A forty five-year-old pheasant hunt that was cancelled in 2021 will return to Conestogo Lake Conservation Area (CLCA) this fall.
The hunt is a three-year pilot program. Made doable by the efforts of a devoted group of pheasant searching lovers, with help from the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH).
The hunt was revived after a small group of hunters met with the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) board of administrators in January 2022 to current a proposal to develop a self-funded, volunteer-run, pheasant program in Area 3 of the CLCA. The consequence was the pilot challenge and the formation of the Conestogo Pheasant Club (CPC).
The CPC
The CPC is a volunteer, not-for-profit, OFAH affiliate membership. Its position is to rearrange hunt logistics. Including procurement of pheasants, construct a social media presence, and handle membership functions and funds. The CPC hopes to have 80 members in its first yr and 100 within the subsequent two. Only OFAH members can be part of the CPC, because of the federation’s membership insurance coverage.
Club president Mario Coniglio stated the GRCA bought 125 permits within the yr previous to the hunt’s cancellation. But famous that the CPC govt thought it might be prudent to reduce membership to a manageable measurement for his or her inaugural season. This can also be acceptable because the hunt is now confined to a smaller portion of the previous hunt space.
CPC membership functions, which price $280 for the season, can be obtainable on June 1 and bought on a first-come-first-served foundation. For extra info, be part of the Conestogo Pheasant Club Facebook group or go to www.conestogopheasantclub.ca.
The hunt will run from Sept. 25 to Nov. 27. and 1,000 pheasants can be launched. This yr, solely season allow holders can be permitted to hunt. But the CPC is inspecting the feasibility of every day permits for subsequent years.
“The CPC’s goal is to provide an accessible, high quality, and inclusive hunting experience to pheasant hunting enthusiasts in southern Ontario,” stated Coniglio.