Hunters in Mountain View County are encouraged to donate meat to people in need, through a provincewide program, which has recently been introduced to the area.
The Wild Game Foodbank Donation Program allows for hunters to donate white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk or moose to the Mountain View Food Bank in Olds, according to Adam Mirus, Fish and Wildlife officer for the Sundre-Olds area.
“I think there should be a lot of people wanting to donate their food,” said Mirus. “The food bank is struggling to get enough meat out to the people who are attending the food bank.”
Kerik's Meat Market in Olds, First Choice Sausage & Meat in Sundre and Savoury Meats & Sausage in Sundre are participating in the program.
There are a few requirements for hunters to donate, including field dressing the animal immediately after harvest, and the heart, lungs and liver must be brought in with the carcass, with the hunter's tag number as well. Abnormal tissues must be noted and brought in to the meat processor for examination.
If the animal is skinned, then it must be wrapped in a clean, porous covering during transportation to the meat processor. The carcass must be transported to the meat processor within 24 hours of harvest and no completely frozen carcasses are accepted. As well, the animals must be harvested between Oct. 25 and Dec. 15.
Mirus or other fish and wildlife officers will inspect the meat that is donated to the food bank.
Hunters can donate halves or quarters of the animal only if the entire carcass is brought in to the meat processor and the program pays the processor for the portion of meat that is donated.
The program was established in Alberta in 1996 and is administered by the Alberta Hunters Who Care Association, with funding assistance from the Alberta Conservation Association, Alberta Professional Outfitters Society and the Minister's Special Licence Program.
During a fish and game meeting in Sundre last week, it was announced that the group is donating $1,000 to the program for meat cutting at two of the participating processors.
Mirus also pointed out that one moose and one elk have been donated already.
For more information about the program, residents are invited to call the 24-hour hotline at 780-443-6006.
Meanwhile, hunters are reminded to follow regulations in the Wildlife Management Unit, as the hunting season was underway on Sept. 1 for archery and birds. Currently, hunting is also open for archery for elk, deer and moose.
The bighorn sheep-hunting season is open as well.
“They all end at different periods of time. Most end November 30, but we do have some elk seasons that go into January,” said Mirus.
There are no new regulations this year specific to the Wildlife Management Unit.
“Just a reminder to hunters that they do require permission to enter onto private land, whether they've harvested an animal or not,” he explained. “In the past, we've had some problems with landowners being told that they have to allow people on because they say they shot a deer in somebody else's land and it ran onto their land – that's not the case.”
Residents are also encouraged to call Report a Poacher, a 24-hour hotline at 1-800-642-3800. “We're always asking for hunters and landowners, if they see something going on that looks illegal, if they can document what they're seeing. Most cellphones nowadays have a camera on them, so if they can take a picture of a licence plate, a vehicle, a person – it's all helpful. That being said, we don't want them to confront people, because we don't want somebody getting hurt over an animal,” he said.
People who call Report a Poacher may remain anonymous and can be eligible to receive up to $2,000.
“If people hear or see suspicious activity, call us. Whether it's shots fired at three in the morning or whatever, our number is open 24 hours.”
County residents are also reminded to be cautious on the roads coming into the winter season, as the sun sets earlier and rises later and wildlife are out at dusk and dawn.
Mirus said there are generally more road accidents with wildlife during the hunting season.
“It's just because of the rutting season, so the males are trying to attract the females, so of course they're travelling longer distances throughout the evening. It's most dangerous at dawn and dusk.”
There is also a new hunting app for Apple and Android products, called iHunter.
“I find it to be very helpful. It tells the hunter where they are on a mapping program. It provides sunrise and sunset times and it gives you a brief synopsis of the hunting regulations for the particular area you're in. It tells you what the season dates are and it helps you track your animal if you've injured one.”
