sunday hunting. - Page 2

Vindalbakken · #31 10-23-2007, 12:14 AM

No straying at all. Access is the key. There is little point to having an extra day to hunt if there is no land access to hunt on. Landowners have the right to say no, we do not want to be giving them cause to exercise that right. An added burden of intrusion in their lives by another day of weekend hunting may be the straw that breaks the farmers back and closes another area to hunting.

The 3 day season is a case in point that landowner/hunter relations hold wildlife management in the balance and we must be cognizant of how such dramatic changes will affect the balance.

Sorry you lost the point in the aside to the bag limit issue which I also see as a real possibility.

Personally I am not worried about access where I hunt. My access has been fostered over many years and I would welcome another weekend day in the field. It will bear me no ill. But is what is good for me, the best for the sport?

Vindalbakken · #32 10-23-2007, 12:26 AM

Going back to russ's point about the request for Sunday hunting originating with the MD or County speaks to the issue of landowner compliance. The gov't is looking at the fact that if the landowners themselves (not the hunting community at large) make the request for opening up of Sunday hunting then the chance that they (the gov't) will face greater complaints of hunter harassment and intrusion from the extra day will be greatly diminished (on the assumption that the landowners were already willing to accept this increased activity on the basis of their requesting it.)

Without the landowners of any particular MD or County expressing an outright willingness to comply, it is doubtful to me that the gov't will impose Sunday hunting on any private land regions of the province.

russ · #33 10-23-2007, 02:42 AM

Given the high game populations in a number of MD's & counties, now is the time to ask for the extension of Sunday hunting. Vindalbakken is in my view correct about the number of hunter days increasing dramatically. However, hunter populations are no where near what they used to be so I think the land owner conflict issue is being overstated.

willy · #34 10-23-2007, 09:23 AM

I dont think it would be good having everyday hunters knocking on the door for access to hunt. As a landowner in the 3 day week hunting season its increased the quality of animals gives more animal a chance to escape out here in the bald ass prairie. I think it would cause more landowners to post there land.

russ · #35 10-23-2007, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by willy

I dont think it would be good having everyday hunters knocking on the door for access to hunt. As a landowner in the 3 day week hunting season its increased the quality of animals gives more animal a chance to escape out here in the bald ass prairie. I think it would cause more landowners to post there land.

I'm pretty sure the deer are just as scared on Sunday as they are on Friday. My observation has been that the resistance to Sunday hunting seems to be strongest with older landowners that hunt.

#36 10-23-2007, 09:38 AM

Pick up the latest issue of Alberta Outdoorsmen...great article by Don Meredith on this subject.

clarki · #37 10-23-2007, 10:57 AM

i'd be willing to bet that sunday hunting in zone 108 wont happen anytime soon. a lot of religious folk down here to the point that in towns like magrath NOTHING is open on sundays. what chance do we hunters have if there's a county vote made up of the landowners that attend church on sundays and enjoy their quiet time at home with family after church? I am not laying blame or faulting anyone for their decision to not allow hunters on their property or for being a church member but I think this is where the church wins out over us hunters. also, a vast expanse of 108 is no hunting and these are church owned ranches ie. knight ranch, over 100,000 acres, owned by the LDS church and no hunting, ever. i think it would be a lot easier to get sunday hunting implemented way up north where there is very little private land. and just a reminder to the nova scotia hunters that driving across alberta is a much bigger trip than driving across nova scotia just to get a sunday hunt. i guess it just boils down to wanting to get out and hunt more. again, imagine only 3 days of fishing?? I would have to be institutionalized!! lol

M

Versatile · #38 10-23-2007, 01:40 PM

You guys are all saying that the landowners dont want to be bothered with hunters knocking on doors on sundays because that is their quiet time off.

I want to ask how many of you guys do your homework, know where you are going to hunt the day before and get permission? I know all my areas are year round areas where I know I dont need to ask year after year because the farmers have told me I have a lifetime privledge (I make sure I ask every year and at the end of season make sure there is some jerky and fresh bird breasts in their hands as thanks) but in new area I know what areas I want to hunt on the weekend so during the week I am on the phone. Its not like saturday rolls around and I go knocking because guys are out hunting themselves or in the city doing some shopping.

I guess what I am trying to say is dont wait till sunday to get permission and there wont be a problem with people complaining on hunters knocking all through a peacful sunday.

bowchaser · #39 10-23-2007, 02:10 PM

you're all talking about private land, therefore none of the arguments should apply to crown land. Some of the zones have no landowners, 402/406 for two. No reason to not have Sunday hunting in any forestry zone. If a landowner doesn't want someone shooting on god's day, then they can say no. If it's about giving the animals a day of rest, then make it a weekday. The benefits far outweigh the negatives, time for a complete change. If a landowner doesn't want people knocking on Sunday, Willy, then post a sign saying so.

el sparko · #40 10-23-2007, 04:08 PM

again guys you are straying way off the topic, all i want to know is why the law exists. i know why we arn't allowed to speed or steal or commit murder these laws are just common sense and if there was a valid concise justifiable reason for it i would be all for it. so please give me the answer. i do not give a tinker's damn about land owner's opinions, i never bother them. since when does the great benovelant landowners control the laws in this province? what they do is their buisness and what i do is mine. i obey the law, even if it doesn't make sense and again all i want to know is why the law exists.

#41 10-23-2007, 04:24 PM

Read October's AO!

willy · #42 10-23-2007, 07:50 PM

sparko you say you dont give a tinkers dam about land owners so you must hunt public land exclusively. You are missing out on some great hunting then especially waterfowl. Bowchaser i would bet most would put up sign but not the 1 us hunters would want see.

el sparko · #43 10-23-2007, 08:12 PM

willy; i do hunt exclusivley on crown land, i don't hunt what i don't eat and i don't eat waterfowl. i figure there's enough pressure on these folks without me adding more. i tune my hunts to suit my needs and wheather or not i bag an animal is beside the point.
if i did want to hunt on private land i would ask and if the landowner told me not to hunt on his land on sunday that would be ok by me; it's his land after all.
i still want to know the true reasoning behind the law.

duffy4 · #44 10-23-2007, 09:47 PM

Sparko

I would guess that orriginally the law was part of the "Lords Day" laws that prohibited lots of things on Sunday. The almighty Dollar has replaced religion in a lot of peoples lives and I guess that is why most everything is allowed on Sunday now. As there is no great "economic push" to open huntinf on Sunday, that law has hung on in much of the Province.

As pointed out above the AF&GA has been requesting more Sunday hunting areas (and the whole province) for many years. Fish & Wildlife always says that many County gov'ts are still opposed to it, because they feel their "landowner" constituents oppose it. It is felt that landowners just want a break on Sunday and do not want to have to deal with any hunter disgussions. However F&W has been pushing it and each year it seems a few more areas come open.

That is my take on the situation.

Robin in Rocky

#45 10-23-2007, 10:33 PM

The way that I see it,even if hunting was allowed everywhere on Sunday,a landowner still has the right to prevent Sunday hunting on his property.

Don Meredith · #46 10-24-2007, 06:09 AM

You're right, stubblejumper. But as sheephunter has been trying to point out (thanks, TJ; I was wondering when someone who actually reads AO was going to jump in), in my article in the October AO, I point out that the issue has little to do with individual land rights (or religion) and much to do with landowner politics. The government is not going to change the law province-wide, but it has done it piece by piece. But it only got that done because organized hunters (i.e., AFGA local clubs) lobbied both provincial and municipal governments with well researched information that convinced those governments that Sunday hunting was in the best interest of everyone. In the south, there is much work to be done.

el sparko · #47 10-26-2007, 06:31 AM

thank you mr meredith. your article in oct. a.o magazine answered most of my questions. it sounds to me like the best venue to approach to help change this law is the alb. fish and game assn. all a member needs to do is submit a proposal in writing and they take it from there. i contacted the main office in edmonton and they have the proper forms available and they can email to you if you contact them. i did a little research and one thing that disturbed me was the fact that out of approx. 100,000 alberta hunters only about 16,000 belong to the a.f.g.a! talk about complcaency! i guess it's a lot easier to bitch and whine than it is to do something about about this problem. memberships are not that expensive and they provide a very valuable service. do yourself a favor and at least check them out you will be surprized at what they provide for us hunters.