Opposition to BWCA hunt overflows DNR meeting

[Lee Borgersen]

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Opposition to BWCA hunt overflows DNR meeting held in Tower last week

by Nick Wognum, Ely Echo General Manager

 
FULL HOUSE at the DNR public meeting on a new special firearms deer hunting season in the BWCAW. Listening were (front l-r) Bill Tefft of Ely, Mike Nelson of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Dennis Anderson of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune newspaper. Photo by Nick Wognum.

Hunters from Tower, Cook, Orr, Ely and as far away as Wisconsin filled a meeting room at the DNR headquarters in Tower Wednesday night. The hot topic: a proposed special hunting season in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

The result was a replay from a meeting held in Ely last month, with a resounding no from local hunters.

As proposed, a nine-day firearms season would be held in late October with 150 permits awarded through a lottery and came from a resolution approved by the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association.

Wednesday night hunters took aim at the MDHA for putting the proposal forward and to the DNR for not rejecting it outright.

Ely's Charlie Cowden and Shawn Bina repeated questioned the need for a special season, saying firearms deer hunting is allowed now during the regular season. Hunters can also pursue deer by archery starting in mid-September.

Stu Osthoff has advocated for the new season and said that access during the regular season can be difficult due to ice on lakes and rivers. Several landowners on the Echo Trail corridor said they have hunted the BWCAW for decades and have not had problems with access.

Area wildlife manager Tom Rusch moderated the meeting and said he would relay the concerns on to St. Paul where Commissioner Mark Holsten is likely to make a decision on whether the special season is approved.

Cowden said he has lived on the Echo Trail for 22 years and hunted in the BWCAW. He criticized the process used by MDHA to put the resolution forward.

"The numbers are flawed, I think everyone should have some say, not just the Deer Hunters Association, that's the first mistake you made," said Cowden.

He questioned whether an earlier special season was needed in order to have better access. "We get our needs and wants mixed up in this world as humans," said Cowden. "Access has never been an issue and never will be."

With the BWCAW open to all hunting, including the archery season that starts in September, Cowden said he didn't see the need for a special firearms season.

"For six weeks if you want a true wilderness hunt, go with your bow not with your rifle where can shoot 500 yards down a beaver flowage," said Cowden.

He said the DNR's use of special hunts has traditionally been to reduce deer density. This hunt would focus only on breeder bucks.

"This area has some of the lowest deer density," said Cowden. "If you have 10 guys up there you're going to have 10 dead breeder bucks...there won't be any dead does."

Cowden also questioned having 150 permits in an area with few access points. As the operator of the Loon Falls mechanical portage, Cowden said there will be plenty of hunters going in on the west side of 115.

"The vast majority of permittees are going to go to the easiest point possible," he said.

Cowden finished by saying the DNR should manage for the resource, not for political and special interest groups. He said hunting has become more about making it easier and that plenty of hunters go into the BWCAW now to hunt.

"This is not a wasted resource, it's not an untapped resource," said Cowden. His remarks were followed by a round of applause from the standing room only crowd.

Dennis Jensrud of Britt is a property owner on the north side of the Trout Lake wilderness unit. He cited many trespassing issues and said in 18 years of hunting with five people "we have yet to fill out tags, three is a big year. I really don't need any more hunting pressure."

Shaun Bina of Ely said he wanted to know what the proposal was really about since the area can be hunted during the regular firearms season.

"What makes it such a great experience is the potential for inclement weather," said Bina. "You might have to abort your hunt because Mother Nature is what hunting is all about."

He said limiting the BWCAW for a special hunt goes against have public land open to the public.

"This is a federal wilderness and it should be open to every citizen to hunt and it is right now. Every single citizen that wants to come hunt this during the regular rifle season can compete freely and equally with all the rest of us. I cannot understand why we would want to create a 150 person lottery to give 150 people some special deal that we can't all enjoy in a federal wilderness. To me it makes absolutely no sense at all," said Bina.

Questions came up about where the idea originated and Joe Canella of MDHA said it came out in a public meeting in Ely but later recanted to say it was discussed after the meeting.

Roger Skraba of Ely, who is a wilderness guide, said adding a firearms season in October may cause problems with canoeists.

"Are we scaring my clients away?" asked Skraba, who said he walks into the BCWAW during the regular season to hunt deer.

"Do I want to hunt two weeks earlier? Hell no," said Skraba.

"I just don't understand this, it's not like this is an area that nobody can hunt," said Bina.

With that the only proponent to speak took the floor, Stu Osthoff of Ely.

"Access is not impossible as I and Charlie (Cowden) have attested. It's that people from outside the area are not there because of the perceived difficulties of the freeze-up," said Osthoff. "It's not that it can't be done it's that when I'm out there bow hunting in October on Fourtown Lake not only do I not see a single other bow hunter but I see damn few canoes. And I make my living off of those canoeists.

"But let me say this, the canoeists have six months to play and paddle in the BWCA. Right now the guy who wants to paddle in to the interior and firearm deer hunt has squat. Now you can tell me that you do it and I believe you and I respect the hell out of you Charlie, that's for real.

"But what I'm saying is this is not about me. I'll volunteer right here as far as this process stuff I will never apply for this season, I will never guide but I am 100 percent in favor of this proposal because it's good for the sport," said Osthoff.

Steve Levar of Grand Rapids said he has hunted in area 115 for 43 years. "I'm strong in opposition of this proposal for a lot of reasons."

He cited the low deer density and the ability to get into that area during the regular season without an issue.

"It's a recreational hunt; we're not trying to thin a wilderness herd," said Rusch.

Mike Loe of Ely asked for a vote of people present on the proposal. Rusch said, "That's not what we are here for. Generally I'm getting a consensus; it's not that difficult."

John Pierce of Ely said he didn't like the MDHA looking at a specific area to have a special hunt. He suggested a proposal should be made to have a special hunt somewhere else, like the blufflands near Rochester.

"That's what bugs me about this. I can see why the rest of the state voted to have a special wilderness hunt," said Pierce. "I would vote yes for the bluffland hunt."

Joe Skala of Ely questioned why the DNR would put so many people with different interests together.

"The conflict is going to be there," said Skala.

Bow hunters would have to wear blaze orange in the BWCA if the proposal was to pass.

The BWCAW area in 115 is 535 square miles, which is roughly 343,000 acres.

People who were not able to attend the meeting can complete a questionnaire online. Written comments may be mailed to: Season Comments, DNR Section of Wildlife, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155-4007. Online comments can be sent to: Tom.Rusch@dnr.state.mn.us or to the DNR Commissioner at Mark.Holsten@dnr.state.mn.us.