Sunday Big Game hunting in Manitoba

[Deano]

Hello all

Manitoba announced a few years ago that Sunday Hunting would be opened t big game hunters in Manitoba. Initially, progesss was pretty good, as most of the northern areas were opened up rather quickly. However, in 2005, only one Game hunting area was opened up and in 2006, no game hunting areas were opened up.

I phoned the Manitoba Department of Natural Resources and spoke to a fellow who said that things were just slow. I then phoned an actual field office ans was told by a CO that the reason they haven't been adding more game hunting area was because of fear of a religious backlash. I called the Minister of Natural Resources and talked to an assistant. She told me that permission was needed from the Rural Municipalities. A letter was sent to all of the RM's in 2004 and most of them ignored it. The Northern areas all responded quickly, that's why it is open in the North. She also said that there were people working on this and that it was a priority.

My response was that the people working on this have had three years and that obviously, they weren't really working very hard on it. Didn't anyone in the department follow up on the letters? Her answer was no.

I work Monday through Friday. Weekend are it for my hunting, unless I book vacation time. I prefer to actually use vacation time to travel with my family. Needless t say, the wife would be unimpressed if I used half of my vacation time to go hunting and left her with the kids

This no Sunday big game hunting really ticks me off. I can hunt small game on Sundays. I can hunt migratory game birds on Sundays. I can hunt grouse on Sundays. I can hunt turkeys on Sunday. In fact, I can hunt big game in the Northern parts of Manitoba, I just can't hunt them in the Southern portion. This is just plain silly.

I know, for the Christian folks out there, you may have a problem with hunting on Sunday. I understand your concerns, however, hunting is an option. If you don't want to hunt on Sunday, then you can shoose not to. If you are a landowner who doesn't want someone hunting on your land on Sunday, then you don't have to give permission on Sundays.

With this in mind, I am wondering if a court case might actually put pressure on the Province and the municipalities to get moving on this issue. From what I have read, there is no scientific basis for Sunday hunting bans. Some areas are closed to Sunday Hunting through municipal by laws. could these bans be considered unconstitutional? I mean, it seems to restrict Sunday hunting, just because it is Sunday. I truly understand bans that are based on sound judgement and logic. For example, I agree with areas that ban rifle hunting because of population density. This makes sense. But bans on Sunday hunting, just because it is Sunday, make no logical argument. They just seem to me to be a throwback to the old Sunday is a day of rest argument. This is a fallacious argument and does not stand up in a secular society.

What say you Manitoba Gunnutz hunters? Yea or Nay on the Sunday hunting court challenge idea.

 

[bronco_mudder]

I'm not sure how a court challenge would end up Deano, but I deffinately agree that it's time to change. I consider myself lucky as the one area that changed last year is the area that I do most of my hunting, namely the deer seasons. It's a little unusual as I live in the north but continue to head down south where I've always hunted. I do my moose hunting north of Riverton along Lake Winnipeg, we can Sunday hunt there too. In my oppinion the whole idea of no Sunday hunting is more of a traditional thing than anything else. That's the way we've always done it, so why change. I'm with you, I don't understand why the laws will let you hunt everything else on Sunday except for big game. I'm not sure what the proper channel would be to get the ball rolling. Since the point at which the process has stalled seems to be at the RM level, perhaps it would be a good idea if the local Game and Fish associations would get their members to write to the RM where they reside. Get in contact with the councillor of their ward and tell him/her that they'd like to see changes made, ask them to bring it up at the next council meeting. Other than that I don't know where to go with it.

 

[Deano]

Thanbks for the response. This raises another question for me here.

Why does the local RM have any say in Sunday Hunting at all? Hunting is strictly a provincial responsibility. When they changed the rules for bird hunting, the local RM's were not involved (I think, not 100%). The local RM's do have the power to say no rifle hunting allowed, like RM of Springfield for example, because of the rather dense population and they are worried about safety. But in all of these RM's, hunting in one shape or form is already allowed. What's the difference to add Sunday? I just don't see why the local RM's have to vote on it.

 

[iluvmy300]

Interesting subject. Where I moose hunt, the extra day of hunting is a real bonus as we are on a fly out so every day counts. As for deer season I hunt primarily around here. The north side of the Winnipeg River is open to Sunday hunting but not the south. With the amount of deer on the south side I can't understand why one side is open but not the other. My deer hunting is done primariliy on the weekends so adding Sunday would be a bonus.

 

[7mm-08]

I think Sunday hunting would benefit the average working guy/girl,and kids just getting started in hunting big game in the southern portion of the province.It would also benefit alot of small communities the rely on the extra business they recieve during the hunting season.My last job I had for 9.5 years I had a ##### of a time trying to get time off for deer season.We always had a three week shutdown in July/August and that was my holidays.
They also had a shutdown between Christmas and New Years,so those days were made up on Saturdays Oct./Nov./Dec. so my hunting time was very restricted.I just started a new job driving a water truck for a paving company so I hope being seasonal will help out with my hunting adventures.