Big Game Hunting Season Open

It's the first day of the annual big game hunting season in central and western regions of the island and Labrador. The eastern region big game season will open on October 4th, while small game and trapping will open in the coming weeks.







Sunday hunting is permitted between October 5th and April 30th in all areas, if hunters have a valid licence and the season for the game being hunted is open. New hunters interested in the big game…

The Department of Natural Resources says it is taking the situation involving a black bear that was left briefly in a trap in the parking lot of a Tim Hortons in Happy Valley-Goose Bay earlier this week very seriously. Video taken by customers shows the animal in a bear trap attached to a department truck, parked in the lot. The bear appears agitated, and is shown moving restlessly inside the trap.



A department spokesperson says they are aware of the situation and the matter is…

Barry Sweetland and John McCarthy spotted this rare white moose feeding along the moose fence a few kilometres past the Stephenville exit on the Trans-Canada Highway earlier this week.

Click on the link to watch the video

http://www.nlnewsnow.com/Video/33094/Rare-white-moose

Bill Langer was driving from…

Property values have tripled since I moved home to St. John’s 15 years ago. Condos are replacing old strip malls and abandoned buildings at a steady clip. Even former premier Danny Williams is getting in on the action, spearheading a 970-hectare residential/retail/industrial development.What was a row of unoccupied downtown storefronts and low-end retail when I was at university here in the 1980s is now awash with trendy shops selling Labradorite bracelets for $500 and coffee bars…

The Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Division is cracking down on the illegal fishing of Atlantic salmon and trout in the province. 17 people were charged in the month of July alone. VOCM's Katie Beehan reports.

The charges began on July 15th, when a non-resident was charged in Labrador for fishing violations. A second non resident was charged two days later on similar offences. Also on the 17th, two people were found to be in possession of seven Atlantic salmon, which were illegally…

The Town of Buchans has issued an advisory to residents about coyotes spotted in the town over the last few days. They remind people to stay clear of the animals and to ensure that children not approach a coyote. Residents are also reminded to ensure the proper storage of garbage and not to leave garbage bags out overnight. Feeding or baiting the animals is against the law.

Any sightings should be reported to council or the Wildlife office in Springdale.

Vocm

Click here for up to date info.    http://www.nfl.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/NL/River-Status/In-Season

Ticks carrying Lyme disease are on the move on the island of Newfoundland, lab tests have confirmed.

Dr. Hugh Whitney, Newfoundland and Labrador's chief veterinary officer, said 19 deer ticks have been discovered so far this summer.

Four of them tested positive for Lyme disease, which can cause rashes, fevers and muscle pain in humans.

"The advice is to, if you're walking in areas of long grass, or with your legs exposed, to look afterwards to see if there are…

Jeremy Meadus‎ Posted this earlier on a Facebook Group. I figured I would pass along the information.

Salmon Rivers closing in Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6, and Zone 10

DFO advises anglers that due to extremely low water levels and extremely high water temperatures, the following rivers will close effective Wednesday July 16, 2014. Rivers will reopen as conditions improve.

For more information please visit the In Season River Status report at…

Greenland shark either bit off more that it could chew or was just enjoying a big meal

Two quick-thinking men on Newfoundland's northeast coast managed to save a Greenland shark from choking to death on a large piece of moose hide this past weekend.

Derrick Chaulk said he was driving down a road by the harbour in Norris Arm North this past Saturday when he saw what he thought was a beached whale.

When Chaulk went closer to investigate, he realized it was a shark,…

Grand Falls-Windsor RCMP were busy this weekend dealing with a series of ATV related situations.

An ATV was stolen from Cottrell s Cove. It's a 1986 Honda Big Red Trike, and it was taken from the owner' s property overnight.



The same day, a quad ran into a vehicle on Main Street in Bishop's Falls. The operator of the ATV was located, and a man was arrested and charged with impaired at over twice the legal limit. In addition to the impaired operation charges, a one week…

Police and wildlife officials caused a stir in Paradise this weekend when a moose that had been hit by a car was shot in front of a line-up of traffic.



Local resident Byron Rolls was driving home when the moose was shot. He says he would like to have seen a tarp or other barrier used to prevent people in their cars from seeing what happened. Rolls says what concerns him most is how many children could have witnessed the event.



RNC Constable Steve Curnew says the incident…

Unsuccessful attempts were made to try to save boy at Barachois Pond Provincial Park

A 17-year-old boy who had been fishing at Barachois Pond Provincial Park on Newfoundland's west coast has died after his fishing line became hooked on something in the water.

Bay St. George RCMP received a report from a park warden around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday that the teen could not be found after he was last seen in the water about seven metres from shore.

Police said the boy, who was…

Singer has supported PETA and other animal rights causes

Seal processing company Carino took a unique approach to promoting the hunt outside the Bryan Adams concert in St. John's on Saturday night.

Adams, who played two shows at Mile One, has previously supported animal rights group PETA, and opposed the seal hunt.

Carino Processing Ltd. CEO Dion Dakins set up a van to sell pelts and other seal products near the…

Facts and Myths

Beagles have been used for hunting in Newfoundland and other areas for decades and have commonly been called “hunting” or “rabbit” dogs. Because these dogs have been associated with outdoor sport for generations, it has lead to the opinion that beagles, and hounds in general, should be kept as “outdoor” dogs requiring minimal care and little human…

Final summations will be made at the end of next month at the moose-vehicle accidents class-action lawsuit. The trial ran for about three weeks at Supreme Court in St. John's. The lawsuit involves 135 plaintiffs, including at least 15 estates of those killed in collisions since 2001. The lawsuit argues the province never came up with a clear prevention policy but the government says its prevention efforts include roadside brush clearing and warning devices.



Ches Crosbie, the lawyer…

Compassion trumped a hunting instinct after a bull moose, which was found in distress on the Port au Port Peninsula last weekend, was rescued.

Several men from the Piccadilly area found the animal which had become wedged in a drainage ditch that was covered with snow, and was unable to get out.

Raymond Barter said when they found the moose, they weren't…

Hunters were going after threatened Mealy Mountains herd: source

A group of Innu hunters from the Quebec North Shore were recently prevented from illegally hunting the threatened Mealy Mountains caribou herd in Labrador, according to a source.

The 10 or so hunters were headed to the Birchy Lakes area, about 150 kilometres away from Happy Valley-Goose Bay, when wildlife officers stopped them.

The incident happened earlier this month.

Considered…

Wildlife officers have confirmed two polar bear sightings in the St. Anthony area. A snow plow struck one of the animals on the highway near Raleigh yesterday. The district manager with the Department of Natural Resources, George Gibbons, says they found the animal,  tracked it for some distance and determined that it did not appear to be hurt. Gibbons says the worst part of having polar bears in the area is the instinct that people have to seek it out to have a look. Gibbons says…