I have a little experience to share with you guys and ask your advice. My dad owns a farm in sourthern Ontario, 100+ acres, lots of deer, turkey, grouse, etc. I have two birds dogs and I bowhunt so I hunt almost anything in season.
Yesterday I was there cutting my next winter's wood, when I flush a grouse out the fence line, beautiful big male, flies over the fence and on to the neighbours where I hear a shot from an area of reforested pines that also hold lots of rabbits so maybe he shot at a rabbit at the same time as I flushed the grouse. Grouse season is closed however as it ends on December 31st. A few minutes later I hear a four wheeler start up and he is gone. I am back there this morining in the same spot and I see what I think is the same bird, so maybe he did not actually hit it.
Relations with this neighbour have always been strained as they have been there longer than my dad (my dad has owned this farm for 25 + years) and they feel that since the previous owner granted them permission to hunt there, we should just stay at home and not bother them. During the controlled shotgun/muzzleloader season, they always have a huge gang and shoot EVERYTHING they see, from fawns, to buttons and forkers, does and mature bucks, basically no thought for conservation or quality deer management. And they don't give a $hit if their guest hunters trespass onto my dad's land, and in fact one of their guests actually accused me of trespassing a few years ago...he did not know where he was and I quickly pointed out to him HE was in the wrong and HE should leave NOW.
So do I call the MNR or OPP? Do I let it go as I did not see him actually shoot AT the grouse and he could have been shooting at a rabbit instead. I know it is only a grouse, but at what point do we make a stand...what if it was a deer or a turkey? Are they more valuable than a grouse?
Yesterday I was there cutting my next winter's wood, when I flush a grouse out the fence line, beautiful big male, flies over the fence and on to the neighbours where I hear a shot from an area of reforested pines that also hold lots of rabbits so maybe he shot at a rabbit at the same time as I flushed the grouse. Grouse season is closed however as it ends on December 31st. A few minutes later I hear a four wheeler start up and he is gone. I am back there this morining in the same spot and I see what I think is the same bird, so maybe he did not actually hit it.
Relations with this neighbour have always been strained as they have been there longer than my dad (my dad has owned this farm for 25 + years) and they feel that since the previous owner granted them permission to hunt there, we should just stay at home and not bother them. During the controlled shotgun/muzzleloader season, they always have a huge gang and shoot EVERYTHING they see, from fawns, to buttons and forkers, does and mature bucks, basically no thought for conservation or quality deer management. And they don't give a $hit if their guest hunters trespass onto my dad's land, and in fact one of their guests actually accused me of trespassing a few years ago...he did not know where he was and I quickly pointed out to him HE was in the wrong and HE should leave NOW.
So do I call the MNR or OPP? Do I let it go as I did not see him actually shoot AT the grouse and he could have been shooting at a rabbit instead. I know it is only a grouse, but at what point do we make a stand...what if it was a deer or a turkey? Are they more valuable than a grouse?
