Attention Ontario Pheasant Hunters - Conestogo UPDATE Lake

dilly

dilly

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Hey folks. As some of you know, in 2021, the Grand River Conservation Authority abruptly halted the Conestogo Lake pheasant hunt after several decades. The vague and murky reason detailed on their website says:
"Pheasant: The 2021 pheasant hunting program at Conestogo Lake Conservation Area is cancelled. The decision not to renew the contract to purchase pheasants is part of an overall operational review of our programs, based on recent changes to the Conservation Authorities Act and to ensure these programs align with our strategic priorities."

A few of us made some inquiries regarding this decision starting with members of the GRCA Board. What we quickly determined was that this decision was made arbitrarily by an interim superintendent with no consultation with stakeholders or user-groups and without any Board knowledge. I’m not sure how many Ontario forum members were blindsided by this, but in know the people I hunted with at Conestogo were shocked.

So, a buddy of mine has spearheaded a move to try to resurrect the Conestogo Lake pheasant hunt. He is a delegate with a presentation time slot for the upcoming GRCA Board meeting on Friday January 28th at 9:30am. These are public meetings that can be viewed by anyone. They can be watched live or online after it concludes. He will be joined by the OFAH zone board member and the president of the local NAVHDA chapter.

Ontario Hunters…please give some consideration to tuning in on this meeting. This is how your hunting opportunities melt away. Little by little, hoping people either don’t notice, or don’t say anything. FYI, our local MPP Michael Harris (who says he is a hunter) is on the GRCA Board. These people are elected by us to speak for and/or listen to us.
 
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The Ford government did make changes to the CA Act which makes it difficult for CAs to fund and support projects not within their mandate, hunting isn't one of them. Hopefully you guys hold the MPP accountable.

I wish you guys good luck however I foresee more pain for Conservation Authorities which takes away a lot of the 'nice to have' programs.
 
GRCA are the worst Conservation authority in Ontario.. have way too much control over private lands and policy in the Grand Watershed.
 
Kenny_G2 said:
The Ford government did make changes to the CA Act which makes it difficult for CAs to fund and support projects not within their mandate, hunting isn't one of them. Hopefully you guys hold the MPP accountable.

I wish you guys good luck however I foresee more pain for Conservation Authorities which takes away a lot of the 'nice to have' programs.
Click to expand...

You really should watch the presentation. That is debunked.
 
Galt said:
GRCA are the worst Conservation authority in Ontario.. have way too much control over private lands and policy in the Grand Watershed.
Click to expand...

There is a small group of anti-hunters who have slid into positions where they think they can arbitrarily cancel things they dont like.
 
I did watch the presentation. I wouldn't say it was debunked, it provided an alternative to CA funding and a need for collaboration. I think the presentation provided some good advice regarding the need for a liaison and I do wish you good luck.

I have seen first hand what the CA Act changes have done to the CAs and how it has impacted environmental protections. I know lots of pressure has been put on the CAs across the province and they have lost some really good people and programs which do not fit in the core mandate.
 
An update for those who are following this issue...Yesterday, the GRCA held a board meeting and again recommended to kill the pheasant program at Conestoga Lake. They tried to shoot down all three suggested solutions proposed by us to re-instate it and proposed a fourth resolution that would essentially eliminate all pheasant releases on their properties. The board was not entirely convinced and instead directed the GRCA to explore turning over the Conestoga Lake pheasant program to a volunteer "organization". So, more to come...

If anyone is interested, the GRCA has the meeting posted on their website and you can skip to the 56 minute mark to see the discussions specific to the pheasnt hunt.

On a side note, if anyone wonders how your hunting opportunities disappear, you should really watch some of this meeting. It clearly demonstrates how people with little or no knowledge about hunting can weigh in heavily on decisions that affect us all. With the raising of a hand, they can wipe away your opportunities often on a personal whim and due to total ignorance. They can also be a fantastic ally if we take the time to respectfully and professionally advocate for our sport and inform them through a bit of lobbying.
 
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