Warning about 64th Street Boundary Bay

Those of you who like shooting the end of 64th street in Boundary Bay please take a moment and consider this:

While unpacking after a fair day of hunting in the parking lot we were met by one of the residents of the gated house that is right next to the dyke. While our conversation was cordial he had this to say:

1. He either owns or knows the owner of the house to the east which has the pond next to the Howeling Nursery and he claims they spend $100k a year to replace windows due to shot

2. He claimed that a lady on the dyke that day had been yelling at hunters because she said she had been rained on by shot

3. He said because authorities have been unable to enforce the 150m shooting away from the dyke rule and hunters themselves have not been policing themselves, that he is pushing for a ban on hunting in the section adjacent to that property.

While we ourselves could only speak for our own behaviour - we had to admit that we've seen our share of unethical hunters. In fact coming out that day I had to clean up a couple spots where hunters in the usual places - had just left their carcasses and spent hulls all over the ground.

That resident said several times he wasn't against hunting but said that bad hunters are going to screw it up for us.

This comes as no surprise. We might shake our heads at unethical behaviour but in the end, some bad apples are going to result in bans such as this.

NOTE on the Fraser Valley Special Area map where it says you must be at least 180m before you can take shots toward the shore. And it is 150m away from the dyke before you can take any shots whatsoever.
http://wwwt.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/wildlif.../FVSAH2015.pdf



If you see hunters who are out of bounds, calling the Conservation Office is only going to help if they happen to be in the area. You have to go have words with them.

That stretch of foreshore is quite productive for public land that is so accessible. It will be a shame if it goes away.

Same at Robert's Bank, some guy set up <150m from the dyke and skybusting. Missed every single bird that came near. There's a difference between a guy with a gun and hunting licenses versus ethical sportsmen/conservationists.

Sheesh! Tough go Silveragent!

Having worked as a glazier for some time, $100k/year must be an over exaggerated sum…

I had to ‘police’ a five hood rats two weeks ago at 72nd. They were blatantly target shooting (tossing a bottle into the air, shooting at it, retrieving, and repeating). After about 30 minutes, I made a beeline for them, got to within ear shot and turned on my “outside voice”. Told them in no uncertainty terms that they needed to stop, or they’d have the local PD to contend with. They acted as one would expect (flipped me the bird), but they stopped shooting!

I think the writing is on the wall as far as hunting Boundary Bay goes, and it doesn’t look good for us.

Too bad BCWF or a local gun club couldn't post some signs down there advising hunters to be more respectful to the neighbors.

The things I've seen in the past few years drives me nuts. Garbage left everywhere, dozens and dozens of hulls and boxes left on the ground. Shit everywhere...

Covid brought out a lot of new people to the sport which should be a good thing... But there is no excuese for being a) ignorant, b)stupid or c)both. I always say that it's a privilege to be out there and not a right.

With all of this going on, I think it's high time we get organized this season and foster some good will along boundary bay. I've tried to organize cleanups in the past, but it unfortunately didn't get much in the way of traction... would love to try again at the end of this season.

I'm afraid it is not just "us" but the mentality of the newer generation of landowners also comes into play.I used to hunt Delta but now hunt out the valley and the landowners out there that grew up with hunters and hunting are being displaced with the urban newby's who have no idea of past practices.Our own ignorance just adds to the tempest and fuels their fires to ban everything and "not in my yard" mentality.Have had people with the pots and pans banging trying to scare ducks away as well as the dyke walkers who fear for their safety ? The look on one lady's face was priceless when I told her she had more of a chance getting shot in Surrey parking lot than by us rabid hunters. Trying to be calm and spread the message is my only recourse even though we are all bloody savages .:)

Can't control the new landowners or nimbys. But yes having open conversations and demystifying what is happening is what each of us can do. Others are out of control.

But we CAN control our own collective by talking with hunters who are out of bounds and educating them. Starting out, I was given a talking to on a couple occasions - not for being out of bounds - but for etiquette in a very nice way. And I'm sure I'm not alone for identification issues in poor light or because of brain fart. I'm non-confrontational but it is getting to the point of self preservation that I have to make myself do it.

I would hate to raise more boundaries (pun intended) to new hunters but if there are bad ones who are spoiling it for others, we need to do what we can whether it is signs, markers, information campaigns.

I've been a member of Delta, I'm a member of BHA and BCWF. I wonder if the time has come for a waterfowler certificate to be required that takes another course or equivalent over and above the CORE?

The other thing too that we often forget is that public land is shared land. Ask me how I know?

To the 4 Muppets who showed up at 72nd yesterday at high tide in the 60 KM/hour winds with the kite surfing boards, who then decided to surf right at the point between two groups of hunters to the left and right of them, thank you for ruining what should have been a great day on the water for shooting ducks. These guys were clueless!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by deltawaterfowler

The other thing too that we often forget is that public land is shared land. Ask me how I know?

To the 4 Muppets who showed up at 72nd yesterday at high tide in the 60 KM/hour winds with the kite surfing boards, who then decided to surf right at the point between two groups of hunters to the left and right of them, thank you for ruining what should have been a great day on the water for shooting ducks. These guys were clueless!

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I had the same thing happen last year at the same spot. I just kept their location in mind and kept hunting. In fact I had my most productive day for the whole year that day - a whole group of snow geese came in low and slow and I managed to tag 4 from a single ‘flight’. I wasn’t aware that we could take more than 5 in that area, so I stopped hunting for the day - had I been aware of the higher limit for 2-4, I’d have been going home with many more.

Another nail in the coffin….. I hadn’t hunted Brunswick foreshore for some years because of the 150m rule….. public land hunting is unfortunately on the way out……. Now the municipality has posted no parking signs on river road right up to the gate thus eliminating walk in hunts…… such a shame that place held so many fond memories as a kid with my father….. all that gone…. Because of chicken s@&t politicians