Outdoors Guy Blog

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Spring pike and walleye abound

Anglers in search of northern pike and walleye are out in full force with both species now fair game in much of eastern and northeastern Ontario.

Be sure to check the rules and regulations before hitting the water, and should you accidentally catch a species for which the season is still closed, it must be immediately and safely released. Fisheries Management Zone (FMZ) 15 is large area extending eastward to the Ottawa River, south to Arnprior, north to Deux Rivieres and west across Algonquin Park to Parry Sound. Best of luck and be safe out there. For more information on fishing in FMZ 15:

https://www.ontario.ca/page/fisheries-management-zone-15-fmz-15

Farewell to Cobden

After 10 memorable summers in Cobden at Logosland Resort and campground, Mrs. Outdoors Guy and I have decided to sell our seasonal trailer. I will miss our home-away-from-home in the beautiful Ottawa valley, watching our daughter’s grow-up; catching frogs and minnows with their friends and swimming in Astrolabe Lake’s crystal-clear, spring-fed water; weekend tours into Pembroke, Shawville, Eganville, Round Lake and beyond. The Ottawa valley and Quebec’s Pontiac will always have a special place in my heart, and I plan to return regularly to visit our friends. Anyone interested in purchasing a great seasonal RV at Logosland, drop me a line: theoutdoorsguy@rogers.com

Conserving trout

Back in the early days of angling, the old adage ‘a fish caught was a fish kept’ usually applied, but it is not like that anymore and brook trout are no exception. Safely releasing a fragile brookie requires patience and a soft touch at canoe, or boat-side. Barbless hooks and a solid set of long-nosed pliers help and please, never use a nylon landing net. To watch a beautiful brook trout swim away after a nice battle is an incredible feeling. You can always catch and keep smaller fish to bring home but doing your part for conservation will pay-off in the end. We catch loads of big trout each spring and release more than 80 per cent of our catch while still enjoying some tasty meals. Practicing conservation of the species requires self-control but offers copious long-term rewards if you are willing to invest the time.

Spring bear hunt

With all the excitement surrounding pike and walleye season, do not forget about the spring bear hunt, which got under way at the beginning of May in a number of WMUs across Ontario. Relaunched in 2014 as a pilot project, Ontario’s spring bear hunt is hopefully back to stay. With June fast approaching, the once cautious male bears will have become accustomed to feeding at bait sites, and with the onset of mating, the boars travel extensively in search of a mate. Both of these factors will have a positive effect on hunter success rate. The spring bear season is strictly regulated, so please consult the rules and regulations: https://files.ontario.ca/mnrf-2019-hunting-regulations-en-04-0-2019.pdf

Deer tag deadline

Big game hunters are watching the calendar closely as several tag draws close between now and end of June. The Ontario Moose tag draw ends May 31 and the Elk draw closes June 10. There are three application methods available although your chances at a tag remain the same, whether you apply by telephone, internet or at a Service Ontario outlet. To apply over the phone call 1-800-288-1155, but remember that if you have already purchased your regular deer license, you’ll not be permitted to enter the draw this way, and must apply either online or visit a Service Ontario outlet. For more information: https://www.ontario.ca/page/apply-big-game-draw

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Bounder Magazine – 10 Year Anniversary issue!

Bounder magazine’s coveted 10th Anniversary issue is NOW out in full circulation! Get yourself a copy! Read the Outdoors Guy talk about trout, turkey and more or read a whole ton of other great stuff!

Check us out online: http://bounder.ca/

Outdoorsguy

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Spring wild turkey season on the way!

With the start of the spring wild turkey season looming, gobbler enthusiasts across Quebec and Ontario will soon be in hot pursuit of beards and spurs!

For thousands of Ontario wild turkey hunters, April 25th marks the beginning of another coveted spring gobbler season. Thanks to successful reintroduction programs dating back 30 years, wild turkey populations across the province have reached sustainable levels. As we have witnessed over the past few years, there are more bird sightings than ever in the valley and around eastern Ontario, and the hunt is improving each spring. The glorious gobbler has evolved into one of the most prolific and tastiest games species around, so you had better get used to them.

For Ontario hunters, remember that it is illegal to pursue turkeys within 400 meters of any place where bait has been deposited unless the place has been bait-free for at least one week. Bait is described as corn, wheat, oats or any other feed that may attract wild turkey or any imitation of such feed. Standing crops, crops stacked in accordance with normal farming practices and grain scattered as a result of normal farming operations are not considered bait. Following the rules is part of the game and it would be a shame to ruin a great hunt by pushing your luck.

Folks in Quebec should read the provincial regulations for seasons and bag limits in your area…

Good luck to all the gobbler gurus’ out there and feel free to drop me a line with news from your area.

Outdoors Guy

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Winter deer feeding, ice-fishing & more in the Great Outdoors


Backyard deer feeding is a fun winter past-time and can be of great benefit to these animals as snow depth increases.

I currently have seven deer feeding regularly at my backyard feeder – four bucks and three does and fawns – but I have had as many as 16. We just love watching them out the back window! The key to supplemental feeding is to distribute feed in early winter and continue feeding until spring or until your deer decide to move on. A whitetail deer’s digestive system will adapt to the supplemented diet, along with the usual browse that makes up their winter diet. Here in Ottawa, Ritchie’s Feed & Seed makes a terrific pelletized 14 per cent protein deer feed I’ve been using for years with success. I’m sure other feed stores up the valley make a similar blend. Another way to assist whitetail populations during winter is by increasing access to natural forage by creating trails with snowmobile, ATV or even snowshoes. Even if you’re not able to provide supplemental feed, it’s a good idea to offer a helping hand in any way you can.

Hunt camp camaraderie shines!
Did anyone else enjoy an awesome deer hunt this year? Though it was not a season of sagging meat poles or big bucks running amok, the fun and camaraderie in our hunt camp was better than I have ever seen. As anyone who hunts knows well, the deer hunt is not just about pursuing whitetails. For us, it is more about team work, strategic planning and functioning as a fine-oiled machine, in the woods and back at camp as well. With four new members in camp this fall including two of my nephews who never hunted before, the season had failure written all over it. Much to my surprise and similar to the Ottawa Senators, our rookies and new recruits came together in the most wonderful way. Every member had their place, pulled their weight with chores and contributed to hunt, making for one exciting season indeed. I am looking forward to next fall already!

Newfoundland/Outdoor Sportsman Magazine
I am pleased to announce following a long absence, that I am contributing again to a publication near and dear to my heart – Outdoor Sportsman, the pride of Newfoundland’s hunters and fishermen. For nearly a decade I was a feature writer for this fine publication, which runs both a provincial version called Newfoundland Sportsman and the National version called; Outdoor Sportsman. With Dwight Blackwood at the helm as Publisher, and Gord Follett as editor for over 25 years running strong, Sportsman is what I would describe as an ‘enthusiasts’ read with stories, news and features direct from the guys and gals who celebrate our hunting and fishing heritage firsthand. Although it boasts a definite Atlantic Canada flair, there is more than ample content from the rest of our great country to make it feel ubiquitous. The winter issue, with my return article on ice fishing in Central Canada, will be out early January. For more information: http://newfoundlandsportsman.com/

Ice hut reminder

Before you hit the hard top this winter in search of your favourite game-fish, consider registering your hut. The Pembroke MNR wishes to advise area anglers that, not only is ice hut registration a requirement by law, it goes a long way in preventing wayward huts later in the season. Abandoned ice-huts which end-up in waterways after the thaw will create havoc for boaters and early season fishermen. For improved visibility, registration numbers on all huts should be at least 2 ½ inches in height. You do not need to register tent-style huts made of cloth or synthetic material, provided base measurements are less than seven square metres. Ice hut registration is longer completed by contacting the local District Office, but rather through an online registration process, or by mailing an online form to a central office in Peterborough. Full details on both processes are available at: https://www.ontario.ca/page/ice-fishing#section-2


Next time
In the next Outdoors Guy, we take a peek at what’s hot for the 2018/2019 ice fishing season. Be sure to send in your ice fishing reports or big fish stories to theoutdoorsguy@rogers.com

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Bounder Magazine celebrates 10 years with Winter Issue

 

Bounder magazine’s latest issue is being distributed as we speak and its a biggie!

What a wonderful story this little magazine has been, from the first time I heard about it on CTV Ottawa little over 10 years ago. My wife and I were watching the local Ottawa news at 11:30 and they mentioned a ‘New Magazine’ coming soon with Publisher, Brian Warren at the helm.

I’m not sure why but I knew instantly it would be a hit! Who doesn’t like to read about the history of the Ottawa valley or microbreweries, or the radio business 40 years ago, or hot cars and hotter bikes, great food, hunting, fishing traveling. Man, it’s like every guy’s dream, honestly!

I am honoured to be apart of this Bounder family and I still wear my Bounder vest proudly(though I could a new one, nudge nudge)

Check out my new Outdoors Guy column, along with numerous other fantastic local writers, like my pals Randall Moore and David Brown: http://online.fliphtml5.com/tdses/lpjd/#p=25

If you haven’t seen Bounder yet, crawl out from under your rock and find a copy!

Yours in the great outdoors,

Jeff Morrison

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Backyard ‘brute’ buck alive and well…

I am so pleased to see my old backyard brute, a trophy buck who has visited my property for the past 4+ years. He enjoys rubbing his antlers on the same tree every year, a mere 10 feet from my garage and I have no issues with that.

The non-typical brute, who arrived back for a visit a few days ago, appears to be a 15-pointer now.

Enjoy these trail-cam images of a truly special whitetail buck!

M2E1L0-16R350B300

 

M2E1L0-14R350B300

 

M2E1L0-15R350B300

 

 

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Hunt Camp season is upon us!

I’m heading back up to the hunt camp for the deer season, anyone else going?

This week, I had a nice chat on CHEZ 106 FM with my pals Doc, Woody & Randall, all about hunt camp and what it means to hunters (& guests) They asked me about the most luxurious hunt camp I’d ever visited and, truth be told, I’ve never really been to a super fancy one.

Rustic is just fine with me!

One person’s hunt camp could be as basic as a  4-man tent, while for someone else it might be a summer cottage transformed into a makeshift hunt camp when autumn arrives.

Others might be members of a private hunt club or an organized lodge, while some might even choose to go with an outfitter, rent a chalet or a small cabin. You could convert a fishing or trapping camp into a hunt camp in the fall and you know what, it doesn’t really matter. 

Regardless of what four-walls make-up your hunt camp, tis the season to celebrate the sport we all know and love in your private little domain.  Sharing the experience with friends and hunting companions only serve to enrich the experience. 

The hunt camp experience is something only a true hunter has ever known and will ever really understand. Sorry to all animal rights people, environmentalists and other ‘non-hunters’ out there, you simply cannot relate and this post will mean absolutely nothing to you. 

Yup, it is a time of year when many other things in our busy lives will take a backseat to this special place.  We will dream about it at night and long for that glorious day when we first arrive.

After nearly 40 years of this tradition, I realize the hunt camp experience is over in the blink of an eye..so enjoy your time to the fullest and for goodness sake, let it all soak in. You just never know when it could be your last!

This year is a transitional one for us with several new members joining for the first time, and my dad no longer hunting. It will certainly be different but we hope to create a new tradition, to carry-on the old…

Hey, anyone else ready for hunting season…I know I am!

Outdoorsguy