What Your Branch Needs to Know This Month REGISTER FOR THE SASKATCHEWAN WILDLIFE FEDERATION’S 85TH ANNUAL CONVENTION FEBRUARY 13‐15, 2014 HERITAGE INN MOOSE JAW, SK Please see the new Agenda for Convention in this Branch Memo. If this is your first time to convention, we invite you for a complementary lunch on Thursday February 13th at 11:15 am with the SWF Board of Directors and Central Office Staff. This is a great opportunity to get to know other first time delegates and get a sneak preview of the weekend. Be sure to mark your registration form that you will be joining us. Resolutions that will be presented at the convention are included in December’s month end mail ‐ please review at the branch level prior to casting your branch vote at the convention. A “Called Vote” can be called by any member on any issue at convention. In the case of a called vote, the procedures are: (as per constitution) Every branch is entitled to one vote for the first 50 members or fraction thereof over 15 and one additional vote for every 50 members over the first 50 members up to a maximum of five votes. The number of votes would be based on the membership numbers as of December 31, 2013. Please make sure you bring your hide collection ballots (filled in and pulled apart) to convention. If you have any questions, please contact Central Office at 692‐8812. Six draws will be made at the convention on Saturday at noon. Don’t forget to bring your photographs to Convention for the Photography Awards. Each branch may submit one photo per category—Wildlife and Scenery and the delegates will vote for their favorites. If you want to be included in the parade of cheques at Convention, but for some reason can not send a delegate, please contact Central Office at 692‐8812 and we will make sure to read out your donation.
Our new website is up and running—it is still located at www.swf.sk.ca. Be sure to get your tickets to the Retirement Roast for Jim Kroshus in Moose Jaw on March 29. Call Central Office at 692‐8812. If you require a hotel room, rooms have been blocked at: Moose Jaw Hotel (Best Western Plus) 350 Diefenbaker Dr Moose Jaw, SK S6J 1N2 Ph (306) 972‐3334 Fax (306) 972‐3340 We can provide plaques to the branches for your annual awards. Please send us your order with details, and the date you require them by fax 692‐4370 or email [email protected]. Please make sure to let us know of any changes to your executive by calling or emailing SWF Central Office. This is most important for mail outs and emails. Mark your calendars for the Henry Kelsey & Provincial Angling Awards Banquet April 5th in Balgonie! Registration opens for the SWF 10th Annual Habitat Trust Golf Tournament and Great Canadian Sausage Cook‐off on March 3 Conservation Camp dates for 2014 have been set: Girls Camp ‐ July 13‐20 Boys Camp ‐ July 20‐27 Applications are now available on our website and are due May15th.
As of the end of January 2014
Feb 13‐15 85th Annual SWF Convention ‐ Moose Jaw Feb 22 Yorkton Annual Banquet & Fundraiser ‐ St. Mary's Cultural Center Mar 1 Esterhazy Annual Awards Banquet ‐ S.N. Boreen Hall Mar 3 Registration opens for the SWF 10th Annual Habitat Trust Golf Tournament and Great Canadian Sausage Cook‐off Mar 6‐9 Saskatoon Sports & Leisure Show Mar 15 Melville Fish & Game Annual Awards and Fundraising Banquet Mar 15 Weyburn Wildlife Federation Annual ‘Fred Garner Memorial’ Banquet and Awards Night Mar 15 Preeceville Wildlife Federation 64th Annual Awards Night & Banquet Fundraiser Mar 15 Ice Shack Removal Mar 22 Whitesand Wildlife Awards and Banquet Night ‐ Good Spirit Golf Resort Mar 23 Region 3 Spring Meeting ‐ Foam Lake Mar 29 Retirement Roast for Jim Kroshus ‐ Moose Jaw Mar 29 ‐ 30 Estevan Wildlife Federation First Annual Pistol Club Gun Show Mar 31 Fishing Season Closes Apr 5 Henry Kelsey & Provincial Angling Awards Banquet ‐ Balgonie Apr 6 Region 6 Spring Meeting ‐ Swift Current Apr 6 Region 4 Spring Meeting ‐ Grenfell Apr 12 Estevan Wildlife Federation's Annual Fundraiser ‐ Wylie Mitchell Building Apr 12 Souris Moose Creek Wildlife Federation 2014 Annual Fundraiser Dinner and Auction Apr 13 Region 1 Spring Meeting ‐ Rose Valley Apr 13 Region 5 Spring Meeting ‐ Outlook Apr 14 ‐ Porcupine Wildlife Federation Annual Banquet
Check our website for more information on these and other events at http://swf.sk.ca/events/
Calendar of Events
Delegates to the 85th Annual Convention in Moose Jaw will enjoy: Keynote Address ~ Branch Project Presentations ~ Hospitality Room ~ Ministry of Environment Enforcement Compliance Presentation and Question and Answer Time ~ Seminars ~ Fundraising Banquet ~ Wildlife Advisory Presentation ~ Networking opportunities ~ Henry Kelsey Report ~ Firearms Legislation ~ SWF President’s Report ~ Banquets ~ Best Resolution ~ Photography Winners ~ Clayton Young Memorial ~ Ed Begin Conservation Project ~ Resource Management Conservation Award ~ Gordon Lund Memorial
If this is your first convention, delegates are invited to a free lunch where they will meet the SWF Board of Direc-tors and Central Office staff and find out what to expect at Convention. Please make note on your convention regis-tration form that you would like to attend the New Delegate's luncheon
Accommodation Information The Host Hotel:
HERITAGE INN http://heritageinn.net/ 1590 Main St. N., Moose Jaw, SK S6J 1L3 306-693-7550 Room rates run $108.00 plus tax and up depending on the room. Reservations must be made prior to January 12, 2014.
Additional Accommodation Shuttles will be provided to and from the Heritage Inn to:
COMFORT INN http://www.comfortinn.com/hotel-moose_jaw-canada-CN035 155 Thatcher Dr. W., Moose Jaw, SK S6J 1M1 306-692-2100 1-800-228-5150 Reservations must be made 60 days prior to convention date. Rates are $120.00 plus tax and up depending on room. Includes hot & cold breakfast and WIFI.
SUPER 8 http://www.super8.com/hotels/saskatchewan/moose-jaw/super-8-moose-jaw-sk/hotel-overview
1706 Main St. N., Moose Jaw, SK S6J 1L4 306-692-8888 Reservations must be made by January 12th, 2014. Rates are $105.30 plus tax depending on the room. Includes hot and cold breakfast and WIFI.
DAYS INN http://www.daysinn.ca/hotels/saskatchewan/moose-jaw/days-inn-moose-jaw/hotel-overview 1720 Main St. N., Moose Jaw, SK S6J 1L4 306-691-5777 Reservations must be made prior to January 15, 2014. Rates are $108.00 plus tax depending on the room. Includes hot and cold breakfast, WIFI, pool, hot tub, water slide, business center & fitness room. More hotel info on www.swf.sk.ca
Keynote Speaker—Steve Mealey
Vice President for Conservation - Boone and Crockett Club
We are thrilled to have Steve Mealey as the Keynote Speaker at the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation 85th Annual Convention in Moose Jaw.
Mealey is an Honorary Life Member of the Boone and Crockett Club, and Vice President for Conservation. Currently retired in Oregon, his professional career spanned 30 years and included wildlife (grizzly bear) research as well as management and administration for federal [U.S. Forest Service (USFS)], state (Idaho De-partment of Fish and Game), and private (Boise Cas-cade Corporation) natural resources based organiza-tions.
The Boone and Crockett Club was founded by Theodore Roosevelt in 1887. It is America’s oldest hunter/conservationist organization with national focus. The Club’s mission is to promote the conservation and man-agement of wildlife, especially big game and its habi-tat, to preserve and encourage hunting and to maintain the highest ethical standards of fair chase and sports-manship in North America. The Boone and Crockett Club has a great legacy of protecting wildlife, espe-cially big game, as well as federal land habitat.
Mealey's most notable awards include the Wyoming Outdoor Hall of Fame; Honorary Life Member Boone and Crockett Club; and the Bronze Star Medal (Meritorious Service, US Air Force, Viet Nam, 1967- 68)
Steve and Marty, his wife of almost 50 years, live near Leaburg, Oregon on the McKenzie River.
Daren Newberry Habitat Trust Coordinator [email protected] I look forward to seeing everyone at Con‐vention! Thank you to the Branches who are partici‐pating in the Hide Collection Pro‐gram. Please make sure you bring your hide collection ballots (filled in and pulled apart) to convention. If you have any questions, please contact Central Office at 692‐8812. Six draws will be made at the convention on Saturday at noon. Antler Collection – we have begun another fundraising venture for the Habitat Trust Fund. We will be collecting antlers at ‐ so if you have some on hand, or there is someone in your branch that has a “shed full of sheds”, please contact our office. We will keep you posted on the progress/success of this program.
Habitat Trust Report
Adam Matichuk Fisheries Project Coordinator [email protected] Convention is just around the corner! We hope to see representatives from your branch there. Tyler and I will give a full re‐port there and we have some interesting fisheries presentations lined up. You don’t want to miss it!
We Asked—You Answered
Education Report By Ian Kutarna,
SWF Education Program Coordinator
As always, the BigFOOT snowshoe program is
busy this month despite low temperatures and
high wind chills. Archery in the School (NASP)
continues to grow with new schools starting up
regularly. Big news in NASP is the Provincial
55%
26%4%
15%
Was your whitetail season successful?
I chose not to harvest any animals
I harvested a buck
I harvested a doe/fawn
I was unsuccessful
69%
31%
Should SK seniors be required to have an angling licence?
Yes
No
We want to know what you think! So we’ve established a monthly poll right on our website at
www.swf.sk.ca. Check back each month and submit your opinion to the latest hot topic for
SWF. These are the results of our December and January questions.
December Poll:
January Poll:
Fisheries Report
Tournament (Yorkton‐March 28‐29) and the
first ever on‐site National Tournament (Regina‐
May 2‐3). The latest poster in the SWF’s wild‐
life poster series will be released at this year’s
convention. And of course, I look forward to
seeing and visiting with as many of you as pos‐
sible in Moose Jaw at the 85th Saskatchewan
Wildlife Federation Convention.
Mark your calendars and purchase tickets early for the Henry Kelsey & Provincial Angling
Awards Banquet April 5th in Balgonie!
Provincial Henry Kelsey Big Game Records Chairman Report By Pat McKenzie , Provincial Henry Kelsey Big Game Records Chairman
Bringing You the Facts By Greg Illerbrun, SWF Firearms Chairman
I don’t have much to report, but what I have is all positive! In spite of predictions of dire conse‐quences by the anti‐gun groups as more and more states allowed con‐cealed carry, crime is actually down in all of these states. Here in Can‐ada, the scrapping of the long gun registry has not resulted in any in‐crease in crime, in fact the down‐ward trend in gun crimes continues, which had actually started before the Liberals enacted Bill C‐68. More and more science is coming in from around the world that gun control does not accomplish any of the re‐sults the "antis" claim. Hunter numbers are up almost eve‐rywhere including here in Sas‐katchewan, with the biggest in‐crease coming from female num‐bers joining the ranks! This is fan‐tastic news as these new voices can only add an even more positive spin on consumptive use of wildlife. Even environmentalists are coming on board as they see wild meat as 100% organic, who would have ever seen this coming! Could it be that the pendulum is actually starting to swing the other way? LET’S HOPE! Meanwhile we are waiting patiently as our representatives work dili‐gently on getting more changes to our crazy gun laws. Hopefully we will have some more positive news to report in the near future. As Usual, Never Forgive ‐ Never Forget
Membership Update *** Indicates branches that have met or exceeded their Membership target. Congratulations!
REGION THREE (29) 2014 2014 2014 2014
Target Regular Affiliate Actual
Beaver Hills 131 45 19 64
Buchanan 121 0
Canora 346 34 38 72
Delwood 35 0
East Shore 187 53 57 110
Endeavor 56 0
Esterhazy 618 116 89 205
Foam Lake 340 0
Fort Qu'Appelle 131 17 9 26
Hudson Bay 478 33 39 72
Kamsack 147 32 50 82
Kuroki 206 0
Langenburg 147 28 21 49
Leroy 96 0
Loon Creek 173 0
Melville 821 101 54 155
Norquay 276 18 20 38
Parkland 216 35 27 62
Pheasant Creek 121 33 47 80
Preeceville 403 72 56 128
River Ridge 252 48 55 103
Sturgis 199 85 86 171
Timberline 37 19 11 30
Touchwood Hills 585 102 104 206
Valley View 136 27 33 60
Watson 168 30 13 43
Whitesand 174 0
Willowbrook 480 115 105 220
Yorkton 316 0
Regional 7396 1043 933 1976
REGION FIVE (17) 2014 2014 2014 2014
Target Regular Affiliate Actual
Arm River 71 12 18 30
Biggar 445 59 40 99
Brightwater Blackstrap 139 43 41 84
Central Butte 212 68 59 127
Eagle Creek 207 32 28 60
Elbow 83 8 6 14
Kerrobert 159 0
Kindersley 297 35 26 61
Kyle 238 51 45 96
Luseland 79 0
Outlook 266 46 20 66
Rosetown 71 0
Saskatoon 1902 0
Snipe Lake 22 10 10
Viscount 42 0
Watrous 325 29 23 52 Young 59 33 10 43
Regional 4617 426 316 742
Branches should check their totals to this sheet every month. If there are discrep-ancies between the two totals, please contact Central Office.
REGION ONE (28) 2014 2014 2014 2014
Target Regular Affiliate Actual
Basin Lake 33 0
Bruno 190 45 26 71
Carrot River 160 0
Creighton 220 32 20 52
Cub Hills 535 183 191 374
Cudworth 132 0
Humboldt 400 140 58 198
La Ronge 89 14 9 23
Lake Lenore 212 0
Leask Marcelin 200 69 74 143
Lucien Lake 105 0
Mallard 165 43 40 83
Melfort 454 0
Mistatim 105 38 28 66
Naiverdale 91 18 12 30
Nipawin 246 76 69 145
Park View 178 0
Porcupine 172 0
Prince Albert 841 234 229 463
St.Brieux 128 0
St.Peters 273 60 51 111
Shellbrook 435 0
Stony Rapids 33 22 16 38
Struthers Lake 239 53 50 103
Tisdale 763 218 214 432
Valley Trails 458 78 65 143
Wakaw 22 0
Weldon 187 26 27 53
Regional 7066 1349 1179 2528
Branches exceeding their 2014 target 102
Regular Members 5934
Affiliate Members 4585
Provincial Members 118 Corporate Members 7
2014 Memberships to Jan 31, 2014 10,644 2013 Memberships to Jan 31, 2013 4,113
INCREASE 6,531
Target Actual To Go %
Region 1 7066 2628 4438 37%
Region 2 4677 1471 3206 31%
Region 3 7396 1976 5420 27%
Region 4 6102 2440 3662 40%
Region 5 4617 742 3875 16%
Region 6 2641 1342 1299 51%
REGION TWO (17) 2014 2014 2014 2014
Target Regular Affiliate Actual
Battlefords 418 64 60 124
Beaver River 115 33 47 80
Cut Knife 194 25 13 38
Dorintosh 125 41 34 75
Fielding 230 69 58 127
Lloydminster 1587 563 102 665
Lost Horse Creek 150 0
Macklin 329 0
Meadow Lake 242 0
Redberry Lake 106 24 30 54
St. Walburg 111 0
Thickwood Hills 199 0
Turtle River 137 0
Unity 178 0
Wilkie 32 16 5 21
Witchekan 524 169 118 287
Regional 4677 1004 467 1471
REGION FOUR (15) 2014 2014 2014 2014
Target Regular Affiliate Actual
Boggy Creek 479 114 89 203
Broadview 153 0
Estevan 888 70 62 132
Grenfell 211 80 79 159
Indian Head 178 38 33 71
Moose Mountain 168 0
Radville 123 40 40 80
Redvers 390 35 57 92
Regina 1070 364 194 558
Rocanville 414 166 184 350
Saveagoose 482 54 120 174
Souris Moose Creek 283 60 48 108
Wapella Pipestone 436 154 179 333
Wawota 440 59 72 131
Weyburn 387 28 21 49
Regional 6102 1262 1178 2440
REGION SIX (13) 2014 2014 2014 2014
Target Regular Affiliate Actual
Assiniboia 209 82 20 102
Buffalo Lake 63 0
Deep South 60 0
Dirt Hills 515 98 72 170
Great Sandhills 87 69 10 79
Maple Creek 225 64 36 100
Moose Jaw 469 101 100 201
Shaunavon 173 64 59 123
South Shore 41 0
Swift Current 608 283 203 486
Willow Bunch 72 0
Wiwa Creek 59 73 8 81
Regional 2581 834 508 1342
Sask Falconry Assoc. 33 16 4 20