trout – The Outdoors Guy

April 27, 2018

Springtime trout or turkey – what’s your pleasure?

(Steve Enright of Orleans with a great looking brook trout)

For thousands of wild gobbler enthusiasts, this Wednesday (April 25) was like Christmas morning, but with long beards and spurs under the tree.

Thanks to reintroduction programs more than three decades ago, turkey populations across the province are now burgeoning. As we have witnessed in recent years, there are more gobbler sightings than ever up the Valley and around Eastern Ontario, and the spring hunt is improving each year. The glorious gobbler has evolved into one of the most prolific (and tasty) game species around, so you had better get used to them.

Play by the rules

Hunters are reminded that it is illegal to pursuing turkeys within 400 meters of any place where bait has been deposited unless the spot 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.

Good luck to all the gobbler gurus and please drop me a line with news from your area!

Bragging board

Whether spending time in the woods or on the water, with family and friends, hunting and fishing adventures are among our most cherished memories. Every sporting enthusiast has one thing in common, the excitement of sharing photographs – be they traditional ‘grip and grin’ images of a big fish or a prized game animal, or more obscured pics from the great outdoors. One time I captured a photo of a mink as it ran across my hunting boot. I am looking for some of the best and most original photos taken during hunting or fishing trip for an upcoming Sportsmen Bragging Board to appear right here in the Pembroke Daily Observer next month! If you have images you would like to share with thousands of like-minded individuals, send them to me by email to [email protected] along with a caption.

Scribe heading for trout

It’s hard to believe that in less than a month I will be heading through the Upper Valley on my annual trout adventure with my dad and brothers-in-law, our minds filled with visions of the north woods and giant specs! First stop will be Chalk River for refueling, then in Mattawa at Myrt’s famous restaurant for one damn fine breakfast. Then as we meander north along the old ‘river road’ towards Temiscaming, Que., the City of Ottawa will (hopefully) be a distant memory. It doesn’t matter how far you travel each spring to enjoy Mother Nature’s springtime spectacle, just as long as you do it. Portaging the old Sportspal canoe and scouting the trails are all part of the experience. For all the avid trout anglers out there, here’s to tight lines, bent rods and monster brookies as far as the eye can see. See you soon, Lac Perdu!

Being bear safe

When traveling in bear country this spring, be sure to keep your wits about you. When portaging during the early season I always carry a can of bear spray and, although I’ve never used it, it is always at the ready! Statistics show there are a dozen or so bear attack attacks in North America each year, some of which don’t end well. Bear spray can be purchased at local hunting and fishing stores and, keep in mind, that there may be some paperwork to fill out. Bear spray will provide a bit of extra insurance when traveling in bear country this spring. We carry a can every year just in case.

Happy travels and be safe out there!

May 25, 2012September 5, 2017

2012 Ford F-150 the Country Boy Cadillac

truckpic1

Fresh air, clean water and nature’s wondrous bounty all at your doorstep. Yes, growing up in the country certainly has its benefits and I’m proud to say I have been apart of that lifestyle.

Every country boy (& girl) I know either currently owns a truck or has owned one at one time. Quite a few city folks own trucks as well. I have owned two in my life and both of them were Fords. Of course that was many moons ago, and the vehicle I often refer to as a Country boy Cadillac has come a long way since those days.

I consider myself fortunate to be a country boy; fortunate to have an upbringing which brought me deep into God’s country, and back, on more outdoor adventures than you can shake a stick at. One of those special trips is my annual trout fishing trip into Northwestern Quebec in search of nature’s most perfect fish. It is 23rd anniversary of this trip with my father and brother-in-laws.

To gain proper access to nature’s perfect fish ( in case you didn’t know) requires not only good knowledge and equipment, but and a good solid truck as well. This year I was fortunate beyond belief when my old pal Kristine Simpson of Thornley Fallis asked if I would like to try out the new Ford F-150 with the EcoBoost engine?

“Ummmmm, I dunno Kristine. lemme think about it” I said with a smirk.

“OK, I’m in!”

Before I even had the bug spray or fishing stuff packed for my trip, I was Googling the new F-150. Man, there is a pile of info available on this bad boy!

The new Ford F-150, as I discovered, is not unlike the F-150 of days-gone-by except for one big difference – the new EcoBoost engine!!

What is the EcoBoost engine? Well, it is something best enjoyed while pointed northward out-of-town, and driven as fast as humanly(& legally) possible.

The EcoBoost has a feeling not unlike other power plants, that is until you step on the gas, and if you open the window while driving on a bush road, my brother-in-law and I agree, the EcoBoost actually has a similar hum to a jet plane taking off. You can hear and feel the old school ‘spooling’ of the turbo engine; as it quickly and efficiently builds power.

All that to say, the trip was off on the right foot once the truck was packed and loaded on our 5-day trip into God’s country. Yes, the interior layout and comfort was something to behold. Bright and roomy and I almost felt a bit guilty for getting it dirty.

The F-150 FX4 model boasts a lot of great amenities including full leather, Sync command system, Sirius satellite radio, generous drink holders and fully adjustable electric seat controls with lumbar support. (Man, my back loved that)

When it comes to seating and storage space, the new F-150 FX4 comes with comfortable folding rear seats which tuck neatly away against the back wall. Since we usually travel two men per vehicle, this feature is great for allowing extra camping and fishing gear to be stored inside during the trip. (And trust me; I had stuff piled to roof.)

Another feature of the FX4 I really enjoyed was the pop-out step sides, which allowed for great access into the truck box from the sides. When loading and unloading the vehicle, having a leg-up from the side is a real bonus!

Once we arrived at our lakeside paradise in Northwestern Quebec, the F-150 seemed to fit right into the surroundings with its rugged outdoor appeal. Hey, there’s nothing wrong with a bit of style and class when you’re roughing it in the wilderness. That’s what I kept telling the boys anyway.

The tailgate also made a super place to ‘cop of squat’ after a long day on the water, room enough for three tired (but happy) campers.

For those who are into statistics, the new Ford has plenty of impressive ones. The direct-injection twin-turbo 6-cylinder has a tow and payload rating (5,125 kg/11,300 lb and 1,388 kg/3060 lb respectively. As far as gas mileage goes throughout the trip, the truck saw as high as 18 L/100 KM in fuel consumption, but averaged somewhere around 16 L/100 KM, I would say.

All in all, the new Ford f-150 FX turned out to be a worthy fishing companion and a head-turner as well. The truck performed flawlessly, got great gas mileage and held up like a charm to the punishment of 4 hours on some of the toughest roads in Quebec. (& without shaking your kidneys too much)

The 2012 F-150 EcoBoost was a huge part of this year’s fishing trip and from I’ve seen, would be perfectly suited for any hunting or fishing trip you can think of. (And I can think of a lot)

The Outdoors Guy

March 19, 2012

Trout or turkey its up to you

Although things are much earlier this year than with previous springs, as soon as the warm weather hits sportsmen (& women) generally fall into two categories.

1) Trout

2) Or turkey

Which one is it for you?

Send me your spring plans and I may feature you in next Thursday’s Outdoors Column. There’s no money involved, though, in case you’re wondering…

Outdoorsguy

(For those who are angry I didn’t mention walleye, bass, shed antler hunting, QC bear hunting, bullheads or spring muskrats..I do apologize)

April 8, 2011

Some springtime rantings

Since my posts have been few and far between these days, I thought I would spend a bit of time and put together a few thoughts of potential interest…

It is spring, I can tell now and it’s not just because of the weather. Yesterday morning, I heard was must surely have been the horniest Tom turkey ever. He was gobbling up a storm and strutting around the field like nobody’s business. Man, I pity the hens!

Now that I’m the proud holder of an official Ontario small-game license, I’ve been busy reading and studying what’s in season and what is not. One thing I couldn’t believe was that raccoon season is closed all summer? Also, did you know it was illegal to shoot a red squirrel with a small-game license? They are considered fur-bearers and are only to be trapped. I did not know that!

Another thing of interest is the latest issue of Bounder magazine – get yours fresh of the press!! The Spring issue of Bounder focuses on ‘Wheels’..be it two-wheeled vehicles or 4-wheeled.

Plus, there’s the usual articles of interest to most men (& women too) One-Minute Moore, Music, good food, Red Green, Papousak, Delmer & Cecil and of course my favourite the Outdoors Guy.

With spring trout season just about here, I’ve had my eye on the ice-out conditions in our region and things seem to be on track. One thing I also noticed at Petrie Island (and it bothered me), was that some nut had left their ice-fishing hut to flounder out on the ice.

I’m not sure how closely the MNR follows these things with the March 15 hut removal date seemingly important, from both a safety and environmental standpoint. I suppose that bay of the river will have some new ‘habitat’ this summer; once the hut breaks up and drops to the bottom!

I must say, I’m pleased these days to have two of my old whitetail friends stop by each evening for a nibble of food (and I don’t care who knows it) One is a brazen 3 year buck we call Garfield, and the other is a two year old we call Rainbow..ok, I know, but my daughter’s named them and I think its cute.

Anyone headed out after gobblers this spring; I invite you to drop me a line with your plans for the hunt. I’ll also have a bragging board set up for those successful hunters later on, so hold onto those photos.

Have a good one, and prey for a better ‘Round Two’ of the maple syrup season. Its the one time of year when Mother Nature really is in charge..and she can be a real ‘biatch’ sometimes!

Outdoorsguy