Ottawa Valley deer feeder serves ‘trophy’ guest!

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Ottawa valley resident -who I will simply refer to as ‘John’ – has been blessed to have this impressive whitetail buck show-up at his backyard feeder this winter!

 

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This magnificent ‘old timer’ was captured on film by a trail camera located just outside John’s living room (anchored to a birdfeeder) at his home near Clayton.

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I would estimate this old boy at minimum 6.5 years old; based on antler configuration: beam length, beam diameter and presence of sticker points.

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Though his actual age cannot be determined without analyzing a tooth cross-section in a lab.

All signs point to an older buck and he certainly carries himself like a KING!

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John’s impressive visitor has a sidekick with him at times – a yearling buck. Funny how whitetail behaviour changes once the rut is over…

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Thanks so much to avid reader; John for sharing these awesome winter whitetail images!! Now if only I could get him to use Bushnell trail cams..hehe

If I were John, I would also be watching for those big antlers to drop…ANY TIME NOW! Around my place, all the big bucks would shed end of January.

Outdoorsguy

Another exciting deer season

My annual deer hunt at Kenauk Nature in Montebello is the highlight of my year and this fall was no exception. The famous Quebec deer woods, with its majestic old growth stands of oak, brings me back every time.

Climbing the peaks each November in pursuit of a trophy whitetail buck is about as exciting as it gets, and this year was no exception. On one hand, I am in a paradise living a hunter’s dream of pursing whitetails in one of our region’s most scenic woods. Then on the other hand my Montebello trip is the last kick at the hunting can for the year.

This deer season, I was not presented with the opportunity to harvest a buck and that’s okay with me, it is why we call it hunting after all. My partner Jim and I climbed many miles of clean hardwoods and exposed bedrock chasing a particular buck we found good sign of, but could never catch up to. We were encouraged this fall to see increased whitetail activity overall, both here and back home around our family camp near Mont. Tremblant. Though we left Kenauk’s Muskrat Chalet empty-handed, I feel completely fulfilled as a hunter and fortunate to have experienced such an amazing deer woods. Perhaps next year I will have the chance to harvest a mature whitetail but until then, I am left with the memories of another great season. Thanks to Bill Nowell for facilitating my annual trip to this little slice of heaven.

To experience a wilderness at its best and top notch accommodations, check out:  http://kenauk.com/ If you’re considering deer hunting in the province of Quebec, visit the Québec Outfitters Federation:  https://www.pourvoiries.com/en/hunting-quebec/species/white-tailed-deer/

Backyard deer feeding
Winter deer feeding can be a controversial issue in this part of the country, even though I continue to do it almost every year. When carried out properly, supplemental feeding not only serves as a great past-time, but can be of benefit to these animals once snow depth increases. Once you begin distributing feed in early winter; however, it is imperative to continue throughout the winter, as the animal’s digestive system will adapt to the supplemented diet. Game management agencies usually discourage backyard feeding, for the fact that most people are not familiar enough with white-tailed deer diet requirements. Another way to help is by increasing access to the deer’s natural winter forage by creating trails with a snowmobile or ATV or even snowshoes, to offer our deer friends improved access to winter browse.

Safety first
This time of year with some hunting still on the go, enthusiasts are reminded to be vigilant and take the necessary safety precautions. Remember that hunter orange of a minimum 400 square inches is required and, for Ontario residents, a hunter orange cap as well. Be sure to keep your firearms and ammunition locked away when not in use, and never shoot unless absolutely sure of your target and beyond. It is illegal to shoot from a vehicle or carry a loaded firearm in or on a vehicle, and remember that any hunter who harvests a deer must immediately attach the game seal. A safe hunt is a happy hunt and a careless accident can turn a wonderful day in the woods into tragedy.

Ice-fishing safety
With ice fishing season just around the corner, fishermen should consider registering their hut this winter. Not only is ice hut registration a requirement by law it goes a long way in preventing wayward huts later in the season.   Abandoned huts which end-up in waterways after the thaw will create havoc for boaters and early season fishermen. To register your hut in Pembroke District, please call the ministry office at: (613) 732-3661

Next time
Check out next month’s column for your Valley ice-fishing primer. Drop me a line anytime with your hunting and fishing news and let us know where you plan to fish this winter: [email protected]

Most memorable deer hunt contest!

Ol’ Toothless – 1996

When it comes to deer season, every hunter has their favourite story or most memorable hunt. It may not necessarily be the largest deer you ever harvested that stands out. Perhaps it was your first-ever hunting season or maybe that year it snowed 6″ on opening morning. Whatever the case, everyone has a least one particular hunt which reins supreme above all the rest.

Please comment and share a few details on YOUR most memorable deer hunt (year, general location, hunters involved etc) and you’ll automatically be entered to win a Tinks Scent Prize Package valued at $100!!

I look forward to reading your deer stories, in the meantime here is my most memorable hunt from 1996, the story of Ol’ Toothless.

 

Our hunt camp is nestled in the woods two hours north of Montreal in Argenteuil County, Quebec. It has been a hunting and fishing camp in my family for close to 50 years and the saying, “knowing the woods like the back of your hand” would be an apt expression for our hunting gang.

Even though it is situated on public land and host to many other southern Quebec deer hunters each fall, we are still quite successful in our deer hunting endeavors. Our strategy of finding “quiet corners” to pursue whitetails has really paid off for us, as we have been rewarded with some nice bucks over the years. It seems Quebec’s increase in deer herd since the early 1990s also have helped our success. Most mature bucks harvested, albeit very few, are usually found on private land with the private landowner getting first dibs. This is why the story of “Ol’ Toothless” is even more surprising.

Alarm number 1 shatters the silence at 5 a.m. on that fateful morning. Since I was assigned the job as catalyst for the gang, I dragged myself from my bunk and began preparing my “last breakfast” for the boys, while pondering our morning destination. It being my last morning to hunt for the 1996 season and last chance at a buck, I was eager to get to the bush.

I thought maybe starting with a small chase closer to camp would be wise. This drive formed a natural funnel between two lakes, flanked by a stream on the east side. We also have taken deer on this drive, but have not pushed it recently due to the amount of hunters frequenting the area.

As the drive began, I made my way along the creek bottom and back up on the ridge, slowly moving through the funnel. Approaching the middle with a lake on either side of me, shots started sounding off across the lake. Bang! Bang! Bang! They echoed off the lake. Then two more shots followed. Sounds like the old man’s .30-.06, I thought to myself. Something told me to run to the lake’s edge to cut off any escaping deer.

Making my way to the lakeshore I ran full out, clearing spruce and balsam branches from my face. That last shot seemed a lot closer for some reason, I thought, just as I broke into the open lake edge. Wondering if my father got one, I could not believe my eyes when I arrived!

At the lake shore I watched in disbelief as the largest racked deer I had ever seen was swimming across the end of the lake, at about 80 yards. Staring for a moment in disbelief, I saw a shot hit the water about 30 feet behind the deer. I thought I had better nail him or he will be up on the other side and gone in a second. A well-placed shot in the back of his neck and the big boy was down instantly.

I sprinted my way around the end of the lake and across an old beaver dam, like a mink jumping from log to log. The buck was lying in a few inches of water when I yanked him up on the bank, just as my father arrived. Neither of us could believe the size and beauty of this buck’s crown. He was a heavy 13-pointer with long tines and sweeping beams. As we hugged and shook hands all we could say was, “I can’t believe it!”

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The rest of the guys finally made their way to where we were with the buck. None of them could believe a deer this size existed up here. After we field dressed the deer, I examined him more closely. Having recently finished the Fish & Wildlife Biology program at SSFC, I was interested in determining the big fellow’s age. To my great surprise, I found that he had no front teeth whatsoever, and his molars and pre-molars were extremely worn. “An Ol’ Toothless One!” we thought and chuckled.

I estimated the old boy with his sunken face to be approx. 8.5 – 9.5 years old, based on dental condition. We measured the main beams at just fewer than 26 inches each, the outside spread of 23.5 inches and both G2s between 11-12 inches.

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I subsequently had the head caped out and mounted, but it was not until I scored it myself that I knew it could be a new provincial record for the Buckmasters Trophy Records. Under the BTR system, the inside spread measurement is not included as it is deemed to be a measure of air not antler. The Late Great Rick ‘Whitetail Guru’ Poulin of Barrhaven scored Ol’ Toothless officially at 141 4/8 inches BTR in the typical category and discovered that it was the new Typical Provincial Record whitetail for the Province of Quebec.

It was a day I wouldn’t soon forget and I was thankful to have shared it with my Dad.

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Domestic dogs hard on wintering deer

This ought to get a few people going….

My latest outdoors column in the fabulous Pembroke Daily Observer newspaper! A shout-out to my pals Anthony Dixon and Tina Peplinkie, who work tirelessly from dusk to dawn bringing the daily news to folks in the upper Ottawa Valley!

Check it out online:  http://www.thedailyobserver.ca/

 

Jeff Morrison, the Daily Observer's newest columnist, offers up his take on the great outdoors.
Jeff Morrison, the Daily Observer’s newest columnist, offers up his take on the great outdoors.

 

The winter months are already tough on white-tailed deer populations and domestic dogs on the loose will only exacerbate the situation.

A couple of January’s ago as I was leaving for work; a strange sound caught my attention coming from my back field. The howl of a barking animal broke the early morning silence and my first thought was coyotes; however; the distinctive domestic canine sound reverberated. One of my neighbour’s dogs had apparently gotten loose and was chasing deer through the fields! My heart sank as I knew the implications. The deer I was feeding at the time included an orphaned fawn and an older buck with a bad leg, which were not seen again for over a week. I never did find the dog, but evidently it had put the run on them good as the lame buck returned limping worse than ever. Less than three weeks later that old buck could walk no more and the Ottawa Police were called in to have it put down. The incident was a grim reminder of why we must control our pets, especially during wintertime as snow depth increases.

Negligent dog owners

Pet owners who allow their animals to run wild regardless of the breed are not only breaking the law, their actions can be devastating for deer at a fragile time of year. Conservation officers deal with belligerent pet owners every winter and, in case you didn’t know, are authorized to destroy any dogs observed chasing or injuring deer in areas where herds gather for the winter. Penalties for allowing your dog to be at large during the closed season for deer, range anywhere from $155 up to $25,000.

Testing testing

Looking back on some cold weather footwear I had the pleasure of field-testing recently, Kamik’s new Shield boots had me travelling in cold weather comfort. The famous Canadian boot manufacturer has succeeded in producing perhaps the warmest boots I have ever tried! Rated to -100 C, the Shields feature completely waterproof 900 Denier with a camo-clad nylon upper, and a completely seam-sealed construction. The removable 24mm Zylextreme liner and 4.5mm EVA insole kept my tootsies toasty on a backfield trail camera adventure during our recent cold snap. Theses boots have a moisture wicking lining, a convenient Lace Lock snow collar and feature Kamik’s patented waterproof and lightweight synthetic rubber shell. Strong like iron, yet light like helium, Kamik’s RubberHe, is the company’s own lightweight innovation. The material is a recyclable, PVC-free synthetic rubber which claims to be 50 per cent lighter than natural rubber and 30 per cent lighter than other synthetic rubbers. Kamik Sheilds would make for the perfect ice-fishing companion or the late season deer hunter. For more information on Kamik’s full line of hunting footwear: http://www.kamik.com/b2c_int_en/men-boots-hunting.html.

Wild game cookbook

With hunting season over for another year, what to do with that freezer full of fresh healthy game meat? In my latest book, The Canadian Wild Game Cookbook, I explore copious options even a culinary novice has to prepare game meats in tasty and nutritious ways. The use of game meat predates the arrival of European settlers to this country. Over millennia, aboriginal communities incorporated game meat as a way of life through various methods of harvest including hunting, gathering and trapping. Wild game and conservation are still crucial aspects of the Canadian economy within native and non-native communities alike. Game meat is typically low in fat and cholesterol, high in protein and is not loaded with growth hormones or any unwanted chemicals. In my 30 plus years as a passionate and responsible conservationist, I have learned first hand the benefits of game meat and share these fine attributes with you in my new book!

Pembroke fish stocking!

A special thanks to Darwin Rosien of the MNR’s Pembroke office for remembering to send me the annual Pembroke District Fish Stocking Program information. To see the distribution of Ottawa Valley lakes now teaming with spunky young brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout and splake, makes me even more anxious for spring! If you wish to be added to Darwin’s growing distribution list to see the lakes firsthand, drop him an email: [email protected].

Next time

See you right here next month and contact me anytime with your Valley hunting, fishing or conservation news or stories: [email protected].

 

The Farmers Buck by Barry Scollan

Below is the story and photos of one very successful local muzzle-loader hunt; courtesy of Richmond’s Barry Scollan. 
 
The Farmer’s Buck
by Barry Scollan

“On December 4th using my brother’s 50 cal. tradition muzzle-loader, I decided to hunt at my neighbour’s farm.  That morning as I was walking to my watch I noticed a large deer in a corn stubble field. The deer was a long distance from me eating corn.  It made its way to a cedar bluff and disappeared out of sight.  I ran down toward my watch hoping to cut the deer off if he decided to come out. 

Before I made it to my watch the buck crossed ahead of me and headed into a swampy area, cattails and long grass.  I figured he was gone… 

Just then I could see large antlers over the grass as the buck turned and came back out of the slash. When I could get a good shot, I shot.

After the black smoke cleared I could see the buck running toward the swamp and then he fell in the high grass and slash. 

I reloaded my gun and watched to see if he was getting up.  I radioed my hunting partner Rick Todd and he came over from his watch to help me field dress the buck and bring him out. 

I have been successful hunting with the rifle and shotgun, but this was my first deer with the black powder. 

It was a hunting moment I will never forget.”

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Thanks to Barry Scollan for sharing with us the story and photos of his magnificent buck.

Outdoorsguy