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.