If I was in charge of the MNR, I would...

[Musky or Specks]

This wont be popular but Basic resident permit $100 then user fees to fish for costly species(fish that rely on stocking for maintaining population)ie salmon,steelhead,grand river etc. Introduce one time tags for species similar to what they use out east for atlantic salmon. These tags would have to be purchased in order to bring home gamefish(not panfish) species.All revenues back into enforcement. Declare the brook trout a threatened species and stop the destruction of southern ontarios coldwater resource by greedy developers who use the OMB to trod roughshod over efforts to stop them from doing just that.

[Guest ThisPlaceSucks]

heavier licence fees, for both residents and non residents... with the money going directly back to the mnr. return of the spring bear hunt. more CO's. less bear wise. closely regulated commercial fishery. and i'd show VOCAL support for the beleaguered forestry industry.

 

also, i'd dispatch an email to Irving-Cougar with the body of said email being:

 

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Edited April 30, 2010 by Dr. Salvelinus

[irishfield]

How about we get rid of licence fees all together .. like the 70's.. and use the high taxes we all pay to fund the protection of our resources.. instead of wasting millions on inquiries into whether an MP and her husband snorted coke and turned tricks! (among other great wastes of the tax payers money)

Edited April 30, 2010 by irishfield

[spincast]

I'd pinch myself and hope I woke up. To be in that level of bureaucracy would mean I was either having a nightmare, or proof that I was wrong about not going to church...

[Musky or Specks]

How about we get rid of licence fees all together .. like the 70's.. and use the high taxes we all pay to fund the protection of our resources.. instead of wasting millions on inquiries into whether an MP and her husband snorted coke and turned tricks! (among other great wastes of the tax payers money)

Because if I was in charge of the MNR it would be my brother-in-law or cousin or good friend who got the 100k a year job doing the "inquiry" keeping relatives and friends of our government employed is were all our tax money goes.

[Terry]

I would implement a rod registry like the gun registry.....just for a money grab oh and it would get the unlicensed rods off the streets

 

and I would lower the limit on rice Lake to 50 from 300

 

 

say hello to the spring bear hunt......

 

and 50 fish limit for bass on some northern lakes where the non native bass are pushing out the walleye

and I would change the name back to pickerel..

 

 

so there...LOL

[Twocoda]

i think i would redefine the term "sanctuary" from a stretch of river (point A to point B ) to a depth of the entire river...say 4 feet or less through out any area of any trib/river be deemed santuary and non fishable during spawning seasons...This will eliminate the rippers of the rivers and if it doesnt the extra cash flow will subsidize the stocking programs

 

i think we are all in agreement of reinstating the spring bear hunt

Edited May 1, 2010 by Twocoda

[danbouck]

I would higher someone who knew what they were doing!

[Michael_Brown]

I would start an educational campaign, educating everyone that no matter what language you speak or colour of your skin, if you live here, you are canadian and have the same rights to fish as everyone else.

 

I would hire a bunch of really smart people like biologists and wildlife enforcement specialists and then listen to their advice and let them do their job.

 

I would eliminate the non-resident conservation license and just have one non-resident license. All canadians would be considered resident.

 

I would increase stumpage and aggregate fees to an acceptable level for utilizing our resources.

 

I would focus on habitat restoration or creation to encourage natural reproduction of native species.

 

I would stop stocking the great lakes...unless the baitfish populations rebound. No sense stocking fish that have nothing to eat.

 

I would invest heavily in youth outdoor recruitment activities. If we don't get them hunting and fishing young then our numbers will continue to fall.

 

I would eliminate most of middle management and increase the field staff.

 

I would stop listening to the rumblings of small interest groups and make decisions based on the resource.

 

I would stop all use of consultants, they waste money to tell you what your staff already know.

 

I would ban the use of the words "splake" or "F1 Backcross" and only stock species able to reproduce if conditions allow.

 

I would introduce and enforce regulations concerning the fish and wildlife imports through the pet trade.

 

I would release several adult bull elk tags to a lottery system draw and use the funds to support the species program. You would have to hunt with a CO as your guide. The CO would be selected by a lottery draw as well. This should improve CO moral and ensure accurate animal selection.

 

I would eliminate the turkey hunting course for new hunters and combine it with the hunter education program.

 

I would sell tags for sturgeon fishing in areas where the population is sustainable. The funds raised would be returned to a restoration program.

 

I would bring back the spring bear hunt.

 

I would replace the deer and turkey tag system. If the population is to be reduced then allow two/three turkeys or deer per hunter for one fee. Instead of selling extra deer for $38.50.

 

I would replace computer answering services with real people.

 

Probably just as well I don't get placed in charge, people fear change.

 

These are just my opinions but I do think that they do a good job with what they have.

 

Funding cuts by every political party who has been in power makes it tough to operate effectively.

Edited May 1, 2010 by Michael Brown

[shane]

Yeah. Ya gotta do something about those pesky bears.

[Fish Farmer]

I'd hire Chronz as head CO.

[walleyejigger]

deem all hunting n fishing illegal for anyone convicted of a crime for a duration of 3 years after your dues have been paid to society, illegal for those on welfare or pogey, illegal for deadbeat dads/moms/............... you get the jist

 

everyone must put in a certain amount of volunteer hours towards outdoor activities before you can renew your licence, the price of your license goes down as your seniority goes up

 

all cormorants will be culled, all "nuisance" bears trapped in northern ontario will be sent to southern ontario(just kidding),

 

spring bear hunt re-introduced

 

moose hunting tag system overhaul

 

have a walleye/pickeral referendum and end it once n for all, (i choose pickeral)

 

all boats under 18' must be tillers

[timmeh]

1. I would create more no kill zones, ie. single barbless hooks, no organic bait, all catch and release. Every major river would have a section designated as the Grand currently has. I would create small sections like this on the larger lakes as well. Prime spawning and juvenile grounds would be targeted for protection.

 

2. A major change to trout limits. Combined limit for all trout in southern ontario would be 3 instead of the current 5. And the individual limits for all trout would be reduced to 2. No one needs 5 brook trout out of fragile streams every weekend.

 

3. Make the conservation license a true conservation license. You have a harvest limit of 0 for all fish. If you'd like to harvest, buy a sportfishing licence.

 

4. Any persons who wish to keep fish regardless of age must have a sportfish licence. If you're under 18 and want to catch and release you may do so freely, however if you chose to harvest you buy the license. Reasoning for this is quite simple; i'm sick of watching families with 1 adult and 9 kids keeping 10 limits of fish with the 1 license they have between them. This is a problem at conservation areas in southern Ontario. If a child is keeping fish it's probably not his choice, his parents are likely telling him to, so they can foot the bill for his license.

[icedude]

heavier licence fees, for both residents and non residents... with the money going directly back to the mnr. return of the spring bear hunt. more CO's. less bear wise. closely regulated commercial fishery. and i'd show VOCAL support for the beleaguered forestry industry.

 

also, i'd dispatch an email to Irving-Cougar with the body of said email being:

 

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

[icedude]

Sorry for the double post--"beleaguered forest industry"

 

agreed--was fortunate to attend the Ontario Forestry Association's 61st Annual Conference in Nottawasaga recently

 

there is a publication--Ontario's Old-Forest Forests-A Guidebook Complete with History,Ecology and Maps by Michael Henry and Peter Quinby-Fitzhenry and Whitside--ISBN 978-1-55041-580-3

 

good read if you are passionate about the topic--highly recemmended

 

Bear Hut--YES

 

Cheers

 

ID1

[bigfish1965]

• Increase base license fee to $40 per year and abolish conservation license. Licenses would be the same for resident and non-residents.
• Introduce tags for trout/salmon and for musky ($10 per tag) to increase funding for stocking each.
• Use increased revenue to add 50 new CO's and 200 deputy CO's and 25 biologists.
• Decrease sunfish limits to 275 in zone 17....just to get me name in the paper.
• Give New York State as many Quinte strain walleye eggs as they want to prevent them from using Erie strain as they are doing now to stock Lake Ontario.
• Enter into agreements with adjoining states allowing licenses to be valid in each others jurisdiction,
• Pressure federal government to buy out native netting rights and buy out commercial licenses on Lake Erie.
• Allow all college and university students to use current student ID in lieu of license.
• Create 40 HP and under zones as well as electric only zones.
• Increase fines to municipalities who impede with angling or restrict angling opportunities.
• Introduce "Assumed Risk" laws releasing all land owners of responsibility for angling injuries/deaths except in cases of negligence or malice.
• Enter into agreements with US states restricting great lakes diversion

[Roy]

Rick, that platform would make you a shoo-in for minister of natural resources if it were not for the lowering of zone 17's sunfish limits to 275. That is far too radical, Richard. The mere suggestion would pigeon hole you as a raving lunatic.

 

Incidently, I didn't know that NY was using Erie strains in Lake O. In fact, it didn't even occur to me that there was a difference.

[Michael_Brown]

"Decrease sunfish limits to 275 in zone 17....just to get me name in the paper."

 

 

 

A pure publicity stunt to gain votes with the 1.4 million anglers in the province. Votes in the Rice Lake area would drop by 3 or 4.

Edited May 1, 2010 by Michael Brown

[GBW]

post poachers pic's on the site so they can be "watched" and deterred from doing it again.

[Beans]

 Step down after putting Wil Wegman in charge...then we would at least have someone in charge that knows which end of a fishing rod/rifle to point...instead of some appointed twit that has never fished or hunted...  

[bigfish1965]

Rick, that platform would make you a shoo-in for minister of natural resources if it were not for the lowering of zone 17's sunfish limits to 275. That is far too radical, Richard. The mere suggestion would pigeon hole you as a raving lunatic.

 

Incidently, I didn't know that NY was using Erie strains in Lake O. In fact, it didn't even occur to me that there was a difference.

 

The Lake Erie fish is a more prolific spawner but does not reach the size of the Quinte strain. I am starting to see Erie fish here..you can tell the difference by the hump that the Quinte fish get.

Those stocking NY side for some reason have been using Erie fish. Since it is a shared waterway, it is in our best interest to maintain the current natural strain. Giving them the eggs they need is a small sacrifice on out part.

[capt_hooked]

Good post here...!

 

I agreed with Rick O. License fees should be the same for both resident and non-resident. We want to encourage Americans to come up here and spend their money in our Country. My experience is that most Americans appreciate our natural resources and are less likely to abuse these resources than some of our own residents.

 

The monies raised by fishing license sells were intended to be used for management on the fisheries. The fact is that these monies are being used for MNR employee salaries and retirement funds. We need to insure that fishing license money is dedicated to fishery management.

 

I would strongly encourage re-stocking programs.

 

I hope that there are some MNR area managers reading this post! It would do them good. There are some great ideas here.

 

As for the spring bear hunt: I take offence that we all agreed on this issue. I would question the validity of "baiting" bears as a true hunt! This is not hunting. This is shooting a bear that is coming for his nightly dinner that has been set out for him for the last 2 weeks. The whole thing is orchestrated. And I am suspicious that most people's view in this subject is tainted by a fear of bears. (I know I will be in trouble for this one!)

 

Cormorants are ugly!

 

 

the cap't

[Terry]

I don't hunt bear, because I don't like the taste..

but I do think we need more culling of bears..we need the numbers lowered

 

I have never baited for bear and I can see how it bothers some, but do you bait for fish, whether live bait or artificial you are baiting for fish

 

if you hunt deer in a orchard is that not the same as baiting

 

if you hunt moose where they have recently cut down trees and have piles of branches is that not the same

 

you hunt turkey in the mrning so when they come out of the trees to eat you can shoot them , is calling them in with a turkey call not baiting them..

 

waiting for a bear to reach up to get the bait may not be the most sporting way of hunting, but in the end dead is dead

[icedude]

Gerritt... I like the way you think!

HH

 

that makes at least 3 of us HH

 

sure--they're reading this--so i am led to

 

BELIEVE!

 

great thread!

 

thanks OFC'ers

 

Paul

[Oggie]

Restore the MNR services to MNR counters and dump Service Ontario. Pay the land claims for the First Nations and then level the playing field such that their is one law for everyone. Purchase the commercial netting licenses for all of Ontario once you've settled the Land Claims.

 

Restore the spring bear hunt (and I don't even bear hunt). I wasn't big on baiting bears either until I got educated on the subject. It helps the hunter determine the sex and the size of the bear.

 

I'd make Mike Brown the Minister!

 

oggie