Alberta Fish & Game Association. President s Report

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1 Alberta Fish & Game Association News from ALBERTA Chris Pawluk Flickr WANTED: DIsplAys For CoNFErENCE/MEET & GrEET ThEME Conference is all about the exchange and sharing of information and connecting with the membership and others. To promote those objectives the conference committee invites Zone and club attendees to bring along displays related to programs and projects either from past years or those currently underway. Many are interested in what others are doing towards conservation, promoting member involvement and membership, ladies and youth programs, fishing and shooting/archery events, etc. Bring examples of your hands-on items and instructions too (i.e., bird and bat houses, feeders, etc.). Sharing helps prevent having to re-invent the wheel and to get things rolling sooner than later. Let us know, in advance, if you need additional tables or electrical power for a display. Again, the Thursday Meet & Greet night has been themed as a Luau Party and competitive events are being incorporated. All Zones will need a team of 4 persons, as will the Life Members, Companion and Youth programs. Get your Luau On and dress for fun by wearing your tropical best sunglasses, shorts, flip flops, grass skirts, coconut bras and so on. Be creative! Donations are still being gratefully accepted towards conference. Help make this conference a great success. If you, someone you know, an organization or business would like to sponsor or contribute to this wild affair, see the registration package for more details or you can contact me and/or the AFGA head office at office@afga.org. As an aside, suggested apparel for the Saturday night President s dinner is semiformal/formal wear. Any questions, don t hesitate to contact me or the office. See you at conference! Deb Clarke Zone 2 Director & 2019 Conference Chair - deb.clarke@telus.net M o v i n g? Please send your change of address to : Street, Edmonton, Ab T5V 0A2 *Please note that $15 of your annual membership dues are allocated to Outdoor Canada West Magazine Ph: (780) Fax: (780) membership1@afga.org Inside: 2 President s Report 3 Executive Vice-President s Report 4-5 1st Vice-President s Report 5 2nd Vice-President s Report 6 Hunting Chair Report 7-8 Fishing Chair Report 8 Youth Chair Report 9 Club Events 10 Zone 1 Report 10 Zone 3 Report 12 Zone 2 Report 13 Zone 5 Report Pigeon Lake Property Fencing

2 I know ITs prime hunting season now and I hope everyone s enjoying their time afield. I can only report on this past summer as deadline day is early September for this article. It s been an unbelievably busy spring and summer. Many meetings included the government fishery management 3rd party review committee as such. We met in May and July and are scheduled for late Sept. as well. I ll leave this up to Darryl to fill you in, but my jury s still out on how this may go? Wildlife management and allocation policy continues to take a lot of time. Jim will have some updates in his article. July was a busy time at Narrow Lake as both youth camps and both of the Becoming an Outdoors Woman Alberta Fish & Game Association President s Report DouG butler president camps went over great. We met with Parks people in July in Lethbridge over the Castle area and our letter to them earlier seemed to catch some attention. We ll continue to stay on top of that. We also released a press release on the Minister s announcement on hunting changes in August and that made its rounds as well. We held our summer executive meeting in Ponoka in August and this was a full weekend of agenda items. Along with all the fishing, hunting, trapping and environment issues, we discussed many other programs and spent some time on in-house projects such as our membership, new office decor, raffles, website, and the list goes on. We also ran a series of video clips with Let s Go Outdoors and these can be viewed on our web or Facebook page. Hope you all get a chance to see them. Our membership is strong, and I d like to thank you all for joining; and also, all the clubs (and especially membership chairs) for submitting the membership lists to head office in a timely fashion. Remember the earlier you get them in, the sooner each membership starts insurance, magazine subscription, and many other benefits. Our annual conference and AGM are also fast approaching, and I hope each club sends delegates to guide us through another year. Register soon, not only is it very important, but can be lots of fun. It s in Calgary this year so I m sure Zone 2 will entertain us a great deal. It s vital we get all involved. I was at a Hunters Nite in Sherwood Park this week. I remember when this Nite used to have over 100 members show up, several booths, and speakers from Fish & Wildlife including Conservation officers and the list goes on. This year the head of Wildlife spoke to about 30 people! Not sure what everybody does, but I know when they lose something they ll wonder why! We re trying to put as many headlines on our list and web page as we can. I also attend many club and zone meetings so give me a shout if you d like me to show up. We are doing everything we can to keep this organization front and centre. I have a moose meeting later this month and then head to Ottawa for the Canadian Wildlife Federation director s meetings. Hopefully I can do some hunting in November as well. Early reports say the migratory hunters did well on opening, and I ve heard of some bruiser elk and mule deer taken already by archers. So until next time, straight shooting and tight lines. Doug Butler dougbutler@live.com (780) AlbertA Fish & GAme AssociAtion NOvember/December 2018

3 Alberta Fish & Game Association Executive Vice-President s Report MArTIN sharren ExECuTIvE vice-president senior DIsCouNT I feel a bit like I was thrown a bone! And a bit surprised that they think I cannot afford a hunting license, which is the cheapest part of going to hunt! I spend thousands donating time and energy to outdoor pursuits including hunting, and the contribution from Gov t is to ignore giving any help for fish and habitat projects if it is not in a Park.!!! AFGA should have been given some notification that this was being considered. Too much of this going on nowadays. K.W. This is a direct quote from a longtime AFGA member and expresses a sentiment that I have received from many others after AEP Minister Shannon Phillips announced a reduction in some licences for seniors with no type of public input. This was never brought up at the Alberta Game Policy Advisory Committee made up of conservation groups such as the AFGA that was formed to provide policy recommendations to the Fish and Wildlife Department. In fact, the way this decision was made as explained by Minister Phillips in a news conference held on August 01, 2018 in Lethbridge was that a single constituent approached her at a community function and suggested that she implement a seniors discount. Thinking it a good idea it is now in place. One individual! That s it, as opposed to input from all stakeholders! How many other decisions have been or are made in this manner? The Minister also stated that the discount would be low cost to government which may be the case, however short-sighted it is because the reduction in revenue will affect conservation projects which are funded by licence fees. As for discounting licences, as our member above says, it is a moot point because the cost of a licence is the least expensive item when it comes to hunting. Gas, travel, accommodation, processing, etc. costs are far more expensive. bison break out! From the I TOLD YOU SO department: two of the free-roaming bison transplanted to Banff National Park did just that with one having to be killed because, as a Park Official stated: Our options for capturing this bull were compromised by various factors, including the speed at which the bison was moving eastward, the availability of resources such as staff and helicopters. Wildfires burning in the immediate area and throughout Western Canada left little availability for helicopters and smoke reduced visibility and made telemetry more difficult, A second bull headed due east and was captured with help from a skilled contract team from Bighorn Helicopters it all went well and the large bull was successfully immobilized and flown to a horse trailer, which allowed us to transport it to a bison paddock in Waterton Lakes National Park Also, a third bull has been discovered skirting the boundary area as in moving in and out of it every few days. Apparently, the Parks people are concerned that the rest of the herd of 33 animals would follow the bulls or even strike out on their own which apparently they are slowly doing which has required the introduction of a hazing program to shoo them back to where they re intended to be. In addition to this the province has designated the Upper Red Deer River Special Bison Area in order to protect the bison from being shot once they ve escaped but has more work to do on their legal status. When you think all the money that s going into this project, just the capture and helicopter flight alone, could be better used to conserve critical habitat, help animal populations that really need it makes you shake your head. Msl raffle DrAW The draw for the Special Permits was held at the AFGA office on August 3 for antlered mule deer, antlered elk and rocky mountain bighorn sheep with all but the mule deer tickets having sold out. The sheep raffle tickets were increased by 3,000 from the previous year to 12,500. Many thanks to all those who supported this worthy program to fund on-the-ground projects. The raffle winners are available on our website. We are currently waiting for AEP to give the status of next year s permits. AlbertA Fish & GAme AssociAtion NOvember/December

4 Alberta Fish & Game Association 1st Vice-President s Report Trail ride 2018 was a total success. We ended up with 20 riders, it was more difficult having to use a pack horse to haul all your gear in, but most have said they loved the experience and are wanting to go again next year. Hopefully because of the experience we all will be better prepared for next year! Between organizing the ride, finding pack equipment for hunting buddies all over southern Alberta, because many did not have any equipment, picking up all the groceries, it took up most of my month of June but the end result was great! Saturday we placed two large roasts & veggies in a pit to cook for the day which turned out fantastic! On Sunday we all packed up and because of the numbers, people started to leave. Myself and a few others were the last to go. With the long days of riding and the cool nights most were a little stiff and sore including me. End result I went to get on my horse saddle slipped and I crashed onto a log breaking my ribs. It s been a long painful month and a feeling of total uselessness. But we are on the mend. I have attached a picture of those who attended the ride. As many of you know I have been inbrian DINGrEvIllE 1sT vice-president AT ThIs TIME as the days get shorter and the nights start to cool I am looking forward to this year s hunting season. This year I have been lucky enough to get two draws which I am really excited about. First is antelope and I was also lucky enough to pull a mule deer buck. However, I just found out I will only be able to hunt for a couple of days because I will be in Ottawa during part of the time. Hopefully this will be my year for a big one! Back in June myself and a number of the AFGA executive attended a meeting in Edmonton with AEP to go over a number of items which I am sure Doug, Darryl & Jim will fill you in with their reports. In the later part of June I attended a meeting with AEP regarding trails that are being considered to be open for hiking & trail riding. What I found interesting was most trails I frequent were not even considered or for the better part not even known of! In July I attended a meeting with Ian & Wayne with AEP regarding game retrieval in the Castle Wilderness & Provincial Park. I was to attend a second meeting approximately two weeks later with the Hillcrest Fish and Game club but because of health reasons I wasn t able to attend. In speaking with the Hillcrest club the conversation was exactly as per the meeting prior that I attended. They have said there will be another meeting prior to hunting season but as of this time nothing has been decide (my take on the entire thinking is total stupidity), Alberta parks are stating they will allow quad access on specific trails, which they have not yet determined. These trails were previously drivable by most vehicles but now you are going to be allowed to drive to one point then you can only proceed by OHV on that specific road/trail to a point on that road/trail yet to be determined. Now in all my years of hunting I have never been so lucky as to harvest my animal on any roadway where I could drive up to the animal and put it in my vehicle which AEP is saying will become trails for OHV access. So the end result is you are going to have to pack! If you were to hunt the South Castle you will only be able to access the road to the Grizzly Lake turn off but no OHV are allowed! End result, areas such as Scarp, Jutland, Faunt, or anywhere past there you best take in your frying pan and eat it there! 4 AlbertA Fish & GAme AssociAtion NOvember/December 2018

5 Alberta Fish & Game Association 2nd Vice-President s Report volved with the AFGA Facebook page for approximately 6 months. I would like to suggest to you to contact your clubs and have someone who is willing to share info from your club or zone, contact me so as I can friend them, then I can gain any information to share on the AFGA page. I spend between 1 and 2 hours a day pulling info from many clubs and organizations all over Canada and North America. The page is growing with approximately 10 to 20 people liking the page per week minimum! The Canadian Wildlife Federation has accepted my application and I have been booked into the October conference to be held in Ottawa. They have told me to be in Ottawa on October 25 for an orientation meeting prior to the conference. Andrea and I are looking forward to attending. I will be sure to have a full report to you in the next edition of the Outdoor Canada West. Hopefully everyone got in their resolutions for this year s conference! Near the end of August I attended the AFGA meeting held at the Ponoka Fish and Game club house and camp. I want to thank firstly Kevin Wingert for setting things up & secondly the Ponoka club for allowing us to use their wonderful facility, everyone fully enjoyed it there. On Saturday for supper we had moose burgers which Andrea spent most of the previous Saturday mixing, spicing, and forming them. Then she went out and picked up buns, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, mustard, ketchup and relish; they were delicious! Hopefully you had a very successful hunting season this year! Remember most clubs put on their wildlife suppers the first part of the New Year and if you have anything to donate I am sure they would fully appreciate anything you can offer from meat to prizes to helping out! Brian Dingreville 1st Vice President IAN stuart 2ND vice-president preparing For WINTEr, fall harvest and AFGA are all keeping me busy as this is written, and I hope to add the harvest of wild protein to the list by the time this reaches you. My AFGA activities since the last report included meetings and correspondence with Environment and Parks Staff and your AFGA executive, local habitat projects, and I did manage to get in a bit of time in the mountains and again had the pleasure of taking a kid fishing. Prior to the recent excursion of bison from Banff Park, several of your executive participated in a Banff Bison Re-introduction Update conference call with Parks Canada. My impression then was that Parks Canada hoped their excursion response plan would not be needed, and that coordination with the Province was ill defined, which proved to be the case, as when two bison bulls wandered off shortly after the fences were removed. A few days after the excursion, Alberta Environment and Parks advised that the Upper Red Deer River has been declared a Special Bison Area. Prior to that announcement we had drafted a letter calling for protection for wandering bison to be achieved by classifying them as a game animal which we will follow up on when the panic subsides. Barring the (unlikely in my opinion!) event that Parks Canada recognizes the folly of trying to have a free roaming herd of a nomadic animal stay in the National Park and cancels the re-introduction program, the herd will grow, a management of bison numbers outside the park will be needed, and hunting is the obvious solution. Wayne, Brian and I met with Castle Parks management regarding game harvest retrieval as a resulted of a letter Doug sent on behalf of the AFGA. While there is minimal concession on motorized access, we can take some satisfaction that hunting is currently allowed within the Castle Wildland and parts of the Provincial Park. Without the efforts of AFGA and other consumptive conservationists, I think it highly likely that all hunting would have been eliminated also, so thank you to Wayne, Brian and others who managed to maintain that. But we will need to remain vigilant, as calls for the elimination of hunting and further expansion of parks will undoubtedly continue. At our recent Executive Meeting held at Ponoka Fish and Game s excellent facility at camp Pofianga, I noticed a sign that read Before you complain, have you volunteered yet? Excellent advice for many situations, which got me thinking the parallel with Executive positions. At all levels, your AFGA relies on volunteers, and this is no less so with Executive positions all levels. Please consider letting your name stand for election at upcoming club and zone meetings and the upcoming AFGA conference. One does need to be prepared to not be elected, all positions do take some commitment, and no one should have any illusions that if elected they either be able to please everyone in a diverse group such as an AFGA club or our organization or have everything their way. But by focusing on the 80% of things we agree on, one does have the satisfaction of knowing that you are contributing to the future of balanced conservation. There will be some turnover in the provincial AFGA executive at our next conference dictated by our bylaws, and possibly some current members needing a break. It is critical for your AFGA that we have a full slate of quality candidates, so please consider contacting Past President Wayne Lowry who heads up the nomination committee if you have suggestions for nominees. Yours in support of the wise use of the Earth s resources. Ian Stuart, 2nd Vice President AlbertA Fish & GAme AssociAtion NOvember/December

6 Alberta Fish & Game Association Hunting Chair Report hunting season Is here! By now bird season is well under way and a lot of the early seasons for big game are too. Antelope and the general rifle season is just around the corner. Try to take a new to hunting friend or youth with you on at least one of your excursions. This goes a long ways to keeping our past-time around for the future through both education and exposure. Show someone that it is not just about the harvest...but rather the whole experience of enjoying nature and the camaraderie of being with friends and family. Take a youth with you...they will remember it forever and possibly be the Fish and Game members of the future that maintain what we have all started. How about while you re out there, giving back a little bit. Remember to always leave the area you re in at least how you found it or even better by helping to pick up after someone else has littered. One of my favorite projects to give back is the Antelope Fencing program that TJ Schwanky looks after for us, the Alberta Fish and Game Association here in Alberta. By now the 3 separate JIM ClArkE hunting CoMMITTEE ChAIr planned events have finished up for the year but there is literally hundreds of miles of fences in South East Alberta that could use our help in making them both antelope friendly and overall wildlife friendly. The 3rd and last planned event this year which I helped with, along with some fellow club members; was at the old Federal Government One Four research station with about 8-10 miles of fences made passable for wildlife, this brings this year s total to close to 30 miles completed. This leaves many more miles to be completed in the years to come! It is a very easy project to participate in and anyone can do it with the immediate results very evident. Basically, the bottom barbed wire of fences is removed and replaced with a smooth wire at an 18-inch height to facilitate passage of antelope under the entire fence line; not just at established crossings. This is great for both predator avoidance and migration. Another great way of being involved is to help out with a club release of pheasants. The kids really love to go along and help with that! I attended an all executive meet- ing in late August. Many topics were discussed as your executive is working very hard for you to cover a lot of issues. For this meeting, several of us on the executive were asked to form a subcommittee with recommendations that were presented with suggestions to update our annual trophy competition. More will be coming on that as your entire executive is now tasked with giving feedback on the suggestions. We should have something by the end of the year on this. By now you have all heard about the announcement for a reduced Senior Hunting licence for whitetail deer and bird game. We are not sure of where this proposal actually came from and the fact that it was not discussed in any of the forums we attended on your behalf, it was a surprise to us too. You can make up your own mind on how this was enacted and for what reasons. In September, I will be attending an information sharing session along with Doug Butler on the status of moose populations and how they are being affected in other jurisdictions and how it may relate to populations here in Alberta. I will share information on that later. As well, AGPAC should be having another meeting soon so I should be updated on how the recommendations that we have been working on are progressing. Fall zone meetings are once again planned and I will try to be at as many as I can to listen to the concerns from the respective areas. As stated in a previous message, continue to check the My Wild Alberta site as AEP continues to use this site as their platform for informing the public! As well, have you signed up for our own alerts from the Alberta Fish and Game? It is very easy to do and keeps you aware of any pressing issues and news releases! Sign up today by visiting the AFGA home site. Good luck in your hunting and outdoors pursuits this fall! Thank you. Jim Clarke, Hunting Chair 6 AlbertA Fish & GAme AssociAtion NOvember/December 2018

7 Alberta Fish & Game Association Fishing Chair Report Third-ParTy review Of fisheries ManageMenT in alberta Or academic Peer review Of select science? on July 30, 2018, the second meeting of the government-selected advisory committee took place. The Alberta Fish and Game Association has two members on the committee, Doug Butler, President and Darryl Smith, Provincial Fish Chair. In addition, Kelsey Kure, an AFGA member was selected by the government based on experience with the forestry sector and local involvement with fisheries issues in the Red Deer West part of the province. The committee has been tasked with providing input on the third-party review, addressing habitat destruction, enhancing angler education, involving anglers through citizen science, addressing collaboration and stakeholder involvement shortfalls related to fisheries management in the province. This meeting s purpose was to introduce the third-party reviewers selected by the government and provide additional information on fisheries management in Alberta to broaden the understanding of committee members. This was a prequel for the major task which was for committee members to provide questions that the Government of Alberta who will consolidate and select questions to provide to the third-party reviewers. Sound good? Well maybe time will tell! On July 30, 2018 Dr. Garry Scrimgeour, Executive Director, Environmental Monitoring and Observations Branch of Alberta Environment and Parks outlined that the first review will be on select aspects of fisheries management of Alberta s East Slopes. The Alberta Fish and Game Association has continually emphasized that this process must not be a third-party peer review of selected science. Rather an independent review as to whether the benchmarks and metrics used in Alberta achieve the necessary balance from an environmental, social and economic perspective in manag- DArryl smith FIshING ChAIr ing Alberta s fisheries resource and the required habitat. The process must be transparent and committee members input must be pivotal. In addition, this first review must focus on management of all cold-water fish species and their habitat within the montane, foothill and boreal ecosystems throughout Alberta. We are disappointed that the second review related to cool-water species such as walleye, northern pike and lake whitefish will not begin until late fall as many of the issues are common and the concerns of the angling community are equally vocal on this front. The Alberta Fish and Game Association has submitted its questions to the Government of Alberta to consider along with supporting resources. My hope was to outline the key questions that the Government of Alberta has provided to the third-party reviewers. As the timing for submitting this column for publication occurred ahead of being provided with the questions this was not possible. However, updates, key messages and an introduction to the committee are also now available on the My Wild Alberta website at fishing/fisheries-management. The following was the post on My Wild Alberta at the time of this submission: Key messages: The committee met for the second time on July 30, The focus of this meeting was to receive advice on a terms of reference, initiate the process for undertaking an independent review of Alberta s fisheries management approach and share information about activities being undertaken by the Ministry and other partners to protect and restore fish habitat. During this meeting the participants: Provided advice to draft the terms of reference. Confirmed support for the plan for the Third Party Scientific Review, facilitated by the Office of the Chief Scientist, and recognized opportunities to connect into the process. Over the next three weeks, members of the committee will be providing questions on behalf of their organizations for consideration by Alberta Environment and Parks Chief Scientist for Phase 1 of the review. The committee was introduced to, and supportive of, the review team as selected by Chief Scientist Dr. Fred Wrona. The review team for Phase 1 will be led by Dr. Stephen Cooke and his team at Carleton University and Dr. Eduardo G. Martins at the University of Northern British Columbia. Recognized that Alberta Environment and Parks is seeking to better understand the cumulative effects of catch and release angling and other factors on fish populations and is open to consider more than just closure of areas to recreational fishing to restore fish populations to levels that meet legislated conservation requirements and the expectations of Albertans. The committee will meet next in late fall when an update on the progress of the independent Third-Party Scientific Review and other initiatives within the Fisheries Action Plan will be reviewed for the committee s advice and comment. The Alberta Fish and Game Association remains committed to the process provided it leads to an independent AlbertA Fish & GAme AssociAtion NOvember/December

8 assessment of the fisheries management approach in Alberta, not just an academic science review. Independence is critical if there is to be buy-in of the angling community of the findings and recommendations. It is important to remember what has brought us to this point. The catalyst is contained within the Letter to the Premier, the Honorable Rachel Notley from Wayne Lowry, President of the Alberta Fish and Game Association on August 31, Key questions were asked that bare repeating and need to be addressed: 1. Are the benchmarks, measures and definitions used to classify the status of fish populations in Alberta standardized with other jurisdictions in North America? 2. Has Alberta put into place an effective aquatic habitat management and enhancement program? 3. Should the priority for management be focused on allocation and monitoring? 4. Does Alberta s reliance on modelling achieve better outcomes, cost effectiveness and actual change on the ground? 5. Are there more effective regulatory methods for creating harvest opportunity while meeting conservation objectives than those adopted in Alberta? 6. Does Alberta optimize and use all fishery management tools available? 7. Does Alberta develop fish management objectives that go beyond angling regulations that lead to enhancement efforts and habitat protection? 8. Is the limited use of the Alberta fish hatchery system justified? 9. Is the organizational and governance structure of fishery management meetings it stakeholder obligations in relation to consultation and communication? 10. Does the Alberta fishery management system achieve the necessary balance and benefits from a societal, economic and environmental perspective? For the full text of the question submitted to the Government of Alberta by the Alberta Fish and Game Association go to Darryl Smith, Fishing Chair Alberta Fish & Game Association Youth Report by ThE TIME you have received this magazine the 2019 AFGA Conference registration package will be out. The package can be found on the Alberta Fish and Game website under the heading of Annual Conference (www. afga.org). I suggest that all youth who want to attend the conference Youth Program approach their local fish and game clubs for sponsorship and register before mid-december to get the early bird fee. As fall approaches so does the hunting season. If you are a youth that wants to experience hunting but don t know how or where to start, a mentor hunt is a great option. A mentor hunt is when experienced hunters take firsttime hunters out in the field to help and show them everything they need to know. If interested in this type of hunt you can approach your local club to see if they have a mentor program or if an experienced member can take you with them. MIyAh ClArkE AFGA youth president Another hunting opportunity is the Alberta Youth Pheasant Program. This is an annual fall event held from early September to late November and is hosted by the Red Deer Fish and Game Association. Just bring a lunch, good footwear and outdoor clothing. This program takes out first time youth hunters (ages 12-20) from across the province and teaches them safe gun control, clay pigeon shooting and game cleaning. Each youth is accompanied by an experienced mentor and will gain first-hand knowledge of bird hunting with dogs, respect for wildlife and habitat conservation. For more information you can contact Doug Wood at , go to youth-pheasant-program/ albertaenvironmentalconsulting.com/ Fish-and-Game or you can search Where in the World is Woody? on YouTube. Miyah Clarke AFGA Youth President 8 AlbertA Fish & GAme AssociAtion NOvember/December 2018

9 Club Events CLUB MEETINGS DATE TIME DETAILS Alberta Black Powder: January 19, :00am AGM Quality Inn North Hill, Red Deer Athabasca Fish & Game: 2nd Tuesday 7:00pm Provincial Building Sept to June Barrhead Fish & Game: Last Wednesday 7:30pm Barrhead Legion Sept to April Beaver River Fish & Game: 1st Tuesday 7:30pm Except July & August Breton Fish & Game: 4th Wednesday 7:30pm Breton Golden Age Centre 50th Avenue except July/Aug/Dec Busby & District Fish & Game: 2nd Monday 7:30pm Lone Goose Club House Camrose Fish & Game: 2nd Wednesday 7:00pm Superstore meeting room Cardston Fish & Game: 2nd Thursday 7:00pm Civic Center Clandonald & District Fish & Game: 3rd Thursday 7:30pm Clandonald Coffee shop Claresholm Fish & Game: 3rd Monday N/A Claresholm indoor range Coaldale & District Fish & Game: 2nd Tuesday 7:30pm The Range Dickson Fish & Game: 2nd Monday 8:00pm Dickson Fish & Game Hall: Contact Ike: or Devon Fish & Game: 4th Thursday 7:30pm Pioneer 73 Centre: #29 St. Lawrence Avenue Dunvegan Fish & Game: 3rd Wednesday 7:30pm Except July/Aug FCSS Room Audits and Safety building Drumheller Fish & Game: 3rd Tuesday 7:00pm Except July/Aug Edmonton Fish & Game: 2nd Wednesday 7:30pm no info Edmonton Old Timers: 2nd Tuesday 7:00pm Spruce Avenue Hall Avenue Edmonton Trout Fishing: 1st & 3rd Tuesday 7:00pm Queen Mary Park Community League 109 Ave & 117 Street Ft. MacLeod Fish & Game: 3rd Wednesday 7:00pm NWMP Library back door Ft. Saskatchewan Fish & Game: 3rd Wednesday 7:00pm Old Train Station Sept to June High Level Sporting Association: 3rd Wednesday N/A no info High Prairie Fish & Game: 2nd Tuesday 7:00pm Range Amiro s High River Fish & Game: 2nd Wednesday 7:45pm For more info: Hillcrest Fish & Game: 1st Wednesday 7:00pm Hillcrest Fish & Game Hall th Avenue (October to June) Innisfail Fish & Game: 1st Monday 7:00pm Innisfail Royal Canadian Legion except July and August Iron Creek Fish & Game: 2nd Thursday 7:30pm Lougheed Lions Den - Mainstreet Lacombe Fish & Game: 2nd Tuesday 7:30pm Lacombe Legion (except July & August) Lamont Fish & Game: Last Monday 7:00pm Lamont Lions Den Contact Robyn Butler: Leduc Fish & Game: 1st Wednesday 7:30pm Leduc Clubhouse for more info (780) Sept to June Lethbridge Fish & Game: 3rd Monday 7:00pm LFGA Clubhouse 9th Avenue & 10th Street South (except July/Aug) Lloydminster Fish & Game: Last Tuesday 7:30pm Except July & December Grace United Church Magrath Rod & Gun Club: 3rd Thursday 7:00pm Magrath Library Medicine Hat Fish & Game: 2nd Tuesday 8:00pm Ricky s Rest. private dining room (see Facebook page) - Sept to June Millet Fish & Game: 1st Tuesday 7:30pm Millet Fish & Game Hall Morinville Fish & Game: 2nd & 4th Thursday 7:30pm Morinville F&G Clubhouse except July/Aug Mundare Fish & Game: Last Monday 6:30pm Mundare Gun Range May - August Okotoks Fish & Game: 3rd Tuesday 7:00pm For more info visit our website: Onoway & District Fish & Game: 2nd Tuesday 7:00pm Education gun range (780) Sept to June Peace Wapiti Fish & Game: 1st Tuesday 7:30pm Better than Fred s St, Gr. Prairie - Sept to June Picture Butte Fish & Game: 1st Tuesday 7:00pm Archery Range 464 Crescent Ave. (except Jul/Aug) Ponoka Fish & Game: 1st Thursday 7:30pm Clubhouse Provost Fish & Game: 2nd Tuesday 8:00pm Indoor Gun Range 2km East of Provost (except July/August) Red Deer Fish & Game: 3rd Monday 7:00pm Red Deer Legion (use Molly B door) Tues if stat --except July/Aug Red Earth Creek Rod & Gun Club: 3rd Tuesday 7:30pm No other info Rimbey Fish & Game: 1st Wednesday 7:00pm Canalta Hotel: rd Street Sept to June Rocky Mtn House Fish & Game: 2nd Wednesday 7:00pm Rocky Museum Basement meeting room Sarcee Fish & Game: 2nd Tuesday 7:30pm Mtn View Funeral Home Auditorium September to June Sherwood Park Fish & Game: Last Thursday 7:30pm 50 Spruce Avenue St. Albert Fish & Game: 2nd Tuesday 7:30pm St. Albert community Hall on Perron St. September to June St. Paul Fish & Game: 1st Wednesday 7:30pm Town Hall - Downstairs Southern AB Outdoorsmen: 2nd Tuesday N/A Kings Home 108 5th Avenue NE Milk River Spedden Fish & Game: 2nd Sunday 7:30pm Ashmont Spruce Grove Fish & Game: 1st Thursday 7:00pm Pioneer Centre 301 Jespesen Ave. Sp. Grove (Except Jul/Aug & Nov) Stony Plain Fish & Game: 2nd Monday 7:30pm Stony Plain Community Centre, 51 Ave. Jimmy: (780) Sundre Fish & Game: 3rd Tuesday 7:00pm Sundre Community Center Sylvan Lake & District: 1st Monday 7:00pm Community Partner Hall Taber Fish & Game: 1st Wednesday N/A First Wendy s at Heritage Hotel Thorsby Fish & Game: 3rd Monday 7:00pm Sunnybrook Hall Vegreville Wildlife Federation: 1st Thursday 7:00pm Centennial Hall Vermillion Fish & Game: 2nd Wednesday N/A Vermillion Provincial Building Conference room Viking Sports & Wildlife Society: 1st Tuesday 7:30pm Clubhouse located near Viking Vilna Fish & Game: 3rd Wednesday 7:00pm Cultural Centre in Vilna Wheatland Conservation & Wildlife: 2nd Thursday 7:30pm RR 252 (north of Strathmore) Whitecourt Fish & Game: 1st Wednesday 7:00pm Forestry Training Centre Wildwood & District Rod & Gun Club: 2nd Thursday 7:30pm Range in the clubhouse Willingdon & District Fish & Game: Last Tuesday 7:30pm Willingdon Arena upstairs clubroom Sept to June Wimborne & District Fish & Game: 1st Wednesday N/A Wimborne Hall OTHER EVENTS DATE TIME DETAILS Beaver River Fish & Game: Every Wednesday 6:00 8:00pm Youth / Adult Archery Edmonton Old Timers Fishing Club is looking for you! Calling all fishermen over 50! You ll find lots of people to go fishing with both summer & ice fishing in the winter. We have meetings once a month with a guest speaker. For more info: Randy Collins *IF YOU WISH TO HAVE YOUR EVENT/MEETING PLACED IN THE OUTDOOR EDGE OR ON OUR WEBSITE PLEASE OR FAX INFORMATION TO OUR OFFICE: info@afga.org or fax: (780) (CHECK OUT OUR EVENTS CALENDAR ON THE WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION or EVENTS NOT LISTED HERE: AlbertA Fish & GAme AssociAtion NOvember/December

10 Zone 1 Report Alberta Fish & Game Association Zone 3 Report GlENN heather zone 1 DIrECTor ThIs FAll Is another busy season within Zone 1. Not only are the hunting seasons ramping into play, our clubs are planning events and discussing resolutions to be proposed and reviewed September 23 at the Zone 1 meeting. The announcement of the senior discount has come as a surprise as well, in the Southern part of the province. Even though the Minister resides in the South, there seems to have been no pre-consultation or even rumor of this occurring. The lost revenue will definitely be noticeable for ACA, when the senior whom have been speaking out, are saying a discount was not required. Additionally, concerns are consistent within the South as to the lack of transparency and consultation from our current government. There are many organizations not only AFGA that have responsible philosophies and mandates, related to sustainable resources within Alberta. It is perplexing as to the wisdom of not soliciting our Alberta organizations. Common discussions appear to be related to CWD and management of our deer populations. As we are all aware of the concerning statistics, indicating CWD is becoming a major part of the Southern Eastern Alberta landscape. Additionally the deer population is high. There will be plenty of tags available this fall, in efforts to curb the population. Hunter success should be very high, especially on Mule Deer. Numerous undersubscribed tags were available. The Suffield Base elk population has been significantly reduced to what appears to be a close to desired manageable herd size. Within the Base the herd size was truly never a concern, more related to the numbers of animals outside the Base. Data is continued to be developed and rancher/farmer impact is constantly being reviewed. Cypress Hills Elk numbers appear to be unchanged, with hunting opportunities inside and out, being at established historical numbers. Upland bird numbers are good with potential of good hunting harvest Migratory bird numbers are high, even in an area that does not contain a major flyway path. Land access and hunter relations between lease holders and land owners are at the forefront as to how to develop a harmonious trusting relationship. What has been rewarding lately, is witnessing the engagement that is currently being displayed at many of our clubs. Good things are being discussed and worked towards for the betterment of all Albertans. Glenn Heather Zone 1 Director one ThING AbouT time, the clock just keeps ticking, no matter what you or I do. I saw the CBC special on The Fox Catcher. It was about a young native man from Fort Chipewyan who chooses a simpler life of trapping, living in the bush and surviving by living off the land. A great many of us sportsmen tried our hand at it, then realize the hard effort it catches you in when someone will have to look after you in your later years. I saw that this young man had not discovered this yet. He did not understand his father giving up the trapping life but it comes to all of us eventually. I do not hunt the big moose and elk much anymore, they are massive creatures and do require youthful strength to handle when down. I had a reputation for knocking them down in the worst habitat, but I always filled the camp meat pole. Just had a good hunch where kevin WINGErT zone 3 DIrECTor they would be on each and every hunt. And so it comes to this business of conservation volunteering. I have been doing it both professionally and as a volunteer for just about as long as I have lived. While I am downsizing at home and office, I realized it is getting to be that time to move on. The future is in the hands of the younger generation to jump in and take over the reins. The AFGA Environment job is open for Nominations, so let the office know. Also need a Vice President to come forward. And the Zone Directors in Peace River and Red Deer are looking for names to be nominated. There is also the mortgage on the new building to get off the books. See you at the Calgary AFGA Convention in February 2019, consider putting your name on a ballot. Hope you all have good hunting, Kevin Wingert, Zone 3 Director 10 AlbertA Fish & GAme AssociAtion NOvember/December 2018

11 ALBERTA FISH AND GAME ASSOCIATION S WIN A 2018 Polaris Ranger 570 Side by Side Retail Value $12, Alberta Fish and Game Association Wildlife Trust Fund Initiative. All Proceeds go towards purchasing critical wildlife habitat in Alberta. Tickets are $10.00 each. Only 5,000 tickets printed. Draw date April 27, 2019 at the AFGA Wildlife Awards Banquet. Prize must be accepted as awarded. Must be minimum 18 years of age to purchase. (Restrictions apply) Tickets will be sold in Alberta only. Tickets may be purchased by calling (780) or online at or at office@afga.org Raffle Licence # Alberta Fish & Game association November/December

12 DEb ClArkE zone 2 DIrECTor A ChANGE of scenery, getting away from it all, going on long hikes, taking in some fresh air and making memories is all part of being in the outdoors during hunting season. If you had the opportunity to go out, hope you experienced some success. A lot of information was shared at the fall Zone 2 meeting held October 21 at Bass Pro Shops. Thanks to the Airdrie Hunting & Fishing Association for hosting. The registration package for the 90th Annual AFGA Conference (February 21-23/19 in Calgary) is available at Zone 2 is working hard to make it an unforgettable event. Register before mid-december to take advantage of the early bird rates for all categories including delegates, companions, youth and guests. To ensure you are conveniently on site for all activities, don t delay in booking a room at the Glenmore Inn & Convention Centre as they book up quickly. The challenge is out for every club to send at least one delegate, one companion and one youth. We will gratefully accept donations towards conference in the form of door prizes, kit bag swag, silent or live auction items and/or financial donations for coffee breaks, the companion and youth programs, the meet and greet event or meals. Advertising in our Conference Guidebook is also available. If you, someone you know, an organization or business would like to sponsor or contribute to this wild affair, see the registration package for more details or you can contact me and/or the AFGA head office at office@afga.org. As mentioned previously, the Thursday Meet & Greet night has been themed as a Luau Party and competitive events are being incorporated. All Zones will need a team of 4 persons, as will the Life Members, Companion and Youth programs. Get your Luau On Alberta Fish & Game Association Zone 2 Report and dress for fun by wearing your tropical best sunglasses, shorts, flip flops, grass skirts, coconut bras, etc. Zones and clubs are invited to bring displays or projects to share with all attendees. The information can be so valuable to others who are looking at starting similar projects. Should electrical or additional tables be needed, please let us know in advance. November 30th is the deadline for Service Award nominations to be submitted to the AFGA. There are 23 different prestigious awards to choose from and the list can be found at This is a great avenue for recognizing club projects and/or expressing appreciation to members, other individuals or corporations. Nominations in the past have been few in number. Awards are presented on Saturday evening at the annual conference. If needed, I am available to assist Zone 2 clubs with nomination writing. Need project funding? Visit the ACA site and download the appropriate ACA Conservation, Community and Education Grants application form at grants/aca-conservation-communityand-education-grants/. Applications will only be accepted between January 1-24, Please ensure that all sections of the application are fully completed. Should you need assistance or advice in completing the applications please contact me or Randy Collins (our AFGA ACA representative). In addition, funding can be sought through the Minister s Special Licence Grants which are administered by the AFGA and a program advisory committee. Our EVP, Martin Sharren, will assist any club in writing up proposals. A 60% portion of funds raised through the special licence sales is designated for management, habitat enhancement, etc. for each of sheep, mule deer and elk. The Grant Application will be available on the AFGA website and the deadline is the end of January The next Zone 2 meeting will be held in January around the third Sunday of the month. Contact me for the exact time, date and location. Help support the AFGA Wildlife Trust Fund tickets are available for a chance to win a 2018 Polaris Ranger 570 Side by Side. More ticket sellers are needed; contact the office to get ticket books. Stay safe and warm this winter. Merry Christmas and best wishes for a happy and healthy 2019! DID u know: Let s Go Outdoors has recently filmed some interesting video shorts on AFGA programs and projects. They are available on the AFGA website or by searching YouTube Let s Go Outdoor playlists. Check them out! Deb Clarke, Zone 2 Director deb.clarke@telus.net 12 AlbertA Fish & GAme AssociAtion NOvember/December 2018

13 robyn butler zone 5 DIrECTor WEll here WE are getting close to a brand-new year. Have you reflected back on 2018 and said what did I do for conservation, my club and myself. We ll be very proud of what you have and will accomplish. Because of you; we are a very strong organization. I hope your fall season is successful, you had great adventures and maybe a freezer was filled with some great eating for the winter. The Zone 5 fall meeting was hosted by the Beaver River Club on October 20, thank-you to the Bonnyville Fish and Game for being such gracious hosts. It was a busy meeting with resolutions hitting the floor along with good reports from each chair. Zone 5 Fish Chair Ray Makowecki continues to work hard in fisheries management. His Next Step group is part of the government committee that is overseeing a 3rd party review; Ray keeps right on top of every move. Alberta Fish & Game Association Zone 5 Report He is also working with a committee to restore Muriel Lake. He would like suggestions from anyone and some help with this project would also be greatly appreciated. The Zone 5 casino was recently held, thanks to Steve Witiuk and all his volunteers for the hours donated to run such a fundraiser. I am happy to report the continued relationship with the Zone 4 Director in both our commitments to make the Narrow Lake Conservation Camp (NLCC) the best facility it can be. The youth camps were full to capacity again this year, and some youth were disappointed they could not attend, but they will try again next year. The work that goes into running these camps is mind boggling, but thanks to Samantha, Jarrid, their staff and the many volunteers, they put on a great camp year after year. Fantastic job everyone! NLCC is also used by many clubs and organizations for youth events. Becoming an Outdoor Woman (B0W) holds 2 camps a year, with 20 women in each camp. Please take the time to inform as many women to take part in these camps, and to register as soon as possible, as the camp spots do fill quickly. The Zone 5 clubs have been very busy hosting archery shoots indoor and outdoor, assisting ACA with the Kids can Catch/Archery Days programs, gopher hunts, birdhouse building, Hunter Ed Courses, fish derbies, youth camps, tree planting and many other conservation projects. Keep up the good work and thank-you to all the clubs who keep me informed of their activities. I hope every club sees increases in their membership and club support this following year. It s also time to start planning for the AFGA annual AGM and conference coming up in February. It would be great to see every club in our zone send delegates to this gathering. It s our chance to be informed, contribute our ideas, to volunteer and get involved with provincial matters. Many clubs are gearing up for their Annual Game Dinners; I wish you all the success in Robyn Butler Zone 5 Director Seasons Greetings from The Alberta Fish & Game Association Executive & Staff AlbertA Fish & GAme AssociAtion NOvember/December

14 Alberta Fish & Game Association Pigeon Lake Property Fencing by TJ schwanky WhIlE owning over 100 habitat properties across Alberta is an incredible legacy to leave to future generations, these properties do require a considerable amount of regular maintenance. Our Volunteer Stewardship Program is an incredible asset in assisting habitat staff in performing routine inspections and minor maintenance but these properties also require more extensive care occasionally. This includes repairing, removing and replacing fencing. While many of the Wildlife Trust Fund properties have grazing occur on them and the grazers are responsible for maintaining fences, other properties have no grazing but still require fences, primarily to prevent illegal vehicle access. All of our Wildlife Trust Fund Properties have a foot access only policy and recreationalists are encouraged to enjoy them but not everyone follows the rules. Our George and Joan Mitchell and Pigeon Lake Properties are two of those properties where despite considerable efforts, vehicle trespass was severe and the existing fencing was in quite bad disrepair, creating a wildlife hazard. The 160-acre George and Joan Mitchell Property is currently being farmed with the intent of revitalizing a decadent hay field to provide winter forage for area ungulates. It also has several stands of aspen that are home to whitetails, moose, black bear and a very abundant population of mule deer. The adjacent, 160-acre Pigeon Lake Property, is comprised primarily of a mixed wood forest with several wetlands and it provides important thermal cover for area wildlife and nesting opportunities for waterfowl. The illegal vehicle trespass on these properties was not only disturbing wildlife in their core home range, it was causing severe damage to this important habitat. It became obvious that the half-mile of perimeter fence along the main road on the George and Joan Mitchell Property needed to be upgraded and that the access points needed to be gated 14 AlbertA Fish & GAme AssociAtion NOvember/December 2018

15 and locked. Things had gotten so bad at the site that several of the boundary signs had been shot and the large 4 x8 metal sign had been knocked down. The fence was repaired and wire spacing upgraded to wildlife-friendly spacing, including smooth wire on bottom strand. The sign was replaced. The fence on the north boundary and on half of the east boundary was also repaired and brought up to wildlifefriendly standards. As illegal access was not an issue and there was no livestock on the remaining half of east boundary and south boundary, the old fence that was in very bad disrepair was totally removed so it no longer posed a hazard to wildlife. The fences on the adjacent Pigeon Lake Property were also in serious need of repair and removal. Three short stretches of fence were enhanced to prevent illegal vehicle access on the west boundary and nearly a half mile of page wire and barbed wire was removed from east boundary. This posed a very serious risk for injury to wildlife. Fenceline on north and south side were brought up to wildlife friendly standards and 3/4 of a mile of fourstrand barbed wire was removed from west and south lines. It s important that the AFGA lead by example to area landowners by having fences that are more wildlife friendly. Extensive maintenance like this is very expensive, so habitat staff applied to the Minister s Special Licence Programme for a grant to hire a contractor to do some of the work and the remainder would be undertaken by AFGA volunteers and staff. The grant was awarded and in July and August 2018, the work was completed in some very hot and humid conditions. The AFGA would like to acknowledge the importance of the Minister s Special Licence Programme to projects like this and it is hoped that this new standard of fencing will be adopted by many others in the future. These two properties are located on the northwest corner of Pigeon Lake along Tide Creek. Make sure to stop by and check it out this fall. Alberta Fish & Game association November/December

16 THE ALBERTA FISH AND GAME ASSOCIATION Alberta Fish & Game Association 90th ANNUAL CONFERENCE FEBRUARY 21-23, 2019 The AFGA is excited to have Zone 2 host the 2019 conference in Calgary. Conference registration packages are now available REMEMBER to REGISTER EARLY and receive the earlybird discounted rates! Glenmore Inn & Convention Centre 1000 Glenmore Court SE, Calgary, AB Ph: (403) FOR MORE INFORMATION OR HOW TO REGISTER CALL THE AFGA OFFICE (780) or REGISTER ONLINE: 16 AlbertA Fish & GAme AssociAtion NOvember/December 2018