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Thoughts

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The Parliament – Ottawa City – Canada
1: A ‘no ban’ plan   It may seem counterproductive to the government’s agenda but banning firearms by model or type has been the means, not the stated end goal of these policies. It is supposed to be for public safety. Bans aren’t a prerequisite for enhanced public safety, and a ‘no ban plan’ was
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Car with black plastic rooftop cargo box or roof carrier for traveling. Removable storage container mounted on car roof rack
BrokerLink Insurance has been a proud partner of the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters for over 20 years. As an OFAH member, you qualify for preferred rates on your home and auto insurance. Our expert insurance advisors offer outstanding service and options to meet all your insurance needs   Planning on installing a roof
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Premier Doug Ford and his entire pre-election cabinet  — at least those who ran —  are returning to Queen’s Park, but that doesn’t mean we won’t see some changes in the look and feel of his executive council.   Elections create an opportunity for change, even when the incumbent political party is re-elected. A post-election
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Girl Fishing, Hooked for Life Kids Fishing Clinic & Derby (3) – A. Miehls, GLFC w PERMISSION Kollien
OFAH staff are in Ottawa today (May 30, 2022) for Great Lakes Day. In-person events on Parliament Hill have been all but non-existent throughout the pandemic, so this represents one of the first opportunities to return and engage Parliamentarians on key issues. While that might sound boring to some, these types of events are needed
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Flying Geese (DT- Alexey Stiop)
It is safe to say that we are all pretty fatigued by the topic of disease. In addition to human impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, new and ongoing research has shown that multiple mammal species can become infected with the virus and spread it, including white-tailed deer. Beyond COVID-19, in the fall of 2021 we
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Although recreational boaters and anglers are some of Ontario’s greatest conservation advocates, our activities are not without impact, and the movement of watercraft, in particular, has been a major contributor to one of the province’s greatest ecological threats: the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS).   HEARTY HITCHHIKERS   AIS can be resourceful little critters.
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After 46 weeks in the game, we need to acknowledge something special about Catch the Ace. Tickets sales are motivated from the stories of our winners, not just the promotion of the pot.   Yana Z. for example buys her OFAH tickets every week but only after she takes time to read the profile of
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Field hunting
Just before midnight on January 19, 2022, Council for the Town of Grimsby repealed their recently revised discharge of firearms by-law, reverting to an older version (by-law No. 20-62) which now prohibits the discharge of all firearms, including bows within their boundaries (also includes paintball, airgun and slingshots).   For decades, the OFAH has led
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Cozy winter night
BrokerLink Insurance has been a proud partner of the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters for over 20 years. As an OFAH member, you qualify for preferred rates on your home and auto insurance. Our expert insurance advisors offer outstanding service and options to meet all your insurance needs.     Many individuals will receive
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White Tailed Deer Bucks (DT-Michael Shake)
Update: two new studies published in February 2022 provided additional insight into the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in deer and the potential risk to hunters. As part of our commitment to keeping our members informed on this evolving issue, we have updated this article to reflect this new information.    The Ministry of Northern Development, Mines,
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The following is an English transcript of the Radio-Canada interview with former OFAH student grant winner Christian Therrien, which was featured on the December 21, 2021 edition of Apres-Midi dans le Nord. The interview was titled “a bursary to study trout in Northern Ontario”.   This is a literal translation. Some nuances will be lost
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The sport of archery does not care about your age, size, or athletic ability. It truly is what many would call a “universal sport”.   Educators are always looking for new ways to enrich the lives of their students and it can often be a significant challenge for schools to find activities that every student
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Fishing on a lake at sunset. Fishing rod with a reel in hand.
While COVID-19 may have put in-person TackleShare fishing events on hold, the program has gone full steam ahead with virtual fishing instruction.   TackleShare is reaching out to anglers young and old, new and experienced, to virtually “Fish Along with TackleShare” at their leisure. Anglers can join three ways: watch and learn from online fishing videos;
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Attention elementary teachers across Ontario – our new Conservation Crates are officially ready to borrow! Thanks to funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation Resilient Communities Fund grant, we’ve assembled a total of 20 brand new crates, filled with hands-on resources and curriculum-linked lesson plans. They are free to borrow through the OFAH|Mario Cortelluci Hunting and
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There are more than 1.4 million anglers in Ontario and 60 to 80% of them use baitfish; however, overcoming ecological risks associated with baitfish is inherently challenging. Unwanted introductions via the baitfish pathway of invasive and non-native species, pathogens and diseases, threaten our fisheries.   So how can we protect our fisheries while maintaining the long-standing ability to use baitfish?   In 2022, Ontario’s Bait Management Strategy will be implemented, which will divide the province into four Bait Management
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Six tom turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) with tail fans spread out in fall.
The OFAH was a driving force in the reintroduction of wild turkey to Ontario in the 1980s and has advocated for expanding hunting opportunities ever since.   The reintroduction of wild turkey has been a huge success and proves how restoration efforts can have extremely positive outcomes for biodiversity and our hunting heritage. Ontario’s first
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The COVID-19 pandemic seriously impacted and even wiped out many field programs run by conservation agencies and non-government organizations like the OFAH.   That said, one positive outcome that arose from this upheaval has been a re-evaluation of our internships, which were originally created to provide early career opportunities for young conservationists coming out of
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Orange is often the first colour that comes to mind when people think of hunting. But there’s another colour just as important to many hunters, though for very different reasons.   It’s yellow. No, really, it’s yellow.   Let me explain.   You see, there is a map that is published twice a year –
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For me, my grouse gun has always been a hinge action Remington 28-gauge or Cooey .410. My go-to turkey gun has always been a pump-action Remington 870 Express 12-gauge. In recent years, I use a semi-automatic Browning Gold Hunter 12-gauge decked out in marsh camo for waterfowl. The gun I take to the deer woods
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The Parliament – Ottawa City – Canada
The OFAH released a report this week titled: What Firearms Are Reasonable and Proportionate for Hunting in Canada. This wasn’t something that came out of the blue, and it certainly didn’t come together overnight. It was 15 months in the making, but it has been needed for decades. Recently, I swore three affidavits that were
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The restoration of Lake Ontario’s native Atlantic Salmon, described as a cornerstone of the province’s biodiversity strategy, will be supported for another five years through an agreement with Ontario Power Generation (OPG) as the lead program sponsor. The Lake Ontario Atlantic Salmon Restoration Program was formed in 2006. LCBO and Banrock Station Wines initially sponsored
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Extreme weather events and the impact on your insurance   BrokerLink Insurance has been a proud partner of the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters for over 20 years. As an OFAH member, you qualify for preferred rates on your home and auto insurance. Our expert insurance advisors offer outstanding service and options to meet
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Parliament Of Canada In The Canadian Capital City Of Ottawa Onta
Conventional wisdom may say it’s taboo to talk about politics, but it has such an influence on fishing and hunting that, for us, it’s hard to ignore ahead of the September 20, 2021 federal election. A lot has changed around us since the last election, but our priorities for fishing, hunting, and broader conservation remain
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White-tailed deer buck in rut in the forest
In late June, the Ontario government announced a cabinet shuffle that resulted in profound changes for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. Out went incumbent minister John Yakabuski and in came Greg Rickford, MPP for Kenora Rainy-River. But it wasn’t a straight swap. While Minister Yakabuski had a singular portfolio with a sole focus
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Outside of pandemic years, the OFAH staff grows significantly every summer, often with more than two dozen students, interns, or seasonal staff hired for our programs like the Invading Species Awareness Program (ISAP), Tackleshare, Get Outdoors summer camps, and the OFAH|Mario Cortelucci Hunting and Fishing Heritage Centre.   ISAP actually hires many students hosted by
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What do salmon eggs look like as they develop into fry? What is the largest fish in the world? What happens to water when it enters a storm drain? How could climate change affect fish? Whether you’re five or 55, you’ll want to know the answers to these questions. We’ve provided that and in our
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Moose walking through the river in the fall
On June 15th, 2021, the second chance allocation stage for moose opened. We’re seeing plenty of questions from hunters across the province about the process and how it works, so below we’ve laid out what you need to know about how to navigate this stage of the new moose tag process.   WHAT ARE THE
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Many of us fish the Great Lakes and tributaries and enjoy the many other benefits like drinking water, beaches, and other recreation. The Great Lakes are incredibly unique and so vast that it is easy to take for granted what it takes to protect them and sustain the many environmental, economic, health, and social benefits
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A beautiful landscape of the nature
May 22nd is the International Day for Biodiversity and this year also kicks off May long weekend; a time when Turkey hunters are wrapping up their spring season, spring bear hunters are in the thick of it, and many anglers are planning fishing trips. This year’s biodiversity day theme is “we’re part of the solution” and during a weekend when many of us
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A lone large Black Bear
May 1st marked the full return of the spring bear hunt in Ontario. While the immediate benefits to bear management, bear hunters and northern businesses and communities are obvious, there is a much bigger picture to consider behind the saga of Ontario’s spring bear hunt. At its core, this is about what drives wildlife management decisions in Ontario.  The rebound of wildlife populations across North America from
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Count sleeps, don’t lose them! Let’s count down the sleeps until turkey, trout and bear openers instead of losing sleeps over the stress and worry about a spring without these traditions. The OFAH understands. You’ve had every right to be agitated and anxious. We have some good news. A year ago, the Covid-19 closure question was looming
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Nothing gets OFAH members more fired up than government restrictions on firearms. And there sure isn’t any shortage of firearms restrictions these days. The OFAH has been involved in firearms issues for decades, working on behalf of our members and supporters. We helped lead the charge against the wasteful long-gun registry and our staff, local
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Many people, even long-time members, don’t realize how large the OFAH is. One of the 100 largest employers in Peterborough, we have 50-60 full-time staff covering everything from membership to producing Ontario OUT of DOORS magazine to our great group of fish and wildlife professionals. During the summer, we’ll often add 30-40 summer students with
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The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry’s announcement to allow for the full spectrum of falconry activities to be practiced in the province is met with utter relief, joy, appreciation, and gratitude. The decision is the result of nearly four decades of collaborative effort by the OFAH and the Ontario Hawking Club (OHC) working
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municipal-handgun
The introduction of Bill C-21, An Act to amend certain Acts and to make certain consequential amendments (firearms), in the House of Commons on February 16 included a provision that would allow municipalities to establish handgun bylaws. The creation of a mechanism for municipal handgun ban doesn’t come as a surprise, as the federal government
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budgettalk

During government budget season we’ve been talking to politicians about ongoing policy priorities, and how the OFAH, fishing and hunting can play into responding and recovering from the pandemic.

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In mid-December, Ontario’s Protect, Support and Recover from COVID-19 Act (Budget Measures) (Bill 229) received Royal Assent without any major amendments to Schedules 6, 8, and 40. You probably saw the headlines about changes to the Conservation Authorities Act (CAA), but there were also changes to the Crown Forest Sustainability Act (CFSA), and the Provincial
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Fishing, hunting, and forestry continue to be mired by public perception based on historical actions and modern misinformation campaigns aiming to keep us there. It isn’t fair, but it’s a reality we face every day. We don’t want to be responsible for the sins of our forefathers. What people don’t like about our activities often
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Moose walking through the river in the fall
The government’s connection to northerners, conservation-leaders and hunting license-fee contributors appears to be dropping lower than the odds of drawing a moose tag. Faster than you can say “tag cuts,” the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) will lose another few thousand customers. Meanwhile, northerners will continue to wait for government to fully address
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Thoughts - OFAH Insider