Hunting & Fishing British Columbia: Recent Episodes
Robert Koopmans
A podcast about fishing and hunting, wildlife, nature and outdoor pursuits in magnificent British Columbia (BC) and western Canada. I’m Robert Koopmans and every week, I talk with people on a wide variety of topics and issues related to wild things. Some specific topics include fly-fishing, chironomids, hunting mule deer, bow hunting and learning all that's required to become good in the field with archery equipment. I have lived in Kamloops for nearly 30 years and have come to love all aspects of the outdoors in B.C., from our great stillwater fishing lakes to our wild mountains, prime fishing rivers, incredible rainbow trout and spectacular scenery. There is so much to talk about when it comes to the outdoors in British Columbia, and I hope to provide outdoors folk with a wide range of meaningful information about so many of the outdoors activities that have become my life's passion. Please subscribe, and let me know what you want to hear about by sending email to bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com.
Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada. I’m Robert Koopmans. I’ve hunted and fished in BC for more than 30 years, and come to love everything about this province and all it has to offer.
This year, I’ve teamed up with Randy Nelson, a retired fisheries officer and a skilled hunter with a lot of wisdom and experience to share. We’re going to chat through the coming months about a wide range of topics related to wildlife, hunting and fishing.
If there’s a specific topic you’re interested in, let us know, we’ll see what we can do. If nothing else, send us an email letting us know how we’re doing. Reach us at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com …
This week, Randy I talked about changes to B.C.’s hunting regulations that came into effect on July 1. We also talked about upcoming fall hunting plans, as well as Randy’s "fishing trip of a lifetime" to a prime wild lake in northern Saskatchewan...
BCWF membership page — https://bcwf.bc.ca/membership/
Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. If you want to share a thought, send us an email at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com … I’m Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we’ll catch you next time.
Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada. I’m Robert Koopmans. I’ve hunted and fished in BC for more than 30 years, and come to love everything about this province and all it has to offer.
This year, I’ve teamed up with Randy Nelson, a retired fisheries officer and a skilled hunter with a lot of wisdom and experience to share. We’re going to chat through the coming months about a wide range of topics related to wildlife, hunting and fishing.
If there’s a specific topic you’re interested in, let us know, we’ll see what we can do. If nothing else, send us an email letting us know how we’re doing. Reach us at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com …
Today’s episode is the story of what could have been a new world-record chinook salmon, caught by a BC couple in 2019. It was a monstrous fish estimated to weigh approximately 106 pounds. I say estimated because these anglers released the fish alive instead of killing it, and without a carcass to officially weigh, the current official world record of 97 pound four ounces set in May 1985 remained unchallenged.
Randy spoke to the woman who caught this chinook and while she was happy to share the details of the catch with hm, she didn’t want to chat with us live. Instead, we reached out to James McGregor at Advanced Taxidermy, who was the taxidermist who made a replica of this monster salmon. He shared his perspective about this salmon as well as about catch-and-release fishing, which he agrees is a growing trend.
Lastly, we talked to Ted Walkus, the maager of the Good Hope Cannery Eco-Tourism Lodge in Rivers Inlet in BC. His lodge is heavily involved In efforts to promote and support catch-and-release of big chinook salmon. Ted hopes that catch-and-release for chinook will spread across the BC coast.
But first, Randy and I chatted at length about catch-and-release and was it means to fishing … And just a quick note, this episode was recorded mostly in the spring, which is why you’ll hear us chatting about early season fishing in July… It took a bit of time to get all the bits and pieces for this one together …
Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. If you want to share a thought, send us an email at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com … I’m Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we’ll catch you next time.
Links:
James Anderson Advanced Taxidermy — https://www.advancedtaxidermy.com
Ted Walkus Good Hope Cannery Eco-Tourism Lodge — https://goodhopecannery.com
BCWF membership page — https://bcwf.bc.ca/membership/
Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada. I’m Robert Koopmans. I’ve hunted and fished in BC for more than 30 years, and come to love everything about this province and all it has to offer.
This year, I’ve teamed up with Randy Nelson, a retired fisheries officer and a skilled hunter with a lot of wisdom and experience to share. We’re going to chat through the coming months about a wide range of topics related to wildlife, hunting and fishing.
If there’s a specific topic you’re interested in, let us know, we’ll see what we can do. If nothing else, send us an email letting us know how we’re doing. Reach us at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com …
This week, Randy I talked to Greg Anderson and Dan Buffet from BC’s Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation. A portion of all hunting and angling licence dollars in BC goes to the HCTF, which uses the money for a wide variety of conservation and land acquisition projects.
We talked to Dan and Greg about the history of the HCTF, how it chooses projects to support, and other related topics.
But first, we talked about an interesting moment I had on the water — a moment that could have been frightening but for some good luck ….
BC HCTF website — https://hctf.ca
BCWF membership page — https://bcwf.bc.ca/membership/
Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. If you want to share a thought, send us an email at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com … I’m Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we’ll catch you next time.
Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada. I’m Robert Koopmans. I’ve hunted and fished in BC for more than 30 years, and come to love everything about this province and all it has to offer.
This year, I’ve teamed up with Randy Nelson, a retired fisheries officer and a skilled hunter with a lot of wisdom and experience to share. We’re going to chat through the coming months about a wide range of topics related to wildlife, hunting and fishing.
If there’s a specific topic you’re interested in, let us know, we’ll see what we can do. If nothing else, send us an email letting us know how we’re doing. Reach us at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com …
This week, Randy I had a rambling chat about the terrible choices of spring. With so much opportunity for outdoor activity available this at this time of year — what do you choose to do with your time?
We also discussed successes and failures we’ve had on recent trips. Both of us have had some great days on our local lakes fishing chironomids for trout. I’ve also been chasing bears with my bow, and despite my best tries, have not been able to find a way to close the deal on a bruin.
We wrap it up with an update on the court case for the two dudes busted for filming a 30-day survival challenge in Banff National Park, a two-hour show they posted on YouTube.
BCWF membership page — https://bcwf.bc.ca/membership/
Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. If you want to share a thought, send us an email at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com … I’m Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we’ll catch you next time.
Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada. I’m Robert Koopmans. I’ve hunted and fished in BC for more than 30 years, and come to love everything about this province and all it has to offer.
This year, I’ve teamed up with Randy Nelson, a retired fisheries officer and a skilled hunter with a lot of wisdom and experience to share. We’re going to chat through the coming months about a wide range of topics related to wildlife, hunting and fishing.
If there’s a specific topic you’re interested in, let us know, we’ll see what we can do. If nothing else, send us an email letting us know how we’re doing. Reach us at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com …
This week, Randy I talked to Toby Tobiasson and Sara Dirienzo from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department about how their state manages hunting and access to wildlife. It’s remarkably different than how it is done here in BC, and most of western Canada.
Randy and I decided the most important difference, however, is in the way they treat the hunting community. Game officials there have regular, meaning conversations with hunters and treat them more like partners.
Today’s chat is a loose continuation of the last episode, which focussed on Limited Entry Hunting and people’s perceptions of the system. The same as last time, Randy and I concluded the number one thing that western Canadian hunters need to do is pay attention to what is happening and be prepared to speak up.
Decisions around hunting and fishing opportunities are often socially or politically based, and groups that speak on behalf of the sporting community become crucial. Groups like the BCWF are a great way for hunters to have their voices counted and heard.
But before we continued our gripe about LEH, Randy and I chatted about our late May outdoors activities
Links:
BCWF membership page — https://bcwf.bc.ca/membership/
Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. If you want to share a thought, send us an email at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com … I’m Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we’ll catch you next time.
Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada. I’m Robert Koopmans. I’ve hunted and fished in BC for more than 30 years, and come to love everything about this province and all it has to offer.
This year, I’ve teamed up with Randy Nelson, a retired fisheries officer and a skilled hunter with a lot of wisdom and experience to share. We’re going to chat through the coming months about a wide range of topics related to wildlife, hunting and fishing.
If there’s a specific topic you’re interested in, let us know, we’ll see what we can do. If nothing else, send us an email letting us know how we’re doing. Reach us at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com …
This week, Randy I talked to Jesse Zeman, who is the executive director of the BC Wildlife Federation, about B.C.’s Limited Entry Hunting regulations. The LEH system has been used in B.C. for many years and is designed to balance hunting opportunity against wildlife resources.
Jesse wrote a research paper in 2009 that found 60 per cent of hunters are not happy with the LEH system. His paper also outlined the current system and possible alternatives to the LEH regulations. It’s a complex topic and Jesse has done his homework in regards to the system and how it works.
We also talked about how hunters and anglers can influence government to protect their sports and activities for future generations. The short answer — “join a gang,” said Jesse, such as the BCWF or another group such as Backcountry Anglers of BC or the Wild Sheep Society, to name a few. Being part of a community such as the BCWF carries weight and can significantly influence decisions government make. Decisions around hunting and fishing opportunities are often socially or politically based, and groups that speak on behalf of the sporting community become crucial.
We also talked about the BCWF’s recent set of resolutions passed at the April convention. The resolutions are full of incredibly valuable recommendations around hunting and fishing in B.C. and everyone should have look to see how the BCWF is working on our behalf.
I’ve included a few links in the show notes to some key documents we discussed in this episode, including Jesse’s research on LEH, and the BCWF’s recent resolutions. Lastly, I’ve included a link to the BCWF’s membership page. For those who have never considered membership — and I was one of them — have a look and think again. There is value in being engaged and active.
But before we started our gripe about LEH, Randy and I small-talked about the unseasonably cold spring and early season fishing …
Links:
Jesse Zeman’s research paper on LEH in BC — https://bccf.com/sites/default/files/LEHReviewOct2009.pdf
BCWF resolultions passed at the April 2022 convention — https://bcwf.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2022-AGM-Resolutions-Submitted.pdf
BCWF membership page — https://bcwf.bc.ca/membership/
Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. If you want to share a thought, send us an email at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com … I’m Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we’ll catch you next time.
Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada. I’m Robert Koopmans. I’ve hunted and fished in BC for more than 30 years, and come to love everything about this province and all it has to offer.
This year, I’ve teamed up with Randy Nelson, a retired fisheries officer and a skilled hunter with a lot of wisdom and experience to share. We’re going to chat through the coming months about a wide range of topics related to wildlife, hunting and fishing.
If there’s a specific topic you’re interested in, let us know, we’ll see what we can do. If nothing else, send us an email letting us know how we’re doing. Reach us at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com …
This week, I met up with Jeremy and Kevin to talk about our journey in bowhunting to date. Through the last two seasons, we’ve had a variety of experiences with our bows — some good, and some not so great — and I wanted to see how we all felt about our ongoing commitment to bowhunting.
It was an interesting discussion about hunting, ethics and personal choice. Our chat also shows there is not always a clear path or easy answers, and that hunting is an individual journey that we take based on our own reasons.
Randy was out of town for this chat but joined me later to listen after the fact, and offer some of his thoughts …
Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. If you want to share a thought, send us an email at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com … I’m Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we’ll catch you next time.
Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada. I’m Robert Koopmans. I’ve hunted and fished in BC for more than 30 years, and come to love everything about this province and all it has to offer.
This year, I’ve teamed up with Randy Nelson, a retired fisheries officer and a skilled hunter with a lot of wisdom and experience to share. We’re going to chat through the coming months about a wide range of topics related to wildlife, hunting and fishing.
If there’s a specific topic you’re interested in, let us know, we’ll see what we can do. If nothing else, send us an email letting us know how we’re doing. Reach us at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com …
Today, Randy and I talk with Wes David, the host of Fishing the Wild West TV Show, about his pathway from pro bull rider to host of a popular TV show exploring sport fishing in western Canada. Wes’s show focuses on teaching, conservation and the experience of fishing more than just tactics and gear.
He says his main motivation for doing the show, now in its seventh season, is to “help people catch one more fish” as well meeting people at the boat launch to “talk hunting, fishing, farming and ranching.”
Before our chat with Wes, Randy and I chat briefly about the upcoming season here in BC …
Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. If you want to share a thought, send us an email at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com … I’m Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we’ll catch you next time.
Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada. I’m Robert Koopmans. I’ve hunted and fished in BC for more than 30 years, and come to love everything about this province and all it has to offer.
This year, I’ve teamed up with Randy Nelson, a retired fisheries officer and a skilled hunter with a lot of wisdom and experience to share. We’re going to chat through the coming months about a wide range of topics related to wildlife, hunting and fishing.
If there’s a specific topic you’re interested in, let us know, we’ll see what we can do. If nothing else, send us an email letting us know how we’re doing. Reach us at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com …
Today, Randy and I talk are talking about access to land, specifically, private land. While much of western Canada is accessible to hunters via Crown land, sometimes the best places to hunt are on private land, especially close to urban centres.
Will Ciancone and is family have been ranchers for decades, owning and managing tens of thousands of acres of land near Kamloops. Over the years, Will has seen his fair share of hunters wanting to hunt on his family’s land.
He’s had good experiences and bad ones. They have suffered cut fences and horses and cows killed by hunters. Despite that, he said he was always prepared to allow hunting on their lands so long as the people doing the asking were respectful, and showed they cared about more than their own selfish motivations to be able to hunt on prime private land.
Will says the key to winning a rancher’s trust is by building relationships, and showing that you care about more than just killing a deer …
Randy and I also chat about two “survivalists” caught by authorities filming a YouTube survival movie in Canada’s Banff National Park. In the name of their show, the two men killed endangered trout and destroyed habitat, to name just a couple of the infractions they are charged with…
Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. If you want to share a thought, send us an email at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com … I’m Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we’ll catch you next time.
Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada. I’m Robert Koopmans. I’ve hunted and fished in BC for more than 30 years, and come to love everything about this province and all it has to offer.
This year, I’ve teamed up with Randy Nelson, a retired fisheries officer and a skilled hunter with a lot of wisdom and experience to share. We’re going to chat through the coming months about a wide range of topics related to wildlife, hunting and fishing.
If there’s a specific topic you’re interested in, let us know, we’ll see what we can do. If nothing else, send us an email letting us know how we’re doing. Reach us at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com …
Today, Randy and I talk about taxidermy, what is a trophy and why hunters like to have animals mounted. It’s a controversial topic for some anti-hunters who see heads on walls as a some kind of terrible display of all that is wrong with hunting.
The reality is though, the reasons why people seek out a taxidermist to mount an animal are more complex and much more personal than claiming bragging rights. Mounting an animal is usually more about respect for the wildlife and a way to remember special events as it is about displaying trophies.
We reached out to BC taxidermist Lino Grifone to talk about the work he does, and the things hunters need to do to ensure an animal they want mounted gets to the taxidermy shop in the best condition possible, There is lots to know, and many little tricks an tips that will make the difference between a quality mount and one that ends up in the garage.
You can find Lino’s website at http://grifonetaxidermy.com.
Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. If you want to share a thought, send us an email at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com … I’m Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we’ll catch you next time.
Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada. I’m Robert Koopmans. I’ve hunted and fished in BC for more than 30 years, and come to love everything about this province and all it has to offer.
This year, I’ve teamed up with Randy Nelson, a retired fisheries officer and a skilled hunter with a lot of wisdom and experience to share. We’re going to chat through the coming months about a wide range of topics related to wildlife, hunting and fishing.
If there’s a specific topic you’re interested in, let us know, we’ll see what we can do. If nothing else, send us an email letting us know how we’re doing. Reach us at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com …
Today, Randy and I talk about the BC government’s recent decision to extend its wolf cull program in parts of the province to save at-risk woodland caribou. The wolf cull is always a hot topic in BC, with strong opinions both for and against.
We decided to reach out to a biologist to learn more about the complexities of tis issue. Doug Heard retired in 2015 from his job as a wildlife biologist with both the governments of the NWT and BC and is now an independent researcher with his company, Tithonus Wildlife Research. He is also an adjunct professor at the University of Northern British Columbia.
He has devoted much of his life to the study of caribou and ways to keep them on the landscape.
His knowledge of caribou and wolves and the relationship between them made for a fascinating discussion that will hopefully help others understand more about the issue.
Before we called Doug, however, we spent a few minutes catching up on our recent outdoor activities.
Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. If you want to share a thought, send us an email at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com … I’m Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we’ll catch you next time.
Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada. I’m Robert Koopmans. I’ve hunted and fished in B.C. for more than 30 years, and come to love everything about this province and all it has to offer.
This will be the third year I’ve worked on this podcast, and I’ll admit it’s been hit and miss at times, with probably a lot more misses than hits along the way. It’s not an easy thing to do, but I’m giving it my best shot.
This year, I’ve teamed up with Randy Nelson, a retired fisheries officer and a skilled hunter with a lot of wisdom and experience to share. We’re going to work our way through the coming months talking about a wide range of topics. We have lots of ideas for episodes, but we want to hear from you as well — what do you want to hear about?
If there’s a specific topic you’re interested in, let us know, we’ll see what we can do. If nothing else, send us an email letting us know how we’re doing. It’s not easy podcasting in a vacuum, and a little feedback will help us stay on target… Reach us at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com …
Today Randy and I chat about what’s in our freezers. A full freezer is the ultimate goal of hunting, it’s why we are out there. But the wrapped packages of deer and moose are more than just meat — they are also memories of trips and experiences, so we decided to reminisce a bit and recount how our freezes got full, or in my case anyways, why it’s still empty…
Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. If you want to share a thought, send us an email at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com … I’m Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we’ll catch you next time.
Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada. I’m Robert Koopmans and today, Randy Nelson and I chat about an aspect of ice fishing that I don’t think many people know about, one that could — at least theoretically — get you into trouble with the law…
We also talk about spending time in the off-season building skills with a bow or a rife that will make a difference when hunting. We’ve all heard it — practice makes perfect, and there is no question that time spent on the range outside of hunting will increase your skills, confidence, and chances for success.
Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. If you want to share a thought, send us an email at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com. I’m Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we’ll catch you next time.
Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada. I’m Robert Koopmans and on the podcast, I chat with people about the activities we love,,,.
It’s been a while since my last chat with someone, almost a year actually. I’ll blame a pandemic, a new job and lack of time as the reason. However, I’m back again in 2022 to continue on. Through this year, I’ll talk with a variety of outdoors folk but especially with Randy Nelson, a retired fisheries officer and avid hunter who’s agreed to help me keep this effort going.
Randy is also a writer, and his second book about poaching in North America is expected to be released later this year.
This time around, Randy and I talked about ice fishing for Kokanee, one of the more worthwhile outdoor pursuits we can find in our area at this time of the year….
Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. If you want to share a thought, send us an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com. I’m Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we’ll catch you next time.
Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada. I’m Robert Koopmans and every once in a while, I chat with people about interesting aspects of our outdoor sports.
This time around, I talked to Kamloops flyfishing master Brian Chan about his prediction for this year’s upcoming fishing season — especially as COVID continues to dominate — and how he is setting up a new boat for stillwater fishing this spring…
Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. If you want to share a thought, send us an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com. I’m Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we’ll catch you next time.
Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada. I’m Robert Koopmans and every once in a while, I chat with people about interesting aspects of our outdoor sports.
This time around, I talked to John Zubak, a Kamloops hunter who truly embodies the hunter-gatherer lifestyle. John and his family eat only wild meat, a decision they made years ago. That decision gave John’s hunting new purpose, and also fuelled a passion for cooking.
To share what he knows about cooking, John hosts a YouTube cooking channel called “In the Kitchen with John” in which he shares pioneer-spirit recipes that are perfect for those who are seeking greater connection to their food.
John and I talked about what it means and what it takes to be protein self-sufficient …
In the second part of today’s show, Kevin Wood and I called up Jeff Maron, a Chilliwack-based archer whose obsession with perfection led him to create his company, Pin-It Custom Bow Strings. Jeff is fanatical about bow string quality and has developed his own system for building quality strings that not only last but shoot arrows to the highest possible standards.
It’s an interesting chat about many technical aspects of bow strings that most of us probably never think much about.
Jeff Maron decided pretty early on in his archery career that he could build better bow strings than what is available from most string makers. He carefully studied all aspects of strings and learned how to avoid the common pitfalls that plague archers who don’t shoot good strings.
Jeff promises his strings will never stretch and will last tens of thousands of shots. At the same time, they will provide dependable repeatable performance that will translate into new levels of accuracy. Both Kevin and I have bought strings from Jeff, and both of us will wholeheartedly agree — Jeff knows how to build high-quality strings.
Visit Jeff’s website at https://www.pinitcustombowstrings.com to learn more…
Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. If you want to share a thought, send us an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com. I’m Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we’ll catch you next time.
Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada. I’m Robert Koopmans and every once in a while, I chat with people about interesting aspects of our outdoor sports.
This time around, Jeremy Jensen, Kevin Wood and I met up at Jeremy’s archery warehouse in Kamloops to shoot some arrows and bullshit in rambling fashion about bow and arrow accuracy. I’m not sure how much fact we brought to the table, but it was fun to discuss all the same…
It’s a good time of year to sit around and have long rambling chats about stuff like this… Hunting season is still a long way down the road, and hey, you have to kill time somehow.
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Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. If you want to share a thought, send us an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com. I’m Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we’ll catch you next time.
Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada.
I’m Robert Koopmans and this week Jeremy Jensen, Kevin Wood and I talked about the end of the hunting season, how it all turned out, and what role bowhunting will play for us in the future. We also answer some questions from a listener about things like cover scents, camo, how to carry binoculars, and making best use of the off-season to practice…
Lastly, my apologies for the sporadic episode publishing schedule this past fall. These sorts of projects are often the first to be sacrificed when life gets busy. All that said, doing this podcast is something I enjoy, and I’ll be back in the New Year with a resolution to record content more regularly. If there is something you want to hear about, or something you want to share, send me an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com.
So until next year, thanks for listening, and now on to our chat …
Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. If you want to share a thought, send us an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com. I’m Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we’ll catch you next time.
Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada.
I’m Robert Koopmans and this week I was back in the archery warehouse with Jeremy Jensen and Kevin Wood, talking about the past six weeks of hunting, including some great early season success for mule deer and blacktail deer, chasing Canada geese with arrows and our attempts to track down a goat-killer, a massive black bear we nicknamed Tank …
Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. If you want to share a thought, send me an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com. I’m Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we’ll catch you next time.
Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada.
I’m Robert Koopmans and this week I talked to fly-fishing master Brian Chan about the terrible choice outdoors folk face every autumn — do we fish or hunt? It’s a dilemma Brian faces every year now that he has become enamoured by bowhunting for deer, as the fall also provides such excellent stillwater fly-fishing opportunities in B.C.’s lakes. Brian’s choice? Hunt hard during the early September archery season then fish hard after that. Brian provided me with many great tips and suggestions for catching fall rainbows …
I also chatted with Randy Nelson about his trip to B.C.’s Peace country for moose. He and two friends spent nine days looking for a bull moose in what should have been prime hunting country. As it turns out it was incredibly hard country to get around in, something that led to the unexpected discovery of a young couple who spent two days walking through swamps and bush after their truck got stuck bumper deep in thick mud.
Randy Nelson has made many trips to B.C.’s far north hunting moose. In late August he and two friends made another trip to country north of Fort St. John in search of moose. This trip turned into a different kind of experience, however, as he and his crew suffered truck troubles, wet weather, and not many moose.
Randy’s hunting trip quickly turned into a day-long rescue mission, something that ultimately created an experience that will remain burned into his memory … He and his friends helped rescue a young couple whose truck became stuck deep and hard in thick mud far off the main road. His crew sprang into action, setting aside their hunting to help these strangers out of a really difficult situation.
Their actions were a great example of an ethic we should all aspire to — when the call comes to help someone, answer it. It’s an act that might one day need to be repaid …
I apologize for the sound quality upfront. To make sure we could respect social distancing, Randy and I chatted in a Kamloops park that proved to be a busy, noisy environment …
Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. If you want to share a thought, send me an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com. I’m Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we’ll catch you next time.
Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada.
I’m Robert Koopmans and this week I was back in the archery warehouse with Jeremy Jensen and Kevin Wood, talking about the frustrations of tuning a hunting bow, getting ‘bunny fever,’ and the troubles with trail cams…
We also talked about the upcoming deer season, which is only a week or so away, and how we feel about the prospects for our upcoming hunts.
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Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. If you want to share a thought, send me an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com. I’m Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we’ll catch you next time.
Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada.
I’m Robert Koopmans and this week I talked to Randy Nelson, an avid hunter and retired fisheries enforcement officer about changes to B.C.’s hunting regulations, which were released July 1.
There have been several province-wide changes or additions to regulations, as well as many regional changes. We discussed these changes, possible reasons why some of them happened, as well as our plans for the fall hunting season.
Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. If you want to share a thought, send me an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com. I’m Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we’ll catch you next time.
Welcome to Hunting and Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada.
I’m Robert Koopmans and along with Jeremy Jensen and Kevin Wood, we’re talking about first steps in bowhunting. All of us have decided that this year will be the “Year of the Bow.” We’ve made a commitment to hunt only with a bow and not firearms, and we have set out to gain the skills and knowledge required before this year’s deer hunting season.
This week, we met up at our indoor shooting lanes in Kamloops to reflect back on six weeks of bear hunting in B.C.’s Interior.
Just to summarize, for those who don’t want to listen to the chat but want to know how our hunt turned out, here are the stats. In the end, we saw 18 bears, and had three opportunities to nock an arrow to a string. In the end, however, we didn’t shoot a bear with an arrow, highlighting one more time how much hunting with a bow changes the game.
Had we been hunting with rifles instead of bows, we’d be telling a different story. We had five solid opportunities to shoot a bear with a rifle at distances less than 100 yards. Closing distances from 100 to 50 yards or less to get into bow range, however, proved to be an entirely different task…
Despite how it ended, we consider the season to be an inordinate success. We learned tons about bears, and saw amazing amounts of wildlife, including big bucks, does, fawns, grouse and more rabbits than we could count. We toughed out some long days cruising rugged backcountry on ebikes, and endured evenings with murderous clouds of mosquitoes. And we found some amazing new country that will certainly draw us back this fall.
Most importantly, though we had a great time … So please, listen in as we chat about how it all went down. If you hear a question that you have an answer for or have a comment, let us know. Send us an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com . We’d love to hear from you …
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Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. If you want to share a thought, send me an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com. I’m Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we’ll catch you next time.
Federal Fishery Officer Randy Nelson’s first love was catching poachers.
That obsession, plus a wily mind and a passion for marathon running, spelled trouble for scores of law-breaking anglers for more than 35 years. Three decades in the field also netted Randy an eclectic and hair-raising collection of stories about everything from charging grizzlies to high-speed dirt road car chases.
Randy put those stories in print in 2014 in his book “Poachers, Polluters and Politics,” which was published by Harbour Publishing. In this Hunting & Fishing BC series, Randy shares his book with us and talks about some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of his adventures.
In this instalment, our final conversation in this podcast series, Randy talks about different judicial commissions and inquiries he took part in during the late stage of his career, quasi-judicial hearings sparked by public concern about the state of B.C. salmon stocks.
As well, Randy talks about his work to improve relationships with First Nations communities, and steps he took to try to improve morale and in DFO. Lastly, Randy gives us a hint about his next writing project, a comprehensive book about poachers and poaching across North America …
For those who want a copy of Randy’s book, visit http://www.harbourpublishing.com/ and search for the book’s title from the company’s expansive library of books devoted to lifestyles, adventures and stories of the Pacific Northwest.
Thanks for joining me for this episode. I hope you’ll be back next week, when Randy’s adventure continues…
If you’d like to share a thought, send me an e-mail at info@theoutdoornarrative.com.
Welcome to Hunting and Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada.
I’m Robert Koopmans and this week I’m back with Jeremy Jensen and Kevin Wood talking about first steps in bowhunting. All of us have decided that this year will be the “Year of the Bow.” We’ve made a commitment to hunt only with a bow and not firearms, and we have set out to gain the skills and knowledge required before this year’s deer hunting season.
In this episode, we met up at our indoor warehouse shooting lane to talk about broadheads. There are many, many choices these days when it comes to broadheads, and deciding what to tip your arrows with for hunting can be a daunting task.
Before the three of us chatted, however, I had a conversation with Mitchell Haifley, the owner of VPA Archery, a US manufacturer selling, among other things, a line of precision-machined broadheads in a wide array of weights and configurations. We talked about the differences between fixed blade and mechanical broadheads and Mitchell weighed in on some of the things he thinks about when it comes to broadheads.
After my chat with Mitchell, Kevin, Jeremy and I had a look at a small selection of broadheads that VPA sent our way, and discussed things we have been thinking about when deciding what broadheads to hunt with.
Lastly, we gave the VPA broadheads a quick shoot at our indoor range, and discovered a couple of interesting things that will certainly affect how we make our broadhead choices down the road…
Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. If you want to share a thought, send me an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com. I’m Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we’ll catch you next time.
Federal Fishery Officer Randy Nelson’s first love was catching poachers.
That obsession, plus a wily mind and a passion for marathon running, spelled trouble for scores of law-breaking anglers for more than 35 years. Three decades in the field also netted Randy an eclectic and hair-raising collection of stories about everything from charging grizzlies to high-speed dirt road car chases.
Randy put those stories in print in 2014 in his book “Poachers, Polluters and Politics,” which was published by Harbour Publishing. In this Hunting & Fishing BC series, Randy shares his book with us and talks about some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of his adventures.
In this instalment, Randy talks about confronting corporate attitudes in BC Hydro, as well as building working, mutually beneficial relationships with the media, something so few in the law enforcement community were prepared to do…
For those who want a copy of Randy’s book, visit http://www.harbourpublishing.com/ and search for the book’s title from the company’s expansive library of books devoted to lifestyles, adventures and stories of the Pacific Northwest.
Thanks for joining me for this episode. I hope you’ll be back next week, when Randy’s adventure continues…
If you’d like to share a thought, send me an e-mail at info@theoutdoornarrative.com.
Federal Fishery Officer Randy Nelson’s first love was catching poachers.
That obsession, plus a wily mind and a passion for marathon running, spelled trouble for scores of law-breaking anglers for more than 35 years. Three decades in the field also netted Randy an eclectic and hair-raising collection of stories about everything from charging grizzlies to high-speed dirt road car chases.
Randy put those stories in print in 2014 in his book “Poachers, Polluters and Politics,” which was published by Harbour Publishing. In this Hunting & Fishing BC series, Randy shares his book with us and talks about some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of his adventures.
In this instalment, Randy talks about investigating and charging the BC Ministry of Forests with environmental offences, and working with outdoors sporting groups to get the word out about poaching …
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For those who want a copy of Randy’s book, visit http://www.harbourpublishing.com/ and search for the book’s title from the company’s expansive library of books devoted to lifestyles, adventures and stories of the Pacific Northwest.
Thanks for joining me for this episode. I hope you’ll be back next week, when Randy’s adventure continues…
If you’d like to share a thought, send me an e-mail at info@theoutdoornarrative.com.
Welcome to Hunting and Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada.
I’m Robert Koopmans and this week I’m back with Jeremy Jensen and Kevin Wood talking about first steps in bowhunting. All of us have decided that this year will be the “Year of the Bow.” We’ve made a commitment to hunt only with a bow and not firearms, and we have set out to gain the skills and knowledge required before this year’s fall hunting season.
In this episode, we met up at our indoor warehouse shooting lane to talk about bow sights, what’s working for us and why. We also had a chat about the Garmin Xero A1 laser range-finding bow sight, a unique piece of technology that offers bow hunters a potential pathway to faster and more accurate shooting in the field.
The sight is not without issues, however, and we discussed the pros and cons of this piece of high-priced bow technology and whether any of us will ever end up with the sight on our bows in hunting season. I’ve had the opportunity to try the sight on two occasions and offered my thoughts about what works and what doesn’t.
We wrapped up the chat with talk about upcoming plans to get in the field in the next week or so to chase bears with arrows, a new experience that will be much different than any of us newbie bowhunters are used to …
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Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. If you want to share a thought, send me an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com. I’m Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we’ll catch you next time.
Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada.
I’m Robert Koopmans and this week I talked Dr. Adam Ford and Chloe Wright, a PHd student. Both are wildlife researchers who work and study at the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus in Kelowna.
The two are currently halfway through an ambitious research project on southern B.C.’s mule deer. Using GPS collars and remote cameras, they are mapping movement patterns and ranges of mule deer across wide, diverse landscapes.
While the work is not yet complete, the research has already turned up several interesting insights about mule deer, including which of B.C.’s predators have the most apparent impact on deer herds. ,,,,
Already, the work is clearly showing the importance of habitat, as the GPS tracks collected so far show deer often move long distances — as much as 100 kilometres — between summer and winter ranges, using predictable migration routes.
I talked with the two researchers about many aspects of their research, including how it might one day be used to benefit deer populations…
Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. If you want to share a thought, send me an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com. I’m Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we’ll catch you next time.
Learn more about the project here: https://bcwf.bc.ca/initiatives/mule-deer-project/
Federal Fishery Officer Randy Nelson’s first love was catching poachers.
That obsession, plus a wily mind and a passion for marathon running, spelled trouble for scores of law-breaking anglers for more than 35 years. Three decades in the field also netted Randy an eclectic and hair-raising collection of stories about everything from charging grizzlies to high-speed dirt road car chases.
Randy put those stories in print in 2014 in his book “Poachers, Polluters and Politics,” which was published by Harbour Publishing. In this Hunting & Fishing BC series, Randy shares his book with us and talks about some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of his adventures.
In this episode Randy talks about a serious conflict he and other officers faced during a staged protest with First Nations fishermen on the Chilliwack River. The turmoil that followed was a period he describes as the darkest days of his career …
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For those who want a copy of Randy’s book, visit http://www.harbourpublishing.com/ and search for the book’s title from the company’s expansive library of books devoted to lifestyles, adventures and stories of the Pacific Northwest.
Thanks for joining me for this episode. I hope you’ll be back next week, when Randy’s adventure continues…
If you’d like to share a thought, send me an e-mail at info@theoutdoornarrative.com.
Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada.
I’m Robert Koopmans and this week I talked to Kamloops-based fitness coach Rob Petrie about better ways to build fitness for hunting season. He provided a great deal of useful information, including about the Tabata Method, which is a form of interval training that can deliver big fitness boosts fast.
We also talked about different ways to train for specific kinds of activities unique to hunting, such as holding a bow or a firearm steady, and recovering from exertion more quickly.
The bottom line, though, no matter what you are training for, the most important aspect of a program is consistency and continual effort through time.
Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. If you want to share a thought, send me an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com. I’m Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we’ll catch you next time.
Find Rob Petrie’s website here: http://www.f3fit.ca
Federal Fishery Officer Randy Nelson’s first love was catching poachers.
That obsession, plus a wily mind and a passion for marathon running, spelled trouble for scores of law-breaking anglers for more than 35 years. Three decades in the field also netted Randy an eclectic and hair-raising collection of stories about everything from charging grizzlies to high-speed dirt road car chases.
Randy put those stories in print in 2014 in his book “Poachers, Polluters and Politics,” which was published by Harbour Publishing. In this Hunting & Fishing BC series, Randy shares his book with us and talks about some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of his adventures.
In this episode, the 10th in the series, Randy talks more about his stories from Quesnel, where he spent five years conducting enforcement and education poachers ...
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For those who want a copy of Randy’s book, visit http://www.harbourpublishing.com/ and search for the book’s title from the company’s expansive library of books devoted to lifestyles, adventures and stories of the Pacific Northwest.
Thanks for joining me for this episode. I hope you’ll be back next week, when Randy’s adventure continues…
If you’d like to share a thought, send me an e-mail at info@theoutdoornarrative.com.
Not long ago, I started writing an outdoors column for our local newspaper. In this Outdoor Narrative series, I’ll give voice to those words, for no other reason than I can, for no better reason than I think I have something to say.
I’ll let you all decide if that’s true or not. Maybe my columns will prove to be nothing more than pointless rambling and empty words but I hope not. Time will tell.
I’m Robert Koopmans, and today’s topic — "Just like fly fishing, bowhunting offers new pathways to self-discovery ..."
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Thanks for listening. If you want to share a thought about what you’ve heard, send me an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com.
Welcome to Hunting and Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada.
I’m Robert Koopmans and this week I’m back with Jeremy Jensen talking about first steps in bowhunting. Both of us have decided that this year will be the “Year of the Bow.” We’ve made a commitment to hunt only with a bow and not firearms, and we have set out to gain the skills and knowledge required before this year’s fall hunting season.
In this episode, Jeremy and I met up with Kevin Wood, another newbie to the world of archery and bowhunting. Kevin picked up a bow last fall and dove head-first into the sport. He’s practised continually to develop his archery skills and learn the technical aspects of hunting with a bow.
A few weeks ago, he put it all together for a first-ever hunting trip to Mayne Island BC, where he and a friend chased fallow deer. This is a unique hunting opportunity in BC, one that allows hunters to pursue the introduced exotic all year-round. These deer escaped from a game farm years ago and are overpopulating the small island, which sits in the Strait of Georgia between Vancouver and Vancouver Island.
Kevin had a great trip, and shared with Jeremy and I how it all went down …
Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. If you want to share a thought, send me an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com. I’m Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we’ll catch you next time.
Federal Fishery Officer Randy Nelson’s first love was catching poachers.
That obsession, plus a wily mind and a passion for marathon running, spelled trouble for scores of law-breaking anglers for more than 35 years. Three decades in the field also netted Randy an eclectic and hair-raising collection of stories about everything from charging grizzlies to high-speed dirt road car chases.
Randy put those stories in print in 2014 in his book “Poachers, Polluters and Politics,” which was published by Harbour Publishing. In this Hunting & Fishing BC series, Randy shares his book with us and talks about some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of his adventures.
In this instalment, the ninth in the series, Randy talks about undercover work, and moving to Quesnel in B.C.’s Interior where he encountered an entirely new culture of poaching…
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For those who want a copy of Randy’s book, visit http://www.harbourpublishing.com/ and search for the book’s title from the company’s expansive library of books devoted to lifestyles, adventures and stories of the Pacific Northwest.
Thanks for joining me for this episode. I hope you’ll be back next week, when Randy’s adventure continues…
If you’d like to share a thought, send me an e-mail at info@theoutdoornarrative.com.
Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada.
I’m Robert Koopmans and this week I had a phone conversation with Marni Freeman, a Kamloops woman who wants to spread the word about Lyme disease, a bacterial infection spread by ticks, and the devastating effects the disease can have on a person’s health.
While COVID-19 dominates the world right now, it’s important to remember there are other risks to protect against as well, including ticks and the danger they pose to health. It’s a serious topic for people who spend time in the outdoors, especially those who leave the beaten path. The spring is the time of the year when parasitic ticks are becoming active again, and everyone who spends time in wild places can encounter them.
Marni was bit by a tick years ago but wasn’t diagnosed until last year. She continues to suffer debilitating effects from the disease, and said she wants to help others avoid her experience …
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Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. If you want to share a thought, send me an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com. I’m Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we’ll catch you next time.
Federal Fishery Officer Randy Nelson’s first love was catching poachers.
That obsession, plus a wily mind and a passion for marathon running, spelled trouble for scores of law-breaking anglers for more than 35 years. Three decades in the field also netted Randy an eclectic and hair-raising collection of stories about everything from charging grizzlies to high-speed dirt road car chases.
Randy put those stories in print in 2014 in his book “Poachers, Polluters and Politics,” which was published by Harbour Publishing. In this series, Randy shares his book with us and talks about some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of his adventures.
In this instalment, the eighth in the series, Randy talks about his three years of enforcement in the Nass Valley, an especially beautiful and resource-rich area of northern B.C.
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For those who want a copy of Randy’s book, visit http://www.harbourpublishing.com/ and search for the book’s title from the company’s expansive library of books devoted to lifestyles, adventures and stories of the Pacific Northwest.
Thanks for joining me for this episode. I hope you’ll be back next week, when Randy’s adventure continues…
If you’d like to share a thought, send me an e-mail at info@theoutdoornarrative.com.
Welcome to The Outdoor Narrative, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada.
I’m Robert Koopmans and this week I’m back with Jeremy Jensen talking about first steps in bowhunting. Both of us have decided that this year will be the “Year of the Bow.” We’ve made a commitment to hunt only with a bow and not firearms, and we have set out to gain the skills and knowledge required before this year’s fall hunting season.
Today we chatted about a variety of topics, including overcoming resistance to resistance bow releases.
Following recent advice, both of us have moved away from index finger trigger releases and are focusing on developing skills and form with resistance-based bow releases. Jeremy recently picked up a Nocked-On Silverback, while I bought a Stan Perfex resistance release.
Also up for conversation was our first hunt of the year for Canada geese, and prospects for chasing black bears with bow and arrow …
Federal Fishery Officer Randy Nelson’s first love was catching poachers.
That obsession, plus a wily mind and a passion for marathon running, spelled trouble for scores of law-breaking anglers for more than 35 years. Three decades in the field also netted Randy an eclectic and hair-raising collection of stories about everything from charging grizzlies to high-speed dirt road car chases.
Randy put those stories in print in 2014 in his book “Poachers, Polluters and Politics,” which was published by Harbour Publishing. In this Outdoor Narrative series, Randy shares his book with us and talks about some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of his adventures.
In this instalment, the seventh in the series, Randy talks about his dead encounter with a charging grizzly bear and her cubs, and other kinds of conflict ...
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For those who want a copy of Randy’s book, visit http://www.harbourpublishing.com/ and search for the book’s title from the company’s expansive library of books devoted to lifestyles, adventures and stories of the Pacific Northwest.
Thanks for joining me for this episode. I hope you’ll be back next week, when Randy’s adventure continues…
If you’d like to share a thought, send me an e-mail at info@theoutdoornarrative.com.
Federal Fishery Officer Randy Nelson’s first love was catching poachers.
That obsession, plus a wily mind and a passion for marathon running, spelled trouble for scores of law-breaking anglers for more than 35 years. Three decades in the field also netted Randy an eclectic and hair-raising collection of stories about everything from charging grizzlies to high-speed dirt road car chases.
Randy put those stories in print in 2014 in his book “Poachers, Polluters and Politics,” which was published by Harbour Publishing. In this Outdoor Narrative series, Randy shares his book with us and talks about some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of his adventures.
In this instalment, the sixth in the series, Randy shares stories of counting salmon, burning fuel trucks and budget cuts.
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For those who want a copy of Randy’s book, visit http://www.harbourpublishing.com/ and search for the book’s title from the company’s expansive library of books devoted to lifestyles, adventures and stories of the Pacific Northwest.
Thanks for joining me for this episode. I hope you’ll be back next week, when Randy’s adventure continues…
If you’d like to share a thought, send me an e-mail at info@theoutdoornarrative.com.
Not long ago, I started writing an outdoors column for our local newspaper. In this Outdoor Narrative series, I’ll give voice to those words, for no other reason than I can, for no better reason than I think I have something to say.
I’ll let you all decide if that’s true or not. Maybe my columns will prove to be nothing more than pointless rambling and empty words but I hope not. Time will tell.
I’m Robert Koopmans, and today’s topic — "Ethical behaviour, my own included, requires more than talk ..."
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Thanks for listening. If you want to share a thought about what you’ve heard, send me an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com.
Welcome to The Outdoor Narrative, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada.
I’m Robert Koopmans and this week I’m back with Jeremy Jensen talking about first steps in bowhunting. Both of us have decided that this year will be the “Year of the Bow.” We’ve made a commitment to hunt only with a bow and not firearms, and we have set out to gain the skills and knowledge required before this year’s fall hunting season.
In this episode, Jeremy and I called up Al Campsall, a Williams Lake competition archer and bowhunter to discuss bowhunting accuracy, and what is the best way to learn how to become accurate enough for hunting.
Al is a former member of the Canadian National Archery team who continues to coach extensively. His skill and passion for archery and hunting are well known in B.C. and he is respected for his skills across Canada.
Al shared with us a ton of valuable knowledge, including what releases lead to the best results, and at what distances we should spend most our time practising. He also shared his wisdom in regard to best bow weights, and how to pick out arrows that will work best for hunting.
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Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. If you want to share a thought, send me an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com. I’m Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we’ll catch you next time.
Federal Fishery Officer Randy Nelson’s first love was catching poachers.
That obsession, plus a wily mind and a passion for marathon running, spelled trouble for scores of law-breaking anglers for more than 35 years. Three decades in the field also netted Randy an eclectic and hair-raising collection of stories about everything from charging grizzlies to high-speed dirt road car chases.
Randy put those stories in print in 2014 in his book “Poachers, Polluters and Politics,” which was published by Harbour Publishing. In this Outdoor Narrative series, Randy shares his book with us and talks about some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of his adventures.
In this instalment, the fifth in the series, Randy talks more about poachers and "fishy stories, as well as first encounters with corporate arrogance.
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For those who want a copy of Randy’s book, visit http://www.harbourpublishing.com/ and search for the book’s title from the company’s expansive library of books devoted to lifestyles, adventures and stories of the Pacific Northwest.
Thanks for joining me for this episode. I hope you’ll be back next week, when Randy’s adventure continues…
If you’d like to share a thought, send me an e-mail at info@theoutdoornarrative.com.
Not long ago, I started writing an outdoors column for our local newspaper. In this Outdoor Narrative series, I’ll give voice to those words, for no other reason than I can, for no better reason than I think I have something to say.
I’ll let you all decide if that’s true or not. Maybe my columns will prove to be nothing more than pointless rambling and empty words but I hope not. Time will tell.
I’m Robert Koopmans, and today’s topic — "Guns do kill people. Even if people don't want them to..."
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Thanks for listening. If you want to share a thought about what you’ve heard, send me an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com.
Today’s show is just a quick update to mark one year of my podcast.
Just over a year ago, I launched the first episode of the Outdoor Narrative, which was a chat with friend Kevin Dergez about ice fishing for brook trout in a lake near Kamloops. Ironically -- and this was not be design – last week’s show was also an ice fishing episode with Kevin, this time for kokanee.
This is just a quick update to let you know what I’m planning for the show this year. I’ve been playing around with different formats for the show through the first several weeks of 2020 and tried a couple of different things. I think I have settled on a format I will follow a while, although I want to hear from you all if you think I am on the right track.
For the next several months, I will put out a general show on Monday about everything from wildlife to ecology to bowhunting and fly-fishing. I will have a short opinion piece on Wednesday, and I’ll close the week with more readings and discussion from Randy Nelson’s book “Poachers, Polluters and Politics.” Randy and I have done five episodes so far, and based on the contents of Randy’s book, I expect the series will run at least 25 episodes. He has a wealth of material to share, great content bout BC and fisheries management over the years. If you haven’ yet done so, join in and follow along. There is a lot to learn.
For those of you are wondering, Old Dogs Howling, the episodes I published here earlier this year about fitness and healthy living, have moved to and continue to publish in their own dedicated podcast space. I felt the show needed its own place so that it could better explore a wider range of issues. If you want to hear more, just search Old Dogs Howling in Apple Podcasts and Subscribe. All the episodes I did here are now over there plus a few new ones.
Lastly, I really want to reach out to you all and hear what you think. For the last year, I have put together these podcasts and haven’t heard a lot from anyone. I know people are listening I see the stats and know that I have an audience of people that stretches across BC and the western US and even a few listeners fro m overseas., But now, I want to know if you think I am on the right track. Are there other things you want me to talk about? Different subjects? Special guests?
How can I make the show better? This podcast stuff was all new to me, and I know I still have a great deal to learn, but I won’t get better if I done hear what I’m doing right or wrong. I want to make a show that’s meaningful to other people who share the same passion for the outdoor as I do.
So please, send me an e-mail at info@theoutdoornarrative.com. I really need your input … And one last favour I want to ask. My goal this year with this show is to see it grow, to reach more people than last year. One more time, I need your help to make that happen. If you like what we’ve done through e past year, share the show with a friend, or on a Facebook group that you follow devoted to hunting and fishing.
Most importantly, please leave me a good rating on Apple Podcasts, and even better, write a short review. This isn’t about ego or vanity. I don’t fully understand the mafic on Apple’s algorithms, but I am led to believe that growth and being found is in part dependent on such things …
I’ve enjoyed putting together this podcast over the past year, as it has reminded me of my journalism days — especially the several years I spent from 1999 writing and editing an Outdoors section for my newspaper. As I did then, I tried to focus on bringing people different knowledge and perspectives about hunting and fishing — stuff that was a little different than the outdoors related content we so often see.
That’s all for today. I’ll be back this Wednesday with some more #WildThoughts and on Friday with another set
Federal Fishery Officer Randy Nelson’s first love was catching poachers.
That obsession, plus a wily mind and a passion for marathon running, spelled trouble for scores of law-breaking anglers for more than 35 years. Three decades in the field also netted Randy an eclectic and hair-raising collection of stories about everything from charging grizzlies to high-speed dirt road car chases.
Randy put those stories in print in 2014 in his book “Poachers, Polluters and Politics,” which was published by Harbour Publishing. In this Outdoor Narrative series, Randy shares his book with us and talks about some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of his adventures.
In this instalment, the fourth in the series, Randy talks about a range of experiences around Vancouver, the Interior and Vancouver Island, policing fisheries for smelt, roe and salmon involving diverse groups of people, including some without clothes.
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For those who want a copy of Randy’s book, visit http://www.harbourpublishing.com/ and search for the book’s title from the company’s expansive library of books devoted to lifestyles, adventures and stories of the Pacific Northwest.
Thanks for joining me for this episode. I hope you’ll be back next week, when Randy’s adventure continues…
If you’d like to share a thought, send me an e-mail at info@theoutdoornarrative.com.
Not long ago, I started writing an outdoors column for our local newspaper. In this Outdoor Narrative series, I’ll give voice to those words, for no other reason than I can, for no better reason than I think I have something to say.
I’ll let you all decide if that’s true or not. Maybe my columns will prove to be nothing more than pointless rambling and empty words but I hope not. Time will tell.
I’m Robert Koopmans, and today’s topic — "There is no conflict between love of nature and hunting."
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Thanks for listening. If you want to share a thought about what you’ve heard, send me an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com.
Welcome to The Outdoor Narrative, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columba and western Canada.
I’m Robert Koopmans and this week I’m chatting with Kevin Dergez about a recent trip to Paul Lake near Kamloops in search of kokanee through the ice.
I’ve never been a huge fan of ice fishing, although I always try to get out at least once a year, just to remind myself that I’m not missing anything. This year was no different, except for one main thing — we were after kokanee, which is a much different fish than trout.
Kokanee are essentially a freshwater sockeye salmon, although much smaller than their ocean counterparts. I consider sockeye salmon to be one of the best eating fish we have the ability to catch in B.C., so the chance to find a version so close to home — and perhaps easily catchable — sparked up my interest more than usual.
Will this be the year I tip over and commit to ice fishing? Maybe, as my trip with Kevin provided just enough success to keep the idea alive…
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Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. If you want to share a thought, send me an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com. I’m Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we’ll catch you next time.
Federal Fishery Officer Randy Nelson’s first love was catching poachers.
That obsession, plus a wily mind and a passion for marathon running, spelled trouble for scores of law-breaking anglers for more than 35 years. Three decades in the field also netted Randy an eclectic and hair-raising collection of stories about everything from charging grizzlies to high-speed dirt road car chases.
Randy put those stories in print in 2014 in his book “Poachers, Polluters and Politics,” which was published by Harbour Publishing. In this Outdoor Narrative series, Randy shares his book with us and talks about some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of his adventures.
In this instalment, the third in the series, Randy talks about a summer of bouncing around B.C.’s West Coast, and returning to Vancouver to take up the sport of catching crab poachers.
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For those who want a copy of Randy’s book, visit http://www.harbourpublishing.com/ and search for the book’s title from the company’s expansive library of books devoted to lifestyles, adventures and stories of the Pacific Northwest.
Thanks for joining me for this episode. I hope you’ll be back next week, when Randy’s adventure continues…
If you’d like to share a thought, send me an e-mail at info@theoutdoornarrative.com.
Not long ago, I started writing an outdoors column for our local newspaper. In this Outdoor Narrative series, I’ll give voice to those words, for no other reason than I can, for no better reason than I think I have something to say.
I’ll let you all decide if that’s true or not. Maybe my columns will prove to be nothing more than pointless rambling and empty words but I hope not. Time will tell.
I’m Robert Koopmans, and today’s topic is, “Are animals human? Only if you ignore one big difference.”
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Thanks for listening. If you want to share a thought about what you’ve heard, send me an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com.
Welcome to The Outdoor Narrative, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columba and western Canada.
I’m Robert Koopmans and this week I’m talking with Jeremy Jensen about first steps in bowhunting. Both of us have decided that this year will be the “Year of the Bow.” We’ve made a commitment to hunt only with a bow and not firearms, and we have set out to gain the skills and knowledge required before this year’s fall hunting season.
But as I discovered last week, the path isn’t always smooth, and some of the bumps to progress are not the easiest to absorb …
Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. If you want to share a thought, send me an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com. Thanks again, and we’ll catch you next time.
Federal Fishery Officer Randy Nelson’s first love was catching poachers.
That obsession, plus a wily mind and a passion for marathon running, spelled trouble for scores of law-breaking anglers for more than 35 years. Three decades in the field also netted Randy an eclectic and hair-raising collection of stories about everything from charging grizzlies to high-speed dirt road car chases.
Randy put those stories in print in 2014 in his book “Poachers, Polluters and Politics,” which was published by Harbour Publishing. In this Outdoor Narrative series, Randy shares his book with us and talks about some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of his adventures.
In this instalment, the second in the series, Randy talks about his transition from Saskatchewan to the West Coast of BC and his first months as a fisheries officer.
For those who want a copy of Randy’s book, visit http://www.harbourpublishing.com/ and search for the book’s title from the company’s expansive library of books devoted to lifestyles, adventures and stories of the Pacific Northwest.
Thanks for joining me for this episode. I hope you’ll be back next week, when Randy’s adventure continues…
If you’d like to share a thought, send me an e-mail at info@theoutdoornarrative.com.
Federal Fishery Officer Randy Nelson’s first love was catching poachers.
That obsession, plus a wily mind and a passion for marathon running, spelled trouble for scores of law-breaking anglers. Thirty-five years in the field netted Randy an eclectic and hair-raising collection of stories about everything from charging grizzlies to high-speed dirt road car chases.
After he retired, Randy put those stories in print in 2014 in his book “Poachers, Polluters and Politics,” which was published by Harbour Publishing. In this Outdoor Narrative series, Randy shares his book with us and talks about more of the behind-the-scenes aspects of his adventures.
In this instalment, which will be the first of many, Randy talks about how he came to work for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and his first adrenaline-surged bust on the dock of a northern Saskatchewan fishing lake …
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For those who want a copy of Randy’s book, visit http://www.harbourpublishing.com/ and search for the book titles from the company’s expansive library of books devoted to lifestyles, adventures and stories of the Pacific Northwest.
Thanks for joining me for this episode. I hope you’ll be back next week, when Randy’s adventure continues…
If you’d like to share a thought, send me an e-mail at info@theoutdoornarrative.com.
Campfires are great places to have discussions. There’s no better way to spark up a meaningful conversation than around a fire. Over the years, it’s the chats with friends around fires that have stuck with me the most. In this series, Kevin Dergez and I get together each week, around a fire, to talk about stuff related to the outdoors, hunting, fishing, wildlife and wild issues. I’m Robert Koopmans, and welcome to Around the Fire.
Today, Kevin and I simply killed some time, discussing a wide variety of topics from encountering deer on roadways to ice fishing to catching fish by hand (and is it legal?), poaching, tying flies and what you might do if you saw a Sasquatch...
Thanks for listening. If you have a question or a comment, send me an email at infor@theoutdoornarrative.com.
World record Kokanee caught by hand: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/b-c-man-caught-world-record-fish-with-his-bare-hands-before-eating-it-1.4213255
Traffic cam catches apparent image of "Sasquatch": https://www.kelownanow.com/watercooler/news/news/Around_the_Web/Sasquatch_spotted_Highway_webcam_appears_to_capture_elusive_Bigfoot/
Campfires are great places to have discussions. There’s no better way to spark up a meaningful conversation than around a fire. Over the years, it’s the chats with friends around fires that have stuck with me the most.
In this Outdoor Narrative series, Kevin Dergez and I will get together each week, around a fire, to talk about stuff related to the outdoors, hunting, fishing, wildlife and wild issues. I’m Robert Koopmans, and welcome to Around the Fire.
This week, Kevin and I dove into a topic almost too deep to talk about — saving species from extinction, and what’s happening in the Interior of BC with Thompson River steelhead. The story of the decline of steelhead in the Interior has been ongoing for decades now, and sadly, the chapter on our steelhead looks to be coming to a close.
Kevin and I chatted, in all our simplistic ignorance, about why we think the decline of steelhead has happened, as well as steps we need to take as we ponder the best way to save the species we share a planet with …
Thanks for listening. If you have a question or a comment, send me an email at infor@theoutdoornarrative.com.
Campfires are great places to have discussions. There’s no better way to spark up a meaningful conversation than around a fire. Over the years, it’s the chats with friends around fires that have stuck with me the most.
In this Outdoor Narrative series, Kevin Dergez and I will get together each week, around a fire, to talk about stuff related to the outdoors, hunting, fishing, wildlife and wild issues. I’m Robert Koopmans, and welcome to Around the Fire.
This week, Kevin and I chatted about the ones that got away, as well as plans that those missed opportunities often spark for the future.
Thanks for listening. If you have a question or a comment, send me an email at infor@theoutdoornarrative.com.
Campfires are great places to have discussions. There’s no better way to spark up a meaningful conversation than around a fire. Over the years, it’s the chats with friends around fires that have stuck with me the most. In this series, Kevin Dergez and I get together each week, around a fire, to talk about stuff related to the outdoors, hunting, fishing, wildlife and wild issues. I’m Robert Koopmans, and welcome to Around the Fire.
Today Kevin and I are talking about a new suite of hunting regulations being proposed by the BC government for the 2020 hunting season, and how important it is for everyone who cares about such things to get involved…
This year the government is proposing 95 updates, revisions or entirely new regulations. Some of the proposals seem straightforward, although more than few of them have some potential to raise eyebrows …
Link to the proposed regulations: https://engage.gov.bc.ca/govtogetherbc/impact/angling-hunting-and-trapping-results/
Welcome to The Outdoor Narrative, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada.
I’m Robert Koopmans and this week I’m talking with Ed Henczel, who joined me on a bowhunting trip to Texada Island in search of Columbia blacktail deer.
Texada Island is a small island located off the Sunshine Coast out of Powell River. It’s considered one of the Gulf Islands, and like many of these islands, it has an abundant population of blacktail deer. The deer were introduced decades ago and with no natural predators, their numbers have taken off.
The island is rugged and mountainous and covered in thick rainforest. It is a much different environment than the fir and grassland hillsides I’m used to walking in search of mule deer in the Interior.
Ed and I ventured there for a few days over the New Year break, hoping to take advantage of a one-month bow-only season from December 15 to January 15. The season offers a liberal harvest limit of three deer a year, and two of those deer can be does.
We had hoped to spend a week there, but unfortunately, Mother Nature intervened, and the arrival of a massive winter storm changed our plans. We left a day earlier than expected, hoping to outrun the advancing weather.
We chatted about the time we had on the island — as well as some interesting new hunting regulations being proposed by the BC government — as we waited for a ferry in Langdale en route to the Lower Mainland.
Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. If you want to share a thought, send me an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com. I’m Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we’ll catch you next time.
Welcome to Episode 37 of The Outdoor Narrative, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columba and western Canada.
I’m Robert Koopmans and this week I talked to Kevin Dergez, a friend of mine who also shares a passion for wild pursuits.
When I started this podcast nearly a year ago, Kevin was the first person I talked with, in an ice fishing hut on Rose Lake near Kamloops. It seemed fitting, then, to wrap up the season with a discussion with Kevin.
We sat down one morning this week to talk about how our summers went, and how fast it all seemed to fly by. We also talked about what the next few months look like and finding a balance in life between the things we want to do and things we have to do.
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This will be the last podcast episode of The Outdoor Narrative for 2019. With Christmas around the corner and some work demands looming, it felt like a good place to end Season 1. I’ll be back in January, though, with a new plan and a co-host. Kevin has agreed to help out with the show, and will join me in some new weekly segments we have planned. I’m looking forward to those conversations and his perspectives on outdoors activities.
Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. If you want to share a thought, send me an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com. I’m Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we’ll catch you next year.
Welcome to Episode 36 of The Outdoor Narrative, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columba and western Canada.
I’m Robert Koopmans and this week I talked to Kamloops fishing guide Jordan Oelrich about fishing in Alaska for predatory rainbow trout. Later in this episode, I also chat with Megan Robertson from Cabela’s about the retail giant’s Canada Outdoor Fund.
I have always been fascinated by the relationship between rainbow trout and salmon. Every year, in rivers and lakes where salmon spawn, including around Kamloops, trout key up in big numbers to take advantage of an abundant food source. Like bears prowling a riverbank to fatten up before winter, trout cruise in search of salmon eggs in the fall and smolts and fry in the spring. It often makes for intense fishing as the hungry trout feed aggressively on a resource that lasts for only a short period of time.
Kamloops fishing guide Jordan Oelrich recently made a week-long trip to Katmai National Park in Alaska to fish for rainbows that show up with the waves of salmon there. This was a scouting mission, as he is planning to take clients north for the experience in October 2020.
While the fishing for salmon-focussed trout in our area can be interesting, it is downright wild in Alaska, Jordan says, as the spectacular surroundings add to the experience. Throw in scores of 1,000-pound grizzlies to share the riverbanks and you have a trip impossible to forget.
I chatted with Jordan about his experience, the fishing and how it is both similar and different from fishing for rainbow trout in salmon rivers in southern B.C.
With 10 superstores across the country, Cabela’s is an outdoors retail giant. The stores, with walls lined with amazing displays of taxidermy depicting North American game species in wild settings, are a must-see experience for anyone interested in outdoors activities.
A few years ago, Cabela’s started a program across Canada that offers customers the opportunity to round up their purchase to the next dollar. Those dimes and pennies are collected and used to fund a program that gives money to groups working to improve hunting and fishing sports or the environment.
To date, the store has provided more than $500,000 in grants, including several groups in B.C. such as the Wild Sheep Society of BC and a variety of educational programs designed to provide outdoors opportunities for children.
I spoke with Megan Robertson, who works in the Abbotsford store, about the Canada Outdoors Fund.
Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. If you want to share a thought, send me an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com. I’m Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we’ll catch you next time.
Jordan Oelrich's website: http://interiorflyfishingco.com
Info about Cabela's Canada Outdoor Fund: https://www.cabelas.ca/pages/outdoorfund#apply
Welcome to Episode 35 of The Outdoor Narrative, a podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columba and western Canada.
This week, I talked to Stacy Webb and Adrian Clarke of the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC about raising sport fish, illegally introduced species (including goldfish and an occasional piranha) and the science behind stocking the wildest trout possible from hatchery environments.
Most anglers never think about where the fish they catch come from. They are just there, always present and hopefully eager to bite. The fact is, many of our best sportfishing lakes offer great fishing only because of the work of the Freshwater Fisheries Society, the not-for profit agency that runs B.C.’s fish hatcheries and stocking programs.
The program is supported entirely by money from the sale of fishing licences in B.C. The sportfishing crowd is getting older, however, which means fewer people to buy licences as the years pass.
The FFSBC is well aware of the trend and works hard every year to encourage new, younger anglers to give fishing a try. It’s just one of the many challenges FFSBC staff face when managing a complex operation across a diverse province such as B.C. …
Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. If you want to share a thought, send me an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com.
I’m Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we’ll catch you next time.
Welcome to Episode 34 of The Outdoor Narrative. Every week, I chat with people about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia.
This week, hunting friends Jeremy Jensen and Matt Jennings joined me at my home as we cut up a young mule deer buck we were lucky enough to kill a couple of days before …
For most hunters, high-quality meat is the prize. And while the work you do with a firearm or a bow when hunting deer is a critical part of the experience, it is not the most important part in determining how your meat will turn out.
How you treat an animal after it has been shot is more important to the quality of the meat than almost any other factor. Paying attention to all the details from the shot to the freezer will determine in large part how enjoyable your eating experience is going to be.
Butchering your own animal is one way to ensure all the right steps are taken, and cutting your own meat adds to the hunting experience by completing that field to table process…
Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. If you have a question or a comment, or an idea for a show, send me an e-mail at info@theoutdoornarrative.com. I’m Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we’ll catch you next time.
Welcome to Episode 33 of The Outdoor Narrative. I’m Robert Koopmans and every week I talk with interesting people about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia.
This week, I talked to Jess Findlay, an exceptionally talented wildlife photographer based in Burnaby. Jess is a passionate, motivated photographer who at just 26 years old has done more with a camera than most people who are twice his age …
Every once in a while, you come across someone with talent that, well, to borrow a cliché, simply takes your breath away. Jess is one of those people. There are few adjectives to describe his ability to capture evocative and emotional photos of birds and animals in their natural environment.
Jess has photographed extensively in B.C., Alaska and elsewhere throughout the Pacific Northwest. His travels also take regularly him to locations in Central and South America.
He has won many awards, including the Natural History Museum Wildlife Photographer of the Year. His work has been featured in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, the London Natural History Museum and the Royal British Columbia Museum.
Jess shared with me some of the stories behind his favourite photos, what he’s working on these days, as well as some tips for those with aspirations to capture nature and wildlife with their own cameras…
If you’re at all interested in wildlife photography, do yourself a favour and check out Jess’s website at www.jessfindlay.com.
Welcome to Episode 33 of The Outdoor Narrative. I’m Robert Koopmans and every week I talk with interesting people about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia.
This week, I talked to Lee James Mcguigan, a Canadian researcher based in New York, who has taken a keen interest in the motivations behind hunting televisions shows. In particular, Lee has sought to better understand why displays of killing are shown almost as forms of entertainment in shows that claim to be about conservation, ethics and sportsmanship.
It’s hard to find a hunting show — and some are worse than others — that does not emphasize, sensationalize or glorify the act of killing an animal as part of the hunting narrative. Last year, Lee wrote an academic research paper about the links between commercial messaging and kill scenes in hunting videos.
That paper, which was published in a journal related to television studies, served as the basis for our discussion …
Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. As always, if you like the show please subscribe through Apple Podcasts or wherever you find your podcasts and leave a review or a rating. As well, if you have a question or comment, send me a message through Facebook or Instagram or an email to info@theoutdoornarrative.com.
Welcome to Episode 32 of The Outdoor Narrative. I’m Robert Koopmans and every week I talk with interesting people about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia.
This week, I sat down with Steve Jennings, the owner of The Little Fort Fly Shop for a chat about fall fishing and the joy of boats.
One of the great things about hosting a podcast is the fact I can connect with very knowledgeable people about activities I love. Steve is such a fellow. A life-long fly angler, he has both passion and skill for chasing trout with a fly rod. Chatting with Steve is always a gift, and a conversation with him always leaves me with more than I had at the start …
We sat in my man cave, which is my garage, between two boats, for a rambling chat about the things fishermen like to chat about, which often includes a little bit of everything.
Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. As always, if you like the show please subscribe through Apple Podcasts or wherever you find your podcasts and leave a review or a rating. All that stuff helps me grow. As well, if you have a question or comment, send me an email or a message through Facebook or Instagram or by email to info@theoutdoornarrative.com.
I’m Robert Koopmans, thanks again and we’ll catch you next time …
Welcome to Episode 31 of The Outdoor Narrative. I’m Robert Koopmans and every week I talk with interesting people about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia.
This week I talked with Fraser Hayes from Anglers Atlas about the company’s latest project, an app called MyCatch that allows anglers to record details about their fishing and share them with researchers.
The app, which you can download to your smartphone or access via the web, is called MyCatch. At its core, MyCatch is a digital fishing diary that allows anglers to record a variety of details about their sportfishing experiences, including things like how many fish they have caught and how big they were to other relevant details such as the weather and time of day. All of those data are linked through GPS to specific locations, creating an efficient and meaningful record of your angling successes through a season.
What’s unique about the app, however, is the way Anglers Atlas has opened the data — privacy protected, of course — to researchers for the purpose of studying fish and sport fishing. MyCatch makes anglers active participants in research projects designed to better understand, manage or improve our sport fishing resources.
The project is still in its early days. I talked with Fraser about how MyCatch is coming along, all the things it does, and why anglers should be using it on a regular basis….
Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. As always, if you like the show please subscribe through Apple Podcasts or wherever you find your podcasts and leave a review or a rating. As well, if you have a question or comment, send me an email to info@theoutdoornarrative.com, or a message through Facebook or Instagram.
Thanks again and we’ll catch you next time …
You can find Anglers Atlas and MyCatch here: https://www.anglersatlas.com
Welcome to Episode 30 of The Outdoor Narrative. I’m Robert Koopmans and every week I talk with interesting people about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia.
This week, I talked with BC wildlife veterinarian Helen Schwantje about chronic wasting disease, which affects deer, elk, moose and caribou, and the fact that the disease has been discovered on our province’s doorstep.
Chronic wasting disease, or CWD, is a fatal disease of the central nervous system. CWD is passed through animal to animal contact. It is caused by an abnormal kind of protein called prions, which accumulate in the brain leading to destruction of tissue.
Other diseases in this family include sheep and goat scrapie, BSE – or “mad cow disease” — and the human form called Creutzfeld-Jakob disease.
In the early stages of the disease an infected animal may look normal but in later stages infected animals often show signs of weight loss, drooling, difficulty swallowing, poor coordination or stumbling and trembling.
The origins of CWD are not known but the disease was first described in captive mule deer in 1967 in Colorado and Wyoming. This was followed by positive diagnoses in their free-ranging populations. The first diagnosis of CWD in Canada was in 1981 in mule deer at the Toronto Zoo.
In 1996 a positive diagnosis of CWD was found in game-farmed elk in Saskatchewan. Later that year the first case of CWD in a wild deer was reported in a mule deer in Saskatchewan. In 2005 CWD was diagnosed for the first time in four wild mule deer in Alberta. CWD has now been diagnosed in captive and wild animals in 25 states and three provinces.
I talked with Helen about the recent discovery of CWD in a deer in Montana, close to the BC border, and what steps our province is taking as a result ...
Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. As always, if you like the show please subscribe through Apple Podcasts or wherever you find your podcasts and leave a review or a rating. All that stuff helps me grow. As well, if you have a question or comment, send me an email or a message through Facebook or Instagram or by email to info@theoutdoornarrative.com.
I’m Robert Koopmans, thanks again and we’ll catch you next time …
Here’s a link to a presentation prepared by the BC government about CWD in BC:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/plants-animals-and-ecosystems/wildlife-wildlife-habitat/wildlife-health/wildlife-health-documents/cwd_hunter_ed.pdf
Welcome to Episode 29 of The Outdoor Narrative. I’m Robert Koopmans and every week I talk with interesting people about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia.
This week, I talked with a variety of people about hunting with a bow and becoming a bowhunter. This episode is about learning and lessons learned — including hard, humbling lessons that you can only get in the field.
I bought a bow when I was 17 years old. Living in Ontario, I was determined to hunt deer with it, and I practiced hard. I got to be pretty good with it, but I never did make it out deer hunting. Not long after, I graduated high school and moved to B.C., to go to school and start working. The bow went into storage and when the time came again that I wanted to hunt, I bought a rifle, because the guy who was teaching me about B.C. deer hunted with a rifle.
It is what I have done for the last 30 years.
About a month ago, a fully loaded bowhunting package passed into my hands, completely set up and ready to shoot. That desire to try bowhunting flashed back up and I saw the possibility of a check box on a bucket-list item. All that was left to do was determine whether I could fire up muscle memory from 30 years ago in time for the September 1 deer archery season in my area.
I started by reaching out to the Kamloops Target Sports Association. The club has an active and talented group of archers. Mark Britton is one of them. He and his wife Katie are both members of the Canadian National Archery Team, and recently competed at the international 3D archery championships in Quebec.
I spoke with Mark at one of the club’s 3D archery shoots ….
After I chatted with Mark, I met up with Al Campsall, who is another of the club’s talented archers. He’s been shooting bows and hunting with them for decades, and just missed a spot on the Canadian national archery team this year. He agreed to watch me shoot, and offered up several critical tips to set me on a better path …
The next day, after my session with Al, I went back to the range and walked through the 3D archery course the club had set up in the sagebrush hills just behind the club’s shooting range. It was a great experience, wandering through the draws and gullies in search of the 3D deer, bears cougars, elk and moose the club had staked out.
It was as realistic a hunting experience as you can create on a range. And with the exception of one shot on a rubber deer at 45 yards, I stuck my arrows into all the right places. All that was left to do was go hunting.
One week later, I met up with Brian Chan. Most people know Brian through fly-fishing. I learned this past summer he is also an avid bow hunter, having picked up the sport a few years ago. We sat down to review the first five days of the season, and what we both learned ….
Another massive thunderstorm passed through our area the evening after Brian and I talked, stealing one of our hunts. I hunted out the last two days, but it became apparent the best of that early season hunting was done. My first archery season ended September 9, yesterday, with no meat in the freezer. I had two good chances though, so only myself to blame.
Regardless, it was an amazing week of hunting, one that has changed how I view hunting. I know I won’t put down my rifle for good, but there’s a pretty good chance now I’m goi ng to take it out a lot less. As Canadian philosopher Marshall McLuhan once said, “The medium is the message.”
After an intense week chasing deer with a bow, I can tell you that bowhunting’s message feels a lot deeper. There’s a lot there to explore and I plan to spend a great deal more time honing skills and getting ready for the next opportunity, whenever that might be…
Welcome to Episode 28 of The Outdoor Narrative. I’m Robert Koopmans, and every week I talk with interesting people about fishing, hunting or other wild activities in British Columbia …
Today I’m talking with Iain Currie, who is the federal Green Party’s candidate for the Kamloops Thompson Cariboo riding in B.C.’s Interior.
The federal election in Canada, set for October 21, is well underway and parties and politicians are working hard to sway people’s thinking and win their votes.
The Green Party is one of the newer players on the political scene, one that is showing increasing strength in many parts of Canada. As their name suggests, the Green Party has roots in the environmental movement and many of their proposed policies and initiatives show as much.
At the same time, some of their policies stray from environmental places into arenas of social and cultural concerns, such as the Party’s proposed ban on handgun and semi-automatic rifle.
Iain Currie is a former provincial Crown prosecutor and long-time environmental activist. I sat down with Iain recently to explore his and his party’s views around many of these issues, including gun control …
Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. As always, if you like the show please subscribe through Apple Podcasts or wherever you find your podcasts.
As well, if you have a question or comment, send me an email or a message through Facebook or Instagram. I want to hear what you think.
Welcome to Episode 27 of The Outdoor Narrative. I’m Robert Koopmans, and every week I talk with interesting people about fishing, hunting or other wild activities in British Columbia …
Today I’m talking with Mark Stenroos, the developer of a unique and extremely useful mapping app for your smartphone or computer called iHunter. If you spend time searching for new places to explore or hunt, iHunter can save you time and effort by providing you information about who owns the land, and whether or not you can travel there.
I’m lucky to be in British Columbia, where the vast majority of land is owned by the Crown and free to be traveled and explored. But that isn’t always the case, and certainly in places closer to our cities, there are expanses of private land or land that is controlled by leases.
Knowing the boundaries of land you can hunt on and land you can’t can be pretty hard. Sometimes there are fences or signs, sometime there isn’t. And often there are fences or signs in places where there shouldn’t be, making it difficult to sort out the boundaries.
iHunter is an app that you load on to your smartphone, tablet or computer. It interacts with GPS and pre-loaded data layers to tell you where you are on the landscape, but more importantly, who owns it. As well, it offers the user information about wildlife management units, open and closed seasons, bag limits and sunset and sunrise times.
It all works together to create what I now consider to be an invaluable exploration and hunting tool. iHunter has given me insights into places I would not have been able to glean otherwise. I spoke with the app’s creator Mark Stenroos recently about how he came up with the idea, how best to use it, and future plans for the tool …
You can find iHunter on the IOS or Android App Store, or on the web at https://www.ihunterapp.com
Today I’m talking with Al Martin, who is the director of strategic initiatives with the BC Wildlife Federation.
Formed in the late 1800s, the BC Wildlife Federation is one of the oldest organizations of its kind in Canada. With more than 36,000 members, the federation is one of the largest groups in B.C. speaking and working on behalf of conservation and environmentalism. A key mission of the federation is to preserve wildlife, habitats and natural ecosystems for future generations.
People might think that the BCWF is solely the voice of anglers and hunters – and there is no question sportspeople are the bulk of members in the federation – but the fact is the federation does far more than just look out for the interests of its membership.
Many of the federation’s current initiatives focus on environmental and conservation issues that are well removed from hunting and fishing and critically important to the future of the natural landscape in British Columbia.
I talked with Al about many of these initiatives, including the fight to save the Thompson River steelhead and concerns for the preservation of the headwater valley of the Skagit River…
Today I’m talking with Terry Lake, who is the federal Liberal Party’s candidate for the Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo riding in B.C.’s Interior.
If you don’t know it yet, you will soon enough — it’s election season once again in Canada. This fall, Canadians will go to the polls to choose a federal government after four years of Justin Trudeau’s Liberals.
Terry Lake was acclaimed as a candidate earlier this year. He is a seasoned politician who has served at both the municipal and provincial levels. As a BC Liberal, he served as Environment Minister and Health Minister in Premier Christy Clark’s government.
This is Terry’s first run at federal politics. He is coming to the game in a time when Canadians are demanding strong leadership. There are many complex, divisive issues confronting Canadians these days, especially on the environmental front, and those who are elected to serve will face difficult choices and challenges.
There are concerns around everything from climate change and resource development to First Nations rights and growing opposition to hunting and firearms. Throw in a myriad of other social issues and you have a political landscape fraught with obstacles.
I wanted to explore with Terry his views around environmental and other outdoor issues, and try to understand more what he sees as the federal government’s role in the management of these important topics …
In the coming weeks, I will reach out to candidates from other parties as well, to help us better understand where all our political players stand on issues that affect us as outdoor enthusiasts, B.C. residents, citizens and caretakers of natural environments.
Today I’m talking with Eiko Jones, a Campbell River-based photographer who specializes in underwater photography, especially of B.C.’s native fish species.
For most of us, the surface of a lake or river represents a divide between our world, the one above in the air and light, and a different world below. As anglers we try our best to learn and understand that world but to say we truly know it would be at best, hopeful. So few of us get the chance to put eyes in that world and see it firsthand.
So I was fascinated to come across Eiko’s website. For years, he has dived and snorkeled BC’s lakes, rivers and coastlines and photographed salmon and trout through all their stages of life. He has developed a unique understanding of fish that can only come from being below the surface, in their world.
Most recently, Eiko has expanded into video and cinematography and is currently shooting footage for a full-length film about salmon and their cycles of life. Called Heartbeat of the River, the movie is due to be released early next year.
I talked with Eiko recently about his photography, his movie project, as well as about the state of salmon in BC …
Anyone with an interest in fish should have a look at Eiko’s photography, which you can find on his website at www.eikojonesphotography.com. His photos of alevins, fry, smolts and spawning adults are impressive, and reveal a frailty and vulnerability that never dawned on me before. His pictures of underwater environments, taken as other photographers might frame a landscape, offer new perspectives on mysterious worlds.
Today I’m talking with Danny Simons, a friend of mine who owns a communications firm based in Los Angeles, California. Danny is a skilled and experienced professional in the field of public affairs and public relations.
I wanted to talk with Danny about perception and image, and how social media is affecting the public’s impressions of hunting.
We’ve all seen the pictures on social media of some hunter posing with a dead animal with blood on their hands and a grin on their face. These blood-stained selfies are often taken by hunters to celebrate the end of a successful hunting venture. Instead, they are increasingly being used by anti-hunters to vilify and condemn not only the person who took the picture but hunting itself.
When confronted by these viral controversies, the hunting community often seems at a loss to know how to respond. We become defensive or angry. Some lash out at the critics, while others try to rationalize the activity by arguing hunting dollars fund conservation and hunters are needed to help with wildlife management.
In that heated moment, it all falls flat, and we’re left with a sense our public image has taken a hit, that anti-hunters have scored another victory in their quest to restrict or end hunting all together.
I reached out to Danny to see what kind of advice he would offer the hunting community. He graciously took my call early one morning while on a business trip in Arizona….
My conversation with Danny left me a great deal to ponder and think about, especially around the idea of telling my own story of why I hunt. It’s something all hunters should think about. What are our stories and how are we are sharing them with the public. If the only part of our story we are telling is that of a dead animal in the final moments of a hunt, we are most likely doing ourselves and the greater hunting community a disservice.
We all have to decide what kind of impact we want to have and how best to achieve it. At the least, however, we need to understand that in today’s connected world, it’s possible to have impact even when we don’t want to. We need to think about what we share with others and the reasons why, knowing that while we mean well, others might not see it that way.
Welcome to Episode 22 of The Outdoor Narrative. I’m Robert Koopmans, and every week I talk with cool people about fishing, hunting or other wild activities in British Columbia …
Today I’m talking with Joe Cunningham, who has developed a unique fly-fishing boat that he describes as serving a niche market within a niche market. His boats, with names such as The Chironomid, the Dragonfly and The Loon, use high-end Kevlar canoes as their base.
Many people might struggle to see a canoe as a fly-fishing boat, but Joe has added features that enhance the advantages and eliminate the disadvantages. His canoes are rowed – not paddled. They have outriggers on both sides that make them stable enough to stand in. They have rod holders, and anchors on both ends.
They are unique boats designed to serve a specific purpose – fly-fishing on the great trout lakes that surround us throughout B.C. and southern Alberta.
I talked to Joe about his boats and how he came up with the idea, as well as about fly-fishing and chasing trout in the streams of lakes of southwestern B.C. and Alberta….
Today I’m talking with Frank Ritcey, who is taking the concept of wildlife photography in an entirely new direction. Frank has become a specialist in the use of trail cams, which are special cameras that use infrared motion detectors to trigger the camera’s shutter and capture pictures or videos of whatever animal walks in front of it.
He operates a network of trail cameras around his home in Merritt, BC.
It requires a unique set of skills to know where to put a camera so that you can capture a picture when you are not there. Frank’s understanding of animals and their habits has allowed him to capture some incredible footage, such as a mother wolf nursing her pack of cubs. He has captured, deer, moose, bears, cougars, bobcats, and all manner of birds and other small critters.
He posts the videos and images on Facebook or to the BC Conservation Foundation’s Wild Safe BC website page, with the hope that by showing people a different side of wildlife, they will become more caring stewards of the environment.
I chatted with Frank about the cameras, how to set them up and how to choose locations, as well as things such as ethics and etiquette…
Welcome to Episode 20 of The Outdoor Narrative. I’m Robert Koopmans, and every week I talk with cool people about fishing, hunting or other wild activities in British Columbia …
Today, I’m talking with Steve Jennings, one of the most accomplished fly-fishermen I know, about how he’s managed to make fishing his career...
If you’re a die-hard angler, the kind that yearns for more days on the water than life typically allows, it’s likely you have pondered at some point some way to make fishing into something more than a hobby.
Steve owns a fly shop, guides anglers on local lakes and rivers, and has written about fishing for various publications. Against the odds, he has managed to work his love of trout and fly-fishing into a paying gig, and one that has never felt like a job.
His secret? Passion for the sport.
I met with Steve in his fly shop in Little Fort BC, and he shared with me his story – one that’s allowed him to make sportfishing, truly, a lifetime pursuit…
Every year in B.C., more than 2,000 backcountry adventurers find some kind of trouble. Some get hurt while others wander a little bit too far off the beaten path and get lost. Some are properly prepared. Many are not.
The job of finding the lost and the wounded and bringing them back to safety usually falls to a small group of volunteers — B.C.’s Search and Rescue teams. I’m Robert Koopmans and today on the Outdoor Narrative, I’m talking with a search and rescue volunteer.
Ed Henczel is a member of the Central Okanagan Search and Rescue team. Based in Kelowna, the group is one of about 80 teams in B.C. that serve their local communities. This team is comprised of about 50 people, each of whom give 10 to 20 hours of their time every week to training.
And every year they are called out scores of times to help with all kinds of emergencies and situations. I met Ed at his team’s hall, where we chatted about what it takes — and what it means — to be a part of this kind of organization …
How do you learn to hunt, and be a hunter? For most people, the knowledge is obtained from someone else, usually a father or grandfather or some other family member. Without that support, developing the needed skills is a difficult undertaking to envision. Today on The Outdoor Narrative, I’m talking about pathways to becoming a hunter.
Jason Hewlett is a friend and former colleague of mine. We both worked together in the newsroom of the Kamloops Daily News before it closed in 2013. A couple of weeks ago, Jason and I talked about movies and during that conversation, I learned Jason had an interest in learning to hunt and fish.
I was immediately curious, since most people who hunt and fish start much earlier in their lives. Jason is in his 40s. He is not a typical first-timer. We decided it would be worthwhile to have another chat — the one you’re about to hear — to further explore what a pathway to hunting looks like for someone who has never done it before, and how he might be able to get there in time for this year’s hunting season.
During our conversation, which happened in a boat one evening as we fished for trout on Heffley Lake, we talked about many things, including the reasons why he wants to hunt and fish, and the steps he will need to take to get there. And I agreed I would help him as best I can …
I don’t know what kind of mentor I am likely to be. By nature, I am not a patient teacher, and can be easily frustrated by those who show an inability to grasp things I take for granted. But I also know it’s possible to learn new things by seeing activities you take for granted through new eyes.
My hope is that by helping Jason learn the basics of becoming an outdoorsman, I will find new insights into why I hunt, and how I can do it better. I see value in the idea of passing on knowledge in this kind of way and expect that mentoring someone will make me see things in new light.
Stay tuned for more episodes in the coming weeks detailing Jason’s pathway to becoming a hunter. I expect we’re going to talk about everything from getting licences to gear, shooting and how to find hunting country. And hopefully, we’ll be able to put it all together this fall with a successful hunt. I’m looking forward to this series and hope it will bring value to anyone who has similar questions.
How many adults remember fishing as children? Probably most of us, because when we were young, fishing was still something people did with their kids. It was like a summer ritual, and most of us will have memories of being in a boat or on a dock with a rod in hand.
Today, though, things seem different. Fewer people fish, and many wouldn’t know how to teach a child even if they wanted to.
This past week, I met up with Beth and Lynden from the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC, who run a Learn to Fish program for kids every summer. I talked with them about why it’s important to teach children outdoor skills like fishing and listened in as they worked with a rambunctious crew of kids at a lake not far from Kamloops.
There are many was to fish, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Today on The Outdoor Narrative, I’m talking about a particularly good way for anglers to catch fish while fly fishing on stillwater lakes — fishing with chironomid patterns.
An adult chironomid is a small winged fly that looks like a mosquito, only without the biting parts. It is extremely common in lakes, and fish will feed on the pupal stage of this insect, when it rises from the lake’s bottom and moves to the surface to hatch.
Chironomid fishing has become the dominant style of fly fishing in B.C.’s Interior in the spring and early summer as anglers match size and colours of this little insect to target rainbow trout.
But learning to fish with chironomids isn’t easy. There is a short steep learning curve and many small technical details to master. Today I’m walking through the basics ….
Every so often, whether by choice or circumstance, we can’t get out on the water or into the woods. When that happens, is there anything wrong with searching for an outdoors fix from the comfort of a couch? Today on The Outdoor Narrative, I’m talking about movies …
It’s amazing how many movies use themes of hunting or fishing to explore aspects of humanity and living. For hunters and anglers, watching movies can offer glimpses of the reasons why we do the things we do. Jason Hewlett watches a lot of movies. He’s a former film student and the host of a movie review podcast called From the Basement.
We sat down recently to talk about film and the outdoors…
Today I'm talking about the Lowrance Fish Hunter Pro castable transducer, a baseball-sized sonar transducer that connects to your smart phone electronically via built-in wifi.
It's a great idea that immediately caught my attention. I took the unit to local lake for a morning of stillwater chironomid fly-fishing and ran it through some paces...
You can also read my review (and see a screen snap of the screen) at bit.ly/lowrancereview
They are all around us, and yet so many barely know they are there. For others, though, birds are a major fascination — an obsession, even. I’m Robert Koopmans and today on The Outdoor Narrative, we’re talking to an expert birdwatcher.
Rick Howie has been pursuing birds for more than 40 years. The Kamloops habitat biologist, now retired from a career with government, has long been recognized as ‘the’ local expert, the guy you turn to when you when you have a question about a bird you have seen but don’t know what it is. If anyone will know, Rick will.
I met Rick near a local wildlife reserve recently to talk about some of the activity’s unique aspects, including competitive birdwatching, the role of trust and reputation amongst birdwatchers, the ethics and the equipment.
In every community, there are those who are recognized for mastery in a chosen craft. I’m Robert Koopmans and today on The Outdoor Narrative, I’m talking with a true master — Kamloops fly-fisher Mo Bradley.
There are many adjectives one could use to describe Mo Bradley, and it’s likely most have been used by someone at some point. Of all of the adjectives, though, passionate is likely the most accurate. Now 81 years old, Mo is still as hooked on fly-fishing as he was when he came to Canada from England more than 50 years ago.
Mo was also known for having strong opinions about fly fishing and how it should be done. He still has strong opinions and a willingness to share them.
Mo was one of the area’s fly-fishing pioneers, a keen observer of the natural environment who joined other notable pioneers, including the likes of Jack Shaw, in pursuit of rainbow trout with fly patterns that mimicked natural insects instead of the wet flies and attractor patterns used by previous generations.
Mo even went as far as keeping aquariums in his basement where he could watch insects in various stages of development, so he could build fly patterns that better fooled fish.
Several years ago, Mo suffered an aneurysm that stole most of his vision. While many would see such a blow as an end to fishing, Mo refused to set aside his passion. Today he is still tying flies, building rods, and getting on the water as often as he can. But most importantly, he is still trying to help others wade though the mysteries of fly-fishing, something he says he will do, “until the day comes …”
Just recently, Mo and Vancouver writer Mark Hume released a book called Trout School that pulls together the knowledge he has accumulated through decades of pursuing Kamloops trout.
I had a chance to sit down with Mo recently to talk about his book, and his love of fishing for Kamloops trout …
Angling in B.C.’s lakes is mostly possible because of our extensive fish hatchery program. Today on the Outdoor Narrative, we’re visiting a trout hatchery.
The Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC is a not-for-profit agency created to manage the province’s six fish hatcheries. Supported entirely by money received from the sale of fishing licences, the society raises eight million trout, char and kokanee every year and releases them into more than 800 lakes.
I took a drive to Clearwater, B.C., to visit the Society’s trout hatchery there. Hatchery worker Jeff Kuhn gave me a tour through the facility as his team gets ready for the upcoming release of trout and kokanee into local lakes…
Two weeks ago, when I spoke with Dr. Dave Kreutzweiser, a retired Canadian Forest Service research scientist, about glyphosate spraying in forests, I also reached out to B.C. MLA Mike Morris, whose ad opposing its use sparked my interest in the subject.
I couldn’t reach Mike then, but we had the chance to talk the other day and I wanted to make sure that Mike’s perspective is heard. In this brief episode update, I spoke with Mike about what has led him to want to ban the use of glyphosate all together from BC’s forests.
After our conversation, I understand better why Mike is opposed. He’s not disputing the science so much as the effect of the chemical’s use in areas he knows well — areas he has spent a lifetime trapping and hunting.
I don’t doubt Mike when he says he has seen reductions in wildlife across the places he travels. It’s his country. He knows it better than me, and better than scientists from outside the area. Perhaps it is possible that glyphosate and its effect on vegetation in Mike’s area has affected animal populations, by displacing them elsewhere.
Whether that means we should ban its use is another question, and one I don’t have an answer for.
The Canadian Forest Service says the chemical is an important forest management tool and banning it would have financial consequences on forest companies, mills and perhaps even communities who suffer the impacts of a reduced wood supply.
This is a difficult issue to balance, and I hope that as we consider it, we will make a decision that balances impacts against benefits in a way that makes sense for the broader community.
I’m not sure where I heard the term ‘switch rod,’ but when I looked into it, I was immediately interested. A switch rod is a two-handed fly-fishing rod. It’s like a big spey rod but smaller.
This style of rod is designed to meet the needs of angler who fish for trout, and even steelhead and salmon, in smaller lakes and rivers. Like any gear-related topic, it has its own terms, like Skagit heads and scandi heads, Snap Ts and snake rolls.
To learn more, I headed to Trout Waters in Kelowna to talk with Nick Pace, the shop’s owner, to get some advice.
With my new rod in hand, I decided to follow Nick’s advice and get some proper instruction about how to cast a two-handed rod.
I reached out to Jordan Oelrich, a Kamloops-based fishing guide who has fished with two-handed rods for many years.
We headed for a local river one evening to wade the current and learn the basics of water anchors, roll casts, Snap T casts and double spey casts and shooting line.
After my casting lesson, all that was left was to put it all together and chase some fish. I headed back to the river a couple of days later for an early morning river cruise in search of rainbow trout.
There’s an ongoing debate in B.C. and Canada around whether we should spray growing pine forests with glyphosate, a herbicide made to kill aspen, poplar and other deciduous trees. The chemical is used as a forest management tool to give young conifers a head start.
Today we’re talking with Canadian Forest Services research scientist Dr. Dave Kreutzweiser about aerial spraying in B.C.'s forests ...
Ask anyone who is interested in stillwater fly-fishing on B.C.’s interior lakes and they will tell you they have heard of Brian Chan. There are likely no anglers around who know more about rainbow trout and the best ways to catch them than Brian.
Now retired, Brian is a former government fisheries biologist who has also devoted much of his life to sport fishing. More importantly, he has been willing to share with others all the knowledge he had developed through the years.
He is the author of numerous books and guides on stillwater fly fishing. He is an expert fly tier and has an amazing body of knowledge on insects and their life stages. He has been featured in countless videos, hosted many workshops and helped countless numbers of anglers learn how to catch fish with flies in our local lakes.
I had the privilege of sitting down with Brian recently in his Kamloops home to talk about rainbow trout, and why our part of the world is home to such spectacular angling …
On today's episode I chat with Kyle Stelter, the president of the Wild Sheep Society of B.C. His group, a non-profit registered society, is dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of B.C.'s bighorn sheep. We talk about a wide variety of issues, including about the society's recent convention in Kamloops.
Today on The Outdoor Narrative I'm talking with Kamloops-based hunting guide Mike Ritcey about all things geese, especially finding and hunting the birds in the spring.
Mike has been chasing ducks and geese for more than 50 years and has a great deal of experience to share. Topics touched on include getting started, finding places to hunt, gear, hunting with dogs, and field safety.
Mike shares his experiences guiding hunters in Saskatchewan, where millions of birds darken the skies and hunters hunt over decoy spreads of more than 800 birds. He discusses his newest quarry as well — sandhill cranes.
We wrap up with a quick chat about this year's spring goose season in B.C.'s Interior, with looked like a great bet until winter rolled in hard in early February.
Today I spoke with Rick McGowan about the Nicola Fish and Game Club's six-year fight with the Douglas Lake Cattle Company over access to two grassland lakes near Merritt. The club won a key court victory in December, however, despite that, the path forward seems unclear...
Welcome to The Outdoor Narrative, a podcast exploring activities, lifestyles, wildlife, nature and outdoor pursuits in British Columbia’s magnificent outdoors. I’m Robert Koopmans and every week, I will talk with diverse guests on a wide array of topics and issues related to wild things.
Today I’m talking with Kevin Dergez, a good friend who has tried for years to convince me that ice fishing is a great way to spend a cold February morning. I’ve never been convinced. Regardless, I decided to join him for a morning of fishing on Rose Lake near Kamloops in pursuit of brook and rainbow trout.