Here we go again.......friggin' savior's of the earth!

[MOMMA]

The problem with that thought is that the mountain sled category is such a small percentage of the total sales the manufacturers really don't want to take a stand that might bring negative attention to them from govt or greenies.IMO
It is estimated that fewer than 30% of sledders are members of an organization,( in our area it is closer to 10% ), We have enough trouble trying to get them to pay for trail passes or memberships never mind extra for something like this. I can't remember the number of times I have heard somebody say "let them close it, we'll ride there anyway, how can they catch me.
My rant for now,
Going outside to scream with the others.

Lol Mr. Cat in the hat... I had this conversation with a gentleman who was questioning "why" he needed to purchase a club membership... he went from feeling it was to support trail grooming for which he had no use, to understanding the long term implications of not having a voice in the issues that surround all Freeriders. Unifying a voice and protecting our riding areas while educating our riders and the public plays part in the long term goal in the survival of our sport. I had a little chuckle this morning. A couple out walking their dogs this morning made a point of cleaning off the Caribou closure sign located SMACK DAB at the end of my driveway. it wasn't overly snowy, but we were sitting on our sleds watching them. There are areas around my home to ride that do not infringe on the nature conservancy, but i could see right there, an uneducated perspective on who snowmobilers are and what we do was creating their passive aggressive attempt at "showing the caribou support". As it turns out, i was quadrupling my kids with my sled to the block above my house so they could ski, snowboard and toboggan.. But all they pictured was the evil 2 stroke villian killing caribou. yup i agree.. A voice to carry our message would be a wonderful thing. A past political player who knows the games they play would be an asset. I Love animals, I love sledding.. the two are not in opposition.

 

[High Velocity]

I know I would be more than happy to pay an extra fee in my club membership each year towards something like this. The other thing is we need to get people in Alberta and Sask to buy in as well as we all ride in BC and all have something at stake here.

I agree totally. Check this thread on memberships : https://www.snowandmud.com/forum/f2/memberships-59347.html

 

[tranquillicer]

Lol Mr. Cat in the hat... I had this conversation with a gentleman who was questioning "why" he needed to purchase a club membership... he went from feeling it was to support trail grooming for which he had no use, to understanding the long term implications of not having a voice in the issues that surround all Freeriders. Unifying a voice and protecting our riding areas while educating our riders and the public plays part in the long term goal in the survival of our sport. I had a little chuckle this morning. A couple out walking their dogs this morning made a point of cleaning off the Caribou closure sign located SMACK DAB at the end of my driveway. it wasn't overly snowy, but we were sitting on our sleds watching them. There are areas around my home to ride that do not infringe on the nature conservancy, but i could see right there, an uneducated perspective on who snowmobilers are and what we do was creating their passive aggressive attempt at "showing the caribou support". As it turns out, i was quadrupling my kids with my sled to the block above my house so they could ski, snowboard and toboggan.. But all they pictured was the evil 2 stroke villian killing caribou. yup i agree.. A voice to carry our message would be a wonderful thing. A past political player who knows the games they play would be an asset. I Love animals, I love sledding.. the two are not in opposition.

It's so hipocritical of these wildlife do-gooders to try make a silly little gesture like that to you when they have moved their azz's into the very terrain that the animals originally occupied. Why is it all of a sudden so important to them now to try stop the disruption of wildlife and their habitat?

 

[MOMMA]

It's so hipocritical of these wildlife do-gooders to try make a silly little gesture like that to you when they have moved their azz's into the very terrain that the animals originally occupied. Why is it all of a sudden so important to them now to try stop the disruption of wildlife and their habitat?

just having read this thread i found it quite humorous.. Just about turned on my helmet cam. You can't really blame them though... they have obviously been fed propaganda which convinced them that Chuck Norris (my sled) and i are the devil and murder woodland creatures. i haven't really done anything to convince them otherwise. I don't have a lot in common with them, so they don't really know me as a person. We pretty much keep to our own circle of freeride friends, so the sign cleaners don't have any other prior reference as to who I am other than their newspaper article demonizing sledders.
I'll make an extra effort to wave to them, perhaps strike up a neutral conversation so they can "know" me. That's a one on one basis.. maybe it actually can be on a bigger scale? All i know is, i am understanding this issue a heck of a lot better now.

 

[AprilO]

Bet they didn't turn and follow the tracks though did they? Not all wolves got the memo that snowmobile tracks lead to food. lol

No it just went diagonally across them from one set of bushes and trees to the next


2007 Summit Rev 800
2006 Suzuki Vinson 500
2004 GMC Sierra 1500

 

[ferniesnow]

Another pet peeve that I have is that those animals or creatures weren't here or anywhere "first"! None of them live long enough. I know it is not the thinking of the environmentalist nor conservationist but it is true. In their particular lifetime they are and have been accustomed to human interaction.

Doo the eco-hypocrits have children? They require a place to live and I won't tell them they are adding to the problem but maybe I should.....

 

[deaner]

Wow! What a great thread! You guys are bringing up some awesome points. We have been talking about this stuff within our club all year, but at the end of the day we just dont have the money/power/time to really do anything about it. Im tired of us as a group being villainized and put on the defensive. And as someone said.....it has ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with the "issues" that they are using to close our areas. Alot of hidden agendas. Research findings can be skewed so easily to show whatever you want them to. As far as we know sledding helps the mountian caribou in some huge way. But....we dont have the dollars to fund some big research study to prove it. When you take a step back and look at the situation it is so ridiculous...............huge amounts of OUR tax dollars are being used to fund "research projects" for groups with alterior motives, in order to keep US off of OUR crown land. It is ludacris.

So what can we do about it? And I mean to actually make a difference. Not just firm up a stronger defensive position, but go on the offensive. I love the idea of a lobbyist working on our behalf. It might be too long and impossible a task to unite the BCSF, ABCSC, etc. What about a high level national organization, whos only objective is this.......fighting for our riding areas. If we could get participation of the regional or provincial clubs perhaps the cost of this could be just added to each membership. For example in our club (Im the president of the Kokanee Country Snowmobile Club in Creston) our membership fees are $50. I think around $20 of that goes to the ABCSC. What about another $10 going towards this separate organization keeping our areas open?

Might be a dumb idea. I just know we have to do something. Way too many people developing apathetic or indifferent attitudes........and before we know it, it will be too late. That will be the day that some hemp wearing/smoking, granola eating, subaru driving group of liberal morons is going to tell me I cant enjoy our beautiful back country on a snowmobile.

Again......great thread. It feels great to just vent, but lets do something about this! So what can we do?

 

[OOC ZigZag]

Wow! What a great thread! You guys are bringing up some awesome points. We have been talking about this stuff within our club all year, but at the end of the day we just dont have the money/power/time to really do anything about it. Im tired of us as a group being villainized and put on the defensive. And as someone said.....it has ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with the "issues" that they are using to close our areas. Alot of hidden agendas. Research findings can be skewed so easily to show whatever you want them to. As far as we know sledding helps the mountian caribou in some huge way. But....we dont have the dollars to fund some big research study to prove it. When you take a step back and look at the situation it is so ridiculous...............huge amounts of OUR tax dollars are being used to fund "research projects" for groups with alterior motives, in order to keep US off of OUR crown land. It is ludacris.



So what can we do about it? And I mean to actually make a difference. Not just firm up a stronger defensive position, but go on the offensive. I love the idea of a lobbyist working on our behalf. It might be too long and impossible a task to unite the BCSF, ABCSC, etc. What about a high level national organization, whos only objective is this.......fighting for our riding areas. If we could get participation of the regional or provincial clubs perhaps the cost of this could be just added to each membership. For example in our club (Im the president of the Kokanee Country Snowmobile Club in Creston) our membership fees are $50. I think around $20 of that goes to the ABCSC. What about another $10 going towards this separate organization keeping our areas open?

Might be a dumb idea. I just know we have to do something. Way too many people developing apathetic or indifferent attitudes........and before we know it, it will be too late. That will be the day that some hemp wearing/smoking, granola eating, subaru driving group of liberal morons is going to tell me I cant enjoy our beautiful back country on a snowmobile.

Again......great thread. It feels great to just vent, but lets do something about this! So what can we do?

I have stated the very same thing since last yr have a few posts in the archives I'm sure. The reason it wont happen cause your askin a bunch of bipeds to work together and the kinda numbers and support we would need for the effort is massive. Live with what we have and be sure the areas we ride now will not be available in the future and will continue to be attacked by Conservation groups and Enviro groups alike. I'm with ya F.S but you sure picked a tough fight.

 

[Bounce]

So, I read this thread yesterday, just before we left for our annual birthday celebration for the kids. Every year we pick an expense restaurant to celebrate all their birthdays.

This year we visited the Ranche in Fish Creek Provincial Park. Yes, a provincial park!

I was so upset, I could not resist, yes I had the Caribou.... and it was fawkin awesome!

 

[snopro]

Any chance that sucker was from Frisby mountain. Lol.

 

[OOC ZigZag]

Record-setting conservation land buy is crucial for herd survival
Cranbrook, B.C. — The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) yesterday announced a commitment to purchase and conserve 550 square kilometres of biologically-rich land in the south Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia. The acquisition of the Darkwoods forest represents the largest, single private conservation project ever done by a Canadian non-profit organization.
“Wildsight applauds the Darkwoods purchase,” said John Bergenske, Wildsight’s Executive Director. “This area—with its rare old growth forests—is crucial habitat for the recovery of Mountain Caribou in southeast B.C.”
The NCC and Canada’s Federal Government worked together to fund the $125-million project, not only buying the 55,000 hectares but setting up endowment funds to ensure the Darkwoods landscape is cared for into the future.
The Darkwoods forest is situated between Nelson, Salmo and Creston in the Selkirk Mountains. It connects a number of protected lands and wilderness management areas to create a tract covering more than 100,000 hectares – enough for wide-ranging animals such as the endangered Mountain Caribou and grizzly bear to roam freely.
The Mountain Caribou is a variety of woodland caribou that has adapted to the special conditions of B.C.’s wet, mountainous forests. It only lives in the mountains of southeast B.C. and parts of Washington, Idaho and Montana—making it globally significant. Biologists consider it one of the most endangered mammals in North America.
“Wildsight has been working to protect habitat for Mountain Caribou for over a decade, and is very, very pleased that the Federal Government of Canada and the NCC have co-operated to make this important purchase for the wild,” Bergenske said. “The Darkwoods acquisition is critical to recovery of the international transboundary herd west of Creston. We’re working with the provincial government toward announcements of further habitat protection this fall.”
The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to protecting Canada’s most ecologically significant lands. Wildsight is a grassroots organization that works to maintain biodiversity and healthy human communities in Canada's Columbia and Rocky Mountains ecoregion.

 

[kootenaycat]

Just another excuse to make the back country an exclusive place for the non-motorized recreationists. It has nothing to do with caribou or wolves. If the caribou make a comeback they will just use another "endangered" animal to close some more areas. Not sure if people have seen the changes to the closures last season around the Salmo -Creston summit but apparently the caribou are walking down to the bottom of the adjacent valleys as they have shut down sledding up Sheep creek down to the creek. It used to be around the ridge tops where they claim they are. And has anyone actually seen a caribou any place other then around the highway at the top of the pass? No predators there to hunt them other then the occasional 18 wheeler!

I like how they will collar caribou and wolves to track them. So here's a solution, while they're tracking them with GPS all they have to do is put a shock collar on the wolves and when the 2 signals get too close to each other, zap! After a few close encounters I'm sure the wolves will learn that they "aren't" supposed to eat the caribou ha ha!!!!

 

[OOC ZigZag]

Just another excuse to make the back country an exclusive place for the non-motorized recreationists. It has nothing to do with caribou or wolves. If the caribou make a comeback they will just use another "endangered" animal to close some more areas. Not sure if people have seen the changes to the closures last season around the Salmo -Creston summit but apparently the caribou are walking down to the bottom of the adjacent valleys as they have shut down sledding up Sheep creek down to the creek. It used to be around the ridge tops where they claim they are. And has anyone actually seen a caribou any place other then around the highway at the top of the pass? No predators there to hunt them other then the occasional 18 wheeler!

I like how they will collar caribou and wolves to track them. So here's a solution, while they're tracking them with GPS all they have to do is put a shock collar on the wolves and when the 2 signals get too close to each other, zap! After a few close encounters I'm sure the wolves will learn that they "aren't" supposed to eat the caribou ha ha!!!!

Makes total sence thats why it would never be adapted it would work.LMFAO

 

[AprilO]

Who cares

We all should!


2007 Summit Rev 800
2006 Suzuki Vinson 500
2004 GMC Sierra 1500

 

[AprilO]

I think the animals are doing fine, there are just too many of us, plain and simple.

100% agree! But in the meantime before the "big" disease or what ever is going to diminish the whole or half the human population we need to do our part to protect what animals we have.


2007 Summit Rev 800
2006 Suzuki Vinson 500
2004 GMC Sierra 1500

 

[AprilO]

It is natural selection if they do die off, Industry and predator population are the main contributers not sled tracks.

Yes but I think it is part of our responsibilities to ensure no other species die off if we can help and do something about it. Letting them "die off" is not the answer either.


2007 Summit Rev 800
2006 Suzuki Vinson 500
2004 GMC Sierra 1500

 

[AprilO]

This is my Wolf pup Koda.. he is a Timber wolf/ Arctic Wolf, malamute.. and he's spectacular.

he's pretty passive.. but if you mess with the kids or I he'll get cranky...



i have a plan.. how about we all back the heck off of nature and stop "managing" it to death.. just a thought.. no more transplanting anything. We as sledders can be responsible i figure. I don't believe we are the reason for the demise of the Caribou, although i don't have all of the "facts" from the numerous studies yada yada yada. Seems to me that we end up massively unbalancing Nature when we try to influence a predator prey cycle of existence. But again.. I'm not a biologist, just a nature lover/sledder/mom.

What a cutie pie!! How much does he weigh??


2007 Summit Rev 800
2006 Suzuki Vinson 500
2004 GMC Sierra 1500

 

[Riverjet]

when i shoot one ! i'll send ya the carcass ... whats yer address??

PM me when you do.

 

[OOC ZigZag]

Yes but I think it is part of our responsibilities to ensure no other species die off if we can help and do something about it. Letting them "die off" is not the answer either.


2007 Summit Rev 800
2006 Suzuki Vinson 500
2004 GMC Sierra 1500

What a cutie pie!! How much does he weigh??


2007 Summit Rev 800
2006 Suzuki Vinson 500
2004 GMC Sierra 1500

Wow! What a great thread! You guys are bringing up some awesome points. We have been talking about this stuff within our club all year, but at the end of the day we just dont have the money/power/time to really do anything about it. Im tired of us as a group being villainized and put on the defensive. And as someone said.....it has ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with the "issues" that they are using to close our areas. Alot of hidden agendas. Research findings can be skewed so easily to show whatever you want them to. As far as we know sledding helps the mountian caribou in some huge way. But....we dont have the dollars to fund some big research study to prove it. When you take a step back and look at the situation it is so ridiculous...............huge amounts of OUR tax dollars are being used to fund "research projects" for groups with alterior motives, in order to keep US off of OUR crown land. It is ludacris.

So what can we do about it? And I mean to actually make a difference. Not just firm up a stronger defensive position, but go on the offensive. I love the idea of a lobbyist working on our behalf. It might be too long and impossible a task to unite the BCSF, ABCSC, etc. What about a high level national organization, whos only objective is this.......fighting for our riding areas. If we could get participation of the regional or provincial clubs perhaps the cost of this could be just added to each membership. For example in our club (Im the president of the Kokanee Country Snowmobile Club in Creston) our membership fees are $50. I think around $20 of that goes to the ABCSC. What about another $10 going towards this separate organization keeping our areas open?

Might be a dumb idea. I just know we have to do something. Way too many people developing apathetic or indifferent attitudes........and before we know it, it will be too late. That will be the day that some hemp wearing/smoking, granola eating, subaru driving group of liberal morons is going to tell me I cant enjoy our beautiful back country on a snowmobile.

Again......great thread. It feels great to just vent, but lets do something about this! So what can we do?

125 million they put together for protection for an area scary and and it looks like BC motorized prohabition is where its headed if you look at how much is going and how quick its going.

Momma nice hound

Protect whats protectable and worthy but herds destined to deminish thats a waste

 

[moyiesledhead]

Yes but I think it is part of our responsibilities to ensure no other species die off if we can help and do something about it. Letting them "die off" is not the answer either.

Agreed. But the fact that keeps getting overlooked or purposely buried in all this is that snowmobiles had nothing to do with the decline in the South Purcell Caribou population. They were eaten...by cougars...in the summer. Plain and simple. Every biologist with an educated opinion agrees with that. They're numbers have been very low, but stable since the Cougar numbers were brought under control in the late 1990's, even as snowmobile use continued and probably even increased. There is absolutley no scientific justification for the current attack on our recreation that's being disquised as "Caribou Conservation"!