By Matt Kerr
Hunting season is fast approaching and more people are experiencing the annual tradition.
“The ministry has a great plan now and hunting is at a peak attracting more hunters with more game around,” said Paul Pukancik
Pankanic is a member of the Quinte Trap and Gun club and believes hunting is economical and everyone enjoys game meat.
“Over the past ten years there has been a steady and continuous increase in people taking the hunter education course,” said Lezlie Goodwin
Goodwin works at the Ontario Federation of Fishers and Anglers said around 18,000 students took the course just this year.
According to Goodwin there are over 440,000 hunters in Ontario alone and many use hunting as a way to experience the outdoors and enjoy nature.
The OFFA has believed in sustainable hunting since 1928 and the Ministry of Natural Resources has instituted a conservation plan to ensure there are healthy numbers of game in the province.
According to Statscan more than 80% of Canadians live in urban areas. This makes it harder for Canadians to be connected with the outdoors and many have a harder time getting out of the city to find land suitable for hunting.
Goodwin says hunting on crown land is one of many options available while many hunters go to private land and camps to get away.
According to Goodwin though many of the OFFA members live in southern Ontario, which is much more populated and urban than Northern Ontario.
Pukancik believes that many young people have too much stimulation from electronics and that hunting has received negative publicity that could affect new hunters going out.
“Hunting seems like more of a rural thing, but the economy could affect numbers going out,” says local hunter Calvin Forester.
Hunting is an economical way to get meat although it is more expensive to go hunting than to go to the grocery store and buy meat.
“Getting a pound of venison is more expensive than getting a pound of beef,” said Pukancik
While most hunters hunt for the meat, some try and get the animal with the biggest set of antlers and the opportunity is there to do both.