberta Fish and Game Association’s annual conference in Edmonton last Friday. Just before the minister’s sponsored lunch, Ted Morton made the requisite speech to the delegates that is traditional for the minister of the day. The speech was reasonably short and covered his department’s accomplishments and plans for the future, as is normal fare for such a speech. What was remarkable was what occurred after lunch. He booked a couple of hours to make a presentation about the resurrection of his Open Spaces program that was unanimously rejected by the AFGA conference last year, also in Edmonton (see my blog entry, ‘Open Spaces’ Stumbles). That was the first time I had seen a minister take a significant portion of an AFGA conference to try to sell a program.

Now, to be fair, the Minister had dropped the most offensive part of the original Open Spaces proposal, that of allowing landowners to sell hunting tags and pocket a portion of the revenue. Instead, he was now promoting the less offensive part that would pay landowners for creating and maintaining habitat and allowing hunters access to the wild game on their land, or RAMP, the Recreational Access Management Program.

This he addressed by bringing to the AFGA conference, at I’m sure some considerable expense, a small platoon of people from Montana to explain the Block program in that State that RAMP is based on. The panel of presenters included the coordinator of Block, a landowner participant, a resident hunter/angler who uses Block property, and an Alberta supporter of RAMP who has used Block property when he visited Montana as a non-resident hunter. They each made well thought out presentations that were quite impressive. Then the coordinator for RAMP described the three-year pilot program in Alberta that apparently is going ahead despite what the delegates might think and indeed decide.

RAMP will compensate and assist volunteer landowners in Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) 108 and 300 (in southern Alberta) in developing access management plans to allow hunters/anglers on their lands. Landowners will be compensated based on the quality of habitat and the access allowed. Compensation payments will be a maximum of $10 per day per user to a maximum of $2,000 to $10,000 per year per landowner, depending on the amount of land available for access. Such compensation could be in the form of goods and services to enhance habitat or cash.

Where will the money come from? The three-year pilot program will be financed out of the department’s budget. When asked how he planned to fund the program in the future if the pilot was successful (however that will be determined), the Minister had a convoluted answer bringing in the Land Use Framework that is also just getting underway. Apparently, the local LUF Advisory Council (not yet established) would have to build payments to landowners into their program to conserve wildlife habitat, if that is indeed a priority for that particular council.

And for me that is the problem. Yes, there is a problem gaining access to publicly owned fish and wildlife on private land, and yes, it is particularly acute in southern Alberta where most land is held privately. But is the solution to pay landowners for such access? And who will pay?

In North America, and especially in Alberta, wildlife is considered to be a public resource that the public should not have to pay to access. Paying landowners to gain access is paid hunting and fishing, whether that access is paid by the user or the government (i.e., users’ tax dollars). To my mind, if this program expands and the demand for financing increases, I cannot see how hunters and anglers can avoid eventually paying for this access out of their pockets. And fundamentally, that is why the AFGA,  at its conference on the day following the RAMP presentation, passed a motion continuing its previous rejection of Open Spaces, including RAMP.

However, the problem still remains without a solution. A proactive minister, with a genuine interest in his job, has attempted to find one, but he neglected to gain the support of the province’s primary conservation organization, or include it in the planning process where he would have learned about the passion behind this issue. That’s too bad, because an opportunity may have been lost. While we watch to see how long it takes RAMP to either succeed or fail (under its own weight), perhaps its time to develop an alternate plan to include private landowners in the conservation of fish and wildlife habitat that includes public access.

So, what’s wrong with that?

www.donmeredith.ca

The Trouble with Ice

Safe travel on the ice can bring many benefits.

With global warming and the extra warm autumn we had here in Alberta, our lakes didn’t freeze as fast or as well as we generally think they should. As a result, we’ve had some bad accidents with vehicles crashing though lake and pond ice. In my February Alberta Outdoorsmen column, I discuss how ice forms on lakes and how snow cover can effect its thickness and strength.

In general, you should not walk on ice less than 10 cm (4 in.) thick, or drive a vehicle on ice less than 30 cm (12 in.) thick. However, ice strength varies with temperature and what may be happening underneath it. Flowing water or upwellings from underwater springs can erode ice that seemingly looks safe on top. As well, when water freezes it expands and ice gets pushed up in pressure ridges across lakes. These can hide ‘traps’ of thin ice.

If you venture on  ice, you should be prepared for the worst.

• If in a vehicle, drive with seat belts off, windows at least partially open and doors unlatched to aid in a quick exit if necessary.
• If you break through the ice outside your vehicle, spread your arms as wide as possible, kick your feet to get your body flat on the ice surface, and crawl or roll to thicker ice. Get yourself warmed as soon as possible.
• Always carry a knife, ice pick or spike nails in your parka pocket to help you crawl on the ice.
• Never travel on the ice alone. If you get in trouble, you will need help fast.

In reality, accidents on the ice are few. If you take the proper precautions, you can have a safe and enjoyable trip that helps push away those winter blues.

So, what’s wrong with that?

www.donmeredith.ca