Spruce City Wildlife Association: No Need to Move Bowhunting Outside City Limits
Prince George, B.C. – There’s no need to move bowhunting outside Prince George city limits.
That from Jim Glaicar, president of the Spruce City Wildlife Association, in response to recent fears raised by city councillor Brian Skakun.
Skakun told 250News yesterday (Saturday) bowhunting presents a safety concern and that he raised the issue with city administration earlier this year.
He also mentioned an unconfirmed report of a deer seen in the Westgate area running around with an arrow stuck in its shoulder blade this weekend.
Skakun said he was not only concerned for the deer but also that an errant arrow could strike a human.
“If there was an errant arrow and it did hurt someone the potential is there. It may be small but there is the potential.”
However Glaicar dismissed that concern this morning.
“To the best of our knowledge and information there’s been no instances of a safety issue arising from residents of Prince George bowhunting within city limits,” he said.
“To drive residents of Prince George further out to conduct that activity I believe is irresponsible,” said Glaicar.
And while he admitted bowhunting is “quickly growing” in popularity, Glaicar also said bowhunters must be licensed and follow the ethics and morals of the sport.
“They’ve taken 24 hours of training (usually completed in 3-4 days) on how to do this, which is far greater than a lot of other recreational users out there.”
Further, he believes Skakun is “creating an issue when there is none.”
Glaicar says the group will be meeting with Prince George Mayor Lyn Hall to discuss the issue further Friday.
“Spruce City Wildlife will take a strong stance on defending the rights of all individuals to conduct any activities that are legal within city limits.”
Comments
Yup and my buddies crossbow will go right through a car door.
Makes a lot of cense to allow hunting in city limits.
I am a hunter and I so agree with Brian …bows now shoot longer faster then they used to and cross bows are deadly….the time has come to stop this….
the libs conned a word for this its called fear mongering
A bow is gonna go 100 yards tops— Its not like there hunting in the subdivisions?? I never want to see a wounded animal suffer and who ever hit it, hopefully made every effort to track it down but that Deer could have wandered for Miles
Posted on Sunday, November 15, 2015 @ 1:05 PM by doneright with a score of 3
Yup and my buddies crossbow will go right through a car door.
Makes a lot of cense to allow hunting in city limits.
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Yup and a car will go right through a building. Makes a lot of sense to allow driving in city limits.
Posted on Sunday, November 15, 2015 @ 1:13 PM by prov2 with a score of 5
I am a hunter and I so agree with Brian …bows now shoot longer faster then they used to and cross bows are deadly….the time has come to stop this….
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Crossbows are deadly? There are many things used by many on a daily basis in town that are deadly. Lets ban all those things as well. How about we just ban people. You realize an inanimate object can’t kill right?
Brian’s FB is full of cute and cuddly wildlife photos. He is obviously not a hunter and is using his position to save the animals.
A guy in Peterborough Ontario was killed this year by an errant arrow. They now sell high powered cross bows at the Huskey gas station with no background checks and to children.
I was walking a trail near the river in city limits last year and come across a guy in a tree stand bow hunting being aggressive because I was in ‘his’ hunting area. I walked that trail for years and always seen wildlife, but haven’t seen any for over a year now.
I don’t agree with bow hunting near parks, trails, or along river trails, and especially not near homes. The thing about bow hunting is it makes no sound so is a silent killer and one never knows when someone is firing those off in the bush.
Background checks to purchase a crossbow Eagleone? Come on now. Your car is more dangerous than an arrow in flight.
Says the ex bear feeder!
You idiots should go after our air next. I hear it’s pretty deadly too.
Dumbfounded; no one likes trolls…. just saying. As for hunting within city limits (I hunt btw); stupidity; just plain stupidity.
I suppose if we ban it in the City (122 sq miles) then the next step is to ban it in the Regional District 19,723 sq miles. We could then move on to ban it through out the Province, and eventually in all of Canada including the Artic.
This type of reaction to a single incident is beyond belief.
There was no incident…just heresay from an anti hunter city councillor. The funny thing is the vast majority of people had no idea there were a few bow hunters out within the city limits for a few months each fall.
IF this is a persons recreation, I don’t have a problem with that. I don’t harass someone for acting out in their form of stress relief even if its hunting for the olive in the bottom of their martini glass.
I didn’t even know we were allowed to hunt in city limits, woo hoo, and I thought I had to just WATCH those deer walk through my yard while I craved venison. Me and my bow have a date with a deer tomorrow.
There is nothing wrong with responsible bowhunting within city limits. It has been a popular activity here for decades without any problem. It should not be confused with poaching or illegal activities. Since amalgamation Prince George encompasses a huge amount of wilderness territory that is included in “city limits, and this territory, while not open to discharge of firearms, or hunting with firearms, is certainly open to hunting with bows. See the Hunting Regulations Synopsis in the current issue, page 13. Provincial No hunting area rules preclude what most people are concerned about, that is, bow hunters are most certainly not hunting in residential areas. Bow hunting is a perfectly safe and responsible activity that should be continued. In many municipalities, there is a great deal of trouble with urban deer populations and the quickest way to make that a bigger problem than it already is, would be to ban bow hunting in city limits. Banning bowhunting would result in increased negative interactions between people and wildlife, and additional problems, including traffic accidents, with deer in gardens and in residential areas. We would also see additional negative interactions with predator populations. Hunting helps to limit those problems and it is an important part of responsbile conservation.
No hunting areas
It is unlawful to hunt or discharge a
firearm within 100 metres of a church,
school building, school yard, playground,
regional district park, dwelling house, or farm
or ranch building that is occupied by persons
or domestic animals. Owners and occupiers
or their employees or agents are exempted
near dwelling houses or farm or ranch buildings
for the purpose of slaughtering livestock.
No Shooting areas
It is unlawful to discharge a firearm in a
No Shooting Area (see Definitions section).
No Shooting Areas as prescribed under the
Wildlife Act are open to the use of bows
(including crossbows) unless specifically
restricted (see regional sections).
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