4 HUNTING AND WINTER SPORTS SUPPLEMENT September

By. R,.M... ‘“BOB’’. HOBBS
: From Alberta Sportsman
z Canadians, with the exception
. of the rain drenched inhabitants
of its coastal areas, have long
winters to either endure or en-
no... joy... Thirty. years ago winters
‘v:. were to be endured. The car was
‘put up-on blocks, the furnace
“banked, and the heavy clothes

{ . absolutely necessary. We. hi-
’- °° bernated. Today Canadians are
year -round
Rotary plows clean the roads
as the snow falls, cars. start,
and.people go on their studded
snow tires. Technology has pro-
duced lightweight winter cloth-
ing for people to. wear while
enjoying new winter sports.
Newest, and the fastest grow-
ing, is. snowmobiling.
Interestingly — enough,

man who started it all isaCan-

“dier name has a familiar name,
recalling heavy vehicles used
over snow and muskeg by. the

erators, It was this same man

that’ tinkered..in his shop to

produce the small, light tracked

vehicle powered by an air cool-

doo. 93

have entered the great. snow-
~. mobile competition, In Western

_ have so many manufacturers of-

“ket ‘that whisks the machines:

ee sembled,

“are... being used. by trappers,
. ~ prospectors and ‘linemen with
Serious “purpose,

ae hunting 2 and fishing. Hees

donned to go outside only when:

outdoor people, .

“this.
sport is yet ten years old, The’.

military and commercial op-

~ ed motor with two skis in front -
that everyone Inows as a “Sige

Forty ‘other manufacturers -

Canada’ there isan explosion of.
snowmobile sales. Never before »

fered so. many makes to amar-

off the dealer’s floor as fast.
as they can be unerated and as- “with an.
oo oS moose,

‘Most snowmobiles. are being

- bought by. people: who simply .
. Want to have fun, Naturally they -

Pe and . in. the &
North they: have all but replaced.
‘the. dog sled, The. useage we.
will: consider, however, is for.

The ‘arrival of every type of
new vehicle has opened. new
areas to the access of sports-
men and created problems in
the management of wildlife, I
recall the introduction of four-
wheel drive shortly after the
war that opened vast areas and
had worried outfitters predic-
ting the virtual extinction of
big. game. The airplane has
opened other areas. accessible
by no other means, and inthe
case of at least one species, the
Polar bear,. has’ serious effect
on numbers. More recently
lightweight trail. motorcycles
have created controversy. I
predict that of. all. these ve-
hicles the snowmobile will have
the greatest impact onthe man-
agement of big game.

The: crux of the problem: is
that by its’ very design the
snowmobile. offers — the best

_and most effortless transpor-
adian, «Joseph: Bombardier . of ©

Valcourt, Quebec, The Bombar-

tation to big game areas at a
time the animals are.concen-
trated and vulnerable to hunt-

ing. Over three feet of snow...

the snowmobile can whisk the
hunter at high speeds into areas
inaccessible at any other time
of year. Under these condit-

ions the gameis seriously ham-
.pered by snow depth and con-

centrated to small areas of

. Suitable food supply.

Lest I be misunderstood, let

7 me. hasten to state that I am in -
— ho way opposed to use of snow-

mobiles for hunting. I welcome

this solution to a transporta-
-tion problem, Nor: is it entirely
a bad thing that more game will
be taken through the. ‘lise. of”
. these. machines, In North ernAl-
 berta today we are confronted
overabundance of:
‘snowmobiles ~
could . assist in-the harvest of:

- which

animals’ to. a nen- critical level,

What» Lam trying’: to ‘point out ~
As: that, ; regulations: are. neces~

matter of: reducing seasons to

: compensate for. increased har-

vest by. the snowmobile hunter,
Chances ‘are the snowmobile. a

will | accelerate: an overdue, “Pr back seat, for’ added traction, :

ince

praisal by the Game Depart-
ment of all areas of the Prov-
wherein under-hunted
areas might be open to. any
means of access, others might
have hunting pressure regulated
by permit, and possibly others
where muscle power, even foot
power, will be the only allow-
able hunting method. With prop-
er game managernent, hunting
by any particular: means will
never pose a threat to our
Wildlife. Future generations
will, of necessity, be more
concerned with the preserva-
tion of a suitable game environ-
ment,

As with any motor vehicle,
the snowmobile is a means of
transportation of a camp. into
the hunting area and way to get
game out. When. lazy hunters
try: to hunt from the machine
they “succeed only in. driving
game away and annoying the
real hunter. On opening morn-
ing. of moose season I stood on

the. edge of a huge muskeg
waiting for enough light to spot
and stalk the feeding moose, No
one in our party was. to see a
moose that day because just as
, the first sign of light appeared
in the ‘East a hunter drove his

-: Snowmobile through the centre :
- Of the muskeg,
Later -in the fall I dropped my =
elk eight miles off: the road, :
“having hiked into the area‘ on”
two: feet: ‘of snow on snowshoes. a
Without a snowmobile. T.-would
have. had. a difficult, if not im-::
. possible; . job to get: ‘It back. to ;

‘the road, Next: morning rp drove
in, tied the elk high. against ‘the

“with

with the hair facing. the right
direction, and squeezed the
throttle. Thirty minutes later
I skidded the elk in behind the
trailer, ready to be loaded,
without even having worked up
a sweat.-It is. the heavy, back
breaking torturous part of abig
game huntthe snowmobile chan-
ges, and I welcome the change.
Until the game is down the hunt
should be the same as it al-
ways has been quite andon foot.
Tearing through the woods at
full throttle is fun, but make no
mistake about it, it is not hunt-
ing,

Except for prairie grasslands
big game terrain does not per-
mit the snowmobile to chase and
harry game, even if he wished
to break. the law in so doing.
On the open range a new form
of predator hunting has devel-

oped however. Coyotes that are.

caught in the open are run to
the point -of exhaustion, the
final refinement being the run-
ning of the coyote over with the
machine in preference to shoot-
ing him, This, in my opinion,
is totally lacking in sportsman-
ship..Coyote control is neces-
sary, and eventhe above method
is preferable to the vicious 1080
poison campaigns. of. recent
years, I still prefer to shoot my
coyotes. Some farm groups are
expressing concern for the coy-

ote; for he is a desirable pre-

dator in reasonable numbers.

They have little to fear. Even —

now coyote parents. will be

teaching their pups new survival

rules: stay close to fence lines

and. draws in daylight, and you.

can never outrun a snowmobile;
sO you must out-manoeuvre it.

. The ice fisherman has beenas
profoundly affected by the snow-
mobile as the summer fisher-

man was by the outboard motor:
No longer. restricted to lakes
available’
‘fishing -area..has been greatly

easy access,

increased., The. snowmobile is

“used not only for transportation

to and from the ‘shanty, but to
tow it into place’ as well, At

- least “one manufacturer has

come up with a collapsable
shanty on. a. sleigh designed
specifically for this purpose.

There are a few basic rules

_ of safety and sportsmanship.

The snowmobile usually starts
with the first pull, so check for
free throttle movement before
starting, Should the throttle be
stuck in an open position the
riderless machine will cut a
wide, destructive path, leaving
only the spruce it finally wraps
itself around undamaged. Ex-
treme care must be used driv-
ing the machine onto its trailer;
in fact many experienced riders
do this by hand. Just a tiny
touch. too much throttle and the
snowmobile jumps right over
the trailer into the rear of your
car,

It is quite possible to travel so
far
minutes: ride over deep snow

that it is impossible to walk

back, Snowshoes are an essen-

. tial addition. in cross country

travel over deep snow, as any-
one who has ever stepped off
his machine into chest deep

snow. will tell. you. The buddy

system, with. two machines,
should be used for safety,

A basic tool kit containing an
extra drive belt and spark plug
should be carried inthe seat
compartment, although mech-
anical problems are. not com-
mon. Very few snowmobiles
have gas gauges, and this might
be used for an excuse by the

commonest. form of stranded

showmobiler, the one thatis out

of gas. Heavy snow. conditions ©
can increase fuel consumption .
‘drastically, or the rider can
- Simply. lose. track of the time

and miles: In any event, the
more experienced riders carry

an- extra gallon, reserved for
. emergencies, a
..The easiest and most effort- ;

less. way to carry passengers
or heavy: loads is'on a sleigh

towed ‘behind “the: “machine, 8
Large loads can. be: carried on
a sleigh with little loss in speed

and: no: change in. the handling
characteristics of the machine.

_Clennabte, spark: “arresting
OW tone muttiot :

Automatic chain ailing:

a” Pitot Burequeed haw ohaln

Ber pe. bee a BAG dee By tL AD Gone,

Comtortay fi, ful real handie.

CAnC att indy 45.495

Yet ts. onlyl :

os “Never before. has a lightweight chain Saw. ever’ had ag
many great features as this 2071,
~ cottagersand campers. The 2071 has a new. starting
machanism called “Easy- ‘Arc’, Requires: only. a gentle

The sleigh must be aitached by”

Never, It's. ideal for

in. an. exhilarating thirty.

1. the. stirrups, -
|. weight’ much as a motorcycle
“ol pider. might. -The wider. track.
‘| models. are more ‘stable, and

_- usually ridden with the feet un-
"der the. cowl while the:ridor is...

“is “similar,
“new models have been known to -

“nose is replaceable, The 2074 is easy to handle, It's

 pullto start ite It also has a semi-automatic chain tensioner

to help you to properly. adjust the chain, It has automatic
chain oiling, too, The new .298”" fine pitch saw chain re-
duces vibration, and incorporates Pioneer's own. Sure-
guard design, to limit kickback, The 16” roller nose bar
Culs friction while increasing cutting speed. The roller

§ quiet”

Exclusive new
“Eaiys

Viti af pri mor

Caren eo TNE ABC WES PS Bass

with’ ara

Are” stating | ra

cera ene ee ae : een
a Boe Vie Lante wats Vy

eaaiaertmael “Automatic chai ating.

New 2 98 " tna piten,

an onigqar, narrowor':
NG" quiche bar

pad

Ae a ‘The Pioneer Holiday! ilhas some wea
oe | new features going for it too!

“sy a a
ih Sorinqur: Ho eantrals: \

The g ity. Ploneor Holds ay if
con eT da ultima word ia
Toweeost fahtweight chain saw,
(thas a visual-primer, automatic
chain olling, and now some qraat
now features: a more comfortable,
fall year handle. and proved
farboration eel
Soe it at your Pioneor déalors,

uber Efe fk ore

pA Ne PAE REE AS PETE TA Lert Chad a ay

aind light weight roe AMEE Oa ths.,,but it topples a tree a
SO. S00 Mt at your Ploneor, des aller’ ec

meal Surequard: saw chat - aoe

CANAD E GUAT OS,

| CHAIN ISAWS —

ita

a rigid tow bar. Rope, haywire
and other improvisations sim-
ply do not work,

It is quite practical to carry
a wall tent. stove, lantern, buck
saw, and other essentials-of a
winter -camp-on the sleigh into
a hunting. area. In reasonable
terrain elk and even moose can
be skidded out: whole, but in
any case two quarters can be
transported on the sleigh. Camp
should be located a half hour’
walk from the area to be hunt-
ed, to be certain the game is
not alarmed. In the mountains
there is no recorded instance of
a hunter ever shooting an an-~
imal while riding his snowmo-
bile, so be careful to plan a
careful separation of the trans-
portation and hunting phases of
the trip.

Common rules of sportsman-

ship apply to this sport. If you

are the racing type, there are
dozens of races to be entered.
Respect people’s privacy. When
a rider charges full throttle
through. .a.cluster of ice shan-
ties the fishermen are truly
impressed - but not favourably.

With a little thought you can

create good will, too. Although
the hunter that has slogged three
miles through two feet of snow
is not going to greet your ap-:'
pearance with enthusiasm, he

_Might later down a:deer and
will be forever grateful if you .

New models are more highly

“por wered and reliable thanever.”.
oy Horsepower ranges from 10-in

light, low... priced . machines

"through to 45 in full-blown rac- -
ing machines, The buyer. can

‘expect the machine to function
through reasonable use and'a
certain amount: of abuse * with

“no major mechanical problems, “
“|. The prospective buyer should. a
Sins talk to owners who operate their.
area:
“where he. will be using his. —
speaking, the 15.

° machines. in’ the same.

: General ly*
h track: models “are: highl,

“seated, Basic’ cost increases

: ‘with: horsepower, ranging from.
$800. or.. less for the 10 hp.

models through to $1,100 for the
«25 hp models. that represent

the maximum useable power for «.
‘the sportsman’ s purposes, This.

~ year’s buyer will be hard pres-
. sed to find a truly bad machine,

something that could notbe said 7
_four. years ago. The basic en-

“gineering ‘of all the machines
Just as © Detroit's

have a few bugs, I would favour

market for at least one season,’
Weighing heavily in. the decis-.

jon will be the confidence you

joe Ae

fe have In we deliod Wi he pro- 4

vide’ the service’ and sul bo
likely In- business: withthe anime
machine three yoars from now
when you want to trade’? Buy the

lightest: machine that will sult

your purpose and for pulling a
sloigh, fishing fhack, or moose’
you will need at least 16 h.p,
A final word of advieg, If you
Intend to take your wile along, be
absolutely Certain to outfit her

Ina ‘snowmobile sult with mat-
ching boots, rood mitts and og.

gles. This spoelalized clothing
protects’ har not: only. sgealnst
the cold,
crushing wind in’ motion, She -
wil decide on her vers first,
ride whether you have made
(a teold Investmont for all the
family to enjoy or selfinhly
squandered the life savings, so
bo sure sho-ls proporly out
fitted for thts erica)

not help but by onthnsed, 4

Hawks are equipped with eves
that have. been walled the most
highty develrmed arene of vir
dan dno the wart. Thee onn res
at leant. eight droee. as well
a6 the gest hawk «eyed?
hun,

. ‘manoeuverable, ‘and the rider:
usually. rides with his feet in”
» throwing, his ~..

“the: ‘best. all.

. cleaning small game or filleting fish.

Makes that have been on the”: it out of the sheath,

tho same sound advice}

oof) bringing. home. the . hacon,

but also against the

knocked off Hing. before the rifle

ally, the Hating. «dn procoss
rides:

Warm and comfortably she CO.

son Wet OMe, That paper.

olf

f mpartant because the “how?! of

oe “oS

KNIFE at right-is considered one of the best on market to-
day. Sheath is perfect: -hard enough to protect the wearer from
a stab and flexible so he doesn’t beg for a punctured seat if he
Slips, At left-is-a plain, ordinary English pruning knife, which
will do almost everything except make you. a big white hunter,

What’ s in a good knife? High ~ quality carbon steel, “Many
-of. the best: knives are handmade, but not all. Designs'vary to

suit the needs of the prospective purchaser, with hundreds of .

different models now on the market,
When shopping for a knife use this rule - of - thumb - always

me buy the best you can afford. Good: kmives are expensive, but a

take ten minutes to skid it to the :
read for him...

the service they provide more than makes: up for the initial

cost.

Only about a: dozen manufacturers produce: truly fine imives. we

They use the best steel available mixed with a small percentage
‘of: carbon, The raw, stamped - out blank is heated glowing .

red, quenched rapidiy, then reheated until properly tempered,
The blades ,are then hand -- ground i into shape and honed to a.

“razor - sharp edge, ©

Choose a knife with your outdoor needs in mind. Fishermen oS

_ will. want .a long, ‘thin blade for filleting, while the ‘big game»:
, hunter who spends time around a 2 campsite will want a a heavier, a

thicker knife.

men: in’ ‘choosing a brand, They, will know. what ‘make. and model

woodsm en: disagres. “upon: -what. size knife will afford

- around service. A: short, i ed
blade makes: an excellent ‘tool. for. skinning, yet. iti not too
handy. ‘for: ‘chopping ‘through’ ‘the. ‘boney, parts. ‘of an. ‘elk or. deer.
In the . same: ‘light, ” ‘the. ‘heavy ~' duty blade, will not t serve for 2

Most. experienced big’ game hunters | use a ‘small sharp mite’
for _Skinning © anda hand - axe’ for chopping through: bone, "

‘Don’t ruin your imife by. sharpening ona grindstone or mery

wheel, You may ruin the temper;

“Shy. away from war. surplus. imives, they were , designed with: = aoe
purposes other. than hunting in mind, Check with other outdoors-

eet

spun

=

ieuottcnie

aes

a

ae

Bd

a

;
mf

y
‘

Sharpening should be done with a. ‘smali, moist. handstone, “ee

Hold the blade so the back is about 15 degrees up from the sur- i

face of’ the. ‘stone, Rub the blade Against the. ‘stone > edge first ;
using a circular. motion, :

Be sure’ and.turn the: blade over frequently. as ; you hone, It
the knife is ‘tough and: dull, try dipping itin boiling water before ae
“honing....the - temperature change . can make, a ie diterence Say

in the way: ‘the blade takes an edge, =: poe

a

It you've ‘spent. ‘the |

the blade. » after using, Never, ‘never. ‘sheathe’ a wet blade!
When storing, coat the blade with ofl-or vaseline and leave

If the’blade becomes stained, a quick

polish dob with a Piece of crocus eloth will have it clean in ‘nO.

“tne,

Rust can be removed | with a fine ‘ert emery’ cloth or stec Oo}
wool, finishing up with a fine polish with crocus cloth, Bes sure.
to keep the rust down, it-can cause pitting,

i very year before the hunt 7
ing ‘seasons start, experioneod:.
hunters,” ‘shooting “Instructors
and outdoor. writers all offer.
‘he sure
to 2ero in your ithe, Who page

‘Nat everyone does, of course,
Some merely nick their rifle off.
the rack ox! out of a closet
corer and head for the: word s,
Others” at. least’ deign ta dust.
It off, But this hardly. seams
Ukely to Increase theit chances

glen In dete T mines whether

when: shooting under fold con
o ditions,

WIT ehuse It to shoot: highor
‘than when hand: - held alone,

“hoavy.. tension:

‘yifle ta shoot lower than

oWhon shot without thes sting,
For. the most accurate pore

The ‘wine hunter doo Poe formance In the flald, then,

zero Ns: rifle each year, for
soveral goml reasons, First, hee
wants to be sure Tf stil hits:
whore heraims, Tron sights or
‘scope molnits. may haye been

‘compa Wable manner whe you
zor It. If you don't!shoot with
(sling in the tied, don't use
ane wher sighting in,
Tho most effective pracedure
or Moat purposes [slo zero
the rifle by supporting the butt
WHY your shoulder and holdin
the fore ~ end with wn ploved
chand resting on a support. You
AR Chen oRbOOL Lhe sama way
from prone or with no sp «
Port at all in the feld without
‘variation if AeOo pe The Alte

Was last: stowed away, Or a
awitch: (ta. cartridges vith
a iehtoy on heavier bullet tould
change the point of impact, Fine,

Tiel pe sya ah CONN GPA at Vte-
ity: ta: sharpen: your shoatltige
eye before, laying those sights

AAC WO Qader inde thee

brush ff your, first thot is. the woods humer shooting at

Twos around Fifi yards, Aut
ACE Your rane cocteriele he vid
One Iindred yards, you need
Overy Advantage yeu ei bake,

Witt question, wigheing in
th one PraAcker. tat shouldn't

be shipped, But HOW you per. -
forme the stehrine dads equatiy ©

be overlookud,

ZERO THAT RIF LE
= 28 BEFORE YOU HUNT:

Conversely, use ofa sling under’, .
Wilhovause’ a”,

your vifle should by holed ina.

“Idind © of money vit takes to buy’ a. good iecie
knife, ‘it’s. silly not ‘to. take. care of it; Always clean ‘and dry:

you'll got. the same neouragy

Vor oxample, sightiry int arb
feo by restliy othe barrel ay.
“fore = ond ona hard sirtace:

~Feretied May not be critical for

“ant this is one that shoutdn't