Taking the Kids Camping in Canada? Some important Tips

Congratulations!  You've finally set up that hunting (fishing) trip to Canada with your teenager!  The bags are packed, the iPhone is put away, and you've mapped out the travel schedule.  You are all set to share your love of the great outdoors with your child.  Or are you?


There are certain things you need to know before you go.  The Canadian Border Patrol watches for missing or abducted children and may ask detailed questions about the children who are traveling with you.  Make sure you're prepared before you go!  Here are a few tips:

• If you're traveling with kids, you should carry identification for each child. 
• In the case of infants who have not yet been issued birth certificates, an original baptismal or hospital certificate that indicates the country of birth is sufficient.
• If you are travelling with children, you should carry identification for each child. 
• Divorced parents who share custody of their children should carry copies of the legal custody documents.  

• Travellers under the age of 18 and unaccompanied by a parent need a letter of permission to travel in Canada from a parent or guardian. Have it notarized.  It should state where the minor is going, how long they plan to travel, where they're staying and when they plan to return.   Include all the parents' contact info, address and phone numbers.
• Children traveling with one parent, grandparents, or other guardians should carry proof of custody and/or notarized letters from the non-accompanying parent(s) authorizing travel. This is in addition to proof of the child’s citizenship. This letter should contain contact telephone numbers for the other parent or legal guardian not present. 
• Travelers without such documentation may experience delays at the port of entry.  
• If you are traveling as part of a group of vehicles, be sure that you are in the same vehicle as your child/children when you arrive at the border.

Check out other posts in our blog about information regarding firearm possession for kids under 18 in Canada!

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(952)525-2285 ♦ satveer@chaudharylawoffice.com

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Satveer Chaudhary is the founding lawyer of Chaudhary Law Office, PLLC.  In practice over 10 years Chaudhary brings 14 years of legislative experience as a State Senator and Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives to each and every case

Satveer S. Chaudhary is a lifelong sportsman and former wildlife and conservation policy- maker. As an attorney, he represents hunting and fishing organizations, businesses, individual hunters and anglers, and serves on the board of Safari Club International. He has worked in a variety of capacities with National Association of Sportsmen Caucuses, NRA, Ducks Unlimited, and Pheasants Forever. He knows the law because he helped make it.

Training our Next Generation of Anglers

From an article in Journal of a Minnesota Angler

http://www.journalofamnangler.com/2010/05/16/training-the-next-generation/

Yesterday, on the day of the Minnesota Fishing Opener, I didn’t get to go fishing. I did, however, take my 5 year old son fishing.

Minnesota State Senator Satveer Chaudhary of Minnesota District 50 hosted a youth fishing event on Lake Johanna with the Minnesota BASS Federation. Any kid that showed up was taken on a fancy bass boat and provided with a life jacket, a fishing pole, and bait, free of charge.

I went out to the event with my son and was amazed at how many boats were on shore waiting for kids when we got there. One of the members of the BASS Federation greeted us and volunteered his boat because he brought a more traditional fishing boat with higher sides than a bass boat. He thought my son would be more comfortable on it. We got on our life jackets and climbed aboard.

On the way out, our guide was very conscientious and made sure not to go to fast for my son. He used his fish finder to show us that we were headed to a hump in the middle of the lake. My son was very interested in how the fish finder worked. In fact, during our actual fishing, he was more interested in watching the electronics than the act of fishing at times.

When we got to our destination, our guide rigged up a nightcrawler on a jighead for my son. He put a Gulp leech on a spinning reel for me, and set up a crank bait for himself. I only really cast out once or twice before helping my son and the our guide soon put a worm on a jig with a skirt under a slip bobber to try to get a fish on the line for him, too. I was jigging with my son’s worm and felt a tick-tick-tick, but couldn’t set the hook fast enough. I reeled in and our worm was gone. We used a trolling motor to go back and forth over the hump a bunch of times and our guide got a few hits, but nothing he could keep hooked. They were just biting lite. My son’s line didn’t get any more action.

Our guide’s com padres were all hitting the shore with older kids and we only heard hooting and hollering once. Our guide was smart to use a bobber and jigging for my son. You can’t really cast with someone so young. Even though we didn’t catch anything, my son said he had a lot of fun. He enjoyed being out on the boat. So already at such a young age, he has the right attitude about fishing.

I was glad to hear he had a good time and I enjoyed taking him out. I also got to ask some questions of our guide and methods. I picked up a few tips and hope to put some of them to use soon.

From what I saw, all the kids were having fun. I hope Senator Chaudhary makes this an annual event. Fishing with your kids is almost always better than any day out on your own.

Winter 2011 State and Federal Updates

A great update from my friend Don MacMillan about important things on the Minnesota and US political landscape for hunters!  Enjoy!


Federal and state Issues
By Don McMillan,
president Minnesota Outdoor Heritage Alliance, past president SCI Federal Issues

     This is the year of another new “Farm Bill” for the Congress.  There are some changes on the horizon that
will have a negative impact on our activities as well as conservation, in general.   one example is the successful “walk in” program that we just began this past year in Minnesota with federal matching funds.  some 10,000 acres of private farm land was enrolled in Minnesota which provided a place to hunt and fish for many Minnesota hunters and fishermen.  Congress has recently removed these matching dollars from the
appropriations process to help reduce the deficit.  This is false economy due to the fact that more hunters in the field equates to more revenues for both the federal and state government.

     At this point, this program is in jeopardy here in Minnesota because our state budget is an issue also so it is unlikely that there will be money available here.   This has been a great program that provides much needed access for those of us who hunt and fish in Minnesota.   As this is an election year and Congress is in a gridlock so don’t expect much in the line of significant legislation to come out of the Congress in 2012.  This year is all about the November presidential Election and the changes that will occur due to redistricting coming out in the middle of February.  one issue that may be resolved by the Congress is the wolf issue in Minnesota.  Because of the way the Endangered species Act is written it is relatively easy for anti-hunting groups like Hsus and to an extent, Sierra Club, to stop turning over management of wolves to the Minnesota DNR and wolf hunting in this state.   These organizations have the ability to keep this issue in the federal courts forever.  our Minnesota Congressional Delegation, with a couple of exceptions, are doing their best to pass a bill in the Congress that would end this stalemate and take the issue out of the courts.  That is the only way that this population of wolves can be managed from a scientific standpoint in this country.  Encourage your Congressman and our two Minnesota senators, Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken, to help with this issue.

State Issues
The Minnesota Legislature has a shorter session this year and does not meet until later in January of 2012.  There continues to be many challenges due to a shortage of money in all areas.   The Department of Natural Resources, which regulates most of our hunting and fishing activities, is not exempt from budget cuts which will have to happen to help eliminate large deficits.   Many of us have been asking the Minnesota Legislature to make some modest increases in our hunting and fishing license fees for both residents and nonresidents, but the Minnesota Legislature is reluctant to increase any fees in a bad economy.  However, it has been over 11 years since any of these fees have been increased so an exception should probably be made.   If you have an opportunity, you may wish to discuss this issue with your elected representative House Member or Senator.   We continue to direct a significant amount of resources available through the sales tax increase dedicated by our constitution to improving habitat for our outdoor activities.  This will be the third year of this program
and the money continues to go toward the projects that sportsmen and women in Minnesota had in mind  when this amendment was passed in 2008.  However, this has not been automatic by any means.  It takes a constant presence at the Capitol to make sure that our elected officials do not divert this money to other causes no matter how noble they may be.  This is being accomplished by the groups who belong to the Minnesota outdoor Heritage Alliance (MOHA) including the Minnesota Chapter of SCI.   We continue to educate the legislature and the public to make sure that all of the funds collected go toward projects that enhance and grow habitat for hunting, fishing and trapping in Minnesota.   Don’t forget to thank your legislative representatives for helping make this happen, and if they don’t believe in this program, set them
straight.