Wildlife Management Forum

[Canadian Bush Wacker]

I think it's about time, we as hunters and sportsman have a wildlife management forum. To disscus and debate ideas, weather conditions, soil, and suppliers of equipment. This would not be about bait piles, this would be what you are doing on your land to help in the way of conservation of the wildlife. There is so limited info on this in our country, though legal in many areas, but not in some. This would have nothing to do with hunting over a bait!

This would be a exchange of idea's of land management, and your idea's on benifiting the wildlife in your area, weather it's hunting land or not!

I have been around for abit and have got so much info from many posts, ok some from arm chair experts, but most here are true sportsman.

I think we have a valuable collection of members with information that we could all learn from, even if we do not own land.

 

[Lazy Ike]

I nominate TB for moderator.

 

[7mm-08]

Sounds like a excellent Idea.I have seen info.on forums stateside.But with the different climates,soils,and structure of the land varying across Canada it would be interesting to see what works and is available in your area.

 

[Amphibious]

Sounds like a excellent Idea.I have seen info.on forums stateside.But with the different climates,soils,and structure of the land varying across Canada it would be interesting to see what works and is available in your area.

how about going out and hunting your game instead of farming it?

 

[Goose25]

That's a G-R-E-A-T idea!!!

We have a QDM (quality deer managment) section on a french-canadian forum I visit. It has been a great source of info over the last couple of years.

I think a sub-forum in the hunting section would be a great addition here to cgn.

We (my family) have purchased a chunk of land (100acres) a couple years ago, and I have been doing my best to give back to the land. Stocked the lake with rainbow and speckled trout, released wild turkeys, and this year I'm planting hybrid oaks and apple tree's... I'm also planning to start a couple food plots.

for those who are interrested I suggest you take a hard look at the QDM website.

http://www .qdma.com/qdm/

 

[Algonquin]

Not broken

Why not post all this great thinking and discussion within our existing forums? On certain other gun forum lists there are so many topic headings it's an all day affair just to check the topic starters. Any good reason we need to keep dividing every time someone comes up with a good idea?

Also, why hybrid oaks? Hybrid between what species?

Thank you,

FM

 

[C Broad Arrow]

I think it is a great idea...but then I am biased in this case. I am hoping to start a QDM branch in the GTA. Anyone interested in joining can PM me.

 

[Canadian Bush Wacker]

Interesting web site and idea's , dam shame the forums are in french.

The east and Alberta, seems to way ahead of Manitoba in this.

Just for the record, 160 acres that I would like to do something with is not for hunting.

 

[Canadian Bush Wacker]

Why not post all this great thinking and discussion within our existing forums? On certain other gun forum lists there are so many topic headings it's an all day affair just to check the topic starters. Any good reason we need to keep dividing every time someone comes up with a good idea?

Also, why hybrid oaks? Hybrid between what species?

Thank you,

FM

I think posting in the existing forurms, we could very easy be lost in all the current info and topics. Making reseaching old posts to re-check data and info, could make it into more than a all day affair!

Also, I think most here are selective readers, only reading certin forums on a routine. So why not able to read just what you what to read? Why go through 3 pages of the hunting forums to get to what you would like to read about because it got bumped back because of the most today to today posts of someone's trip or what ever. And besides, I would not call this dividing, I would call this concertrating interests to a point of focusing on only your topics of interest.

 

[sheephunter]

Interesting web site and idea's , dam shame the forums are in french.

The east and Alberta, seems to way ahead of Manitoba in this.

Just for the record, 160 acres that I would like to do something with is not for hunting.

How is Alberta ahead on this? Food plots for the purpose of hunting are illegal here so I can't imagine there are many people planting them for just the opportunity to watch deer.

 

[C Broad Arrow]

Interesting web site and idea's , dam shame the forums are in french.

The east and Alberta, seems to way ahead of Manitoba in this.

Just for the record, 160 acres that I would like to do something with is not for hunting.

Even if you decide not to hunt the 160 acres, restoration and habitat improvement can bring dividends in two ways. First it improves the habitat for all species. So if you just want to have the property provide a refuse for deer etc. then there is a benefit to the surrounding area. If you wish to use the property for recreation purposes excluding hunting there is also a benefit from th epoint of view you are doing something that is at least environmentally sound and likely to allow you to observe more animals etc.

Second, there is a benefit from an economic point of view should you ever wish to sell the land. Other hunters will recogninze the habitat improvements and pay a premium for the land.

 

[sheephunter]

I'm not sure I'd call tilling up native plant species and planting non-native plant species habitat improvement. While these food plots may provide some benefit to ungulates, the habitat destroyed to create them is often very detrimental to countless other species. Even on the restoration of currently tilled land, going back to as close to native plant species as possible is far better for eco system than introducing a variety of non-native species. The other thing to consider is the danger of concentrating ungulates on a single food source. There are numerous diseases, including CWD that are spread through this close contact. While food plots can provide some enjoyment, the long term damage to the environment can be catastrophic.

 

[C Broad Arrow]

I'm not sure I'd call tilling up native plant species and planting non-native plant species habitat improvement.

I don't believe anyone is suggesting this. Certainly it is not the position of the QDMA to reduce the quality or quantity of native species. In fact, we encourage the planting of native grasses other species.

Even on the restoration of currently tilled land, going back to as close to native plant species as possible is far better for eco system than introducing a variety of non-native species.

That is what we encourage as an organization, however, there are ways to supplement and help deer populations, especially in the east, that do involve growing specific types of plants - clovers and alphalfa to name two - to aid in deer development.

There are numerous diseases, including CWD that are spread through this close contact. While food plots can provide some enjoyment, the long term damage to the environment can be catastrophic.

CWD is generally found where there are high deer per square kilometer ratios. Wisconsin being the latest state to report cases. Scientist know deer pass the disease on to one another, but remain unsure of exactly how they do it. To suggest that somehow it is a result of food plots cannot be substantiated by research. CWD was found in Korea from an elk imported from Canada in 1997. So there may be a tie to game farming along with those areas where there are high densities.

 

[sheephunter]

To suggest that somehow it is a result of food plots cannot be substantiated by research.

Sure it can.....higher densities increase the likelyhood of many diseases in ungulates and foodplots increase deer densities, pretty easy to make the connection. I never once insinuated that food plots are the cause of CWD but they certainly have the ability to spread it by increasing deer densities on a food source.

That is what we encourage as an organization, however, there are ways to supplement and help deer populations, especially in the east, that do involve growing specific types of plants - clovers and alphalfa to name two - to aid in deer development.

Which may indeed aid in deer development but at what cost to other wildlife, plant communities, insects, water quality and so on. Nothing is for free.

 

[Canadian Bush Wacker]

How is Alberta ahead on this? Food plots for the purpose of hunting are illegal here so I can't imagine there are many people planting them for just the opportunity to watch deer.

Ok, what part did you miss??? Who said anything about hunting on it!! Plus we are talking about wildlife management, it has so much more to do with just food plots! Maybe you should go to the web site and read a bit, or just maybe read all the above posts over again. (SLOWLY)

 

[sheephunter]

Ok, what part did you miss??? Who said anything about hunting on it!! Plus we are talking about wildlife management, it has so much more to do with just food plots! Maybe you should go to the web site and read a bit, or just maybe read all the above posts over again. (SLOWLY)

Easy, if you'd have read my post, I wasn't commenting on your food plot....I was asking why you thought Alberta was so advanced as baiting for deer is illegal here. I believe that you aren't baiting for hunting but I can't see many guys going to all that work for any other reason. I personally don't know of a single food plot out here. There may well be some but I was curious about your statement about Alberta being ahead on this.

Again, how is Alberta ahead on this??????? Please read this SLOWLY

Plus we are talking about wildlife management, it has so much more to do with just food plots!

I would hope so as food plots are definitely not wildlife management, they are selective species management at best.

 

[Canadian Bush Wacker]

Sure it can.....higher densities increase the likelyhood of many diseases in ungulates and foodplots increase deer densities, pretty easy to make the connection. I never once insinuated that food plots are the cause of CWD but they certainly have the ability to spread it by increasing deer densities on a food source.



Which may indeed aid in deer development but at what cost to other wildlife, plant communities, insects, water quality and so on. Nothing is for free.

Deer when feeding in the open, or meadow, or what ever are not exchanging slavia, or chances are very slim. So farmers hay bails and such have been linked, but if so why is the prov have feeding sites that hunters can't go anywhere near?? Would this not be a link as well?

I can not see the open garzing, and bringing back un-used farm land for wildlife gonna hurt. And if deer population or densities increase, this is why we have have to learn more about land management so we can help control, and I mean by being selective in our harvest. I noticed the deer numbers were low this year, I still went out for fun and passed on two, why? Because I wanted to and it was my choice!

 

[Amphibious]

I can not see the open garzing, and bringing back un-used farm land for wildlife gonna hurt. And if deer population or densities increase, this is why we have have to learn more about land management so we can help control, and I mean by being selective in our harvest. I noticed the deer numbers were low this year, I still went out for fun and passed on two, why? Because I wanted to and it was my choice!

how about letting the land return to nature. now there is a thought....


this all still sounds like farming/ranching to me. this is a hunting forum, right?

 

[sheephunter]

Deer when feeding in the open, or meadow, or what ever are not exchanging slavia, or chances are very slim. So farmers hay bails and such have been linked, but if so why is the prov have feeding sites that hunters can't go anywhere near?? Would this not be a link as well?

Saliva while a transfer agent isn't the culprit, it's urine and feces which are deposited in the feed and transfer is highly likely.

You won't find any feeding programs in Saskatchewan or Alberta where CWD is prevelant and in jurisdictions where they are being used, it's a last ditch effort during tough winters to help populations make it through the winter. It's not feeding programs that happen throughout the year like a foot plot and yes, I'm sure there is a much higher probability of spreading disease through this practice as well. As I said, everything comes with a price.

But I'm still curious about the statement of yours that I originally enquired about.....how is Alberta ahead on this???????

 

[Canadian Bush Wacker]

Easy, if you'd have read my post, I wasn't commenting on your food plot....I was asking why you thought Alberta was so advanced as baiting for deer is illegal here. I believe that you aren't baiting for hunting but I can't see many guys going to all that work for any other reason. I personally don't know of a single food plot out here. There may well be some but I was curious about your statement about Alberta being ahead on this.

Again, how is Alberta ahead on this??????? Please read this SLOWLY



I would hope so as food plots are definitely not wildlife management, they are selective species management at best.

I gonna go out on a limb here and say, you didn't go to the qdma.canada.com site and read a thing? did you? Alberta is ahead because they are involed and doing something where as Manitoba is not, or still sleeping. Now, I unstand that you are not interested in this or have your own view points, but please explain to me why, as to your negitive posts, are you trying to stop the exchange of information by other interested helpful parties. If you feel this type of exchange of information is wrong, back it up with data, and then tell us why half the country is doing it, in one way or another. Big and small projects are being done by most prov's, to feeding areas to restoring wildlife habitat, to buying land, the list can go on. But this thread is what we can do as one man or family. Landowners and would be landowners.

So lets all get back on topic and find out how many of us would use a forum called Land Management/Wildlife Management and would post postive ideas