(One of the giant cold water trout we caught last weekend, with surface temp ranging from 53 – 55 degrees F)
(My brother-in-law Steve with a great looking male brookie pulled from ‘Lac Perdu’)
(Another colourful brook trout)
(Bruce with his personal best…this one was 22″)
(Our friend ‘Shirley Partridge’ having a dirt nap beside the tent)
(Tent set-up at night)
(Awesome sunset at our campsite..so long for another year!)
In today’s Ottawa SUN, Antonello Artuso reports on Invasive Species entering the province at an alarming rate:
“The province has more invasive plants and fish than the rest of the country and the government may need special powers to go onto private property to deal with the problem, says the Ontario Invasive Species Strategic Plan, posted this week on the province’s environmental registry for public comment.”
This week, the Ontario Invasive Species Strategic Plan was unveiled on the province’s environmental registry for public comment.
I wonder at this rate how long before the Asian Carp enters our waters and completely wipes out everything in its path?
Outdoorsguy
Here is Antonello’s article, if you haven’t read it:
(Jefferson Salamander photographed at my property in East Ottawa)
Ok, this cute little guy may not seem that impressive, but I assure you it is one rare find indeed!
According to the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM):
The Jefferson Salamander requires intact deciduous forest with undisturbed forest floor and unpolluted breeding ponds. It is likely that habitat loss and degradation, caused by urban development and agriculture, are responsible for the declines in this species in southern Ontario. Today, the Ontario populations are small, isolated pockets each numbering a few hundred individuals. Small populations are always susceptible to local extinction due to chance events such as floods, fire or other catastrophes.
Range: The Jefferson Salamander lives in deciduous forests. Its range extends from New England south to Maryland, and west to Illinois. In Canada, it occurs only in Ontario, where it has been reported from about 30 sites. (In Southwestern Ontario)
This rare specimen is, in fact, the second Jefferson Salamander we have spotted around our property. We actually found another one outside our garage last fall as it was preparing for hibernation. The one I discovered today, whom I’ve decided to call ‘Jeff’ for obvious reasons, was evidently keeping himself warm around the outside of our septic tank.
These special creatures are protected under the Endangered Species Act:
Protection for Jefferson Salamanders is provided by Ontario’s Endangered Species Act, 2007 prohibits actions such as killing, capturing, possessing, selling or trading of the species. The Natural Heritage component of the Provincial Policy Statement under Ontario’s Planning Act provides for the protection of significant habitat of endangered species. Most populations in Ontario are on private land and are close to urban areas. Populations in Conservation Areas and Provincial Parks receive protection.
Don’t ask me what this endangered species is doing here in the Ottawa-area (several hundred miles from SW Ontario), but I feel fortunate they’ve chosen my property to hang out in.
Outdoorsguy
P.S. For those who are wondering, the Great Outdoors is not always about hunting & fishing.
(Roger’s great looking Tom – 20 lbs, 9.75″ beard and 1″ spurs)
With the Province of Ontario’s Wild Turkey Season now in full swing, I invite all you dedicated Gobbler Guru’s out there to share your hunting stories with us.
Be they tales of victory, or be they of defeat I’m not picky, I’ll take either one!
Outdoorsguy
Roger’s First Gobbler:
Arrived in the field at around 5h30am (little late) but most of the turkeys were still roosting. I set up in a small 1 acre kidney shaped field. Not even time to sit down and the Toms were Gobbling and dropping from the trees, so I began clucking. Call back and forth for about an hour. No sightings yet. All of sudden a Hen appears out of nowhere about 8 yds to my right. (not supposed to come out there). She walks by and goes to have a closer look to my decoy clucks a few times and she’s on her way. 10mins later I hear one loud Gobble about 70yds away I look and I swear its a turkey the size of a moose coming in the field Strutting like he owns the place . He’s so puffed up that his head seems inside his body. He’s coming my way strutting… chirp, chirp gobble gobble….. for the next 15mins. He walks 10 ft my way 5 ft back and so on…. finally I think he’s in range ( little far but he’s nervous I’m nervous and I don’t want to loose my chance for the perfect 15 yds shot. So I let one rip BANG!! He’s down flopping around… so like the shows I run to it, The MOFO gets up flies 10yds and starts running…… Oh no you don’t, I tell my self, BANG BANG…. still going nuts out of shells… Grab my last 2 from my back pack….Where did he go???? Start walking the river bank full of dried up Raspberries…. I hear something little far I get closer he jumps he and he tries to run off… NOT THIS TIME…. BANG BANG the king is down. One tuff guy. count out my steps 46 yds little further then expected… well he’s dead and in the freezer now After all that shooting no pellets in the breast neck and back is full.
Jaye Newton’s First Gobbler:
I took monday off, and it was worth it. I got my first turkey. Man, what a rush! It not a big tom, but will be tasty on the table. I think I am one of those PETA people that was mentioned before.
By the time it came to the decoys, I was shaking so bad like a dog passing a peach pit. I hope everyone else made out good on opening day, looks like the weather is going to be crap the rest of the week.
Cheers, Jaye
I cannot believe it took me a full year to hear about this one; yet one more lowbrow attempt by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to drum-up exposure and support.
But this time they have lowered the bar even further, in my opinion.
This letter was sent by PETA’s Dan Mathews in April, 2010, to Chris Henderson- chairperson for Ottawa’s Kitchissippi United Church (Formerly Westboro United Church) Congregational Council:
April 15, 2010
Chris Henderson
Chair
Kitchissippi United Church Congregational Council
Dear Mr. Henderson,
In light of the recent news that the Westboro United Church has been put up for sale, PETA would like to offer to pay to hang a banner that reads, “God Loves All Creatures. Stop the Seal Slaughter,” on the side of your church until it’s sold.
Global leaders as diverse as Barack Obama, Vladimir Putin, and His Holiness The Dalai Lama have taken a stand against the slaughter, and the European Union recently voted to ban seal fur. We’d like to boost our campaign in Ottawa and send the message to the Canadian government that it’s time to put a stop to this disgraceful massacre once and for all.
Please contact me at your earliest convenience to discuss rates. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Dan Mathews
PETA Senior Vice President
Well, I suppose I should not be surprised by the underhanded tactics employed by this so-called ‘non-profit’ organization, yet I always felt in the pit of my stomach that some things would remain sacred – even for them. I (wrongly) gave them that benefit of the doubt.
Evidently nothing is sacred when it comes to PETA – not even a house of God in midst of financial difficulty. The Westboro Church has since amalgamated with two other parishes to form the Kitchissippi United Church (which incidentally has a fabulous rummage sale each year)
NO, I really shouldn’t be too surprised by PETA’s antics, as now I realize there is no level to which they will not stoop in proselytising their ‘good word’ on animal rights.
Here is PETA’s own press-release regarding their proposal to Ottawa’s former Westboro church, a place of worship right here in our city. I just love the part where these clowns refer to their propaganda ad as a “Win -Win”.
The whole idea of what they did makes me nauseous.
Ottawa — This morning, PETA sent a letter to Chris Henderson, chair of the Kitchissippi United Church Congregational Council, offering to buy space on the Westboro United Church to display a banner that reads, “God Loves All Creatures. Stop the Seal Slaughter.” The council owns the Westboro United building, which has fallen into disrepair and is for sale. Every year, tens of thousands of baby seals have their heads bashed in or are shot during the commercial seal slaughter, which is an off-season profit venture for the fishing industry.
“Our proposal is a win-win solution: It will raise awareness about Canada‘s shameful seal massacre and provide the church with much-needed funds at the same time,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “What better use for a proud old church than to have it serve as a beacon for showing compassion for others?”
Yup, just when you thought groups like this have achieved an the all-time low, they outdo themselves.
Well done Dan Mathews and PETA, you must be very proud.
Outdoorsguy
This series of photographs (with captions) is one of the most impressive I’ve ever seen!
As the story goes, the photos were taken at a cattle ranch in Kettle Valley, British Columbia, and show what happened when a rogue black bear took on a team of Simmental beef cattle:
Interesting photos from a ranch where every year they have to deal with some pretty weird stuff. This year, a bear had been bothering the herd and I guess enough was enough.
A couple of evenings ago, the farmer went out to check the cows and saw a very strange sight and was able to photograph the event. A black bear approached our cow herd which turned out to be a very big mistake on his part.
The blonde and white Simmental cow we know as I-12 went right for him. She is a very good cow, a very attentive mother and about 12 years old. She’s in her prime and knows that bears are bad news.
She tried her best to mash him into the ground.
There are a couple of photos where the bear is biting I-12’s leg and clawing her face but she is not giving up. Her stiff tail shows how agitated she is. Wayne said all the cows were bawling, the bear was squealing, the calves were running around with their tails in the air.
A younger cow, R-55, an Angus-Cross cow, age 7, is helping her out as best she can. It is an incredible photo to see two cows at once trying to crush the bear.
I looked up the calving records of both cows who are so aggressive in these photos and they are both good, calm cows around us and have given us no troubles whatsoever. I’ll have to add in my notes that they have a very distinct dislike of bears.
We’ll be watching I-12 over the next few days to see if she needs treatment for infection. I don’t know how willingly she’ll come to the corrals for treatment, but she might not have a choice.
Finally, the bear decided to vacate the area. We thought he’d be dead for sure, but there was no sign of him the next day.
We’ll have to keep an eye out for eagles in the trees or flocks of ravens flying up. We’re sure he’s got some broken ribs out of the deal at the very least.
Wayne couldn’t believe his eyes when he witnessed this ruckus. This is another once-in-a-lifetime photography event to add to all the others he managed to document this summer. It is amazing.
I’d like to thank Serge for sharing this incredible story with us…just goes to show what you can accomplish when you work together as a team!
Outdoorsguy
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
(Keebler (AKA Brian Houle) poses with his People’s Choice Business Award.)
The Outdoors Guy’s very own Keebler – active hunter and conservationist – has just won a business award you might call a ‘Win for the Good Guys’!
Keebler’s business Memories2dvd took the title of Small Business of the Year for Goulbourn, at the Kanata Chamber of Commerce People’s Choice Business Awards.
I can personally vouch for Brian’s work, as he done some excellent 8 mm transfers for me in the past. My Avatar, in fact, is a ‘screen shot’ taken from an old fishing video in Northern QC. With the use of some super high-tech equipment and a bit of magic, Keebler somehow transferred my father’s old dusty Super 8 mm reels onto modern DVD.
As he mentioned in his acceptance speech:
“We all work hard and play hard so I believe it’s important to take that step back and remember the cherished moments.”
Here is a short video of Keebler’s acceptance speech (Is it just me, or does Keebler look a bit like a smaller Mike Fisher?):
http://gallery.me.com/memories2dvd/100144/2011-02-24_2
He is currently working on a new website with new services and streamlined pricing.
For more information: www.memories2dvd.ca
Congratulations again to our friend Keebler…another win for the Good Guys!
(OK, now he can take the suit off and put the camouflage back on)
Outdoorsguy
(Thanks to Mrs Outdoors Guy for snapping this great photo!)
This morning, a fine-looking wild turkey hen strolled through my backyard in all her feathered glory.
Ahh, God love her, I’ll take it as a sign!
Ok, let’s recap: The Sportsman Show has already come and gone, the sap has started to flow, all the snow is gone from the roof of my house and now a wild turkey hen appears in my back yard….hmmm
Is it just me, or has spring really arrived?
You gotta love this time of year. Next all the snow will melt away, winter tires will come off, ice will soften and break-up on the river and lakes, the trilliums and wild garlic will begin sprouting through the forest floor..
Followed closely by trout and turkey season, one mustn’t forget that..
Next to Fall, Spring has got to be the best season..and hey, it took just one lowly hen turkey to remind me of that.
Outdoorsguy
The state of Texas is ever-so-close to passing a Bill which would allow both students and faculty to carry concealed handguns on campus.
Sound hard to believe? Well, its true!
If the Bill passes, Texas would actually become the second US state – after Utah – to allow guns on University Campuses.
Colorado currently gives Colleges and Universities the option to carry concealed handguns, and several have chosen to do just that.
In 1995’s landmark decision, Texas made it legal for residents over 21 to carry concealed handguns, and the State now has nearly 1/2 million registered handgun owners, according to the Department of Public Safety.
According to author of House Bill 750 – Republican Joe Rider:
“The issue applies mostly to faculty, staff and parents because most students would be too young to qualify for a license. In 2010, only 7 percent of license holders in 2010 were between the ages of 21 and 25, Driver said.
We’re not talking about every student getting a gun,” Driver said. “I did not file this bill so (license holders) could be heroes in mass-shooting situations. I filed this bill to allow (them) to be able to protect themselves.”
Is it just me, or do these American-style ‘‘conceal and carry” laws seem way out in left field?
Can you imagine – if carrying a handgun was actually legal in Canada – what activist groups would think of Republican Bill 750?
And to think we hunters and concervationists here in the Great White North have been battling for years, with difficulty, just to ‘shoot down’ a needless little gun registry system.
Gun laws, in my opinion, are the single biggest cultural and societal difference between the US and Canada, but the question still remains…
Who’s approach is better?
Outdoorsguy
