Long-gun registry in Québec

Québec Public Security Minister indicated that they would like to have the gun control registry data. I publish here an article from Gary Mauser of the National Post about the long-gun registry.

Gary Mauser: Why the long-gun registry doesn’t work — and never did

Gary Mauser, Special to National Post | Dec 11, 2012 12:01 AM ET
More from Special to National Post

Ethan Miller/Getty Images A sales associate takes a gun from a display of shotguns at The Gun Store in Las Vegas, Nev., in 2008.

Guest post: Hearing Loss Caused by Hunting

Hi my name is John O'Connor, I am a father, outdoorsman and passionnate about living a healthy lifestyle. Over the past few years I have become more and more interested in hearing loss. My father and grandfathers, who are and were all hunters, are affected by hearing loss. I feel that there is a general lack of understanding around this issue and it is our job to spread awareness where we can. Check out my blog at: bloggingwjohno.blogspot.com

Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Caused by Hunting

If you are ever exposed to noise that is loud or extremely loud for an extended period of time, you could experience noise-induced hearing loss, often referred to as NIHL. These loud sounds can damage sensitive structures in the ears called hair cells which can result in hearing loss. When the hair cells are damaged, they won't submit the correct signals to the brain when sound enters your ears. Many may not think this but some recreational activities can cause hearing loss. Hunting and shooting in general are common causes of noise-induced hearing loss. Safety while hunting is important, and ear protection is equally critical.

Effects of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

 
Loud sounds can damage both the hair cells and the hearing nerve in the ear. An impulse sound is a one-time exposure to an intensely loud sound that can cause permanent or temporary loss in hearing. It also may result in tinnitus which is a buzzing, ringing or roaring sound in the ears. Both conditions can also occur during exposure to loud sounds over time. In this case, the damage is progressive. With hunting, you probably won't notice the damage right away. In either case, temporary or permanent damage is possible. If it's temporary, it may disappear in about 16 to 48 hours.

This passion is about what ?

The passion is about bowhunting 

This passion is an affective state manifested by an exclusive and durable attachment to an activity. The passion sometimes dominates the personality of the bowhunter and often determines his behavior. One can easily see that state of mind in a deer bowhunter.

Sunrise and sunset for hunting in Québec

Here is a site to calculate sunrise and sunsets in your town.

http://app.hia-iha.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/cgi-bin/sun-soleil.pl

Here's what the information will look like:

Have a good day

André Nanook Simard

Deer eater

Pictures of a deer eater from Florida.

Deer hunting in 2012

A pivotal year for deer hunting in Québec


The year 2012 will be a pivotal year for deer hunting in Quebec. Will we see the number of deer hunters (those who buy a license) decline for another year ? Will we see the harvest decline ? Here is the website of the MRNF, where you can find all the information:


http://www.mrnf.gouv.qc.ca/publications/enligne/faune/reglementation-chasse/pdf/chasse-cerf.pdf

The Ministère des ressources naturelles et de la faune recently gave us the deer hunting dates for the next two years. 


Here is what the Blog has obtained: 

Planification 


For all of you who want to organize their deer hunting trip, I have included all weapons.


Have a nice hunting trip.


Nanook

Black Block targets

If you are a serious deer hunter, you have to practice a lot. In the dozens of targets that I have used over the past 25 years, this one emerges as a winner. This is my last purchase: the Black Block target.

Breathtaking scenes

Unforgettable scenes

Scouting is a must if you want to have success in the fall. On top of the deer you see in the sunset, sometimes you will have in front of you, some unforgettable scenes. Look carefully in these video scenes as a mother fox has found supper for her family.

Spikes on video

Scouting is a must

When scouting in the spring for the next bowhunting period, it is not uncommon to find deer. In this case a pregnant doe is still caring for its last year fawns. This video was taken earlier this week.

50 Best Hunting Blogs

Selon le site des États-Unis GunsmithingSchool.org, le Blog de chasse au chevreuil à l'arc se situe dans les 50 meilleurs blogs disponibles sur l'internet.

The need for camo clothes

Camo for the hunter


Camouflage clothes is a must if you are a bowhunter. Camouflage breaks your human silhouette by harmonizing it with the surrounding plants. Note that if you move even with camo clothes, deer will detect you easily.

Spring scouting

Interesting find


What a wonderful moment when a hunter find a deer antler. Look at this picture of a deer antler found this last friday.

Deer dealing with fences

Under the fence

In our spring scoutings, we as bowhunters have often seen deer tracks such as these. Deer can go through fences if they can find a way.

 

Hunting : no discount for seniors

Seniors are the biggest losers

Cinema, several government agencies and some large  stores offer substantial discounts for seniors. A few of these reductions are the result of efforts made by the FADOQ (Fédération de l'âge d'or du Québec).

In coming years, given the facts that baby boomers will reach the retirement age, we will see those discounts multiply.

Plants to avoid this summer in Québec

A deer hunter is the first to walk in the forest to prepare its fall hunt. Deer hunting is generally prepared early in the summer. There are plants that hunters should beware.


Giant hogweed


When this plant is handled, there is a risk to contact with the sap that contains a toxin that can cause severe burns. The skin becomes red and fluid-filled blisters appear. Although it is not present in large number in Québec, you still have to know it exists.

4th place on OutdoorLodge

Would you believe a french speaking blog from Montréal is 4th in the top hunting sites in the world.

Thank you all.


Nanook

Nanook : born in the wild

Lucky to be born in the wild

I was born in Duchesnay, Portneuf County, during World War II. This is where I grew up in the shadow of the forest station where my father worked.

Pictures of a fox taken with the Iphone4S

Pictures of a fox taken with my Iphone4S,  this morning before noon.

Message from the Président of the ACGGQ

                 Association des Chasseurs de 
                Gros Gibiers du Québec 


It is not without pride that I announce that your association in now alive. The association is now recruiting and I can not wait to see if the big game hunters from Québec are interested to come together.

To carry out its mission with a significant representation, the association must recruit a large number of members.


A three stage mission


The three main components of the mission of the ACGGQ aim to:
           - Promote and defends your rights ;
           - Ensure the durability of this traditionnal activity ;
           - Contribute to the vitality of the sport of hunting by making   
              a vital contribution to the public debate.


Concrete actions by the ACGGQ in each of these objectives is considered and there is no doubt that the actions of the association at the provincial level will directly affect you.


Nevertheless, as is the case in all associations, sometimes some people are questionning the relevance of their membership to such a group. Yet there is no doubt in the mind of big game hunters that decisions taken regularly by the Ministère des ressources Naturelles et de la Faune for big game species directly affect them. Belonging to an association ou group for the purpose of having an official representative however is relatively easy to assess.


Undeniable advantages


Nevertheless, besides these important aspects, many other benefits have to be considered.


Being a part of the ACGGQ will :
        a) Allow hunters to speak with one voice ;
        b) To be assured of proper and efficient representation ; 
        c) To be assured of being well defended for our rights or when  
            our interests are at stake ;
        d) Break the isolation of hunters and enjoy the benefits of a 
            hunter's networking ;
        e) Take advantage of an offer of development activities             
            (guide) in relation to your activity at a reasonable cost ; 
        f) Be represented by an experience and credible interlocutor 
            with the Ministère des Ressources Naturelles et de la Faune, 
                 as well as its various network partners in public debates  
            about the industry.


Prospects for the coming months

The main objective of the ACGGQ is directly related to its mission, specifically with the preferred orientations decided in the next general meeting.


For 2012, the ACGGQ priority is to recruit new members. Every effort and energy will therefore be made to this end by all members who join the association.


Please remember that this association is created to serve hunters. So do not hesitate to contact the undersigned with any questions or any comments, whether about a personal file or in respect to the management of wildlife. 


Your cooperation and mobilization are the sources of our actions and our successes..In other words....the proof of the dynamism of YOUR association !

The Association has its own blog : http://acggq.blogspot.ca/


Have a nice spring !


André Simard
Président-fondateur
acggq@hotmail.com

Hunters without power

Big game hunters


I really think we, the ''big game hunters'' can have more power over decisions that affect us. Currently the big game hunters are particularly scattered throughout the province. 

The only time they come together somewhat, it is when buying their license or by the time they register their game. 

ThermaCELL mosquito repellent

Mosquito Area repellent


The ThermaCELL gadget as shown on the picture below is sold by many larges stores (Home Dépôt,Canadian Tire and Walmart) in the Montréal region. But you can find it a lot cheaper elsewhere.

The choice of your hunting spot

1- Find out where there are more deer

A territory with more deer, leaves more traces. It will clearly appear in the number of deer you'll see all summer. You will notice that, in the number of tracks left in the mud. Do your personal search in the spring because later in the season, there will be a lot less hunting spots available. 

Trash left by quad drivers

 A well known fact

It is well known in Québec that drivers of quad drink alcool. But it is quite rare for quad drivers to leave their trash on the ground in the woods.

Don't mess around with me

Better not to get involved


Just to see the expression of this owl, it is better not to get involved. 

Signs by the Department of Transportation

High risk of collision with deer


As I travelled by car to Thetford Mines in Québec, it occurred to me while watching the various signs that the Department of Transportation has installed on the roadside, there was something strange in the logical interpretation of these panels.

The little things that we forget

Ha ! These little things 


This article will remind you about these little things that can ruin a hunt. Things that we do not think about very often, but of great importance. 


Quite often the result of a deer hunt can be summarized in one word: patience. Since I started bowhunting, the hardest thing to learn was to wait for the best time to shoot. I can not count how many times I had to wait, quietly and without moving,  for the deer to walk these last steps before I could have a direct view to its vital organs.

I still remember each of these opportunities as the most exciting moments of all my hunts. I also remember those moments of inattention that I scared the deer away.


Pay attention to little things


I have seen several deer disappear from my view because they felt that something was wrong in their immediate environment. 


A few years ago I was hunting near a railroad. At some point I had 4 deer in front of me, with 2 of them being 8 pointers. Then suddently the train started to move backwards and the back of the train moved to about 100 meters(100 yards) from me. By slowing down the train emitted a loud noise that scared the deer away. 

A year later a doe and its 2 fawns were coming closer to me, when the doe stopped suddenly. Then she found something close to a tree and she took off quickly followed by her fawns. 

I came down from my treestand hours later, to try to find out what had driven them away. Surprise! There was a hunting glove on the ground. A glove that I lost some 3 months ago during a survey of my territory.


It is these little things that can ruin a deer hunt.


Nanook  

Version en français: http://nanookqc.blogspot.com/2012/03/les-petites-choses-quon-oublie.html

ASGRQ: In exchange for our rights

Here is a text of the President of  the ''Association des Sauvaginiers de la Grande Région de Québec (ASGRQ):  Mr.Kevin Piton

In exchange for our rights

There is a plague raging now in the province of Québec, as declining membership happens in hunting organizations. As hunters, you have to respect the rules and these rules are most of the time issued by government authorities, whether federal, provincial and municipal. 


When a anti-hunting set of rules is promoted and/or when territories are restricted, who are the peoples before the courts to represent you ? Answer: Associations !

I am a member and president of the ASGRQ. We are a non-profit organization run by a committee of directors of nine volunters members. A few years ago we were over 400 members, nowaday we are less than 100 members. 

The large FéDéCP is losing membership


There are several regional associations in Québec. The large Fédération québécoise des chasseurs et pêcheurs had at one time over 160 000 members. Hunters and fishermans gave their contribution every year to the fédération. Today, the FéDéCP has less than 4 000 members.

Where does the decline comes from

Where does it comme from ? A decline in services ? No, it has never offered so many ! A decline in the number of hunters ? No, the classrooms are full of students ans their number are increasing. An increase in subscription cost ? No, all associations have lowered the cost of membership to attrack people ! 


It must be because the harvest is so good in Québec, that hunters do not think about their rights and to ensure that their sport is well represented. Félix Leclerc in his song titled ''Le Chant d’un Patriote'' once said : 


Je suis seul de mon équipage, 
Les gens d’ici sont peu violents. 
Parce qu’ils ont viande sous la dent 
Et ventre plein n’a pas de rage.

We now must defend the rights of hunters at all levels. With municipalities who want to pass regulations limiting the discharge of firearms, bows and crossbows at ridiculous distances, we are not out of trouble yet. The biggest problem with losing members, is that we do not have the weight of numbers in our favor to defend your rights.

A resolution for 2012

I often go to different stores offering hunting and fishing gears. I find it funny to see hunters who are willing to spend hundreds of dollars to upgrade their weapons, their ammunition, their hunting clothes and their electronics equipments. On top of that, they are spending their money to buy bottles of all kind of products. 


As a president, I have to justify the minimal cost of a membership card in our association by offering stickers, badges and hunting books, while the mere fact of defending their rights should be enough.  

So ladies and gentleman, in 2012 take the resolution to defend your rights as a hunter, by joining an association that represents you. How much will it cost you ? Every association has its own rates, but it is often the equivalent price of a box of shotgun(cheapest), a camo net, a flashlight or a bottle of ..... 

Kevin Piton

Please note that the opinion of Mr Kevin Piton does not necessarily represent the opinion of the author of this blog.


Nanook

Version en français: http://nanookqc.blogspot.com/2012/03/asgrq-en-echange-de-nos-droits.html

A little help by the hunters

Our public forests

I think the ''cold front''that approaches the sport of hunting, will bring very serious problems for hunters in the coming years. I see more clearly that dangers will surge on hunting enthusiasts.


There are of course all those organisations who want more controls on hunting rifles. Anti-hunters and animal lovers who think that hunting is a disgusting sport. There are also municipalities, farmer groups, transportation departments who all want less game on their territories, their lands and their roads.

We should band together to defend our traditions and our rights, so as not to let them win one single inch of the coming battle. 

Shooting lanes

Cleaning your shooting lines
I know, you have spent enough time on hunting during the last season and you want to take a little time to relax. But if you want to be successfull during the next hunting season, you should start now. 

The dignity of Québec hunters.

A Law threatened everywhere
For those who still doubt, the Association des chasseurs de Gros Gibiers du Québec is now established. It aims to defend the rights of hunters in Québec. Today, the right to hunt, recognized in a law named the ''Loi sur la conservation de la faune'', is threatened everywhere.

Is Anticosti a myth ?

Anticosti: a magical island to hunt

The term'' myth'' is often used to refer to a mistaken belief at first, but can refer to concrete elements symbolically expressed and shared by a significant number of people. This is how Wikipedia describes the word ''myth.'' 

The Société des établissement de plein air (SEPAQ), is an entity of the Government of Quebec, which manages parks and reserves. It thus manages hunting on Anticosti Island.  

They sell this island as an outstanding destination and says on its website that the island is recognized as an exceptional area for hunting deer.

Many professional photographers sites on the Internet are promoting the island. You will see deer with large racks collected by various hunters in recent years. 

Sold for its large racks

Sold on the possibility to harvest a large rack, the fact remains that visiting or hunting on Anticosti island is a unique experience. 

A statistical study of deer, on the website of the Ministère des ressources naturelles et de la faune however, shows that Anticosti Island is not the exceptional territory it used to be. 

Harvesting a large antlered buck

'' If we compare the odds of harvesting a large antlered buck according to the  official statistics, they are not very different from those of mainland Québec.  

If you exclude from the mainland statistics, the  thousands of  permits issued for several years, to harvest doe to farmers, to ZEC (Zone d'Exploitation Contrôlées) and to outfitters, the odds of harvesting a buck are slightly better on the mainland.

From the statistics issued by the Ministère des Ressources Naturelles et de la Faune (MRNF), we learned that in 2010, hunters have harvested 5,565 bucks on a total of 9,265 deer on Anticosti island. It accounts for 60.1% of the total deer harvested. 

On the mainland Québec hunters have harvested 24,161 bucks on a total of 43,205 deer, an average of 55.9%. These figures are obtained by subtracting the ​​zone 20 area(Anticosti island) from the grand total.

If you remove the estimated 6000  doe permits harvested, the   percentage rises to 64.9%.  

Odds are better on the mainland

So according to the 2010 statistics,  the odds of harvesting  a'' buck'' on Anticosti island was  60.1% and on the mainland at 64.9%. 

I therefore found that your chances of harvesting a buck on the mainland would be better than on  Anticosti island.

Anticosti is a ''myth''

Anticosti Island offers more than 160,000 deer to hunters over its vast territory of 7980 square kilometers, and surely more than 80,000 mature bucks: more than 10 bucks/square kilometer or 26 bucks/square mile.

 

The hunt on Anticosti Island is offered, both by the SEPAQ and by outfitters, with an experienced guide. 

Hunters can hunt in groups , which means that if they have signed the required form, the hunter who have already harvested their deer can kill one, two, three or even four additional deer, for hunters who did not had a chance to complete their hunts.  

Despite all these additionnal benefits,  Anticosti hunters vs mainland Québec, the average hunt is only 1.85 deer per hunter.  

An average of 1.11 buck / hunter

But if you divide the total of 9,265 deer harvested in 2010 by an average of 1.85 deer / hunter, we therefore had about 5,000 hunters on Anticosti island.  

Given that the number of males harvested was only 5565. We can say that the'' average'' buck harvest was only 1.11 deer/ hunter, in a controlled environment with an average of 10 bucks/km2 (26/m2) 

Gentlemen hunters: Anticosti is a myth .

Nanook


Version en français: http://nanookqc.blogspot.com/2011/05/lile-anticosti-est-elle-un-mythe.html

Beware of odors

On the treestand

The smell of your body is easily transmitted through your hands on the steps of your ladder when you climb on your treestand. In deer bowhunting this harmless gesture is of the utmost importance.

60 000 deer for the needy

Donate venison to a local food shelf !

I follow very closely all organisations in the United States, advocating the gift of wild meat to the needy. The following is an image of the result of several years of effort by these organizations to provide quality meat to the poor.

Too many deer on Anticosti

Anticosti island

SEPAQ advertising

The SEPAQ in its advertising claims that the Anticosti island has a concentration of more than 20 deer/km2 or 52 deer/m2. A total of 166,000 whitetail deer live on the Anticosti island according to the Ministère des ressources naturelles et de la faune (MRNF).


Moreover the SEPAQ (Société des établissements de plein air du Québec) said: ''The special diet of deer on Anticosti island gives their meat a more refined taste''.

English blog

Blog en anglais

Pour ceux dont la langue maternelle est l'anglais, j'ai créé un blog qui va traduire en anglais, les articles les plus consultés du blog français. 

Voici l'adresse: http://deerbowhuntingblog.blogspot.com/

Treestand installation

Clear all shooting lines

As I have often said to my fellow hunters, you must install the stands and clear all lines, weeks prior to the hunting season. It will allow time for the deer to get used to the changes you have made.

I am a ''hunter'' !

The need to hunt  

Hunting is my way to simply exist, my way of life, my way of saying who I am. I am a hunter !


The need to hunt is buried deep inside. The joy of hunting is huge and irresistible. When I hunt, I feel alive, I feel I am a part of the earth, I am a part of nature, I am a part of life itself.

Hunting is a part of who I am.