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DonAndersen

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Posts posted by DonAndersen

  1. Folks,

    Attended a meeting this past week hosted by Sundre Forest Products [ SFP] who operate the Forest Management Area west of Rocky Mountain House.

    SFP will be hauling approximately 28 loads of logs per day from the Gap Lake compartment to the Main Line Road. This 8 km. section of road is part of the access to the North Ram River via that North Fork Road.

    This section of road starts @ 52 19 44.6N 115 37 26 50W and ends at 52 18 11N 115 49 06.17W. This is the narrowest section of this road and dust will be an issue.

    Be careful out there.

  2. 3-5 years to look, another 2 for environmental approvals, 4 more for funding, and suddenly it's 2025 and we're all fishing for pike out of bass boats.I get it, this is a pretty big step for us to even get this far, and I was pro-plan when I did the survey, however this doesn't feel like enough for me.

     

    Naw, we'll be fishing for miniature perch outta tinnes..

     

    The increase in opportunities is the Rocky area is increased by the Govt allowing illegal perch stocks to be kept.

     

     

    Don

     

  3. Brown trout are one of the most resilient species to whirling disease. I'd suggest water quality and habitat issues are playing a bigger role.

     

    Jordan, the habitat has had well over a million $'s spent on it over the past 30 years. Plus in the $4,000 of water tests I did, there was no evidence of any foreign chemicals.

     

    Nope, ain't habitat or chemistry.

     

    Don

    • Like 2
  4. Hookem,

     

    At one time and for many years there were several creeks stocked in the Rocky area where natural reproduction didn't occur.

    These streams included Cow Creek, Buster Creek & Mud Creek plus several breaverdam tributaries to streams like the Clearwater and Prairie Creek.

    Why the stocking stopped is unknown. What did occur if just more loss of angling opportunities. Cow Creek produced Browns over 10 lbs. for example.

    The actions of Govt. have reduced many opportunities once available. This is of course flies in the face of increased population.

     

    What must be remembered is that without the stocking done previously, you can write off nearly all streams along the eastern slopes.

     

    With the actions of Govts, you better take up golf.

     

     

    Don

    • Like 2
  5. The Oldman Watershed Council was kind enough to give me some blog space to share my thoughts on the future of OHV use in our province. The ideas aren't new, I've shared many of them in this space before.

     

    http://oldmanwatershed.ca/blog-posts/2017/2/15/hot-potato-ohvs

     

    Be sure you fill out the Castle Draft Management Plan survey. It sounds as though it has had poor uptake so far (less than 2,000 response - most negative). Don't miss out on this opportunity to have your voice heard.

     

     

    Jordan,

    You gotta figure out by now anything the NPD does gets shunned by the good people of Alberta.

     

    ALBERTA PROUD

     

     

    DON

     

  6. The criminally negligent people responsible for bring WD to Alberta should be jailed.

    The only way to stop a plague is to isolate yourself. The Brits figured this out 700 years ago with the Black Plague. New Zealand banned a lot of fishermen equipment to prevent WD arrival.

    What Alberta did was not only foolish but damn stupid.

    Montana, from the looks of their web sites threw up thier hands and gave up. They now have 135 infected watersheds.

    Until and unless all Angler's isolate equipment to specific watersheds, the spread of WD is inevitable. And we know that few Angler's will take the time.

    So, lay back and enjoy the grief caused by past management.

    We deserve what we voted for.

     

     

    Don

    • Like 4
  7. Aiptasia,

     

    Steelhead are mostly a myth generated to separate you from your money. Sure some exist, but they are few. Even exceptional rivers have every few fish.

    Been the steelhead route. Took me 28 days to catch the first one. And that day I got two. I was pumped and ready. What a disappointment. The first fish had less jam than a walleye and was probably a hatchery fish. The second was well over 15 lbs. and I landed it within minutes.both were winter fish. But things got better and I caught more and more. I finally ended up my steelhead chapter with a 7 day trip to the Dean. Landed 7, one each day and lost two. Will I ever do it again, not likely. There isn't enough fish left to make the trip worthwhile.

    When there are some fish in the river, your success rate will be reasonable. On one trip of two weeks in late September in the Buckley/Kispiox area over 40 Angler's I talked to caught 2 fish.

    Oh sure, you can luck out but be prepared for years of low returns.

    The nice thing about steel heading. Getting skunked is a pond most of us spend our time in.

     

    Regards,

     

     

    Don

    • Like 2
  8. Guys,

     

    Otters have extended their range dramatically over the past 10 years. From a boreal animal, their range now includes alpine and sub-alpine areas. . There are sightings from the Elk, Crow and north. East of Calgary is certainly possible.

    Why this range expansion occurred is unknown. There has been very little research on otters. Mostly as they are tough to track. The only paper I'm aware of was produced w/o ever seeing an otter.

    Like other predators, it moves with the groceries. There is some belief that trout stocking of lakes, ponds, dugouts and the like have pulled otters into new territory.

    This human effect is also apparent in other birds and beasts. Ravens, whitetail deer, crows, raccoons, osprey are examples. They all have benefitted from the "human touch". Other animals have lost. This list is a lot larger.

     

    Don

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