theoutdoorsguy

July 18, 2012

Arizona bear attacks sign of things to come?

Every summer when the warm weather arrives, folks head-out into the wilderness to enjoy some peace and solitude. Often times this means inadvertently travelling into bear country.

The state of Arizona, it seems, has been a ‘hotbed’ of activity this summer with regards to the weather and bear attacks. In less than 1 month there were three separate bear attacks; one which left a man in critical condition.

The 30-year old was airlifted to a Scottsdale hospital after a bear crumpled his forehead and left large lacerations on the man’s legs and arm, officials said.

Given the fact that Arizona has recorded only 10 bear attacks in the last 20 years, these three attacks this summer are certainly out of the ordinary.

Officials believe the increase is attacks is primarily based on drought conditions which have forced the bears into areas with humans because their natural food sources are no longer available.

Sound familiar??

Can we expect the same here in our neck of the woods with our drought conditions?

Let’s just say, I would keep my wits about me when travelling into bear country this summer.

Outdoorsguy

Bear Warning Sign:

July 10, 2012September 5, 2017

Free-ranging genotype cougar of unknown origin killed in Muskoka

Well, it finally happened….a free-ranging North American genotype cougar originating from an unknown combination of released, escaped, native, or dispersed animal, has been shot and killed by Ontario.

What??

This is the description of ‘cougar’ taken from a recent edition of the Canadian Field Naturalist journal – referring to evidence found throughout the province regarding the existence of cougars in Ontario – and not the actual description of the cougar killed on the weekend.

So, what was this animal killed then?

A bona fide cougar has been found and put down in Ontario, following reports of a family dog being attacked by a very large cat – the cougar was tracked down and killed near the Muskoka town of Utterson(Not far from Bracebridge in Central ON)

This cougar is hard evidence of the animal’s existence and the first to surface in the province since 1884, which is hard to fathom given the number of cougar sightings in central and eastern Ontario over the last 20 years.

But was this animal an actual eastern cougar once believed to be extinct, or at least extirpated, in this part of the country? The jury is still out on that one.

Anyone else notice the irony in the fact that we had been discussing cougars heavily on the Outdoors Guy Blog, in the two weeks leading up to this event in Muskoka? It’s almost like we had some sort of premonition… spooky!!

Outdoorsguy

Map of Ontario Cougar sightings (Courtesy of the Ontario Puma Foundation)

June 29, 2012

Swim from Cuba to Florida with no shark cage

Is Penny Palfrey nuts? You be the judge!

The 49-year-old marathon swimmer is at attempting an unassisted open water swim from Cuba to Florida. It may well prove to be ‘assisted suicide’ and you’ll see why…

Last week, World record-holder Palfrey swam 67 miles, over open water, between two of the Cayman Islands. The swim set a new world record for a solo ocean swim.

Sounds pretty impressive, eh?

The problem was that particular swim was the crew who followed her were forced to kill three sharks along the way, which posed a threat to Palfrey. Two of the sharks were of Oceanic whitetip variety – which are included as vulnerable species on the ICUN worldwide list of critically endangered animals.

Obviously not great for publicity.

Now in her latest record-setting swim attempt, the British- Australian mother of three will swim, unassisted, from Havana, Cuba across 100-mile Florida straight to Florida.

It would seem that ‘unassisted’ implies that her crew will NOT be dispatching any rogue sharks this time, and Palfrey is going with the Grace of God, but that remains to be seen. Although a Cuba-Florida swim has been successfully attempted in past, protective shark cages were usually involved. (I’m sure a few people, over the years, fleeing Cuba’s communist rule have also made the swim.)

So, is Penny Palfrey really nuts? Let’s just say, I wouldn’t do it!

I wish Ms. Pelfrey the best of luck as she sets-off on her voyage this morning. I think she may need all the luck she can get!

Outdoorsguy

June 22, 2012

Early Summer a time of rebirth in the Great Outdoors

It sure is nice to see the Great Outdoors in a cycle of rebirth, and there is no better time to witness this transformation than during early summer.

Spring is often referred to as the time of rebirth and rejuvenation in the animal world, but this isn’t entirely true. The actual fruits of labour tend to come to fruition during late June – the early summer period.

The Wild Turkey, for example, is one of those creatures with a birthing period which falls around this time of year. Sure, the breading is carried during the spring, but following a 28-days gestation period the poults are born (all within 24 hours) and join the hen on a great new adventure.

This year, I was very fortunate to capture some images of new-born poults on my property no more than a couple of days following birth.

In this trail-cam image the newborn poults are barely recognizable scattered around the ground below her feet. If you zoom-in, you get a better appreciation of their size and appearance.

I find the newborn poults look like small woodcocks, actually, with a dull light brown-grey mottled appearance.

Wild turkeys are not the only animals having babies at this time of year. Although I am not a huge fan of raccoons, I did capture these night-time trailcam images of mom coon and her two young ones.

The below images of a doe and fawn in my back field were taken about 4 years ago, and remain some of the nicest wildlife pics I have taken personally. Unless you’re a full-time wildlife photog who spends days on end in the field, capturing images of a nursing fawn is a rarity indeed.

Although I have not captured any images this spring/summer of does’ and newborn fawns, I have seen a couple. One on my way to Cornwall a couple of weeks back, and the other morning I spotted a doe feeding on a nearby property, and as I watched her through the binoculars; her posture and mannerisms seem to indicate she may have a fawn hidden nearby( I will be watching her more closely over the next few days)

Without going into another long drawn sermon on the merits of trail cameras, I honestly don’t think I could live without them! Keep an eye on the Outdoors Guy Blog as the summer progresses; I will be testing out some new Bushnell Trail cameras. One revolutionary new model has all the features of the top surveillance cams, but retails for just over $100 from what I understand.

Thanks for stopping-by and have fun in the Great Outdoors this summer!

Oh yeah, and please feel free to send-in your early summer wildlife photos!

Outdoorsguy

Here’s one of Rick’s pics of a nice Tom turkey strutting his stuff for a nearby hen:

Here’s another one of Rick’s recent pics of some nice ‘twin bucks’. (This image is an exlusive for the Outdoors Guy Blog)

Here’s the photo(& story) of Bobcat Rick saw in NB back in 2008:

Jeff this is the only Bobcat I have been lucky enough to get on film. The picture was taken on July 27 2008 in New Brunswick. I have never seen a Lynx.

Here’s an incredible Lynx image( & caption) sent in by GPG….man, some guys have all the luck!! (Is it me or does that photo look like a classic painting??)

“Here’s a picture of the Lynx which was watching us from shore. We were on our way back from the evening hunt so it was taken at dusk. ”

Here’s another Bobcat pic sent in by Rick. This one was taken in Kemptville-area December, 2009. If I hadn’t known it was a Bobcat, I’d have said it was a Lynx…goes to show how similar they are.

June 20, 2012

Summer starts with bass and muskie nearing full swing

Fishing in Zone 18 is poised for take-off this weekend!!

The coveted muskie fishing season in Eastern Ontario got under way a couple of weeks back, and the popular bass season kicks-off this weekend.

Bass and muskie are traditionally the final two species to open each summer; however, account for probably half of the anglers in this part of Canada.

If you’ve ever hooked into a ‘lunge’ it is an experience you won’t soon forget! Back in the day, I was about as avid a muskie hunter as one could possibly be. I remember that first summer of chasing lunge..back in about 1993. I hooked into a muskie by accident and I was hooked instantly. That fish, on the other hand, did not remain hooked as many lunge tend not to do. I needed to upgrade my equipment from medium-action bass/walleye spinning gear to full-fledged heavy muskie tackle. (& trust me, it isn’t cheap!)

That first summer I started off slowly; acquiring a bit of tackle at a time and it took almost the entire summer before I had any muskie casting or trolling gear, and an actual fish in the boot. I must have missed a dozen before I nabbed my first one – a nice 42″, 17.5 pound specimen.

It was my first bonafide lunge and the only one in my life I’ve ever kept. (Not that I would ever consider or suggest it today, but lemme tell you, it was friggin tasty. Served it to boys at moose camp that year)

My love summer affair with the ‘fish of 10,000 casts’ went on for the next 10 years, or so, unabated. My buddies and I fished many of the beautiful muskie lakes in the Laurentians(Lac Tremblant for example) and including the Ottawa River on occasion. (The 39.5 pound behemoth in photo above was taken in the Ottawa near Hawkesbury, back in about 1998)

Regardless whether you are bitten by the summer muskie bug like I was, or just love to chase old bucket mouth. The start of summer and this weekend’s opening to bass season brings back many fond memories.

What summer memories do you have pursuing your favourite game fish?

Outdoorsguy

Here’s a link to the MNR Regs for Zone 18, if anyone is interested:

http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/stdprodconsume/groups/lr/@mnr/@letsfish/documents/document/mnr_e001337.pdf

June 19, 2012

Quebec women in Thailand poisoned by Fugu?

Officials now believe the sisters from Pohénégamook, Quebec, who were vacationing in Thailand, may have died from Fugu poisoning.

A Thai Doctor who examined the girls says their death shows signs of severe poisoning; consistent with eating a (potentially) deadly Puffer fish meal.

What is Fugu?

My condolences to the entire Belanger family and friends of Noemi and Audrey.

Here’s an excerpt on Fugu, taken from the book: Weird Facts about Fishing:

Fish Food with a Kick!
“Another weird fact about fish and fishing in
society today is some of the strange fish dishes
used as table fare across North America. One
such odd fish meal is fugu, a fish eaten as a delicacy
in Japan and other parts of Asia. The fugu is
a blowfish with extremely deadly poison within
its organs, yet many around the world eat it as an
expensive meal. In Japan, there is an expression
that goes “I want to eat fugu but I don’t want to
die.” This expression has come about as the result
of some instantaneous deaths from meal-goers
who have eaten improperly prepared fugu.
In Japan, only very skilled and licensed chefs are
even allowed to prepare fugu for their clients as
there are strict regulations now in place on the
use of this deadly blowfish as table fare.
Not only is this dangerous fish meal high profile
because of its deadly after effects, the cost per
serving is outrageously high. It may cost as much
as $200 or more per person and sometimes more,
depending on the chef.

According to people in the blowfish community,

the most poisonous fugu of all, known as torafugu,

is also the most delicious and the most expensive of

the fugu dishes. This deadly dish, as I discovered, is

actually now sold online and in some grocery stores
in Japan. Winter is evidently the best season to
eat this fish as there seems to be less risk of dying
at this time.“

June 14, 2012

Dreaded Northern Snakehead found in BC

The northern snakehead discovered recently in a Burnaby, British Columbia pond is being analysed by Biologists. By all accounts it is the first time this invasive species has been found in Canadian waters.

Researchers are hoping to determine that the fish was an accidental release from someone’s exotic fish tank, although I don’t know why anyone would have a Northern snakehead as a pet.

In case you’re not familiar with these nasty critters, here’s an excerpt taken from my book Weird Facts about Fishing:

The northern snakehead is another odd fish
that is native to the Yangtze River in China
where they survive in large numbers. However,
as with many other accidental introductions into
North American waters, they can also be a scary
sight and create substantial damage. The northern
snakehead story in the United States dates back to
the turn of the new millennium where a restaurant
owner from New York City reportedly ordered
some snakeheads to make soup for his restaurant.
Well, that’s when all the trouble started. The
northern snakehead, you see, is a very peculiar
fish in not only its looks but in its ability to breathe
air. These critters can live for several days out of
water and in China are often packaged and
shipped live as they will remain fresh for longer
providing a fresher meal.

It is believed that the New York restaurant
owner received his snakeheads for soup but
found them too cute to eat, so later decided to put
them in his aquarium instead. As the story goes,
his two snakeheads quickly consumed all the
‘feeder fish’ the restaurant owner offered them
and in no time became too large for the aquarium.
It is believed the man then released them into
a pond behind the house where these nativeChinese
fish had their run of all the local pan
fish in the lake, which they made short work of
devouring. As time went on, the snakeheads
reproduced and eventually found their way into
other nearby water systems. They have reportedly
even been caught by anglers in Maryland
and turned into the Department of Natural
Resources for examination.

Because of their ability to breathe air and the fact
that they are extremely resilient, with such a veracious
appetite, the northern snakehead is a real
concern to local waters. Some people call them
the “Jaws” of the new millennium. They are
yet another example of an exotic fish species
accidentally released into non-native waters.
Within a year, it was discovered that the snakeheads
had been found in six other U.S. states.

In 2008 President George W. Bush announced
trade and import bans on 28 snakehead species,
in an attempt to prevent any further spreading. The
northern snakehead is another weird and wonderful
fact in the world of fishing today, though
probably weirder than they are wonderful.

June 11, 2012

Bear found tangled to Hydro Pole

Hear about the bear found tangled to a Hydro Pole in Northern Ontario?

Here’s the story from the Toronto SUN:

http://www.torontosun.com/2012/06/11/baby-bear-found-strapped-to-pole-in-northern-ont

Outdoorsguy

June 2, 2012

Convicted killer eaten by bear in BC

According to officials in British Columbia, convicted killer Rory Nelson Wager was pulled from the open window of his car and eaten by a black bear. Investigators believe Nelson may have been dead already.

Here’s the story from the Calgary SUN:

CALGARY – The corpse of a man eaten by a B.C. bear was that of a convicted killer, officials have confirmed.

The B.C. Coroners Service identified the man as 53-year-old Rory Nelson Wagner of Kamloops, B.C., whose dismembered and partially consumed remains were found Wednesday on a remote logging road between Merritt and Kamloops.

The National Parole Board confirmed he had fled a halfway house in Kamloops.

He was convicted of second-degree murder and began his sentence on May 31, 1996, according to Correctional Services of Canada. He had recently been granted day parole.

Wagner pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, along with two other men, for the 1993 killing of Langley, B.C., resident Andy Kohlman, after Kohlman had been cleared of sexual assault allegations involving a relative of Wagner’s, according to media reports.

Wagner had been missing since May 23.

“They let people know when they’re expected to return, if they’re going to be late they’re expected to phone and of course he didn’t return,” said Patrick Storey of the NPB Pacific office.

“They were aware that he was missing, however they weren’t aware until recently that he was deceased.”

Hunters spotted his vehicle on a remote logging road and called Mounties, who discovered Wagner’s body hidden beneath some brush.

Officials believe he was already dead when a black bear dragged him out of an open car window to feed on him.

The fact the adult black bear approached the vehicle, then dragged Wagner out to eat is a serious concern for the B.C. environment minister and conservation officers, who are hunting the bruin.

“The concern is once it has lost its fear of humans, then others it comes into contact with would be at risk and this is an area well-used for hiking and fishing and there’s ranching up there as well,” said Minister Terry Lake.

Traps are set and conservation officers are on the hunt.

Acting Insp. Darcy MacPhee, of the Thompson Cariboo Region’s conservation officers, said the bear is likely to return, but might have moved on for now.

While the Coroners Service is confident Wagner was already dead when the bear found him, it’s still unclear what did kill him.

“We should be able to rule a few things out very shortly after the preliminary autopsy … if there was any trauma or any natural disease that caused death,” said Mark Coleman, regional coroner for the interior region.

“If those are ruled out we’d be waiting mainly on toxicology.”

[email protected]

May 28, 2012

Bass season around the corner

For avid Bass enthusiasts, that forth Saturday in June can’t come fast enough!

Hey, and if you don’t think there’s anything special about Micropterus – be they salmoides or dolomieu – just ask one of the local bass fishing organizations.

Ottawa is slowly becoming a largemouth & smallmouth fishing Mecca, thanks to groups like Renegade Bass, Bass Anglers of Ottawa and Petawawa Bassmasters.

Speaking of bass fishing, where is your favourite bass water? Without giving away all your tricks, I invite all the bass nuts out there to tell us where you like to catch old bucket mouth!

As a converted bass guy myself (the 7-pound behemoth I landed two years ago helped) I am slowly being ‘lured’ away from trout and muskie, and towards the elusive bass.

Drop me a line with your bass plans or send me a tip, I’m not picky.

Outdoorsguy