BC Upland Bird Hunting Club

[Chukarman]

Hi everybody,

As you all know, we don't have a organized club dedicated to upland bird hunters in BC. I've been flirting with this idea of setting up a private club dedicated to this sport. I wanna know what you folks think of this idea and perhaps if there are any interests out there among us, why shouldn't we have one! A private Upland Bird Hunting Club of BC with all the bells and whistles... Cheers!

[835]

Where might this club be based?
it sounds interesting.

[Chukarman]

The whole purpose of having a club is for the folks to meet each other & to share ideas, experiences, tips and stories, etc... So what we could do, is to contact one of the shooting clubs such as Vancouver Gun Club and reserve a day or an evening for everyone to hang around.
I know that we basically do the same thing here online, but how many of us have met or gone hunting together? Not too many if there is any.
Since I'm living in Vancouver, I was thinking somewhere in lower mainland.

[BimmerBob]

What a great idea Chukarman! I wish you the best of success.

[Amphibious]

i'm game! can't say I'd participate much, my work schedule keeps me out of town/country a lot - but I'd take out a membership!

[Timber-hunt]

sounds good im in,I'm in Langley

[835]

Well id love to but there is an ocean between us!

[Chukarman]

835 - You guys got a amazing hunting club on the island. I gotta tell you brother, if only we could have the similar thing here in the lower mainland. I don't know if you know this place, but here's the link. Cheers!
http://www.hvccbirdhunting.ca/

[835]

I have hunted there twice. But I have not the money to join. And I live in Victoria it is in Parksville. Club to me is an organization that you pay smaller dues to and find a feild to fix up or river to clean or things like that to do. Put on events for kids etc.

I would love to join the HVCC but i just cant pay what they want...... yet! just need to pay for the truck!

[slyfox]

Sounds like fun i would be in.

[Marc]

To tell you the truth I'm not a big fan of the idea. It's hard enough to try and find a place to hunt without clubs leasing up all the farms in the area for an inclusive group of people who have the extra money to toss around. I've heard of outfitters doing the same to the point where the local guys have to travel out of town to do some bird shooting.

Nothing wrong with a bunch of guys getting together for a shoot or shooting on a pheasant preserve for raised birds (one farm and not the whole region), but I'm not in favour of organizations who lease up a bunch of land for themselves and the less fortunates hunt only on public land because of it.

Just one mans opinion but it's mine.:mrgreen:

Marc.

[Amphibious]

Club to me is an organization that you pay smaller dues to and find a field to fix up or river to clean or things like that to do. Put on events for kids etc.



+1

Is this idea (the original post) a private country club kinda club or a BCWF or RMEF, etc type club. interested in the latter.

[Chukarman]

MARC -
I completely understand your argument and respect it truly. Like you said, there are almost no public land left to hunt around the lower mainland, because of ...
However, I don't solely blame it on the private hunting clubs or the outfitters for this problem.
How about real estate developers and big corporations who took over the farmlands and private lands around Delta, Richmond and Langley?
No matter who's responsible in this case, I'm trying to get a good hunt every year from whatever I can get. I just can't be passive about the whole thing and do nothing besides driving out of town to get a descent place to hunt.
Let's brain storm and see what we could do to come up with something that it works for everybody.
Hunting in a private land full of released birds with your friends is an opportunity that I personally don't wanna miss. [but I hear you!]

[bandit]

You have to remember... outside of North America the concept of hunting on public land is unheard of (because there isnt any!)

[dougster]

that would be awesome, but im in kamloops

[britman101]

Sounds like a good idea. I'd be up for it.

[rburm]

im definitely interested, the more i can learn from the veterans the better. Im new to hunting, and don't have many friends locally that are into the birds, i however have the bug!

i had the chance to hunt in Calgary at a private ranch, and also in S. Dakota, both for pheasants...i'm hooked, bought a bunch of gear, ordered a dog...don't know how my wife puts up with me:confused: Now i need to feed the addiction with like minded addicts:mrgreen: i think this would be a great way to attract young/new hunters

[Sunny]

good idea count me on

[Padron]

I would certainly be interested in hearing more as this develops. Keep me in the loop.

[buck nash]

Yep. I'd be into it. I'm especially interested in learnig to train dogs. I used to chase coon hounds when I was a kid and thought it was a blast. It sure ups the pace of hunting.

[LabBoy]

There is the AWP (aasociated wildlife preserve) operating in the lower mainland and fraser valley. They release pheasants and most of the grounds that they lease also allow goose/duck shooting (setting up blinds putting out decoys). It's not really so much a "club" as a group of sportsmen who have come together to organize access to properties and to purchase/release pheasants.

On the island we have the HVCC (Hidden Valley Conservation Club). It's a waterfowl/upland club (pheasants & chukar) that's been around for many years. The main problem has been access to suitable properties to lease. Much of the east island has been developed into subdivisions/malls over the past decade and municipalities have subsequently expanded their "no shooting" areas to incorporate a number of the former leases or at least made them too unsafe/unpopular to continue.

More recently, the provincial govt allowed the timber companies to sell off tree farm licences for development, so the urbanization of the east and south island is only going to get worse.

There are some private shooting operations in BC and Alberta that are pretty decent.

There is a fairly big bird raiser in Clearbrook who could provide thousands of pheasants & chukar.

I would be interested in getting together to discuss the possibility of forming such a club. It could be a good thing for dog trainers wanting to bring on pups or keep their dog's skills up during the off season. Also, as the population ages, there are more and more old timers with trick knees and tricky tickers who still want to shoot but who can't physically hump it up and down the hillsides for blue grouse any more.

It would be interesting to hear what the Ministry would have to say about such a proposal? They are usually not too keen on the release of nonindigenous species and seem overly concerned about hunters having game birds in their possession outside of the legal season for "wild" birds.

[rburm]

Do you have contact info to the AWP on the lower mainland.

[Sasquatch]

I'd be interesting in taking part. Even if it is just social events to meet other dog owners and bird hunters.

[zaconb]

Sounds great I'm In!

[dennisb370]

I`d be game.I grew up hunting birds and really miss the fun of bird hunting.

[slyfox]

Let,s do this.

[LabBoy]

I'm afraid that I don't have any current contact info for the AWP. I'll bet that the Mission Fish and Game folks could help you.

[bc sportsman]

Would be very interested.

[Hunting4Life]

im a minor but im always lookin for ppl to hunt with (18+ y/o)

[700bdl]

Sounds interesting.

[mijinkal]

I'd be interested in doing this. PM me if you need any help getting the ball rolling. I could raise a few birds at my place, but no shooting in Langley

[rburm]

how do we get this rolling? anybody have any experience with this? id like to help but how??

[solanderdog]

Count me in too.

[stever]

sounds interesting count me in

[pnbrock]

I'm in swell , let me know what I could do to help.

[hoochie]

sounds interesting, i'll keep checking back on this one.

[bandit]

how do we get this rolling? anybody have any experience with this? id like to help but how??

Raising birds is relatively easy as long as people are willing to put the time in to check the feed etc. Building the pens might be a bit of hard work though. I used to shoot on an old turkey farm in the UK, they had all the rearing equipment already set up!

[rburm]

Raising birds is relatively easy as long as people are willing to put the time in to check the feed etc. Building the pens might be a bit of hard work though. I used to shoot on an old turkey farm in the UK, they had all the rearing equipment already set up!

agreed raising birds would not be the difficult part. convincing land owners to allow groups to hunt their land and release birds onto to it would be the difficult part, but still needs to be explored.

as an alternative, organizing a large group of people to band together, put in coin to fund a large land purchase, and create a hunting preserve, would be the difficult part, to organize, administer, and operate.

i have been on a private pheasant ranch in alberta, How they operate it, is all the owners pony up a "membership" fee, this entitles them to shares in the property. Their yearly fee pays for a caretaker. The caretaker looks after the raising of their own pheasants, and releases them the day of a member booking in a hunt. Birds are paid for on the day of the hunt.

is this what people are interested in? if so i guess the next step would be to arrange a time and place to meet, to discuss options.

i for one am interested.

thoughts???

[bandit]

Im keen. Not quite sure how *sporting* it is to shoot birds that were released the same day though?

How much land you figure we need as a mininmum - sure it depends on terrain etc but 50 acres? 100?

[rburm]

im not sure. i would think that a couple hundred acres would be adequate to support several hunting parties at once.

in alberta we hunted 4 guys, 2 dogs, 12 birds released 4 hours prior to our arrival, over an area of 20 acres. in a 4 hour period, we managed to find 8 of them. i agree hunting birds released same day may not be the most sporting, but that can be adjusted according to members agreement

on the same day 6 other hunting parties were hunting different areas of the preserve, and we didn't see them until we were back at the lodge for a beer and a cigar.

i dont want to come across as someone who has all the answers or knows it all because i definitely do not.

but with the right setup, and group of people this could be a lot of fun....why have a golf membershit, when you can go shoot some birds!!!

[Bobby Jr]

Sounds interesting.

I'd be more in it for the social aspect and meeting new hunting partners.

I like to hike so I'd rather just have dates where people get together for the weekend for a hunt. But, if someone is willing to organize land and people...I'd be in for that as well.

[Hunt Time]

what a great idea. i just moved to the Fraser Valley from Ont. and i am looking for a spot for my britainy and I to do some upland hunting. I would appreciate any info as i have not met any upland bird hunters since i got to BC. Thanks