Over 350 members have joined the Lone Butte Fish and Wildlife Association this year, a growth of probably 100 per cent in about two years.

John Mihalica, president, said those members come from all throughout this part of BC, Vancouver Island, Vancouver, a couple from Alberta and there used to be a family from California as members.

“I think, basically, the recreational community is getting concerned about the access and recreation opportunities that are being taken away from the general public,” he said.

Mihalica said members are concerned about hunting regulations, ATV and snowmobiling regulations, etc.

He said the association belongs to the BC Wildlife Federation (BCWF) and, along with their own protests, the BCWF campaigns on behalf of all the clubs in BC.

“We’re still having a constant battle with the wildlife management people as to our season and bag limits; they seem to think they have to cut us back but that’s been an ongoing battle for six or seven years now,” said Mihalica.

He said the group has a good relationship with local conservation officers who are available any time the group wants information and the COs are more than happy to supply it.

The club facilities on Highway 24 have a 100-yard bay for high-powered rifles and 22 bays for hand gun and trap.

There is also black powder shooting.

The local RCMP detachment uses the facility for their annual qualification shoots.

Mihalica said probably 90 per cent of the members are active hunters, the rest are sports shooters, light hand gunners and trap people who don’t hunt.

He said the favourite animal to hunt in this region is probably the mule deer followed by whitetail and maybe bear, which would be mostly black bears; there are a few grizzles back a few miles.

“Moose we don’t get that much of a chance to hunt so that wouldn’t rate very high on the favourite scale,” he said.

Mihalica expects there will be good grouse hunting this year because of the dry spring and summer.

There’s duck hunting within a five-mile radius where there are smaller lakes.

A couple of the club members teach the Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Education (CORE) program and the Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL).

Younger members can join C-Nile Shooters, a conservation and outdoor recreation group for 16 years and under.

They do overnight camping, winter and summer, duck and deer hunts and they learn survival skills.

The association hosts an annual fishing derby and on the Father’s Day weekend they had a Family Fun Fishing Day.

“Jude Dion from Exeter Sports put that on; he’s our club fishing director and, through him, we can get information and data as to the health of the fishing, the fish population of different lakes, things like that.”

A bonus to joining the Lone Butte Fish and Wildlife Association is club members are covered under a group policy for all-terrain vehicles and snowmobiles and they automatically become members of the BCWF, which provides $2,000,000 third party liability insurance.

Membership costs are $35 for pensioner, $65 for single, $75 for couples and $85 for a family including dependants 18 and younger.

Membership forms are available in this edition of the Free Press Hunting Guide, at Donex, Exeter Sporting Goods Ltd. and Lone Butte Sporting Goods. Mihalicz said those interested could also call him at 250-395-5235 or Vince Forsberg at 250-593-4004.