Wednesday 4 July 2018

Gear Review: Delorme inReach SE

Delorme inReach SE
One of the best things about being out in the woods is being unplugged.  The last time I went camping it took me several hours to slow down, relax, and adapt to being disconnected again.  It was fantastic once I could unwind.  However, being disconnected and out of cell phone range has its risks.

A few years ago, a tree fell and crushed by car, landing next to my tent while I slept inside, nearly killing me.  I was lucky enough to be in cell phone range and got help from my wife, father in law, and BCAA.  If that had happened way in the bush, or if my father in law had been chewed up by a grizzly back in 2015 during his encounter, being out of range of calling for help would have really increased the safety risk.

I decided to look into the various options for satellite communication for emergencies and checking in.  It was between the Spot and the Delorme inReach SE.  The Spot was $150 for the unit at the time and the InReach was $300.  I chose the InReach when I realized that with spot you have to sign up for a full year of coverage for $150 USD (Now its $175USD) vs. the inReach which you can activate one month at a time for about $25/month.  After one year, the inReach is cheaper than the Spot, and as a bonus, it has a lot more functionality.

One cool feature is the Garmin Earthmate app which allows you to connect to the inReach via Bluetooth with your phone.  Using the app or the inReach itself, you can send texts or preset messages.  You can also have it send tracking points automatically to any phone or email address. I set it to send my wife my location every few hours.  That way, in case something happens and I stop moving, or if I were unable to call for help myself, she would be able to notify rescuers of my location.

Garmin Earthmate Icon

Overall, I have to say I love the app and the device. It works pretty well most of the time.  I have had two experiences were it didn't send a message for long periods of time.  Once I was at the Coquihalla summit and tried sending a message and it didn't send for a few hours until I was back near Chilliwack. The next time I tried it I was camping near Harrison lake and it took about 30 minutes before it sent, but then I could send and receive regularly.  I submitted tickets to their customer service, but nothing became of those.  Since then I have tried it several more times without incident, so that's more reassuring.

As a friend of mine at work said, this device can turn a life threatening situation into a good story at the bar.  It has a handy SOS button which you can arm with a switch and then send with the SOS button.  I hope to never need to use it, but having it around gives real peace of mind.

I see that it has some cool mapping and way-point features.  I'll see if I can get those working and post an update when I figure those out.

All in all I would give the Delorme inReach SE a 4 out of 5 because of the connection issues. 


Saturday 30 June 2018

Politics and Jurisdictions

I grew up in a family where both my parents ran in provincial and federal elections.  Politics was a regular topic of dinner table conversation and my folks are still heavily involved with politics to this day.  As a child, during every election campaign I would help my parents deliver leaflets, or go with them to the campaign offices while they phoned constituents.  I grew up in such a political household that when I was in kindergarten and asked by my teacher to come up with a rhyme I proudly replied "Brian Mulroney rolls the dice and Canada pays the price!" *Facepalm*.  Anyways, all this is to say that I take it for granted that I have an innate understanding of how the political system works.  At the last BHA pint night that I attended on the 28th of June, I realized that for those who didn't grow up in politics, it is a confusing system and I should take the opportunity to break it down.

In Canada, we have 3 branches of government; Executive, Legislative, and Judicial. We also have 3 layers of government, Federal, Provincial/Territorial, and Municipal.

Without going into too much detail about how it all works, what is important to know is that they are all responsible for different things.  If you are interested in getting involved with advocacy it is important to be contacting the correct ministries and politicians for it to be effective.

Most hunting and angling issues are provincial, so most of what I am working on is by contacting my local MLA Judy Darcy where I live now in New Westminster (Her office is a 10 minute walk from my house), Minister Doug Donaldson (Responsible for hunting and non-tidal fishing), and Premier John Horgan.  I have had success with emails, letters, and phone calls.

 For hunting, angling, and conservation issues, here is how it breaks down.

Federal (Canada)


Federal Ridings in Greater Vancouver
Canada is divide into 338 ridings each represented by a Member of Parliament (PM) in the House of Commons and 105 seats for the Senate held by Senators.  BC has 42 ridings and MPs in the House of Commons and 6 Senators. 23 of BCs ridings are in the the Lower Mainland (Region 2)

To find your riding any of the following links will take you to maps where you can find out who represents you.  They will have an office in your neighbourhood and split their time between your riding and being in Ottawa.  You can send them mail, email, or call their local constituency office in our neighborhood to arrange a time to discuss issues with them.  You can also go there in person during the hours they are open.

http://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=res&dir=cir/maps2&document=index&lang=e
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electoral_district_(Canada)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliament_of_Canada

Federal Government

Executive: The Queen (rep. Governor General), the Prime Minister (Justin Trudeau), Cabinet (Ministers)

Legislative: Parliament which is made up of the House of Commons and the Senate

Judicial: Federal Court, Federal Court of Appeal, Tax Court of Canada, Supreme Court of Canada

Who to Contact About Federal Issues:

The Prime Minister (Justin Trudeau <justin.trudeau@parl.gc.ca>)

The Minister Responsible for the Issue: One of
Dominic LeBlanc dominic.leblanc@parl.gc.ca
Catherine McKenna <ec.ministre-minister.ec@canada.ca> or <Catherine.McKenna@parl.gc.ca>
Ralph Goodale <ralph.goodale@parl.gc.ca> or <Hon.ralph.goodale@canada.ca>

Your Local Member of Parliament (MP) (You'll have to look it up)

A Senator from BC

Federal Jurisdiction

1) Species At Risk Act (SARA):  This is legislation to allow the federal government to take control of the management of a species which is at risk of going extinct if the provinces aren't doing a good enough job. Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada can use SARA to protect fish, wildlife, and habitat.

2) Tidal Angling: Fisheries and Oceans Canada manages all tidal angling, fish stocks, and license.  The minister responsible is The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc.

3) Migratory Birds: Environment and Climate Change Canada manages migratory bird hunting and licensing.  The minister responsible is The Honourable Catherine McKenna.

4) Firearms Licensing and Regulation: RCMP which is under Public Safety Canada. The Minister responsible is The Honourable Ralph Goodale.


Provincial (British Columbia)


The Provincial Riding Boundaries in Greater Vancouver

BC is divided into 87 ridings.  Each riding is represented by an Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) who is your local representative in the government.  Their job is to represent the issues that matter to the people who live in their riding.  48 of those ridings are in the Lower Mainland (Region 2).  Since most hunting issues are provincial and since most of the ridings are in Region 2, those of us in the Lower Mainland have the power to change and shape how wildlife management and habitat conservation happens more than the entire rest of the province combined.  We have a responsibility to advocate since our region holds the most sway.

To find your riding any of the following links will take you to maps where you can find out who represents you.  They will have an office in your neighbourhood and split their time between your riding and being in Victoria.  You can send them mail, email, or call their local constituency office in your neighborhood to arrange a time to discuss issues with them. You can also go there in person during the hours they are open.
 
http://maps.gov.bc.ca/ess/hm/bcede/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legislative_Assembly_of_British_Columbia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_British_Columbia_provincial_electoral_districts

Provincial Government

Executive: The Queen (rep. Lieutenant Governor), the Premier (John Horgan), Cabinet (Ministers)

Legislative: the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia

Judicial: Provincial Court, Provincial Court of Appeal

Who to Contact About Provincial Issues:

The Premier (John Horgan <premier@gov.bc.ca>)

The Minister Responsible for the Issue: Either
Doug Donaldson <FLNR.Minister@gov.bc.ca>
George Heyman <ENV.Minister@gov.bc.ca>

Your Local Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) (You'll have to look it up)

Provincial Jurisdiction:

1) Hunting, Fresh Water Angling, Forests, Lands, Natural Resources, Rural Development: Conveniently, that is the ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations & Rural Development.  The minister in charge is Honourable Doug Donaldson.

2) Environment & Climate Change: Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy.  The minister responsible is Honourable George Heyman.

Municipal (Your City or Town)


Municipal Jurisdiction:
1) Noise bylaws and No Discharge bylaws: Mayor and Council.

Who to Contact About Municipal Issues:
The Mayor and Council



Response from the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations & Rural Development



Yesterday I received the following response from a registered professional Biologist from the Ministry responsible for hunting issues, the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations & Rural Development.  I am not going to post the contact information or the name of the biologist so that I can start to develop a rapport with them on issues, but it just goes to show that if you are persistent, you will be heard.

Dear Alex,

Thank you for your e-mail regarding wildlife and habitat engagement. I’m currently working on the initiative to improve wildlife management and habitat conservation, and have been asked to respond.

Our government is committed to improving wildlife management and habitat conservation in BC, and will be developing policy options starting this fall to deliver on this mandate. This initiative is one of the top priorities for our Minister for this year.

As you know, our government committed to increasing funding for the Provincial Wildlife Management Strategy. Although the allocation is modest this year ($1M), there is a commitment to increase funds over the next two years ($3M for 2019/20 and $10M for 2020/21). However we recognize that even this commitment will likely not be sufficient to meet the expectations of British Columbians for substantial on the ground change. Hence we are exploring many of the opportunities you recommend for generating additional funding. I will send your excellent list of suggestions to the team that is currently exploring funding models.

Please continue to visit our website to share your thoughtful comments and ideas. Your input will contribute to the success of a new strategy moving forward.

Sincerely,

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXX, MSc, RPBio
Wildlife and Habitat Branch
Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations & Rural Development
Phone: XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX@gov.bc.ca

From: Alex Johnson [mailto:XXXXXXXXXX@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, June 6, 2018 7:31 AM
To: OfficeofthePremier, Office PREM:EX; Executive Division Office, FLNR:EX; Minister, FLNR FLNR:EX; Minister, ENV ENV:EX
Subject: 239966 Wildlife and Habitat Engagement

Alex Johnson
XXXXXXXX
New Westminster, BC
XXXXXX
(XXX) XXX-XXXX
June 6, 2018

Dear Premier Horgan, Minister Donaldson, and Minister Heyman

Re: Wildlife and Habitat Engagement

I am writing this letter to ask you to continue to ensure habitat and wildlife issues are a priority for this government and to support addressing all 8 of the challenges, and the associated objectives, discussed in the “Wildlife and Habitat Engagement” which is being undertaken by the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development. As a hunter, I fully support the efforts to address all 8 challenges and I support the direction that the provincial government and the ministry are taking regarding these issues. 

Similarly, I appreciate, and I fully support, the Provincial Caribou Recovery program. The action taken so far to engage the public and raise awareness is a critical first step. I have attached some infographics from the BCWF as well as some photos of the caribou that are blinking out of existence in BC. Caribou in BC are in crisis and urgent action is needed. 

Both initiatives as well as the modest funding increase in the last budget show that this government is willing to take action on critical matters of habitat protection and restoration in order to save species which are in crisis in BC. Thank you.

Now is the time to redouble the effort on these issues to achieve real lasting success. BC’s plants and animals depend on it. I fear these issues will run out of steam after the consultation is finished, like so many initiatives did with the previous government. I hope desperately that this government will be the first in in my lifetime to make real progress in restoring habitat and wildlife population numbers. 

This can only happen with the necessary funding. There are numerous methods other jurisdictions use to secure stable and sufficient funding to implement meaningful action on habitat and wildlife issues. 

These include, fees or funds from resource extraction, fees on tourism activities such as whale and bear viewing, ski passes, park and trail access fees, hunting and angling license fees, excise taxes on the sale of outdoor and sporting equipment including skis, snowboards, mountain and dirt bikes, ATVs, boats, and snowmobiles. Please fulfill both the NDP campaign promise to earmark 100% of license fees for conservation as well as implement some or all additional funding sources available. Neighbouring jurisdictions are able to reach hundreds of millions of dollars in funding from these sources.

Please continue to keep habitat and wildlife a priority for this government.

Sincerely,

Alex Johnson

Keeping Track of Sign and Hunts

When I first started hunting in 2014, I was fortunate enough to be invited to join a well established group of hunters who took me to their whitetail spot.  On that trip my now father in law showed me a series of paper maps with circles, X's, and lines on them.  These maps, and the notations on them, represented years of accumulated knowledge about where he found sign and where people had achieved success.  From the information contained on these maps my father in law was able to recommend that I spend time in the spot where I eventually managed to get my first white tailed deer.  

During that trip, and several after that, I up using my Garmin etrex GPS to mark all the locations where I managed to find sign as well as all the spots where I had seen deer.  Whe I bought the GPS I also bought the BC Backroad Mapbooks micro SD card for it so it shows the vast majority of the logging roads which is very nice.   When I bought that GPS, I paid around $250 for it and the maps cost another $160.  A pricey little piece of kit, but well worth it.  It runs on two AA batteries.  The only negative comment about it that you have to zoom in quite far before the logging roads become visible. Using the Garmin etrex to plan the next day's hunt is really difficult because you have to be so zoomed in to see anything.  It is really only good for tracking where you have been and way points.



After getting home from that 2014 hunt I started looking a lot at Google Maps and Google Earth.  I remembered years ago making a map for some friends to tell them how to find a campsite using Google Maps.  After a little investigation I found that it is really easy to do through My Maps using Google Maps.  The My Maps tool in Google maps even allows you to use hunting icons like a deer, wolf, bear, moose, etc. as well as tents and a shooter symbol.  Once I found these icons I transferred all my information from the Garmin GPS to a map I titled Hunting on My Maps.


Over the following few years I added a lot of information to my hunting map.  It has a limited number of layers so I limited it to types of game.  I also put the date and a little comment next to every point.  One of the cool things you can do is download it as a .kmz file and import the data into Google Earth.

Hunt Buddy Icon
Recently I heard about the app called Hunt Buddy.  I downloaded it onto my iPhone and used it last hunting season.  Overall, I really like how it helps you keep the regulations close at hand.  On my last day out scouting I used it to mark the location of sign and game sightings for the first time.  You have to pay for the topographical maps, but they are about 10% the price of the BC Backroad Mapbooks micro SD card. There are a lot fewer icons than on Google Maps, but there are enough to mark sign and game locations.

Example of mapping with Hunt Buddy
One nice thing you can do is download your My Map from Google Maps into Hunt Buddy, so that all of the accumulated info that I have from all the years and sources is now downloaded onto my phone.  You can also download the maps ahead of time so when you are in the bush you have full topographical maps on our phone.  It worked really well on my last hunt.  From the accumulated data you can really start to see the commonalities between where sign is found and where you can achieve success. 


Sunday 24 June 2018

BCWF: Urban Hunter Fighting for Wildlife

Recognition is always nice, but I'll do anything to help show other new hunters like myself that they can make a difference.  If you are thinking of learning to hunt or getting involved with conservation efforts it is easier than you might think!


Urban Hunter Fighting for Wildlife

IMG_0219
Alex Johnson went hunting for the first time in the fall of 2014 at the age of 29. He was drawn to hunting for the food opportunities and was lucky enough to be invited to join a well established group who were happy to share their knowledge and experience.  He first became concerned about conservation the following year after seeing the level of road density and deforestation on the way to and from a LEH moose hunt.  He then learned about the declining moose populations in much of the province and became interested in becoming active in conservation.

The natural heritage of BC is something which Alex feels needs to be protected and restored for the benefit of future generations. The native animals and plants of BC are what make our province such a special place. Additionally, he feels that having a strong connection with these animals and their habitats is the most important way to ensure that people will fight to protect them.

After listening to Jesse Zeman of the BC Wildlife Federation on the Rookie Hunter Podcast and the perspective of Steven Rinella on MeatEater, it became clear to Alex that there was widespread misunderstanding in the public about hunting, conservation, and declining wildlife populations.

The misinformation and lack of public awareness about hunting became acutely evident throughout the process which resulted in the ban on hunting grizzly bears.  It was the push he needed to become a Wildlife Warrior.

Since then, Alex has met with his MLA, spoken to the office of the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations & Rural Development, become involved in conservation organizations, provided feedback to government engagement initiatives, and started a blog www.vancouverhunter.com. In the future, he hopes to regularly meet with his MLA, help grow the number of wildlife advocates, and recruit other urbanites from non-hunting backgrounds to become hunter conservationists and increase awareness in the lower mainland.

KTW: Province planning steelhead sport fishery shutdown


http://www.kamloopsthisweek.com/news/province-planning-steelhead-sport-fishery-shutdown-1.23344870

The B.C. government is planning to shut down the coming steelhead trout sport fishery as fish return to the Thompson and Chilcotin rivers.

Although the official word has yet to come down from government, one official, who asked not to be named, said the shutdown is “in the works.”

he move would be the latest effort to save the steelhead, which have returned in diminishing numbers in recent years.

Last year, fewer than 200 Thompson steelhead and fewer than 50 Chilcotin steelhead returned — the lowest levels since record-keeping began.

On Feb. 13, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (an advisory body to the government) assessed the Thompson River and Chilcotin steelhead as endangered and recommended an emergency order to place the fish on the endangered list under the federally controlled Species at Risk Act.
That order would mean changes to commercial fisheries, where bycatch — like steelhead caught incidentally alongside salmon — means increased mortality among stocks.

So far, the federal government hasn’t taken action.

Mike Simpson, Thompson region senior manager with the Fraser Basin Council, told KTW the province’s move might mean a little or it might mean a lot.

“Well, this is the thing that’s been disputed. I don’t think there’s clear science on what the impact of sport fishing — catch and release only on Steelhead — I’ve heard some people say it’s only a one per cent mortality,” Simpson said.

“I’ve heard other people say that it’s a lot and I know First Nations, who we engage on steelhead, don’t like that there’s any catch and release,” Simpson said.

But whether the impact is small or large, Simpson said that might not matter.

“Given that the numbers are so low, even if it is one per cent mortality, I think a lot of people would say it makes sense to have a sport fishing ban,” he said.

Wednesday 6 June 2018

BCWF: Sign the Petition

If you haven't already signed the BCWF petition to protect BC habitat and wildlife, please consider doing so.

http://bcwf.net/…/2017-political-election…/sign-the-petition


British Columbia (BC) is home to more than half of all fish and wildlife…