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MNR rant


wantabigone

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As I mentioned before the bigger threat in the Kawarthas is habitat destruction NOT OVER HARVESTING-thats why your not getting stopped. CO's are checking out compliance issues with construction etc As anglers its irksome and is optically bad but as someone who's seen entire fisheries wiped out due to habitat destruction I'd rather the few dollars MNR has in Southern Ontario be spent on this. Poachers suck but you gotta choose your battles.

Sorry, I can't agee 100% with you. Over harvesting is an issue in the kawarthas as well as habitat destruction and if the MNR's main focus is habitat, they are not doing very well with that. You just have to drive around the lakes and see how many huge homes are being built while sanitizing their waterfront with poured concrete or large limestone rock. How do they get away with that? Is it the almight buck that buys their way past building codes? Just my opinion and thoughts though.

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I think I am 10 checks for 10 visits to Lake Nipissing in my boats I haul up from Virginia. They have always been polite asked me how my vacation is going and then a check for license and equipment and any fish in the boat. I keep one or two pike for the fish fry but other than that they all go back into the water. Most of the fishing I do is in resort areas so I try to leave as many good fish for the next vacationer to catch as I can. The lodge owner appreciate it and it keeps us going back year after year.

 

 

Art

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I think I am 10 checks for 10 visits to Lake Nipissing in my boats I haul up from Virginia. They have always been polite asked me how my vacation is going and then a check for license and equipment and any fish in the boat. I keep one or two pike for the fish fry but other than that they all go back into the water. Most of the fishing I do is in resort areas so I try to leave as many good fish for the next vacationer to catch as I can. The lodge owner appreciate it and it keeps us going back year after year.

 

 

Art

That's a good way to look at it Art.

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Just like that other $4700 in fines Weekend Blitz a while back that cost many times more to pull off. Valiant effort but a complete joke if you ask me. Impossible to control cause there are more of us than there are of them. Simple math.

 

Fired an email off to Charles Sousa (Liebel-erals) with a proposal for funding the MNR along with some choice words on how that corrupt band of theiving asses at the legislature he breaks bread with should be ashamed of themselves for how they have gutted Ontario and will have to pay the piper on the next go around simply considering the fact that as anglers and hunters we are Millions strong and span the demographic spectrum.

 

 

Proposal? All monies collected from fiahing and hunting licences as well as a potion of tax tied to all things related to both sports be used solely for the MNR instead of a slush fund for bribes and gifts and other useless ventures they are well known for. Simple enough right?

 

 

Their response? Same old song and thank you for voicing your concern dance. Can't wait to see to see if they burn in the same infernal hell the Federal Reds are mired in right now. Stay tuned.

Edited by moxie
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Guest ThisPlaceSucks

email david orazietti... he is my local mpp and just happens to be the minister of natural resources... although i would expect a bunch of canned responses from him as well...

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Sorry, I can't agee 100% with you. Over harvesting is an issue in the kawarthas as well as habitat destruction and if the MNR's main focus is habitat, they are not doing very well with that. You just have to drive around the lakes and see how many huge homes are being built while sanitizing their waterfront with poured concrete or large limestone rock. How do they get away with that? Is it the almight buck that buys their way past building codes? Just my opinion and thoughts though.

I didn't say it wasn't a concern I said it wasn't a priority with the limited funds available. They have a ministry approved permit to do that building and that's what the CO's are doing is making sure that things are built the way that's been approved. I've said enough now, its like discussing C&R and slot limits at a public meeting some people will just never grasp the importance of how a fishery actually works and how they feel it should be done

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Yes, we were checked when we were finishing shore lunch just across from the entrance to the West End on Wabakimi couple years ago.

Bright yellow plane dropped in on us and 4 boats in that little bay at the shore lunch rock there was not much room for the plane. Pilot brings it in though next to my boat. The passenger officer hops out in my boat and the wind catches the plane just so swinging it around almost shredding the officer. I had a direct look and no more than 4 inches from his shoulder. Even the pilot cringed.

 

He checked for license, life jackets, boat safety kits, but mainly was alcohol check. He serched our coolers and looking to fine 100.00$ a beer. Heard he got the party in Granite for a big fine. He lectured us that they are tired of us (American's) getting drunk and eluded to either rescuing or hauling out 3 dead fisherman from these outpost camps. He definately came to hassle. He lectured us not to "party fish" or keeping fish on another's license. Anyway, he had nothin on us so time to leave. I think he was a bit sheepish about being gull chow with the planes prop he couldn't get out of there fast enough. He had me go in my boat with him to pull the plane out of the little bay. I really felt a need to talk to this guy 1 on 1 anyway. I told him that we respect this lake and love this lake, we had a memorial service for my father on that rock, would never consider sinking a beer can, consider this lake as own personal fishery(always killing only 18's and under for lunches and take-homers). I think he heard me. Wish that he would know what happened on the last day when my boys put out the potential forest fire at the outlet.
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I have always held the notion that most people act and behave in the way which they are lead.

 

I believe most COs are good people too...sometimes some appear to have a chip on their shoulder but generally they are performing the job as they are instructed. It's easy to be armchair quarterback and describe how we would call the strategy and play but we are not them and working in their shoes or working conditions.

 

When confronted by COs (which is rare), I cut them some slack. I have nothing to be concerned over as I am within regulations. We generally thoroughly enjoy our conversations.

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funny conversation with my local CO at the cottage-

 

great guy, just doing his job, I like to hear his stories

 

 

 

ice fishing, Saturday,10 am I have a beer in my hand

 

CO- "I'm getting u and your brother mixed up, same floater suit and you guys look alike"

Me- "Yeah, I've heard that"

CO looks in the sled behind my snowmobile, there's empty beer cans

Me-"I didn't have those 15 beers this morning, they're from previous trips"

CO-"ok"

 

small talk, blah blah blah

 

CO- "have a good day Chris, oh yeah, you might want to empty the beer cans out your sled after each trip"

 

 

there's bum holes in every profession, everybody has a job to do, this Minden CO is ok in my books

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This is the first year I have not been stopped in my life !!!! So far this year I have fished 15 different lakes and spent hundreds of hours on the water !!! But in other years I have been stopped many times in a season by both the opp and the MNR !!!! But they are there and doing what they can with the manpower they have !!! We need more of them for sure !!! They could hire a few to just patrol the dams in FMZ 17 and it would pay for all the new officers in no time at all !! It's a joke really .....

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Down South they are known as DNR or department of natural resources. For years we had a club on the river that we could set up picnics and etc to make it a real comfortable place for the summer. The DNR would swing by to talk and check a few of the jet skis or boats on the launch. As time went on they started to tell a few of us in the club when they saw someone in the jetski community break a rule and ask us to make it stop before they had to write tickets. This was the turning point where we all respected and understood each other. They would come over when ever they wanted and food and drink were always offered to them no matter who was down at the club. Don't get me wrong they did have a job and they did do there job when needed and wrote tickets to some of the club members when we got stupid but it never felt like they had a grudge. Time passed and three years later they got reassigned and the next DNR crew rolled in and started off with a meeting with the club to assure us that things would remain the same. The good news was the old officers bought jetskis and joined the club. Uniformed or not if you take time to see the person you will find usually they are just as nice as you are to them.

 

 

Art

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We didn't get checked this year up at Elk Lake; didn't even see any form of MNR on the water or the roads?

Asked the lodge owner what was up with that, considering there were so many people fishing this section of the river? He said that the CO that was stationed in/for the area had retired and had not been replaced yet and he didn't know whether they were getting another CO dedicated to just that area? He went on to say that it's been a free for all for the local poachers and he had the tips line # programmed in his cel; but even if a CO shows, it's hours/days after the fact. I guess that the Elk Lake area was spit up into the surrounding areas of other COs territories?

Hidden cut back that very few ever hear about.

 

I had the displeasure of meeting the retired CO a number of years ago; what a miserable dude (not my wording)

We were at Horseshoe Island Camp; it was about noon - 1pm and we had just finished cleaning our mornings catch that we were having for supper that night.

Sitting on the deck, we see a MNR boat with 2 COs in, pulling into our dock. The one guy (The now retired CO) jumps out and heads to the cottage, just short of running; while the other CO ties up the boat.

The old CO tells us he's here to search the cottage and if there's anything we're hiding to tell him now. I said go ahead all you're going to find is tonight's supper. This guy went nuts inside the cottage; flipped beds, emptied suitcases; he even looked inside the wood stove and sent the young CO under the cottage looking for fish.

When he was done, he walked out to the deck were we were all sitting with the plate of fillets from the fridge. He drops it on the table and says I knew I'd catch you guys for something. I said what are you talking about; we're well within our limit for six guys.

Improperly packaged fish there's no skin left on he says.

That's our supper???

The only way I would believe that is if the frying pan was on the stove and the butter was hot.

He wrote the 4 adults up with a $75.00 fine each and confiscated the fish.

What caused him to do this and center us out, I'm not sure; but he went over to the cottage next door and shock the hand of one of the guys staying there.

These guys were having a hard time finding fish and we weren't telling them where and how we were. So I think when they saw us with stringers of fish every day, some sour grapes set in and they made the call?

Yes we're meat fishers for one week a year; while on our fishing trip together and we only bring in what we can eat that day.

So yea I'm a bit gun shy when I see a CO; but I wait until he starts to speak to me before I make my mind up as to whether he's an "A" hole or not.

Sorry for the novel; but this still gets me boiling when I think of this CO on his power trip; glad he's retired!

 

Dan.

Edited by DanD
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We didn't get checked this year up at Elk Lake; didn't even see any form of MNR on the water or the roads?

Asked the lodge owner what was up with that, considering there were so many people fishing this section of the river? He said that the CO that was stationed in/for the area had retired and had not been replaced yet and he didn't know whether they were getting another CO dedicated to just that area? He went on to say that it's been a free for all for the local poachers and he had the tips line # programmed in his cel; but even if a CO shows, it's hours/days after the fact. I guess that the Elk Lake area was spit up into the surrounding areas of other COs territories?

Hidden cut back that very few ever hear about.

 

I had the displeasure of meeting the retired CO a number of years ago; what a miserable dude (not my wording)

We were at Horseshoe Island Camp; it was about noon - 1pm and we had just finished cleaning our mornings catch that we were having for supper that night.

Sitting on the deck, we see a MNR boat with 2 COs in, pulling into our dock. The one guy (The now retired CO) jumps out and heads to the cottage, just short of running; while the other CO ties up the boat.

The old CO tells us he's here to search the cottage and if there's anything we're hiding to tell him now. I said go ahead all you're going to find is tonight's supper. This guy went nuts inside the cottage; flipped beds, emptied suitcases; he even looked inside the wood stove and sent the young CO under the cottage looking for fish.

When he was done, he walked out to the deck were we were all sitting with the plate of fillets from the fridge. He drops it on the table and says I knew I'd catch you guys for something. I said what are you talking about; we're well within our limit for six guys.

Improperly packaged fish there's no skin left on he says.

That's our supper???

The only way I would believe that is if the frying pan was on the stove and the butter was hot.

He wrote the 4 adults up with a $75.00 fine each and confiscated the fish.

What caused him to do this and center us out, I'm not sure; but he went over to the cottage next door and shock the hand of one of the guys staying there.

These guys were having a hard time finding fish and we weren't telling them where and how we were. So I think when they saw us with stringers of fish every day, some sour grapes set in and they made the call?

Yes we're meat fishers for one week a year; while on our fishing trip together and we only bring in what we can eat that day.

So yea I'm a bit gun shy when I see a CO; but I wait until he starts to speak to me before I make my mind up as to whether he's an "A" hole or not.

Sorry for the novel; but this still gets me boiling when I think of this CO on his power trip; glad he's retired!

 

Dan.

Did you fight the tickets?

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I didn't say it wasn't a concern I said it wasn't a priority with the limited funds available. They have a ministry approved permit to do that building and that's what the CO's are doing is making sure that things are built the way that's been approved. I've said enough now, its like discussing C&R and slot limits at a public meeting some people will just never grasp the importance of how a fishery actually works and how they feel it should be done

Just my opinions and thoughts. Don't want to get into a battle of words with anyone. We all know there are issues, I just see it differently.

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Did you fight the tickets?

No because we didn't have anything to fight; we were in the wrong, for not leaving stored fish identifiable with the piece of skin.

He was also on a mission to show the young CO (Trainee?); that he could do as he pleased, as long as he stayed on the right side of the badge. Another CO maybe would have let it go, considering we told him that the fish was in the fridge for our supper; but who knows?

 

Dan.

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No because we didn't have anything to fight; we were in the wrong, for not leaving stored fish identifiable with the piece of skin.

He was also on a mission to show the young CO (Trainee?); that he could do as he pleased, as long as he stayed on the right side of the badge. Another CO maybe would have let it go, considering we told him that the fish was in the fridge for our supper; but who knows?

 

Dan.

 

 

Should have fought it anyhow... A judge would have tossed that one out of court in no time, especially when there are 4 of you saying the exact same thing.

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Maybe so; but that would have meant driving (8+hours) back up to the Matachewan area for the court date. That's 4 guys wages, food and gas; to fight a charge where we were guilty; no we just paid and were done with it.

 

Dan.

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Maybe so; but that would have meant driving (8+hours) back up to the Matachewan area for the court date. That's 4 guys wages, food and gas; to fight a charge where we were guilty; no we just paid and were done with it.

 

Dan.

I can't see how you're guilty (when are you supposed to take the skin off? Right before it hits the oil), but I understand not driving back to fight it and they probably figure that you won't go back to fight it either.

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