Posts tagged 'BC'
RSS FeedBC HUNTING SYNOPSIS
The new 2016-2018 Hunting & Trapping Regulations Synopsis will be effective from July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2018. Below are the Hunting and Trapping Synopsis for each area in BC.
Region 1, Vancouver Island: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/sports-recreation-arts-and-culture/outdoor-recreation/fishing-and-hunting/hunting/regulations/2016-2018/hunting-trapping-synopsis-2016-2018-region1.pdf
Region 2, Lower Mainland: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/sports-recreation-arts-and-culture/outdoor-recreation/fishing-and-hunting/hunting/regulations/2016-2018/hunting-trapping-synopsis-2016-2018-region2.pdf
Region 3, Thompson-Nicola: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/sports-recreation-arts-and-culture/outdoor-recreation/fishing-and-hunting/hunting/regulations/2016-2018/hunting-trapping-synopsis-2016-2018-region3.pdf
Region 4, Kootenays: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/sports-recreation-arts-and-culture/outdoor-recreation/fishing-and-hunting/hunting/regulations/2016-2018/hunting-trapping-synopsis-2016-2018-region4.pdf
Happy Hunting! Make sure you take some awesome pictures, and share them with us!
ABOUT CHIPMUNKS
DESCRIPTION
Chipmunks are mammals. They are a small member of the squirrel family. Chipmunks have a white belly and dark stripes plus a few white ones that run down their back [1]. They range from 4 to 7 inches in length and weigh as little as 1 to 5 ounces [2].
REGION
According to National Geographic, there are 25 species of Chipmunks. Only one of those species, called the Siberian Chipmunk, lives outside of North America [3]. Chipmunks make their nests in logs or bushes or in underground tunnels. They can be found almost anywhere where there are trees and brush.
DIET
Chipmunks are Omnivores. They eat anything from plants, seeds, and berries to insects, frogs, and bird eggs. Chipmunks store a large supply of food for the Winter. They generally start collecting their food at the beginning of the Autumn [4]. In a single day, a Chipmunk can collect up to 165 acorns!
LIFE CYCLE
The average lifespan for a Chipmunk in the wild is 2 to 3 years [5]. The gestation period of a Chipmunk is around 30 days after which a litter of 2 to 8 babies are born. Baby Chipmunks are hairless and blind and are about the size of a jelly bean. A female Chipmunk will have 1 or 2 litters per year.
HABITS
Chipmunks are not social animals. They are the most active during dusk and dawn. Chipmunks play an important role in the ecosystem. As they gather and transport seeds and nuts, they help with the establishment of seedlings and a variety of other plants [6].
SOURCES
- http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/kids/animal-facts...
- http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mamm...
- http://www.livescience.com/51139-chipmunks.html
- http://www.wildlifeanimalcontrol.com/chipmunkfood....
- http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mamm...
- http://www.wildlifeanimalcontrol.com/chipmunkfood....
ABOUT MOOSE
DESCRIPTION
Moose are the largest species of ungulates. They have short tails, a shoulder hump, and large ears. They can weigh anywhere from 600 to 1,400 pounds [1]. Moose hair is hollow to help insulate them from the cold [2]. Males have very large antlers that are shed each winter. An antler can weigh up to 75 pounds!
REGION
Moose are native to northern North America and can be found in almost all of Canada and most of Alaska. During the warmer months, Moose can be found near lakes and marshes; however, in the colder months they are generally found in more forested areas.
FOOD
Moose are Herbivores. Moose eat large amounts of Catkins and other tall grasses that live in the water. They also eat more woody plants such as Willow bushes. A Moose needs to eat about 50 - 60 pounds of food per day in order to maintain their size. Their stomach can hold up to 112 pounds of food at one time [3].
LIFE CYCLE
The average lifespan of a Moose in the wild is 15 to 20 years [4]. Moose breed in the Fall and have a gestation period of around 231 days [5]. Generally only one calf is born, weighing around 35.7 pounds. The calves nurse for six months, and are considered fully grown between the age of 4 to 6.
HABITS
Moose are the most active during sunset and sunrise. They are solitary animals and do not travel in herds. Moose are also very good swimmers. They can even stay underwater for up to 30 seconds at a time [6]!
SOURCES
ABOUT BIGHORN SHEEP
Bighorn Sheep are ungulates. They are currently not endangered, with an estimated population of around 15,500 sheep in Canada and more than 42,000 in the USA [1].
DESCRIPTION
Bighorn Sheep have light brown to grayish or dark brown fur. They also have a white rump and a white stripe that runs down the back of all four legs. The males have large, curved horns that can weigh up to 30 lbs [2]! The females also have horns, however, these are much smaller.
REGION
The Canadian Rockies are home to Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep. They can be found in grassy mountain slopes, alpine meadows, or foothill areas near rocky cliffs and bluffs [3].
FOOD
Bighorn Sheep are ruminants, meaning that they chew the cud regurgitated from its rumen. During the Summer, they eat grasses; in the Winter, when grass is difficult to find, their diet consists of more woody plants such as sage and willow. Because Bighorn Sheep are ruminants, they are able to rapidly eat large portions of food before retreating to cliffs or ledges where they can rechew and digest their food [4].
LIFE CYCLE
The average lifespan of a Bighorn Sheep is 6 to 15 years [5]. Breeding occurs in the Fall, and lambs are born in the Spring. The gestation period is around 175 days [6]. Lambs can walk within hours after birth. They continue to nurse up to 6 months.
HABITS
Male Bighorn Sheep use their horns to compete for ewes in butting contests. During a butting contest, males can charge each other with speeds of more than 20 mph. Their battles may last as long as 24 hours [7]! During most of the year the females and young live in herds of about 10 sheep. The males live in bachelor herds. Once mating season arrives, herds gather together and form groups as large as 100 sheep.
SOURCES
- http://www.livescience.com/27724-rams.html
- http://www.defenders.org/bighorn-sheep/basic-facts
- http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/magazine/nd02/fac...
- http://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Wildlife-Library/Mamma...
- http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mamm...
- http://www.ultimateungulate.com/Artiodactyla/Ovis_...
- http://www.defenders.org/bighorn-sheep/basic-facts
About Striped Skunks
Striped Skunks are currently considered to be on the “Least Concern” section of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species [1]. However, proper conservation is important, regardless of the species’ endangerment state.
DESCRIPTION
Striped Skunks have thick, black fur with a white stripe that runs down from their neck and splits into two stripes (running down each side of the Skunk) just past the Skunk’s shoulders. Striped Skunks also have a thin, white stripe that runs along the top of their forehead down to the tip of their snout. They have strong, straight front paws that help the Skunk rip apart trees and shrubs in their search for food and helps it dig a den for shelter. On average a grown Striped Skunk weighs around 3.25 kg (7.17 lb.) [2].
REGION
Striped Skunk are native to North America, and can be found up North (Northwest Territories and Nunavut) all the way down to Central Mexico. The Striped Skunk generally prefers to live in open areas with a mix of habitat like forest and grasslands [3]. In general Striped Skunks are found at elevations from sea level to 1,800 meters, but have been documented as high as 4,200 meters [4].
FOOD
Striped Skunks are omnivores, and will eat anything from fruit and plants to eggs, small mammals, insects, reptiles, and even fish [5].
LIFE CYCLE
Skunks typically mate in early spring. They do not mate for life, and so one male will mate with more than one female. Generally there are between two and ten young born per litter. When they are born, skunk kits are blind and deaf. After just one week, they can begin to use their stink glands for defense [6]. On average a Striped Skunk will live up to three years in the wild [2].
HABITS
Striped Skunks are nocturnal. They are timid, non-aggressive animals that will not spray unless they have been provoked [7].
SOURCES
- http://tracker.cci.fsu.edu/skunk/about/what/
- http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/kids/animal-facts...
- http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/stripedskunk.htm
- http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Mephitis_mep...
- http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mamm...
- http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Skunk
- http://tracker.cci.fsu.edu/skunk/about/who/
About Obtaining a Hunting License
There are a few steps you need to take before you can go out and legally harvest an animal. These regulations are in place for the preservation of the animals and for the safety of hunters and civilians. Below are some of the steps:
- The very first step every hunter needs to take, is to pass the CORE (Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Education) exam. You can choose to take a course or study on your own and challenge the exam. The CORE exam has both a practical and a theory component and you need to pass both before you can hunt.
- The next step is to get your Hunter Number card. You will need this number in order to purchase any Hunting and Species licences. Once you have passed the CORE exam, you simply take your proof of residence and your CORE exam results to the nearest Service BC center and they’ll take it from there.
- Once you receive you Hunter Number card in the mail, you can go and purchase an animal tag (Mountain Man sells tags).
- All of this assumes that you have access to a firearm. If you do not, you will first (after passing the CORE exam) need to acquire your Firearms Acquisition Certificate.
The whole process of getting licenced takes quite a while. So if you plan to hunt the coming season, we recommend starting the procedure of getting your licence six months before hunting season opens. It’d be a pity to miss the season by not starting early enough, so give yourself lots of time.
If you have any questions about the process, you can come into (or call) Mountain Man Outdoors, contact the BC Wildlife Federation (email: wildlife@BCWF.bc.ca; phone: 1-888-881-2293) or visit the BC Government website: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/wildlife/hunting/resident/#Intro. .
Purchase your Fresh Water Fishing License
Purchasing a Freshwater Fishing Licence is important. It’s important because it allows BC to keep track of the number of fishers in our Province. This helps them to calculate the number of fish being harvested, which helps BC guard the preservation of our fish. You can purchase your BC fishing licence at a store (Mountain Man Outdoors carries fishing licences) or online at the following link: http://www.fishing.gov.bc.ca/.
To buy a licence online...
- A computer connected to the internet.
- A printer to print your licence.
- A valid credit card number.
- And an angler number (you can also get this online [same link or web page]).
It’s very simple, so please do your part in preserving our fish.
When out and fishing, do make pictures and share them with us!
BC Fishing Synopsis
Fishing is a great thing to do by yourself or with some friends and family. You get to be out in the middle of a beautiful lake or river; watching the little critters and occasionally some big ones too (watch out for bears during the salmon run especially); and hopefully catching a fish or two. There is great pleasure in bringing home a fish for dinner, but also in just catching one and then letting it loose again. Due to the current climate and world events, not every lake and river is fishable anymore. This is to preserve our fish and natural resources. So please be respectful of our Provincial regulations and check the Synopsis before you go out to see if that fishing hole is actually fishable. Below are the Fishing Synopsis for each area in BC.
Region 1, Vancouver Island: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/fish/regulations/docs/...
Region 2, Lower Mainland: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/fish/regulations/docs/...
Region 3, Thompson-Nicola: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/fish/regulations/docs/...
Region 4, Kootenay: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/fish/regulations/docs/...
Region 5, Cariboo: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/fish/regulations/docs/...
Region 6, Skeena: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/fish/regulations/docs/...
Region 7A, Omineca: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/fish/regulations/docs/...
Region 7B, Peace: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/fish/regulations/docs/...
Region 8, Okanagan: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/fish/regulations/docs/...
Provincial Regulations: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/fish/regulations/docs/...
When you fish, make some pictures and share them with us!
BC Hunting Synopsis
Hunting is a great sport to do with pals or family. Whether you do it to provide meat for your family, your trophy room or simply for fun it is a great way to enjoy the outdoors. It is important, however to follow all the rules and regulations. It’s important for your safety, the safety of the animals and fellow hunters, as well as the preservation of our wildlife. Before you go out hunting, please always check the synopsis and see if there are any new regulations for your hunting area. Below are the Hunting and Trapping Synopsis for each area in BC.
Region 1, Vancouver Island: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/wildlife/hunting/regul...
Region 2, Lower Mainland: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/wildlife/hunting/regul...
Region 3, Thompson: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/wildlife/hunting/regul...
Region 4, Kootenays: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/wildlife/hunting/regul...
Region 5, Cariboo: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/wildlife/hunting/regul...
Region 6, Skeena: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/wildlife/hunting/regul...
Region 7A, Omenica: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/wildlife/hunting/regul...
Region 7B, Peace: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/wildlife/hunting/regul...
Region 8, Okanagan: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/wildlife/hunting/regul...
Trapping Regulations: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/wildlife/hunting/regul...
Provincial Regulations: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/wildlife/hunting/regul...
Happy Hunting! Make sure you take some awesome pictures, and share them with us!
