Wildlife Association Head, City Councillor Square Off
Prince George, B.C. – The President of the Spruce City Wildlife Association has spoken out against a Prince George City Councillor for raising fears about the safety of bow hunting within city limits.
SCWA President Jim Glaicar directed his comments to Councillor Brian Skakun during the association’s annual Wild Game Dinner and Fundraising Banquet at the Civic Centre Saturday night as two of Skakun’s council colleagues, Jillian Merrick and Susan Scott, sat in the audience.
Skakun has voiced concerns about bow hunting within city limits, stating in a 250 News article last November that “it has been a concern of mine and for a number of people in the community because it is a safety issue even though it’s legal.” He has expressed concerns about the possibility of a person being shot accidentally, saying “if there was an errant arrow and it did hurt someone the potential is there. It may be small but there is the potential.”
At Saturday night’s banquet Glaicar noted that people who engage in outdoor activities are “acutely aware” that they have to protect not only wildlife and habitat, but also the right of everyone to enjoy the outdoors “in a safe and responsible manner.” But he added that the way of life of some has been challenged by Skakun.
“He appears to have a personal agenda opposed to legal hunting activities,” says Glaicar “and is using his council position to lobby against legal hunting activities. More specifically, Councillor Skakun has taken issue with bow hunting within Prince George City Limits.” He said he was pleased to see Councillors Merrick and Scott on hand because “it is a sign of community leaders who are willing to listen and engage.” He added, “it is unfortunate that Councillor Skakun declined our invitation to attend.” Skakun tells 250 News that he had previously made other plans for Saturday night.
Glaicar noted that the City limits encompass 320 square kilometres and a population of 72,000. He also stated that there has never been a hunting-related accident in B.C. that involved bow hunting.
He says “Spruce City Wildlife recognizes the rights of all people to enjoy the outdoors in a safe and respectful manner. We are currently working with Silvertip Archers, the Prince George Rod and Gun Club and other likeminded stakeholders to develop a mapping system to ensure that all residents can safely enjoy the outdoors. This proposal will be taken to our city councillors for their review and support.”
Glaicar says “our way of life for decades in the north has been to spend time with our children, families and friends in the outdoors, through hiking, hunting, fishing, quading, horseback riding or other means. Our activities provide healthy organic meat, education and strong family ties while connecting us with the land. This is not something we simply do, this is who we are.”
He called on those in the audience “to ensure your voices are heard by the small minority of people who would take these opportunities away from our future generations.”
Councillor Skakun gives 250 News this reply to Glaicar’s comments:
“His accusation about me being opposed to legal hunting is untrue and uncalled for. I will also say I have guns, a Possession Only Permit and have had a Hunter number for over 35 years. I have never stated I am opposed to hunting other than bow hunting within City limits.”
Skakun continues “for him to go after me last night as he did was not a good move in my opinion since he has had many opportunities to call or email me, especially since City Council had already referred this issue to Administration for follow-up 3 months ago. That follow-up was to Administration for a report back, clarifying the defined boundaries for bow hunting within City limits, including trails and private property.”
“On November 19th (2015) I wrote SCWA to express my concerns about recent comments directed my way regarding Bow Hunting within City Limits. I also at the time expressed a willingness to meet Jim Glaicar, he responded and said he would meet me. I offered again to meet him to discuss these issues Dec 30th, 2015. He did not respond to my questions or request to meet.”
“This issue,” says Skakun “has gotten very personal and ugly in my opinion and that is unfortunate to say the least. I have not tabled any motions at City Council to ban bow hunting in City Limits and have lots of feedback, both for and against Bow Hunting in City Limits. If I wanted to pursue this issue and ban Bow Hunting in City Limits I would have brought a motion to City Council to try and get support for a ban a couple of years ago.”
Skakun concludes “if they want to come to City Council to make some recommendations regarding Bow Hunting in City limits I welcome that discussion as some of that work they are looking at is underway as we speak.”
Comments
I am not in favour of bow hunting in city limits. The last thing we need is aggressive bow hunters protecting their hunting spots with booby traps for bikers and the like. I’ve come across it before in the Pedernny trails area, as well as poachers out in the Otway area trying to intimidate dog walkers away from the area.
From my experience almost every bow hunter I’ve known does so because they do not have a firearms license because they couldn’t be bothered with learning good practices, or they have no interest in rules based good practices… Or are simply ineligible for a firearms license. I think for most of those types they are more dangerous to public safety with a bow than a firearm.
If we are to continue with the bow hunting in city limits then it should be heavily regulated and those participating should be made to wear large registered identification numbers so as to identify easily those that are unlawful and those that try to intimidate to protect their favorited hunting spots from other recreational users.
Your comments show a complete lack of understanding about hunters, firearms, archery equipment and hunting. A pile of garbage!
“From my experience almost every bow hunter I’ve known does so because they do not have a firearms license because they couldn’t be bothered with learning good practices, or they have no interest in rules based good practices…” .. what an assinine statement. Where do you get your experience from exactly? The internet?
“If we are to continue with the bow hunting in city limits then it should be heavily regulated and those participating should be made to wear large registered identification numbers” .. priceless.. this from the tinfoil wearing conspiracy theorist who rails against big brother tactics all the time.
If you are against hunting, fine, just don’t make up crap that you think strengthens your opinion. I have a firearms license, passed all the necessary tests and got all the necessary licenses and I use a bow too. So much for your experience.
You mean to tell me if I see a buck deer standing on my street or 2 point moose I can kill it, Wow.
If you are a poacher then “yeah giver eh”.
Eagleone, reading your comments make me wonder if you have met any bow hunters. I bow hunt and I have firearms license. I have never set a “booby trap” for bikers or anyone else. If their are people around I don’t hunt there. Our city limits are huge and has areas only bow hunters ever go into. It’s not like people are jumping back yard fences chasing rabbits with their bows . Bow hunting is legal in city limits and has been for many many years. There has never been an issue with it. Skakun just likes to jump up and down when he thinks the media is listening.
I’m sorry you feel threatened that some scary hunter is lurking in the woods. But it’s just not the case. Just because you personally feel that way does not make it so.
We can all enjoy what our region has to offer. But you don’t do that by restricting other groups you don’t agree with.
Sounds like fish story eagle.
Google search or something like that…. some web site where poachers complain about people they don’t see eye to eye with. He made it a number one search hit for a while there…
There is no hunting within 100 meters of a home and 400 meters of a school. So no you can’t use a bow to kill a moose on your street.
Depends on the street then. My home is about 400 meters from my neighbours across the street.
Is that measures to the building, the yard, or the property lines in each case?
Does anyone know whether arrows shot in the direction of a school go 4 times further than arrows shot at a home? If distance to a building does not influence the distance an arrow will travel, then why does a school have a greater protected boundary?
Just a guess, but I think they take into consideration the fact that you can expect children to be outside a school at anytime. Even though you could reasonably expect someone to be outside their home at anytime also, school grounds are generally larger.
Dave I read a article 2 years ago about a cow moose that was going nuts because she was trapped with her calf by a 6 foot chain link fence and bow hunters were closing in from the other side, the calf was killed and conservation was called and could not do nothing about it.
Is this the sportsmen you are talking about, not to mention a bow or a crossbow can penetrate a pickup door.
One case of unethical hunting by two guys who used a fence to favour their hunt should not condem everyone. If that is the logic you follow all cars should be banned because some people continue to use their cell phones while driving and may cause an accident.
Just because someone does not agree with the sport of hunting they should not use their puplic position as a city counselor to push their on agenda.
Sure you did.
There are millions of hectares, nowhere near cities, where hunters can go to satisfy their blood lust. They don’t need to be doing any sort of hunting within city limits, bow or otherwise.
I always like how people continually bring up the argument, “there has never been anyone killed by “fill in the unsafe practice of your choice”” which by some magical power means that it can never happen.
Everybody thought the space shuttle could never blow up until, one day, it did.
Your comment “to satisfy thier blood lust” shows you are anti hunting and that is your motivation.
I’m sorry if you think by buying your hamburgers at a store or a restaurant you are in some way saving animals from abuse. I think you should spend a day in a slaughter house.
My motivation is that I don’t want to get a crossbow bolt in my back or an arrow in the eye because I decided, one day, to take a walk on a city trail. Bolts and arrows ahould have owner identifying marks. That way I will know who to sue if I ever get hit with one and am lucky enough to survive. They’d be in there right below the city for allowing such a practice and the Spruce City Wildlife Assoc. for advocating such a practice.
The “blood lust” thing was a bit of hyperbole. I’m not against hunting for food. I am against hunting for trophies or simple sport.
You’re an anti hunting PETA fan.
What part of “I’m not against hunting for food” didn’t you get. Your handle is so appropriate in your case.
I have seen the personal attacks against Brian and think this is totally wrong…so many hunters figure if someone has a different opinion than theirs then they are wrong..Brian is entitled to his own opinion…So many are blaming Brian for being underhanded when infact it is the ones apposing Brian that are the underhanded ones…Who really cares if bow hunting becomes a thing of the past within the city limits… Us older hunters hunted for meat and to feed our families…We never ever called it a sport..but now with all the blood lust that’s what they are calling it..Sport hunting….I wish fish and wildlife would put a limit of one big game animal per year per hunter…our wildlife is slowly being killed off by more than just Wolves…all these hunters that kill everything they have tags for every year and then bitch when maybe a bit of land will be off limits to them …I say ban the bow in PG… Go for it Brian..you have my full support.
I believe it’s the government that has named it “sport hunting” along with “sport fishing”. My guess is it was easier to apply fees to someone’s “sport”. Than It would be say you need to pay some more fees to fill your freezer.
I don’t think anyone is upset that Skakun has a different opinion. The issue is that the club is facing is that he refused and continues to refuse to participate in any discussion whatsoever. If he is so upfront and honest then why not attend even one of the meetings that have been set up or answer even ONE email. I’m embarrassed to say that I voted for him and am counting the days till the next election.
As far as the bowhunting is concerned there are so many laws in place regarding this subject that it seems like a waste of tax payer money. If you see someone hunting on your road or at a park etc those are poachers and not hunters. There is a big difference!
Maybe we should be concerned about the drug issue, pot holes or snow removal in the city? What do you think Brian? Maybe we need to send some crackheads up to your Tyner spot and then you’ll do something…
Well to start with we have many miles of hunting territory around PG.
I support bow hunters as long as they stick to the rules. We have a lot of game close in to PG. IF we don’t allow bow hunting, the dogs will kill some of the deer. WE need to eliminate some black bears as well.
There will always be enough wild animals for Skakun to take his photos.
We should be very happy that bow hunters eliminate black bears so close in to our city. Our own chidren are not safe to go in the bush hikeing because of the black bears. Brian Skakun needs to have the spring bear hunt extended.
See. This is exactly the kind of mentality that irritates me. Bow Hunting in city limits ahould be allowed so they can kill deer before the dogs do. When it should be owners that allow their dogs to roam free to kill wildlife should get a 10000 dollar fine and be banned from owning animals for their lifetime.
Then it’s let them kill bears so my spawn can go out in the forest with out worrying about being eaten. Bears were there first and anybody who goes out there better be aware of the risks of the activity and accept them or stay out of the bush. Your kids need to go hiking in the bush does not come before the lives of a species that was there first.
If dogs are killing deer the dogs need to be taken care of.
Bow hunting is less of an issue of animal abuse than slaughter houses?
Thanks for convincing me that bow hunting is indeed animal abuse.
Do they allow bow hunting within the city limits of Vancouver or Burnaby?
Keep it up Brian, you are on the right track! There are virtually unlimited areas outside of the city limits to practice what in my opinion is a cruel method of putting an animal to death.
Wonder what happened to the usual herd of deer on the side hill up the Hart highway within city limits? Cougars? Wolves? Bow hunters?
Many other cities allow bowhunting and even shotgun use within city limits.
Because those in office in those other cities are more intelligent than a few in our neck of the woods.
You and the rest of the keep left crowd are slowly killing the deer with your cars. Cougars, wolves and bow hunters have nothing to do with the few deer that have been seen up there being killed off.
One of the great things about Prince George is that within 20 minutes, you can be out of the City limits and in the wild. For a dedicated hunter that should not be that great an effort to fill the freezer.
Wildlife Association Head, City Councillor Square Off
The headlines are deceiving, they did not square off, The Wildlife Association Head took some cheap shots at a City Councillor that was not in the room to defend himself!
If the wildlife Association Head has something to say to a City Councillor then why would he not take it to a council meeting instead of getting up on his soap box in a room with like minded people.
I support bowing hunting, i support a healthy debate, don’t care much for cowardly cheap shots!
Skakun’s now deleted posts on the subject on Facebook pretty much showed me that this was just another attempt to grab some limelight.
The City of Prince George is 318 sq km or 122.8 sq miles.
The density is 226.1 sq km or 586 per sq mile.
As we all know most people live in subdivisions or in areas close to town.
So in fact a very large portion of the City is uninhabited, or has very few people living there.
We have this huge land mass because of Amalgamation not because of any intelligent planning by the City.
Bow Hunting is already covered by legislation/bylaws and is allowed within City limits, not only in Prince George but probably a lot of other cities in the Northern Interior.
Lets remember that these animals are in the City limits because we expanded the limits. Had we stuck with the original city limits which would have been roughly 1st Ave to 15th Ave. Taylor Drive, to Central St., this would be a non issue.
In fact it is a non issue.
We predicate our laws based on various criteria, not the least of which is the harm to the general public such as cars, motorcycles, etc;
There has been no harm to citizens to date because of Bow hunting, so I would say this issue is a tempest in a teapot.
I got news for you …years ago a friend of mine got hit by an arrow n town, luck was on his side, the angle was right and he had a hard head so he survived….I doubt you will convince him archery in city limits is a good idea.
Please elaborate on this situation. What were the exact circumstances surrounding this archery incident?
Just they guy that was shot in Peterborough late last year while out for a jog. They never did find the bow hunter that took the shot.
Actually they did find the guy. Pretty sure he wasn’t a hunter, just someone with issues.
KITCHENER, Ont. – Police say a man charged in a pellet gun shooting in Kitchener, Ont., is also a person of interest in the death of a 60-year-old man who was found with an arrow in his chest earlier this month.
Eric Amaral, 29, faces several weapons-related charges after police allege he shot an officer in the face and hand during a traffic stop on Tuesday.
He appeared in court Wednesday and was remanded until his next hearing next Tuesday.
Police say they had been seeking to speak with Amaral in connection with the death of Michael Gibbon, who was found lying outside a home in Kitchener on Oct. 5.
The investigation in Gibbon’s death continues and police are treating his death as a homicide.
The killing has rattled the community and police are urging people to stay vigilant as it’s not known whether the public is at risk. (CKGL, CTV News)
Bow hunting in side city limits?
I am not in favor of it.
I am not so sure I want to be out and about and have to worry about someone firing an arrow and me wearing it….
It is not the seasoned , careful, sensible bow hunter that will cause the problems, it is the yoyo who thinks he is the best thing going that will kill or badly hurt someone,..
kind of like that person in the jacked up 4×4 that is riding your bumper, probably the same person, and they can both kill you while thinking they are “all that”
Come on Ray, don’t be ridiculous.
Notice how quiet the trapers are ? Those guys are cunning. If we had wild pigs it would be hug a bow hunter week . Thank Grizzlies we don’t .
bcracer. Bow Hunting within City limits has been in effect since Amalgamation which was approx. 1972, and of course in the Regionals Districts long before that. So, just how many times have you run up against a problem with Bow Hunting???
We are talking in excess of 40 years here.
Now lets discuss people being mangled by dogs. Now we are getting into some serious harm to citizens of this City.
If you want to ban something. Spend some time on the dangerous dog problem in this City. Skakun could take some time out of his busy day, and look into the number of people who have been maimed by dogs, especially pit bulls.
As I said earlier. This issue about Bow Hunting is a tempest in a teapot.
Comments for this article are closed.