All those folks (like myself) heading off to hunt camp over the next couple weeks better think twice before going to the outhouse.
Yikes!!!
QMI agency just reported a story about a Norwegian hunter who aimed at a moose, missed and accidentally hit a man sitting on the toilet in a nearby cabin.
The bullet whizzed past the animal, pierced the wooden wall behind it and struck the man, in his seventies, in the stomach, the force told public broadcaster NRK.
The victim was flown by helicopter to hospital but his injury was not life-threatening, said the policeman who led the investigation, Anders Stroemsaether.
The hunter was taken in for questioning in Hvaler district, about 120km southeast of the capital of Oslo, said the force. The moose apparently escaped unscathed.
Makes you wonder about the safety of hanging around hunt camp and just when you thought the outhouse was your last safe haven…
Off to the woods people, that’s the best place to be…
Good luck to all local hunters and be safe out there this Fall!
Outdoorsguy
Here’s my October column in the Pembroke Daily Observer:
http://www.thedailyobserver.ca/2013/10/24/sportsmen-wild-about-for-whitetail-deer-for-hunting-season-this-fall
Happy deer hunting one and all!!
Outdoorsguy
I noticed in your column that you mentioned moose hunting and inclement weather, ours was a very poor hunt but it wasn’t really what you would call inclement. I would be more inclined to call it bluebird and hot.
It would have been a good Cuba vacation, but not much for hunting
Yes Iggy..above average temps would be inclement weather for moose hunting..nice for other things but our guys got skunked too. Hunting moose out of our deer camp in the Laurentians. Nothing was moving or coming to the call. My father did; however, see the biggest wolf of his life…100 pounds easy he said. It stood on the ridge about him looking down!
Outdoorsguy
Tune-into CHEZ 106 FM’s Doc & Woody Show this Thursday morning at 8:40 AM for my annual “Salute to Deer Season”…if nothing else, it’s good for a few laughs!
Outdoorsguy
our moose were still in the rut in the park…. time to move the moose hunt to November and make it the same time as the deer hunt…
Ok Chessy, but did you see anything? Were they coming to the call??
Outdoorsguy
we don’t call .. never needed to before very unprepared for the rut… we do how ever do a lot of dogging for moose. we seen a lot of moose we shot our bull on wed after all the rain on Monday an Tuesday. our camp hunts in the pouring rain or until we get our moose down . Monday rain was so hard it washed a few of the draw roads out but we still managed to chase 3 deer and 2 unidentifiable moose out . it was a great hunt for all . still getting use to not waking and doing the dogging, just not the same .
Congrats Chessy…sounds like you will be enjoing some moose meat this winter. I am sorry to hear about your limited mobility..that sucks big time!
Hope you’re able to get out for deer?
Outdoorsguy
I wasn’t at the moose camp this year but they told me they had a younger bull 75 yards off the porch of the camp. Dogs were going crazy so buddy looked out he was standing there looking back at the dogs, then casually sauntered off. No tag, go figure.
Looks like the rut is on in this part of the province. Lots of scrapes this weekend that weren’t there the weekend before. Didn’t see the first scrape until the end of the first week of the deer hunt last year.
johan, the whitetail rut seems VERY early starting this year. Sure shot-Dave just snapped a trailcam pic of a nice buck working on a scrape..a stone’s throw from one of his treestands.
Cant wait to get up to camp and check all my cameras!!
Oh, and btw if your moose camp was in QC..the guys would have a ‘porch bull’ now.
Outdoorsguy
hey jeff seen lots of action in the last few weeks some nice bucks and does saw a beauty large rack in a secret spot he has been there 4 times out of seven will send you some pics a person close to our area removed 6 coyotes so there should be less hassle with deer moving all over at night . and also there are hundreds of geese landing in a adjacent field so it will be nice to mix up the hunt and have goose for supper as well good luck buddy we head out friday am to the camp
Hey mike…good luck to you too! Stop-by and give us an update when you get out of the bush. Wishing you and your gang all the best this fall. Be safe and have fun!
Outdoorsguy
thanks jeff bye the way a hunting partner got some goose pepperettes made from rob at the beckwith butcher they were so good i couldn’t put them down i brought in a large amount and will soon have a good supply of meat for the winter i will stay to the mild ones as the medium ones heat you up in more ways than one lol be safe jeff and to all the hunters out there good luck and enjoy the sunrises and sunsets that reveal the big one’s
Just got back from a couple days at the hunt camp, lots of scrapes around, but that’s normal, lifted 7 grouse, one, the best shot I’d have had, I didn’t have a gun, I was just going in to my trailcam to flip cards and it was 30 yards from me. No gun 🙁 all the other grouse lived hehe
Going to the cottage to spend some hunt time in Quebec, then on Sunday up to our camp for the Ontario hunt.
Apparently we had a visit from the local CO last week politely telling our guys the rules about helmets on ATV’s
Helmets on ATV’s eh Iggy, they’d have a field day around our camp!
Best of luck for the ON rifle hunt..cant wait till this rain lifts and by Sat morning(QC opening) the forest will be as quiet as a church mouse.
Cant wait to get up to camp tomorrow..get things set-up, check the trailcams and prepare for opening morning. Should be an enjoyable rifle season with
daytime highs of between 4-6 degrees with no rain till at least Wed again.
I’m hoping the rest of the gang gets to see as many antlers this year as I did last year..but you never know what you’ll see until you get out there.
Ahhh, its the greatest time of year, don’t you think?
Outdoorsguy
I’m going up to the cottage to prepare this weekend. We will be hunting the second week, working around my son’s school schedule. Really looking forward to it. Good luck to everyone.
By the way, we have had better luck with the grouse this year. Four so far, and missed many more.
Hunting mom, enjoy your time in the deer woods with the young lad! Hope you have a terrific time and get to see some critters(of all kinds)!
Outdoorsguy
I guess I should count myself lucky, I get two opening mornings hehe
Good luck everyone, be safe and shoot straight
you too Iggy, have fun and play safe. Oh, and remember to leave doggie at home when hunting the QC-side. The Garde Chasse don’t really appreciate them in the bush….hehe
Outdoorsguy
i had a great week hunting with my two boys and friends good food lots of fun and two bucks down freezer is going to be full for the up coming winter
Well, I’m back from deer camp without a spot of blood on my hands. Still had a fabulous season…lots of deer and other wildlife and fun with the boys. I passed up on two smaller bucks and the big boy just wasn’t there for me this year. My Dad missed his chance at a bruiser and also got to see some other antlers for a change, so that was good.
Had a hoot playing with two young bull moose a scant 40 feet away..I have a vid of it Im going to post. Had up close encounters with a coyote, mink..and many grouse this year. Deer numbers are up in our area and I was encouraged to see 8 different bucks on my trailcams just around camp inself.
Thanks to Randall Moore of CHEZ 106 FM for his kind words in today’s One Minute Moore. Randall, Doc, Woody and Eric of CHEZ 106 should be commended for helping to promote conservation..and for allowing me to blow my horn on the air these past 11 years!
http://www.chez106.com/2013/11/14/one-minute-moore-no-way-i-could-kill-bambi/
Hope everyone else had a great season too..drop by and let us know how you did!!
Outdoorsguy
Hey mike, congrats on the terrific deer season! Sounds like you had a great week hunting with the lads..good to hear!!
What area are you in? Deer numbers looking pretty good this year?
Outdoorsguy
So tell me again why you go to the deer woods for a week and ‘pass up’ the tastiest meat of all? I seriously don’t get it. That’s like bypassing spring lamb for mutton. Sure the old boys can be good, but generally their gravy is even tough.
johan, for us its more about allowing our deer woods to recover and flourish…since we have been passing up on smaller bucks, it seems the overall health of our deer woods has improved. We are now seeing more mature deer, of course its difficult to micromanage when everyone else around you is shooting anything that moves.
And to be honest, I don’t really get a lot of enjoyment out of shooting yearlings..just me I guess. There’s something about pursuing and seeing those wily old guys that gets the old heart going..much more of a challenge requiring skill.
You are right about table fare though..the little guys are tasty..especially calf moose.
Outdoorsguy
November 14, 2013
Government Committed to Sustainable Bear Management, Public Safety
Ontario is proposing a pilot program that will enhance public safety while offering an effective response to nuisance bear issues in the north.
Ontario has proposed a two-year bear management pilot program in wildlife management units 13, 14, 29, 30, 36, 39, 41 and 42, all of which have reported high levels of nuisance bear activity. Communities in and around these units include Timmins, Thunder Bay, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie and North Bay. A limited bear hunt open to Ontario residents only would take place from May 1 to June 15, 2014 and 2015.
——————————————–
Under the proposed pilot, hunting bear cubs or females with cubs would be illegal. The province will monitor and evaluate the success of this pilot project on an ongoing basis.
In order to participate, municipal councils would have to pass a resolution agreeing to opt into the program. Ontario will continue to work with municipalities on ways to limit human-bear interactions.
We will work together as One Ontario to build a successful, compassionate and united province where everyone has the opportunity to connect, contribute and enjoy a high quality of life.
QUICK FACTS
Ontario is home to a healthy and sustainable black bear population with up to 105,000 black bears living in the province.
Currently across Canada, each province and territory with black bears has a spring and fall bear hunt except Nova Scotia and Ontario, which only have fall hunts.
The public will be invited to comment on the two-year pilot project through Ontario’s Environmental Registry in 2014.
Tks Iggs, this sounds very much like the old Bear Wise Program, but without the name. I wonder where the money came from to fund this?? I like the rule about sows and cubs, that makes sense.
How’d you guys make out for deer this year??
Outdoorsguy
Jeff, I suppose if you don’t shoot anything there has to be more next year, or at least the next camp over. 😉
I certainly wouldn’t turn down a big one but my heart was pounding just as much watching that 6 pointer come to my call, and the steaks are A1. Numbers of deer aren’t that great here but there are a few.
hey johan, you got a 6-point this fall..and he came to the grunt call???
Congrats man…send me the pics!!
Outdoorsguy
Iggy, Hunting mom, imacdon, Maple, LeGrand, Rick P, sure shot-dave, chessy, Keebler, mike jones, how did you folks make out??
Everyone is invited to send me their hunting pics from this fall..I will put together a new Bragging Board post to feature them in!
Outdoorsguy
My son shot two, a huge buck and a small one dogging, that’s the first deer shot dogging in all my time there, we ended up with 5 deer, now it’s off to Quebec to help out the guys near the cottage
For the second time in my hunting career, I didn’t see one 🙁
Holy cow Iggy, you know photos will need to be produced once you get back from QC..season closes there on Sun so Monday am I’ll expect some pics!
Deer on QC side seem to be doing very well..least in the areas I was in.
Congrats to the lad Iggy..thats very lucky! Dont feel badly, my Dad never saw a deer last year….and this fall had chances at two nice bucks!
Outdoorsguy
Oh I don’t feel that bad, I’ve had my good years in the past, and my good luck. First year I hunted in Calabogie I shot four deer in the first four chases, a record still unbroken, and I’ve had at four years with three deer taken.
So I’ve done Ok, and the chance to hunt with my son and see him successful is way more important, after all, I taught him every thing he knows 😉
Gang here didn’t do too well on the first week, so far since Thursday they have a 6, a 3, a doe, and a 15 point monstrosity. I have yet to see the big lad but one of the young lads got him; his first deer ever. Another kid addicted to hunting!!! Awesome
Outdoors Guy
We had a great week. Our group got 7, one of which was a large doe shot by my son, Sam. Sam and I have the privilege of hunting with a group of highly experienced and talented hunters. It was a wonderful experience for us both.
As for me, well I squandered the one opportunity I had. I was on a watch and I heard a deer coming over the ridge. Instead of getting my rifle ready at my shoulder to take a shot, I stood there like a dumbo listening to him come down the hill. By the time I did get my act together, the deer was gone. Maybe next year things will come together for me….. It doesn’t really matter though, I had a great week.
Hunting mom, as pointed out to johan..sometimes you can do no wrong, while other times it seems everything you do is wrong! My father missed two very good opportunities this fall…lost in a matter of seconds and that all it takes sometimes. All we can do is think about..and then obsess about it for an entire year till we can do it all over again…hehe I have a missed big buck opportunity from 1983 (248 pound 12-pointer) that still haunts me…that’s 30 years of obsessing..hehe
Sounds like Sam had a great fall..please pass along my congratulations. Im glad you were able to share it with him.
Outdoorsguy
We did not even see a deer…. first year we have gotten skunked the mnr is going to have to do something about the wolf population in the park and the moose population if they want us to pay good money to hunt there .. we seen more wolves than ever before… the camp has not ever seen wolves in the park while hunting until the last 5 years this year we seen them all over the place. we see 7 differnernt adult bull moose 9 cows and a hand full of calves.. and it takes 10 guys for a bull tag.. we had fun.. but alot of us have decided to stay home next year as the deer population in our area is decimated even worse than last year we had snow every day and never seen a fawn track the whole week some guys were there for 2 weeks
OK Chessy, there appears to be a real wolf issue in the park which needs to be addressed. Are these the result of the timber wolves they released in the Park some years ago?
Apparently the deer are being outcompeted by moose and wolves..sad to hear.
Outdoorsguy
hey jeff we managed to get 4 deer but the real ass kicker was i heard 2 shots go off waited phoned my hunting buddy and he was looking for a deer he thought he had shot i only left my stand for 20 minutes and the 2 kids on the farm where i hunt said the big 10 pt buck walked and stood in the middle of the field of a good 10 minutes thyen just crossed the road all of this on the 2nd last day of the hunt on the 2nd week , the old addage i should have stayed in my stand .Maybe muzzleloader season i can get him if not he will be there for next year , have a great day jeff
Hey mike, you know how many times that’s happened to someone in my gang? The thing is, without a crystal ball you’ll know where when or for how long you should sit at a particular spot!
This fall, I spent most afternoons in my stand..couple last hours of the day after the gang petered out. This one day I went into my stand early…was there for 2 3/4 hours..nearly frozen my ass off. My buddy often waits at the bottom of the knoll during the last 15 mins of light..till I get back down to camp. This one day, he arrived just before dark just in time to see a very large deer sneaking down the ridge ahead of me with his head down.
Evidently as I was climbing down my ladder just before dark with my back turned, the buck was sneaking down the ridge behind me less than 100 yards away. My buddy said I was less than a minute behind the deer..dammit!! Five more minutes in the stand that day was all I needed.
Outdoorsguy
I must be the magnet this year, had another small buck turn and start to walk towards me. I was tip toeing around my woods and came out on a main trail pondering how fresh that track in front of me was. I looked up and a small deer was loping away, but then just stopped and turned around and looked at me. I stood still and then I watched him take 4 or 5 steps toward me, so I turned and started to walk down another trail thinking it’s better not to spook him after being chased for two weeks. Curiosity got the best of me so I walked back and sure enough we was still coming to see what it was and he stopped again as we stood maybe 50 yards or less apart. I was wearing orange, jeans, and no gun. He was maybe a 2 or 3 year old but definitely working from his rut brain. My buddy sends me a text literally seconds later asking if I thought I could help him fill his tag….I am pretty sure this buck at 50 yards would have filled that tag quite nicely.
Ahh johan, the life of a deer magnet..I knmow it well! Sometimes it doesn’t matter what the hell you do, it seems you can do no wrong.
You do realize under a ‘non deer magnet’ situation, that buck would have been long gone!
Oh course the old expression comes into play….”the things you see when you dont have a gun”
Feel free to send me hunting pics anytime you like..I promise not to devulge any personal secrets..hehe
Outdoorsguy
from my understanding they are the red wolf but also heard they are not…. i know the park is not managed for hunting but for tourists they want to see/hear wolves and see moose. on a side note.. last year our area was logged and for years we were told a certain area was nature zone no one allowed in when we showed up last year that area was logged , we complained and later found out (this year) that the tags were in the wrong area so for over 15 years we never hunted that area only to find out is was tagged improperly . I feel sorry if we get a good snow fall this year as the deer will be all but wiped out in my area
Saw and lifted lots of birds this year while dogging, funny thing, pointed out to me by another member of our hunt camp, none were on the gravel roads, all were in the bush. I really don’t know the significance of that except we almost always see them on the road, picking up pebbles to grind their food, but this year none.
so I think I’m going to take a trip back to camp next week and do a bit of grouse hunting
Not sure if I mentioned this or not but on Valley Heritage Radio they interviewed a CO, and he mentioned something very important. A lot of Outdoor Cards expire this December because of the timing when they were first introduced. The MNR in it’s great wisdom AKA lack of budget, are not sending our renewal notices. It’ll give them the opportunity to hand out a lot more fines as well I guess.
Anyway, check your expiry date on your card.
In early December you’ll be able to renew online
why would the mnr be responsible for a renewal notice.. some times people have to be responsible for there own actions or lack of responsibility . we all complain about a nanny state and then we beg for our hand being held .. we can not have it both ways
I hear ya grumpy 😉 but when you’ve always sent out renewal notices in the past, like they do for your drivers licence, like they do for your license plate sticker, you get accustomed to a system. Then the government suddenly stops, it can throw some people off.
Let me ask you this grumpy 🙂
Have you checked every one of your cards to see if they expire soon?
I hear you Iggs, every card I own seems to be coming due this winter..driver’s license, health card, Outdoors Card, PAL…man, anyone have some extra money?
I’d be grumpy too if all my deer disappeared..that’s a bloody shame. But hey, at least the naturalists have all those majestic wolves to look at now..
Outdoorsguy
We noticed the same thing as Iggy. Lots of grouse in the bush while dogging, but hardly any on the gravel roads or trails. We hope to get out again at least once if not more before the season ends.
What is the significance of that Hunting Mom
I don’t know what to make of it. We’ve always seen as many on the road as in the bush
for the people who like to drive the bush roads (not me)
it’s been a tough year
Thanks for the heads up on the card renewal. I would have forgot as I am used to Nanny reminding me it’s time to pick my pocket. I have never been asked to show my outdoors card in all the years I have carried it but I bet the first time would have been Jan 2 2014.
If humans disappeared the deer and the wolves would find their own equilibrium; the wolves need to eat too.
Ok johan, but the ‘equilibrium’ you speak of was thrown wayyy outta whack when the gov’t released (non-native) wolves into the Park. I can understand the intention somewhat as timber wolves will limit and control the number of coyotes, but to say they will find their own balance is just not the case.
One factor in balancing wildlife numbers are measures of control such as fur management. I doubt very many of these ‘new’ wolves within the Park are being trapped, and if so, on a verrrry small scale.
johan, you’re not going preservationist on us, are you? Basically leave everything alone and it will work itself out?
Outdoorsguy
According to this site, there is a permanent ban on hunting and trapping of wolves in ALgonquin Park, which might explain things:
http://www.wolvesontario.org/wolves/wolves/algonquin.shtml
Cant seem to find any info on wolves being released in the Park, but I do recall something about this years ago.
Outdoorsguy
I don’t know what to make of it either Iggy. But when I think about it, last year was the same scenario. We saw a ton of birds way back in the bush while deer hunting, but nothing on the trails where we normally see and hunt them. We may have to change our strategy.
Not sure if this means anything..but years ago when I used to hunt birds a lot I noticed that early season Sep-Oct grouse would be
around the roads picking up grit, then by later season Nov – Jan, they seemed to leave the roadways. Perhaps when they have their gizzards full,
they no longer need to pick up grit as much?
Rick P, any thoughts on this if you’re out there? We need your deer report anyway, so drop by if you have a chance.
Outdoorsguy
Hey johan…dont get me wrong, I’ll still love you man…hehe
Outdoorsguy
Ladies and gentlemen…get your stories and photos ready!
http://blogs.canoe.ca/outdoorsguy/hunting/hunters-bragging-board/
Outdoorsguy
@iggy ya I am grumpy.. for other reasons more than hunting …
we got a report back from a another camp who uses 15 dogs… they never got a single start this year .. the deer population is dried up in our area . some camps miles away got deer .. it will be intresting at our annual meeting to see who did what and what suggestions to make to the mnr for future hunts