OFAH ZONE J JULY 2015 NEWSLETTER

The OFAH Zone J Annual Youth Camp

returned to the Brant Rod & Gun Club for a

fantastic weekend of outdoors learning and

camping experience. 75 youth ages 8 to 17

yrs participated in a free weekend of lure

making, compost building, archery, pellet gun

shooting, pond fishing and solar ovens.

Brant Rod & Gun Club volunteers provided

breakfast to the campers both Saturday and

Sunday. Continued on page 3...

Inside this issue:

Special Points of Interest:

Report on the OFAH Zone J 27th Annual Youth Campout

Please attend the OFAH Zone J Membership Meeting

OFAH Zone J youtube channel and video blogs

OFAH Zone J Annual Youth Campout LOGO CONTEST WINNER

BRANT ROD & GUN CLUB HOSTS OFAH ZONE J 27TH ANNUAL YOUTH CAMPOUT

Did you catch a big one!

Get your entry in!

ontarioanglerawards.com

OFAH ZONE J JULY 2015

NEWSLETTER

Follow us on

Twitter

www.ofah.org/zonej

OFAH Zone J 2

Executive Contacts

MARK YOUR 3

CALENDAR

OFAH Zone J August 4

Membership meeting

Did you Know? 6

Exercise for Accuracy 7

Message from the Chair 8

Camp Logo contest 9

OFAH ZONE J

To have something added to the OFAH Zone J website,

please send an email request to

[email protected]

www.shopofah.org

OFAH ZONE J EXECUTIVE 2015-2016 CONTACT INFO

Chair, Brian Moore Watford area [email protected]

519-919-1520

1st Vice, Pud Hunter Aylmer area [email protected]

519-773-7245

2nd Vice, Ray Boilard Fonthill area [email protected]

905-892-9389

Secretary/Treasurer, Kathy Moore Brantford area [email protected]

(also Newsletter Editor) 519-756-9386

Past Chair, Tony Jackson Stratford area [email protected]

519-273-4193

Past Chair, Felix Barbetti Fonthill area [email protected]

905-892-4381

OFAH Zone J is now on youtube!

Visit us there to watch our video blogs (vlogs) on items of interest in OFAH Zone J!

Just go to www.youtube.ca and search OFAH Zone J

Some of the vlogs currently posted:

Ontario wild turkey research study by University of Guelph

OFAH commend the passing of Bill C-42

Making noise doesn’t always make a difference

Ontario family license-free fishing days

OFAH calls for better black bear management in Ontario

Moose management

Microplastics and Live Bait in Ontario

https://www.youtube.com/

OFAH ZONE J

Mark Your Calendars

THANK YOU TO OFAH ZONE J 27TH

ANNUAL YOUTH CAMPOUT SPONSORS

Brant Rod & Gun Club

Tri-County BASSmasters

Greg Balch

Brokerlink

Royal City Fishing Club

Foodland Burford

The Burford Times

Boston Pizza

Tiger Cat Industries

Aub’s Gas Bar/Pioneer Petroleum

Brantford Tourism Centre

OFAH Get Outdoors

Fitzsimons Financial

St. John Ambulance

Invading Species Awareness Program

Community Hatchery Program

Ontario Family Fishing Events

Ontario Ministry of

Natural Resources and Forestry

Ontario Out of Doors

OFAH/OPG Tackle Share

Ontario Federation of Fur Managers

Grand River Conservation Authority

And a huge THANKS to all of the

volunteers, mentors and campers!

2015

August 23—OFAH Zone J membership meeting hosted by

Southwest Outdoors Club, Wheatley Legion

2016

January 10—OFAH Zone J membership Meeting hosted by

Halton Sportsmen’s Assoc. (Milton)

April 2—OFAH Zone J Annual General Meeting

& Election, Twin Creek Sportsman Club, near Alvinston

June 10—12—OFAH Zone J 28th Annual Youth Campout

hosted by the German Canadian Hunting and Fishing Club

August 21—OFAH Zone J membership meeting, hosted

by St. Catharines Game and Fish Association, near Thorold

Many Thanks to the OFAH Member Clubs who have

stepped forward with their interest in hosting OFAH Zone J

Meetings and Youth Campouts.

Youth Camp continued from front page…..

while OFAH Zone J Executive provided lunch on Saturday.

Rudy Kruppa brought out a couple of golden eagles on Satur-

day evening. The campers were awestruck by these beautiful

birds of prey. Scouter Randy MacPherson assisted with the

entertainment during the evening campfires.

Our sponsors and supporters provided a door prize

for each camper. OFAH Zone J Youth Camp Chair Brian

Moore said “Every camper had a smile on their face. The

s’mores cooked in the solar oven was the favourite activity.

The volunteers, mentors and families made this one of the

best campouts ever.” St. John Ambulance volunteers provid-

ed first aid coverage for the event and fortunately had a very

boring day.

We look forward to visiting the German Canadian

Hunting and Fishing Club in Mannheim for the next two

OFAH Zone J Annual Youth Camps! Dates are as follows:

June 10, 11 & 12, 2016 and June 9, 10 & 11, 2017

As always, you must pre-register for the youth camp

and registration will open on April 1, 2016. You may register

by phone (519) 919 1520; email [email protected] or thru

our website www.ofah.org/zonej.

Migratory Game Bird Hunting Permit

Can now be purchased on-line at

http://www.permis-permits.ec.gc.ca/ S’mores in a solar oven—yummmm

OFAH ZONE J

Hosted by Southwest Outdoors Club and held at the

Wheatley Royal Canadian Legion Branch 324 27 Erie Street North, Wheatley, ON

Sunday August 23—Tentative Agenda

0830 hrs—coffee and snacks

0900 hrs—meeting called to order

0915 hrs—reports and discussion

0930 hrs—Presentation on Management planning and hunting opportunities by Kevin Money,

Director of Conservation Services, Essex Region Conservation Authority

1000 hrs—coffee break

1015 hrs—more reports and discussion

1200 hrs—lunch on site $15 perch, fries, coleslaw

1245 hrs—reconvene to finish reports

1300 hrs—Presentation on Asian Carp

1400 hrs—adjourn

A few of the topics that will be covered during the meeting:

: deer management in southern Ontario : FMZ Council reports

: moose tag allocation

: the health of white tail deer and wild turkey populations

: Thames and Grand River walleye : Firearms Legislation changes

: land use and public access : neonicotinoid pesticides

: Lake Erie blue green algae

Directions to the Wheatley Legion :

from the west (Windsor) Hwy 401 take the Tilbury exit to Mill Street (County Road 42)

and go into Tilbury

: turn right on to Queen Street (South)

: follow to Wheatley—turns into County Road 1 (Erie Street)

from the east (London) Hwy 401 take the Tilbury exit to Queens Line and go into Tilbury

: turn left on to Queen Street (South)

: follow to Wheatley—turns into County Road 1 (Erie Street)

From Highway 3 (Talbot Street) go north on Erie Street

Nearby accommodations: Comfort Inn, 279 Erie St E., Leamington 1-(855) 973-7216

Howard Johnson Inn, 201 Erie St N., Leamington 1-(800) 340-9841

OFAH Zone J August Membership Meeting

41st Annual OFAH Conservation Lottery

OFAH ZONE J

Congratulations to all Winners!

The OFAH Conservation Lottery draw was held Friday May 29, 2015 the OFAH Head Office in Peterborough.

Many of the OFAH Zone J Executive were on hand to assist in the draw.

42nd Annual OFAH Conservation Lottery Tickets for Club sales should be available the third week in September with tickets

going out to individual members in early December.

When you sell a book of Conservation Lottery tickets for your Club, your Club will receive a rebate of $9.00 to use towards

Conservation projects. Many of our Clubs use the Conservation lottery as a major fund raiser! Start planning now on how your

Club can raise funds thru the sales of these tickets.

To get your ticket order placed early, please send an email to [email protected] or call 705-748-OFAH.

Landowner

Permission

Form Can be found at

www.ofah.org

Look under “HUNTING”

2015-2016 Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters Board of Directors. Photo by Shawn Cayley

The Threat of Asian Carp continues

Two male grass carp have been found in

contained ponds near Tommy Thompson Park

in Toronto. These carp are able to reproduce

unlike the ones found in the Grand River near

Dunnville in 2013 and 2014. At this time it

is not known how these carp got into these

ponds. One of the ponds was created just 6

months ago. It is illegal to posses live Asian

carp in Ontario. These two fish will be ana-

lyzed in the US to see if they have lived in

Canadian waters for very long.

OFAH ZONE J

Did You Know? Your Safety Flares are approved for four years from date of manufacture. This means that your flares need to be

replaced every third or fourth year—It’s the Law. You may NOT dispose of expired flares in the trash, nor

may you fire them. Disposing of expired flares has always been

difficult. This year, Transport Canada teamed up with CPS-ECP and selected CIL dealers who hosted Safety Equip-ment Education and Flare Disposal Days. Please check out www.cps-ecp.ca for details on where you can go.

IF you cannot find a date/location near you, please ask you local Police department or Fire department. They are

usually willing to dispose of them for you.

Did You Know….TURKEY

the distinctive turkey gobble can be heard over a mile away?

have over 20 distinct vocalizations—keep practicing your purrs, clucks, chucks and gobbles!

are smart and extremely social. They like people and dogs and can create long social bonds

Some can reach 55 mph for short bursts of flight

Benjamin Franklin wanted the wild turkey as the National bird of the USA instead of the bald eagle

Mayans, Aztecs, Toltecs and other ancient Mexican cultures considered the turkey sacred and called them “jewelled birds”

Each bird has more than 5,000 feathers

Turkey meat contains tryptophan in the same level as other meat. It’s the whole Thanksgiving meal that makes you tired

Did You Know….MASSASAUGA RATTLER

The only venomous snake in Ontario and Michigan. While they have comparatively short fangs their venom is very po-

tent –among the most lethal among rattlesnakes

Color pattern consists of a grey or tan ground color with a row of large rounded brown/black blotches/spots down the

centre of the back and three smaller rows of alternating spots down each side

vulnerable to many predators including wild turkeys and also wantonly killed by irrationally fearful people who generally

destroy/ persecute other species of snakes as well.

Adults are only 60 to 75 cm in length

Habitat ranges from swamps and marshes to grasslands

Listed as a “threatened” species

ONLY Ontario snake with vertical pupils

Has heat-sensing pits on each side of its smallish head and scales are keeled

The word massasauga means “great river-mouth” in the Chippewa language

Diet is small mammals, lizards, snakes, centipedes, rodents, frogs Information courtesy of Felix Barbetti and Wikipedia

OFAH ZONE J

How much do you practice with your shotgun during the summer? Do you wait until September to pull it

out to start practicing or do you handle your shotgun all summer long?

In days gone by, we could just head out into the country and hand throw a few clay birds into the air and

blast them. Well….there were a lot of things we “used to” do. Now you have to drive to an approved shooting

range and pay hard earned cash to get some practice time.

I would like to share a couple of things that I do with my shotgun that help me to stay fluent and fluid at

the range and in the field. I live in a very urban townhouse complex. Not much room outdoors to swing a shotgun

without 911 being called so I practice indoors. I have always found that I lack upper body strength and would tire

easily when shooting trap or waterfowl hunting.

To assist in building muscle memory and upper body strength, why not exercise with your shotgun? I use

a comfortable, light weight shotgun for hunting and trap shooting but to build some strength and endurance I prac-

tice with a heavier gun. Make sure the gun is unloaded and position yourself in your shooting stance. Relax and

take a deep breath. Now shoulder your gun making sure you get it tucked into your shoulder correctly. Count to

three then lower the gun and relax. Count to three and do it again, repeating as many times as possible. You are

weight lifting, toning and strengthening the muscles required to shoot.

I put on whatever clothing and shoes I wear at the range, including my shooting vest, ear protection and

eye protection. I then take my favourite trap gun, making 100% certain it is unloaded, and stand in front of a mir-

ror, preferably a full length mirror. I take my shooting stance and raise the shotgun to shooting position. I make

sure I feel “right” then I look in the mirror to see what my correct stance looks like. I do this over and over again,

developing muscle memory and a “feel” for the right position. I don’t just do this once during the summer – as

with any exercise, you need to repeat is regularly to retain the benefit.

While practicing my stance I pay attention to how my weight is shifted onto my front foot; how my trigger

arm elbow is raised horizontal to my shoulder; is there any gun weight on my front hand; how tight is the butt into

my shoulder; is my cheek pressed into the stock. Over and over with my eyes open and with my eyes closed. If

you do this for an hour a week all year long, your trap/skeet scores will improve as will your hunting harvest.

Maintaining good physical condition and stamina is very important for accurate shooting of any kind.

Compound and cross bow accuracy also depend on good upper body strength and strong posture. I’m sure you

could do the same type of exercises for bowhunting and archery.

Yours In Conservation,

Kathy Moore, OFAH Zone J

Exercise for shooting accuracy

OFAH ZONE J

On Father’s Day weekend, OFAH Zone J, in partnership with the Brant Rod and Gun Club (BRGC) held

the 27th Annual OFAH Zone J Youth Camp-Out. This camp is open to youth of ages 8-17 and is totally

free to the participant’s. The weather was perfect and all 75 youth in attendance had a great time learn-

ing about archery, fishing, pellet gun shooting, solar cooking, falconry and even windowsill composting.

With the assistance of hordes of volunteers and sponsors, this camp continues being a huge success!

The German Canadian Hunting and Fishing Club in Mannheim will be hosting the Camp in 2016 and

2017.

The Ontario wild turkey by University of Guelph PdD Candidate Amanda MacDonald and Nicole

Nemeth, Assistant Professor was mentioned in the August issue of the Ontario Out of Doors Hotline.

OFAH Zone J is producing a vlog that will bring us up to date on how this project is going. Watch OFAH

Zone J youtube channel, facebook page, website or our twitter account for the release!

Sharing information with our members via social media has been our focus during the past few months.

We have produced vlogs on things such as: live bait in Ontario; black bear management; microplastics;

passing of Bill C-42 and other important issues. This method of reaching our members is in its infancy but

we are receiving excellent feedback.

The main concerns aside from moose management continue to be deer and turkey populations; the impact

of pesticides on our fish and wildlife; the health of our fisheries; the threat of invasive species; the protec-

tion of species at risk as well as sharing our knowledge of our heritage activities.

We are seeing an increase in wildlife/human encounters within urban areas. OFAH Zone J has had at least

3 incidents this summer of deer being dispatched by local law enforcement because they had been injured

in urban settings. A black bear has also been seen in Puslinch Township, between Guelph and Hamilton.

Educating people on what to do during an urban encounter (leave them alone) is the approach OFAH

Zone J been taking.

Wishing everyone a safe, fruitful fall season!

Yours In Conservation,

Brian Moore, Chair

Message from the Chair

OFAH ZONE J

CALL TO ALL MEMBERS

The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters Zone J is seeking nominations for the Annual OFAH Zone J Outstanding Achievement Award.

Deadline for Nominations is December 31, 2015 This award is to recognize an individual’s outstanding effort towards Stewardship, Conservation, and/or the promotion of angling or hunting in Southwestern Ontario as selected by the OFAH Zone J membership. Members of OFAH Zone J may nominate anyone, does not have to be an OFAH member, for this award. Nominees for the 2015 award may be submitted to the Zone J Secretary/Treasurer no later than December 31, 2015. Please include a description of the work the nominee has done as well as photos, news articles, etc. The Zone membership will vote on the winner at the January 2016 Quarterly meeting at the Halton Sportsmen’s Association, with the winner being announced at the Zone J Annual meeting in April 2016 at Twin Creek Sportsman Club. We know there are many deserving volunteers who quietly devote their time, energy and money to conservation, hunting and angling within our Zone. Please help us recognize them by submitting a story about their dedication and passion.

OFAH Zone J Youth Campout

Logo Contest

WINNER!!

The Youth Camp

attendees were given

ballots to vote on the

logo submission of

their choice. The

resounding winner is:

Emily Moore.

Congratulations Emily!

Many THANKS to all submissions!! We will incorporate this logo

into our 2016 OFAH Zone J Youth Camp!

OFAH Zone J Logo

Contest

WINNER!!

The Youth Camp attendees also let

us know which OFAH Zone J logo

submission they liked the best. This

information was then taken to the

OFAH Zone J Executive and they

voted on which logo submission they

preferred. The new OFAH Zone J

logo will be unveiled in a vlog later

this summer….stay tuned.

OFAH ZONE J JULY 2015 NEWSLETTER

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