Georgian Bay conservationists honouredThe Georgian Bay Hunters and Anglers Club landed two big trophies during the annual general meeting of its parent organization March 19.
At the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH) gathering in Mississauga, the local club received the Windsor Sportsmen’s Club Trophy for outstanding fundraising success in 2008.
Club members sold 691 books of tickets in support of the 34th annual OFAH Conservation Lottery.
“Fundraising is essential to OFAH conservation programming,” said president Jack Hedman. “The incredible success of the OFAH Conservation Lottery comes down to the members and clubs like the Georgian Bay Hunters and Anglers, who demonstrate their dedication to Ontario’s fish and wildlife through fundraising, and by taking on community conservation projects.”
The club’s Georgian Bay Get Outdoors Club, meanwhile, took home the Ministry of Natural Resources Junior Conservation Award.
“The Georgian Bay Get Outdoors Club is well-deserving of this award,” said Robert Pye, the OFAH’s manager of member services. “They … show an admirable dedication to the conservation of our fish and wildlife.”
The award is presented annually to a youth club contributing the most to conservation in the previous year. This is the second time the Georgian Bay Get Outdoors Club has taken home the award. It was previously recognized in 2005.
wawa-news.com - Ontario Seeks Public Input On Moose Hunting ProgramMembers of the public are invited to attend an open house in Wawa to comment on Ontario's moose tag draw system.
The draw allocates moose tags to resident hunters. It is designed to give the greatest number of hunters an opportunity to hunt or share an adult moose while maintaining sustainable moose populations. Through the open house, the Ontario government is encouraging people to discuss how the draw system can be improved. Biologists will be on hand to lead discussions and answer questions.
The ministry launched a review of the program in 2008 to ensure Ontario's moose continue to be managed in a responsible and sustainable way.
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Roughin’ It 101 - The Sault Star - Ontario, CASome of Ray Boucher’s most heartening moments as a Grade 8 teacher happen far from the confines of the classroom. Boucher and other Northern Ontario educators are at the leading edge in the rebirth of outdoor education — a trend that’s gathering steam in rural schools, but leaving teachers in more populated school districts buried beneath mountains of paperwork and liability concerns.
“Being outside and active makes students more open to learning,” said Boucher, who recently brought his class of 12 St. Joseph students to the Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board’s outdoor facility at Camp Korah in Sault Ste. Marie for a day of cross-country skiing.
“Besides physical education, there are many curriculum tie-ins for geography, science, history and the arts.”
For Boucher, getting his class outside is as simple as organizing half-day snowshoe treks several times a month on Wawa’s easily accessible hiking trails. Another highlight was spending a day sea kayaking with his class on Wawa Lake.
Boucher said the outdoor education challenges of “permission slips, board policies and liability issues” are easier to deal with given a supportive principal and understanding parents.
“We live in an outdoor community,” said Boucher.
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Ripping through the snow in Northern OntarioThe sound of gunfire has nothing on the scream of a snowmobile drive belt shredding at 130 kilometres an hour for "pucker" effect.
Certainly, I felt pinched as bits of rubber ricocheted off the Yamaha's belt guard -- then the track locked up as the belt wedged itself into the clutch. I slowed to a stop, hit the kill-switch and all was quiet -- except for my thundering heartbeat and the sound of my family's sleds fading into the wilderness.
What an utter, profound silence. I pulled off my helmet and faced the brilliantly shining sun; I shaded my eyes and stared down the trail -- wide, clear and empty. I was sitting on a trail about 100 kilometres south of Hearst, Ont., listening to the sounds of the other snowmobiles die away.
Looking both ways, it dawned on me just how utterly alone I was. My ears hummed with the strain of listening to nothing and, for the first time on this trip, it struck me just how big this province of ours really is.
Americans boast about Texas, but the fact is Texas has nothing on Ontario.
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The buoys are back in town | thetimesherald.com | The Times HeraldFrom Lake Ontario to Traverse Bay, Port Huron-based Coast Guard officials are responsible for installing navigational aides each spring.
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That process has begun -- a sure sign warmer weather is on its way and boating activity on local waterways could pick up.
Lt. j. g. Chris Jasnoch, the navigational aides operation's manager for the Coast Guard cutter Hollyhock, said the crew puts in more than 100 navigational aids each spring between mid-March and mid-April.
It is quite a chore.
Each of the buoys must get inspected -- to ensure a quality hull and working light assemblies -- painted and put in the water.
Installing one buoy, which involves putting in a sinker, anchor and mooring, can take 45 minutes to an hour, Jasnoch said.
The buoys range in size from 5 to 8 feet in diameter to up to 26 feet tall. The largest buoy is 8-by-26 and weighs 12,000 pounds.
Most common, though, are buoys that are 6 feet in diameter and 20 feet tall.
Jasnoch said the crew started installing buoys Tuesday on Lake St. Clair and will continue throughout Hollyhock's zone until mid-April.
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Twinsburgbulletin.com - Niagara River provides fishing in all seasonsMost fishing spots have a prime season for catching fish.
For most waters, spring and summer are the common hot times. Mention fall and winter and many anglers just shrug their shoulders.
Well, the Niagara River is a unique fishing spot because it is hot during all four seasons of the year.
Connecting Lake Erie to Lake Ontario, not only does this rather short river have large amounts of resident fish, but it also experiences migrations of fish from lakes Ontario and Erie.
The most common tactic for catching these fish uses a three-way swivel rod with a pencil lead for a sinker. A fluorocarbon leader tied to a hook baited with live bait completes the outfit.
The means angler is actually fishing -- feeling the bite and setting the hook the old-fashioned way.
Here's a brief primer on some of Niagara's top fish:
Salmon
King or Chinook salmon start making forays into the lower Niagara in September.
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