Bush Harbour Survey

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We want to hear from our members in regard to the Club’s involvement in a project to develop the Bush Harbour area into a campground. It was brought to our attention from concerned members that the Bush Harbour area is becoming an overused, under-resourced area.

As a result, the Club oversaw a feasibility study to look into how the area has been affected by the increased traffic and use over the years.

The study was done in partnership with Columbia Basin Trust, Recreation Sites & Trails BC and the Columbia Shuswap Regional District. It was jointly funded by the CSRD and CBT.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns that you do not feel are adequately addressed by this survey please reach out to brian@goldenrodandgun.com.  

Another Loss in Kicking Horse Canyon

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Another loss to the Kicking Horse Canyon Bighorn sheep herd was discovered last week, currently, there are 18 animals in the herd. The second largest ram in the herd was found to have perished in the last few weeks. This ram was collared as a part of the GDRGC BHS monitoring project, so locating the deceased ram included the recovery of the GPS collar it had been carrying.

This collar was on the ram since May 2020 and collected nearly 5000 locations. These locations are used to monitor the changes in habitat use in association with Kicking Horse Canyon construction activities and inform future sheep management actions.

Postmortem inspection of the ram and the location it was discovered ruled out predation but was inconclusive on the cause of death for the ram. The last loss to this herd occurred in close proximity to where this ram was discovered. The previous loss was a young ram that was struck by a vehicle on the TransCanada Highway.

PHoto credit: Stephanie Higgins

Meet our Board Members: Dave Burns

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Meet our board member - Dave Burns!

1️⃣ Tell us a little bit about yourself
I’m the owner and lead guide at the Golden Gillie guided fishing service here in Golden. I was a founding member and former president of our local chapter of Trout Unlimited Canada. We have since closed our chapter, but I’m still keen on helping preserve and restore our waters in this area and happy to use my experience to assist the GDRGC in whatever capacity I can.

2️⃣ How long have you been a part of the Golden District Rod & Gun Club?
I’ve been a member of the GDRGC for about 5 years.

3️⃣ What are your favourite outdoor activities?
While fishing is obviously one of my passions in this area, skiing, snowboarding and snowmobiling were what brought me to Golden 22 years ago. From a very young age, my father taught me much about target shooting, hunting, trapping and fishing. During the last 4 years, I’ve been enjoying getting back into target shooting with rifles, shotguns and bows as well as meeting new people at the range.

4️⃣ Why did you want to be a part of the GDRGC Board?
When our local TUC chapter closed with the national rebranding initiative that's underway, I was looking for ways to continue volunteering and help with initiatives that were already started in this area as well as launching new ones. We have such an incredible area here for all forms of outdoor pursuits, that I feel it’s important to do what we can to maintain and improve this area for all things that call it home.

5️⃣ Anything else you'd like to share with our community!
We live in an area that has some of the most pristine natural resources left in the world. I feel that it’s important to do whatever we can to not only keep things as natural as we found them but also to right some of the wrongs that came before us. This may be as simple as picking up some litter instead of walking past it, or as big as monitoring and improving not only the numbers of wild fish and game stocks, but also preserving, protecting, and enhancing their habitats, so that future generations of all species can enjoy this incredible area.

Grizzly Bear Stewardship

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The B.C. Wildlife Federation is responding to the call for feedback on the B.C. Provincial Government’s Grizzly Bear Stewardship Framework Public Engagement. Click the link below to read the full statement.

 

We need your help to ensure a science-based approach to conservation and the return of a well-managed Grizzly Bear hunt.

The Provincial Government is soliciting feedback on its Grizzly Bear Stewardship Framework and the deadline has been extended until September 8th at 4:00pm.

The B.C. Wildlife Federation has drafted a letter that our members can share with their MLAs and relevant ministers, along with any comments of their own. The letter is simple to share - putting in a postcode will automatically address it to the relevant MLA – then just click send. 

 

During this engagement, the Province invites you to learn more about B.C.’s bears and to join the conversation by sharing your thoughts on the draft Grizzly Bear Stewardship Framework.