Wondering if Lancasters in BC have a website? Having trouble finding it. Thought it existed once before.

Just read some where that Bart LANCASTER was convicted in Smithers for baiting a grizzly with a horse carcas. I'll try and find it and copy it over. That kinda surprised me, had always heard they were all pretty straight up guys, but what happens in the bush is not always interpeted the same out of the bush. Sure do like his videos though, makes me want to go back to guiding, almost.

quote:

Just read some where that Bart LANCASTER was convicted in Smithers for baiting a grizzly with a horse carcas. I'll try and find it and copy it over.

I'd definitely be interested in seeing it.

That's an "old school" griz hunting method in the Elk Valley (where the Lancaster's often hunt, with Fontana)....the guide outfitter in the upper elk (Mike Baher) used to do it all the time back in the day ('40s)...wrote about it in his book "The Elk Valley Sourdough".

I've never heard of either the Lancaster's or Fontana's doing it though. I could see the tempatation if you happened to kill a horse in a wreck though.

Cheers,
Canuck

Bear guide banned for baiting
By Todd Hamilton - Smithers Interior News and Todd Hamilton - Smithers Interior News - October 03, 2007 | | |


A Smithers assistant guide has been banned from bear hunting after allegedly baiting a grizzly.

A Ministry of Environment spokesperson said the ban dates back to a 2005 incident near Hazelton in the Kispiox Valley.

Nathan Nankivell, a spokesperson for the B.C. Conservation Officer Service, said assistant guide Bart Lancaster has been handed a Section 61 sanction, for knowingly using a horse carcass to bait a grizzly bear, and had his client group shoot the bear while it fed.

Following up on an anonymous tip, Smithers Conservation Officer Kevin Nixon reportedly caught Lancaster and the hunting party red-handed at the scene of the killing.

Nankivell said, Section 61 can be used as an alternative tool to judicial proceedings, especially in cases where charges are not supported by Crown Counsel because of the difficulty in proving intent or prior knowledge.

What is a sanction 61 exactly? If this a lifetime ban on bear hunting?

Anybody have any opinions of their overall hunting operation? I agree with Jetboater, in that i hadnt previously heard anything bad about the lancasters. Thinking of going on my first big game hunt in the near future, and was strongly considering going with lancaster.

I looked it up on line, Sec 61 of the BC wildlife act....

61 (1) If a person holds, held within the last year or applies to renew, a guide outfitter's licence, guide outfitter's certificate, assistant guide licence or another licence to guide for game, angling guide licence, assistant angling guide licence, trapping licence, fur trader's licence or registration of a trapline and the person is convicted of an offence under this Act or does not comply with the conditions contained in or restrictions imposed on his or her licence, certificate or registration, or for another cause that the regional manager considers reasonable, the regional manager may conduct a hearing to determine whether the person should continue to enjoy the privileges afforded him or her by the licence or certificate or by having the registration and may do one or more of the following:

(a) suspend, cancel or refuse to issue or renew the person's licence, certificate or registration;

(b) amend the licence, certificate or registration to specify a different area in which the person may operate;

(c) in the case of a guide outfitter, amend the licence to further limit the numbers, age and sex of game in respect of which the person may guide;

(d) amend the licence, certificate or registration to require the person to meet other conditions or restrictions that the regional manager considers appropriate;

(e) in the case of an angling guide, reduce or cancel an angler day quota attached to that person's licence.

(2) The person in respect of whom the hearing under subsection (1) is to be conducted must be given reasonable notice of the time and place for the hearing.

(2.1) Notice required by subsection (2) may be given in accordance with section 101 (3).

(3) A hearing conducted under subsection (1) must be held in public unless the minister orders that the hearing be held in private.

(4) If notice of a hearing under subsection (1) is given to the holder of a licence, certificate or registered trapline and the licence or certificate expires or the registration ceases before the regional manager conducts the hearing or makes a determination under that subsection, the regional manager

(a) may proceed to hear and determine the matter, and

(b) is not obliged to renew or consider renewal of the licence or certificate or grant registration of the trapline until the earlier of the following:

(i) the end of the 30 day period immediately after the licence or certificate expires or the registration ceases;

(ii) the regional manager makes the determination after the hearing is held.

(5) Despite subsection (4), if the hearing is delayed at the request of the holder of the licence, certificate or registered trapline, the regional manager is not obliged to consider renewing the licence or certificate or granting the registration of the trapline until the regional manager makes the determination after the hearing is held.

Very interesting. Thanks Jetboater!

I wonder how this works. You get a new assistant guides licence every year...I wonder how they track a sec 61 sanction??? Must keep something in a database tied to your hunter #.

I expect that it would apply for life in that case, unless you got the sanction rescinded at some point.

As far as the Lancaster's are concerned, I don't think this really affects their reputation a whole lot. They sell a good product and anyone can screw up.

The whole "baiting" with gut piles (and even horse carcasses I guess, presuming the horse was not brought in for the specific purpose of being turned into bait) issue can get a little grey in the real world. I don't condone it, but I can understand the temptation.

Cheers,
Canuck

It does not mention a time period, so not sure if that would forever, or a specific time period.
I was thinking the same thing on baiting, if you know where a dead moose or in this case a horse that just dies, and you checked it out every so often, is that baiting. It has been suggested that sitting in an oat field where you know deer or bears are coming into to feed could be construed as baiting. I would hope a judge is a little smarter than believing that, but the definition is rather vague.
I also wonder was he convicted of baiting for grizzly's, or is the sanction seperate from any other charges/convictions.

This would not stop me from booking with them for sure, they hold some nice country in BC and the north.

Thanks both of you for your information. Great details and honest opinions. Just another reason why i love this forum.

Very interested in a Lynx and a Wolf for some reason right now. I know lancasters hunt them. Either of you recommend any other outfitters that may hunt lynx?

I hunted at Nahaani with Clay and Cam and have nothing but good things to say. Looking forward to hunting in the future with them. I would be interested in Barts comments before making a decision on the incident.