If you are looking for some unique tastes for your next wild game meal-consider supporting the OCOA’s fundraising initiative. The non-profit organization will use portions of the proceeds to benefit youth outdoor programs and college bursaries.

For more details read the post from Outdoor Canada’s Editor, Patrick Walsh.

There has not been an elk hunt in Ontario for over 100 years, but the ground work for this new hunting opportunity began ten years ago in Elk Island National Park, Alberta. According to the Ontario MNR website, elk were transferred from Alberta (between 1998 and 2001) and released into these areas: Nipissing/French River, Bancroft/ North Hastings, the North Shore of Lake Huron, and Lake of the Woods. (Entire Article Here)

Ontario Elk - Photo: Ontario MNR Website

An article from the Science Daily shared that the transplanted elk encountered a high mortality rate of 41% during the years of 1998 – 2004 attributed to wolf predation, illegal hunting and stress from the transfer process.

Since that time, the mortality rate has decreased yearly and the population has increased in many areas. The elk population in the Bancroft area is now estimated to be between 330 and 766 animals. (Ontario MNR Website)

The OFAH news announcement shares details about the Bancroft 2011 elk hunt,

“A limited number of licenses and seals will be available through a random draw process for designated Wildlife Management Units in the Bancroft-North Hastings area. The short season is slated to run from the third Monday in September to the following Sunday, which is September 19 to 25 in 2011.”

Some Hunters and residents have reported to me that some elk have been seen in our area.

Muskoka Outdoors salutes all partners involved in this historic announcement.

*Science Daily Article: Blackwell Publishing Ltd. (2007, February 27). Over A Century After Disappearing, Wild Elk Return To Ontario. ScienceDaily. Retrieved

“If the first group of relocated birds thrives, wildlife managers intend to ship 60 more sage grouse each year to Alberta for up to three years, said Mark Sullivan, wildlife program manager for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
Sage grouse are classified as endangered in Canada. In Alberta, their numbers have declined by about 80 per cent in recent decades as open land has been developed for agriculture and energy production.” Entire Article Here

Sage Grouse- Public Domain U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The article also states this will be the first time that wildlife will have been transferred to Canada from northeastern Montana.

Some more searching on this topic turned up a second article from the CBC news website in 2009. In the news article titled, Wildlife groups hail court ruling on sage-grouse, the transfer was probably initiated by a court ruling that ruled that Canada did not protect enough tracts of land in Alberta and Saskatchewan that act as breeding grounds for the grouse.

According to the CBC article,

“In the past year, sage-grouse numbers have dropped an estimated 20 per cent, with Alberta Fish and Wildlife counting 66 males on leks in the spring of 2009, down from 84 in 2008.”

Leks are the breeding areas of the sage grouse.

It is always good news to hear that species can receive protection when population densities plummet. I immediately think of the successful re-introduction of the wild turkey to our area of Ontario.

My only concern about this type of good news is that land now impacted by these new protected areas will have an effect on farmers who require the land for their crops and livelihoods.

The Endangered Species Act can be a two edged sword. Let’s work hard on keeping the balance.

Wild Justice starts in a Wednesday night time slot of 10pm on December 1, 2010. A sneak peak of two back-to-back episodes can be viewed Sunday, November 28 at 9pm.

Wild Justice Nov. 28 at 9PM on National Geographic - Photo: National Geographic

The show exposes the dangers of the warden’s job and the challenges that these heroes of our wild areas endure each day on duty.

The reality of many remote areas, in our countries, is that criminals and poachers outnumber game wardens and law enforcement. Quite often, the wardens are in locations where a quick call for back-up is not possible.

Check out the preview (below) of the upcoming episode titled, Thrill Killer.

In this episode, Warden Brian Boyd and his trainee John Fraley take an unusual approach to catching hunters suspected of trafficking bear gallbladders.

Using real bear paws to mask his tracks and a scent drag to imitate bear presence in the area, Boyd hopes to lure the hunters into a trap that will enable him to catch them red-handed.

Wild Justice (and the web previews I have seen so far) have tweaked my curiosity as a hunter and angler. I am reminded of the importance of following local hunting regulations even when it might be easy for nobody to find out about it.

It’s about integrity.

When a hunter does something illegal in the forest and nobody is around to see it – it is STILL illegal. The terms ‘hunters’ and ‘anglers’ have been tarnished because they are often used interchangeably with the despicable  term of  ’poacher’.

One reason is because of media mis-representation – either intentional or not.

The second, and most important, is that many ex-hunters and anglers have lacked the integrity to harvest fish and wildlife in the ethical and humane manner they deserve. At that moment, when laws are broken and the code is forgotten – they become poachers.

Wild Justice gets a two-thumbs up from me.

Poachers be warned.

Win 2 Tickets From Muskoka Outdoors

Getting access to the Great Outdoors and DIY Show in Toronto on November 26 – 28 could be easier than you think. Over the next 4 days (Wednesday – Saturday), Muskoka Outdoors will be giving away 2 tickets to the show each day.

How could I win free tickets?
All you have to do is comment the following words:

“I would like free tickets to the show.” in the space provided below THIS post.

Names and email will only be used to contact the winner.

How is the winner chosen?
Each day, at 9PM eastern, I will randomly pick 1 commenter (using a random number generator) and contact them via email for their mailing address. The daily winner will get 2 free tickets to the show. Value of the tickets is $15 each. Tickets can not be traded for cash value.

How many times can I comment?
You can comment ONCE per day, but your comment from the other days could still help you win. Meaning, a comment made on Wednesday could still win on Friday.  Obviously, the more days you leave a comment – your chances increase. Multiple comments on same day will be discarded.

Good Luck.

Reminder: Leave your name and email in the comment space below this post and type “I would like free tickets to the show.“

The Outdoor Canada Show is one of four jaw-dropping outdoor shows that are colliding under one roof to bring a myriad of technologies, seminars, and multi-media presentations to all aspects of the outdoors. That means you do not have to hunt and fish to get excellent value for your admission dollars. The other 3 shows include the Fall Cottage Life Show, the Explore Adventure & Travel Show, and the Canadian Home Workshop Show.

Admission is currently set to be $15 at the door or $13 dollars online.

On the Saturday of the Outdoor Canada Show, be sure to check out the Fishin’ for Answers Quiz Show that will feature angling greats like Bob Izumi, Angelo Viola, Pete Bowman, Mike Miller, Leo Stakos, Dave Mercer, Ron James, and U.S. legends Roland Martin and Jimmy Houston.

The show’s hub will be the Outdoor Canada Lodge and will be providing filleting demos, sampling of wild game, shore-lunch tips, fly-tying lessons and antique decoy appraisals with expert Steven Lloyd.

Visit The Great Outdoors and DIY Weekend website for all the exciting details

SHOW DAYS
Friday, Nov. 26: 11 am–8 pm
Saturday, Nov. 27: 9 am–6 pm
Sunday, Nov. 28: 10 am–5 pm

November 26 - 28, 2010