Outdoors Guy Blog

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Hunting & Fishing in God’s Country

Summer is meant to be enjoyed leisurely with family and friends in an outdoor setting and the Ottawa Valley is the best place I know.

Camping, cottaging and fishing are a few of the activities I enjoy during the summer months. What about you? One day, we could be casting for pike and bass at our trailer in Cobden, and the next I might be scouting the deer woods or doing work on the hunt camp. Holiday season is all about getting back to basics and enjoying things that really matter.

Plan a tour in your beautiful Ottawa Valley this summer, it truly is God’s Country.

Renegade bass opener

This past weekend, pro bass anglers of the Renegade Bass tour ascended on Muskrat Lake in Cobden. As the officially launch of Renegade’s 2018 season, Muskrat was a logical starting place and, by all accounts, it was a great weekend. Located in the town of Cobden, Muskrat has long been a favourite spot of the pro circuit. Renegade Bass Tour’s 150 and under events are restricted to max 150 horsepower and include water weigh-in and a live release boat.

There is a 50 team maximum size with 100 per cent cash payout. For more information on the next event: (www.renegadebass.com»)

Kenauk Nature for trout

For those trout fishing fanatics out there, my favourite home away from home – Kenauk Nature in Montebello, Que., is offering copious trout opportunities this summer.

The newly renovated hatchery produces 25 tons of rainbow, brook and brown trout each year, providing Kenauk with a renewable supply of fish stocks. That translates into about 100,000 adult trout and ensures that each and every lake will offer a unique angling experience.

I’ve fished many of the lakes on the territory over the years and, as an avid trout guy, they are top notch. Ask for my pal and expert trout guide Jamie Pistilli for your enjoyable day on the water. Kenauk Nature is endorsed by the Quebec Outfitters Federation and is one of the oldest private hunting and fishing preserves in North America.

For more info: (kenauk.com) more info on the Quebec Outfitters Federation: (www.pourvoiries.com)

Observer, end of an era

Someone, please wake me up when July ends! The idea that our beloved Daily Observer (in its current format) will say goodbye forever still makes me so sad. What a state of affairs our modern day newspaper industry has become, with so many cuts of late. We plug away, nevertheless undaunted, and despite media turmoil I encourage and support my daughter as she heads off to Carleton University’s Journalism program this fall, full of vim and vigour.

I must admit that lingering questions do remain. What will our local media situation be like in four years when she graduates? Will any opportunities exist for that fresh batch of eager young reporters? I say yes! As a freelance writer with numerous publications over the past 20 years, I have seen and felt the effects of newspaper shrinkage, with full-time staffers always the hardest hit. My thoughts are with all the fine contributors of this paper who will no longer be here once the dust settles. Seeking new employment is perhaps the most stressful of any of life’s changes, and though I am not a full-time resident of your beautiful valley, I have spent enough time here to feel entrenched. Even this adopted son feels the pain, and I wish each and every one of you happy trails. The faithful readers who’ve followed this publication day in, day out for decades will also feel a void.

Time will tell if my Outdoors Guy column finds another temporary home here amidst the remaining scribes. If I should be so fortunate to stay, I embrace the challenge of sharing more stories and news about hunting and fishing with all you fine folks and, if not well, the pleasure was all mine. Please keep in touch: [email protected].

Yours in the Great Outdoors, Jeff Morrison

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Bass season kickoff and New QC Hunting regs!

Bass fishing officially gets underway this weekend and Ottawa Valley anglers are eager to get out on the water.

The bass fishing season for Fisheries Management Zone (FMZ) 15 gets underway, each summer on the fourth Saturday in June, two weeks later than other sportfish. From a conservation standpoint, a later season allows for smallmouth and largemouth bass to complete their spawn, and for young bass to mature so they can fend for themselves.

Best of luck and ‘tight lines’ to all the bass anglers of the Ottawa Valley.

Deer tag deadline

Deer hunters are watching the calendar closely as the antlerless deer tag validation draw closes on July 3 this year. There are three application methods available although your chances at a tag remain the same, whether you apply by telephone, online 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 licence, 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#section-1<https://www.ontario.ca/page/apply-big-game-draw>

National Fishing Week

From June 30 to July 8, you are encouraged to plan day of fishing at your nearest stream, pond, river or lake. To remind folks of the recreational value of our freshwater fishery, the Ontario government is waving the fishing license requirement for that week each summer. Anglers without a licence must still abide by the limits set out in the Conservation permit and all other regulations remain enforced; including size limits and protected sanctuaries. For more information: http://www.catchfishing.com/

New Quebec regs bad for Ontario residents!

New hunting regulations implemented in Quebec this spring, have cross-border hunters reeling and more than a little peeved. Two years ago, the Quebec government threatened to make it a requirement that, Ontario residents wanting to hunt deer and moose must use at least two services of a Quebec Outfitter. The new law was rescinded, at the time, but has now reared its ugly head once again. Now, any Ontario resident wishing to hunt moose across the river will not be permitted on Crown land. Any Quebec moose camp owners who moved out of province will be out of luck.

Misguided regulation

For now, Quebec has chosen not to target non-resident deer hunters, though anyone from Ontario who is part of a family camp on the Quebec-side and who wishes to moose hunt will only be allowed with an immediate family member. Non-resident members of the RCMP, and the Canadian Military stationed in the province are also exempt. The Quebec government is hoping to generate more business for its outfitters, I assume, but at the cost of alienating thousands of non-resident hunters, who can longer pursue moose on Crown land.

This new regulation hits close to home for me and our hunt gang. Though I’ve lived in Ontario for the past 20 years, I return to my family camp in Quebec every fall. Once my 87-year old father is no longer able to hunt with us, this new reg would prevent me from moose hunting at our own camp, a camp I have been hunting at for nearly 40 years! The thought of it makes my stomach turn.

If you are an Ontario resident affected by this new law, please drop me a line:[email protected]

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Wolf in pursuit of whitetail, captured on trailcam!

This is one of my favorite series of trail cam images from a few year’s back…enjoy!

 

The following sequence of trail camera photos depicts a scenario which is, no doubt, a daily occurrence in our deer woods, however, it’s the first time I ever captured it on film. 

With the recent increase in predators across eastern Ontario and western QC, our white-tailed deer surely need eyes in the back of their head just to stay one step ahead. 

When I arrived at our deer camp in the Laurentians a couple of weeks ago, I had my work cut out for me reviewing images on the three trail cams I had in place since Labour Day. I was like a kid on Christmas morning scrolling through all the images, it was great fun! 

One camera in particular – my ‘invisible’ Bushnell Black LED Trophy Cam – featured a virtual cornucopia of activity from the past two months, at a popular creek crossing. The images including that of a cow moose, bucks, does and fawns, one 300 pound + black bear, and this bold looking bugger below. 

Hey, who says timber wolves don’t exist this far south. My camp is only 2 hours north and although I did see a common eastern coyote (brush wolf) during the deer season, I also captured some tell-tail images of this large timber wolf.  

I took some measurements in the area where he passed through; and I estimated this wolf to be minimum 90 pounds and probably closer to 100 pounds. It was basically the size of a full grown German Sheppard.

Pay close attention to the ‘timestamp’ in each photograph.

WVD1

(A doe puts up ‘the flag’ and hightails it down the trail)

 

WVD2

(Her tail can still be seen bounding through the trees)

WVD3

(Doe bounds out of sight on the right side of the photo – time 5:52 & 34 seconds)

WVD4

(A large white/black timber wolf suddenly appears on the deer’s trail – less than 1.5 minutes later)

WVD5

(Wolf tears down the same trail in hot pursuit; now 2 minutes behind – notice the ‘running tail posture’, a key ID feature of the timber wolf. Eastern coyotes run with their tail down..)

WVD6

(Wolf just before it disappeared from sight)

WVD7

(Both deer and wolf disappear out of sight)

Footnote:

The same doe did reappear on camera 2 days later without so much as a hair out of place.

I suppose in this particular battle the deer came out on top, but what about next time?

Outdoorsguy

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Pike & walleye season is upon us!

Anglers in search of northern pike and walleye have been out in full force with both species now fair game across the Valley, or Fisheries Management Zone (FMZ) 15 as our government calls it.

If you’re targeting pike and walleye this weekend, be sure to read the rules and regulations before hitting the water. If you should accidentally catch another species for which the season is still closed, it should be immediately (and safely) returned to the water. FMZ 15 is a large zone covering much of Northeastern Ontario; extending eastward to the Ottawa River, south to Arnprior, north to Deux Rivieres and west across all of Algonquin Park to Parry Sound.

Best of luck in all your northern pike and walleye endeavours. I am hoping to hook a few toothy critters myself this weekend in Cobden. Early season pike offer great table fare with the four-to-five-pound fish being the best eating size in my opinion.

For more info: http://files.ontario.ca/environment-andenergy/fishing/2017/2017_FMZ_15_English.pdf

Bear hunt across the river

With all the hubbub around pike and pickerel, don’t forget the spring bear hunt across the river which got underway this past weekend. Hunters need bear in mind that in certain sectors of the Outaouais the season closes on June 15, two weeks earlier than for rest of the province which allows bear hunting until June 30. With the month of June fast approaching, these once cautious beasts will have become accustomed to feeding regularly and with mating season looming, adult males will travel extensively in search of a mate. These factors will have a positive effect on the success rate for hunters.

For more information on bear hunting across the river, contact the Quebec Outfitters Federation: https://www.pourvoiries.com/en/

Ford F150 fun

The Ford F-150 Lariat 4X4 I road tested earlier this month made an already great fishing adventure into the Quebec Laurentians even better! The new F-150 Lariat trim comes equipped with lots of bells and whistles with a super solid 2.7L EcoBoost V6 engine featuring new 10-speed automatic transmission, under the hood. The new transmission is a great improvement over the old six-speed, offering superb low and mid-range power and acceleration. It’s hard to fathom that a 2.7 L engine can produce 325 horsepower with 400 pounds of torque, but there you have it! The newly refreshed Ford truck feels comfortably familiar, thank goodness, considering that one of the world’s bestselling vehicles of all time had nothing that needed changing.

Though not the swankiest of Ford’s lineup, the Lariat comes very nicely appointed indeed. The standard sync system and premium sound system were not hard to take. I enjoyed the Reverse Sensing System, which came in handy for parking in tight spots or maneuvering around rocks and freshly fallen trees along the mountain roads, much like Big Brother was watching from all four corners. Though I did not haul anything on this outing, I can appreciate the standard towing features. The new F-150 felt like an old friend and did not break the bank either when it came to fuel consumption. Thanks to Melissa Wood of National Public Relations and Ford Canada for the opportunity of trying out this awesome pickup.

For more on the 2018 Ford F-150: https://www.ford.ca/trucks/f150/models/f150-lariat

Bounder Magazine – summer issue

Be on the lookout also for the next issue of Bounder Magazine ready to hit local outlets in the few weeks time. If you haven’t yet seen this wonderful publication, do yourself a favour and check it out! For more information; http://www.bounder.ca/

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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!

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Spring turkey hunters ready for liftoff!

Erin Braun of Danner Footwear with her first wild turkey

 

With the start of Ontario’s wild turkey season looming, gobbler enthusiasts across the Ottawa Valley will be in hot pursuit of beards and spurs!

For thousands of 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 residents, 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 regs 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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Spring, a magical time of rebirth in the great outdoors

The late great Roger “Elliot” Lepine doing some early-season trout fishing in Montebello 

With ice huts soon flying south for the summer and wild turkey season around the corner, the smell of spring is definitely in the air.
I don’t know about you, but the arrival of spring cannot come soon enough for me! Winter has its merit, I suppose, but after four months of snow and freezing rain, enough is enough. To hear the thumping drum of the first ruffed grouse of the year, or catch a glimpse of wild garlic plants pocking their heads up of the forest floor, are all telltale signs that a new season is afoot. I know it’s difficult to imagine with lots of snow still on the ground, but we’re on the homeward stretch with ice-out about a month away. Before you know it we’ll be breaking out the turkey calls and trout and walleye tackle like it’s going out of style.

Last week I bid farewell to a close friend and fishing companion, my dear father-in-law; Roger “Elliot” Lepine. I will think of this fine man in the spring as the ice lifts off the lake and I cast my first line. RIP Elliot!

Gobble gobble
With little over a month until the province’s April 25th turkey season opener arrives, hunters are reminded that, should you happen to bag a gobbler, you only have until noon the following day to report it. Call 1(800) 288-1155 and have your hunting card available and be prepared to identify the age and sex of your bird. To purchase a wild turkey license, you may call the same number until April 30th, and it will be mailed the next business day. For more information, please read the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry regulations at https://www.ontario.ca/document/ontario-hunting-regulations-summary. There you can either view or download the regulations. Happy turkey hunting and gobble, gobble one and all.

Ice-fishing season
I had a blast ice-fishing with the ‘fam’ recently as part of Family Fishing Weekend festivities. My wife, two daughters and I participated in the Harbour Harvest, held at the Nepean Sailing Club, and a great time was had by had by all! My scale-straining 11” yellow perch was actually in contention for a prize at one point, until someone landed a northern pike. More importantly, the girls had a good time and we are already looking forward to next year’s event. With the March 31st ice-hut removal date just around the corner, however, things on the hard top are soon drawing to a close.
Folks in the Ottawa Valley legally have until the end of the month to haul their huts away, and remember that anyone who has not removed their ice hut by then is in violation of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, and could face charges. Winter fishing remains open on most lakes and rivers after the huts are gone although ice conditions tend to be sketchy and unsafe by this point so please be careful.

Bounder Magazine
Keep your eye out next week for Bounder Magazine’s highly-anticipated spring issue. My ‘welcome back’ Outdoors Guy column will take an inside look at my ‘trophy’ brook trout adventure in May, along with some other cool springtime hunting and fishing topics. There are many other great Bounder columns of note like my pal Randall Moore of CHEZ 106 FM’s famous ‘One Minute Moore” and other great columnists like Mark Papousek, Delmar and Cecil, Dave Brown, Red Green, Jim Hurcomb and many more! Check-out Bounder online at: www.Bounder.ca and watch for more magazine pickup sites coming in Pembroke, Renfrew and Cobden!

Column anniversary
This month marks the 5th anniversary of my Outdoors Guy column in this awesome publication, the Pembroke Daily Observer, and I wish to thank managing editor Anthony Dixon and assistant editor Tina Peplinskie for being the best editorial staff I’ve ever worked with. There are great folks up the Valley and these two are indeed kindred spirits. Sharing my passion for the great outdoors with readers each month is something I hold dear. Thanks to the hunters and fishermen of the Ottawa Valley for your continued support, and hopefully I will see you around Cobden, Pembroke or Petawawa this summer.

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Ontario Cougar Sightings – migration theory bolstered

The ever-elusive cougar is still being spotted across Ontario with regularity and the West-east Migration theory is becoming more probable.

As one of the few outdoor writers in the province who monitors big cat sightings and has reported regularly on the mystery of cougars, I am privy to some cool ‘Cougar Intel’. The often misunderstand mountain lion has evidently taken up residence in Ontario yet many folks still choose to turn a blind eye. The evidence is mounting as we get closer to determining the origin of these intriguing large felines.

Big cat theory

The first physical specimen Ontario had seen since the 1800s was a cougar shot by police in Bracebridge-area back in summer of 2012, which turned out to be an escaped captive animal. This is not to say that the handful of big cat reports I receive each month are ALL domesticated animals, there is evidence to demonstrate that a West-East Migration may be occurring in Ontario.

Evidence:

A cougar killed along a Connecticut highway in 2011, for example, was discovered by an American Wildlife Genetics Laboratory to have a genetic makeup consistent with the Black Hills of South Dakota. This cougar was believed to have traveled more than 1,800 miles in an unfathomable trek eastward. It is my theory(& some others) that many of our Ontario cats could fall into this category.

This map outlines the theory of how this cougar traveled eastward, arriving in Connecticut, based on other sightings. (Thanks to Crytomundo.com for the image)

Second Ontario Cougar Specimen Discovered – 2017

A second cougar was discovered in Ontario, which further bolsters the West-East Migration Theory! This specimen was found frozen in a snowbank on Boreal Road near Thunder Bay on March 25, 2017. Though there was speculation this animal would prove the existence of a resident cougar populations in Ontario, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources & Forestry had tissue samples sent to a DNA Research Station in Montana.

The results:

“The lab determined with 95 per cent probability that the cougar, discovered in Thunder Bay, is related to individuals from the region of the Black Hills of Wyoming, and South Dakota.”

Sound familiar? Black Hills of South Dakota? Is it purely a coincidence that both the cat found in Connecticut in 2011, and the one discovered in Thunder Bay, Ontario, last spring share similar DNA evidence?

Though the Ontario MNRF downplayed the genetic testing results, saying: “People should not “read too much” into the results, as the fact that the animal had genetic markers from South Dakota, doesn’t mean it actually came from there.”   

But  it could mean that too, could it not??

Now there are two cougars as evidence showing DNA markers, found in two different areas far from South Dakota. One in Northwestern Ontario and one in the USA.

There are other indicators of a possible West-east migration. Cougars with radio collars have been captured on trail-cameras in Michigan and parts of the Midwest. After doing some investigation i found that there are NO radio-telemetry programs ongoing in this part of the country. Only cougars in western Canada and the US have been tracked by radio collar. How would a collared animal end-up in Michigan unless it traveled there on its own?

My interest in big cats began 13-years ago when i interviewed a man from Monkland, Ontario, not far from Cornwall, who had been bitten by a ‘large cat’ while letting his dog out. (I was working on a magazine piece) Investigators determined, at the time, that the bite marks were ‘feline’ yet much too large for a domestic cat. Since then, i began following cougar sightings and the reports starting flowing in, from all around.

Last year i featured images in Fish, Hunt & Ride magazine of a man from Southern Ontario who had taken some impressive photographs of what he believed to have been a cougar. I concurred. Big cats have also been captured on trailcams not far from the Nation’s Capital – on a farm in Grenville, QC and by a hunter in Fort Colounge.

In 2016, I received reports of a big cat being spotted crossing the road, a mile from my house east of Ottawa. I quickly set-up a series of trailcams and spent the rest of the summer hoping to catch a glimpse of a big cat. To no avail.

If you should see, what appears to be a cougar in your travels, please report your findings to; [email protected]

One day we will (hopefully) crack the cougar mystery, and until then i will be watching over my shoulder.

The Outdoors Guy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keep your eyes peeled and should you catch a glimpse of a large brown or black cat with a long tail, please contact me: [email protected]

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Maple Syrup time is here!

Image result for maple syrup sugar shack

What a great looking tree…I’d tap that!      Heyohh!!

Its almost spring and maple syrup season is here, weather permitting!

I heard from my pal Ian McDonald who was already tapping last weekend in the Almonte area of the Ottawa Valley, and my high school buddy; Scott Lees just started-up his 25-year maple syrup operation in the Lachute, QC area.

My daughter Grace and I do a little tapping also, we produced 1-2 litres of syrup last spring from just a handful of trees. Not a ton for sure, but still fun.

Ahhhh, there is nothing quite like maple syrup production, and I have spent more years than I can recall with my Dad working the sugar bush at the Arundel Natural Science School. Times I will never forget..not easy work, mind you, but extremely rewarding and tasty.

What a blast it was – laying lines, repairing breaks, tapping, watching the evaporator, taking-off the syrup and running the old creaky canner. The entire operation is a blast right down to the moment when that batch of syrup is ready to harvest…man, it tastes awesome when its warm, doesn’t it?

There is a true science involved in any maple syrup operation; from understanding maple sap’s sugar content at various times of the season, knowing the colour, taste and density of different syrup grades, to understanding basic things such as building (and maintaining) the perfect fire to keep your evaporator going strong. Its not as easy as its sounds.

Then there’s moment when the ‘webbing starts’ at precisely 7 degrees above boiling point of water, and your pure maple syrup is ripe for the picking (or pouring I should say)

Old school syrup producers have never used modern gauges and I’m sure never worried about it either. They can read more in the webbing off their ladle than a thousand sophisticated gauges could predict..now that is science in itself.

The final product, well, it is a thing of beauty and there is really nothing in the world that compares to the taste of fresh maple syrup, or taffy on snow. Canada produces over 90% of the WORLD’S supply of maple syrup(majority produced in QC and eastern ON) – a statistic we should be extremely proud of. 

Maple syrup production is a big part of our heritage just like hunting, fishing or the fur industry, never forget that.

So, get out there and enjoy some pure Canadian goodness!! The forecast looks good for sap to run over the next few days and lets hope favorable temperatures remain long enough for another great season! (Last spring, from what I heard, was a very good syrup season)

 

Outdoorsguy

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Celebrating Family (Ice)Fishing Weekend!

(Avid ice-fisherman Grant Bailey with a nice winter walleye)

 

Ice-fishing enthusiasts are busy gathering their tip-ups and ice-augers for perhaps the most exciting weekend of the season.
This weekend, Feb. 17-19, residents of Ontario will be out (on the ice) in full force, enjoying the merits of Family Fishing Weekend – a province-wide initiative celebrating the sport of winter angling, and without the otherwise mandatory fishing license. The province decided about a decade ago that a festive winter fishing weekend would be adopted to mirror National Fishing Week events during the summer.

Let’s take a glimpse at a few of the winter fishing events in our region this weekend. For more info on Family Fishing Weekend; http://www.ontariofamilyfishing.com/

Arnprior Kids Derby
The Arnprior Fish and Game Club is pleased to present its 4th Annual Free Kids Fishing Derby, this weekend at McLean Park. The club supplies all equipment and bait and even takes care of the holes! To top it off, a free pizza and hotdog lunch is provided to all participants. For more information contact: [email protected] or check-out Arnprior Fish and Game Club on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arnpriorkidsfishingderby/

WCFGC event in Constance Bay
As part of Family Fishing Weekend festivities, the West Carleton Fish and Game Club’s (WCFGC) fishing derby is set for this Saturday at Constance Bay. Registration will take place from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. with fishing starting at 10 a.m. and running until 2 p.m. Registration for adults is $5 and children, 13 and under, $2. Holes will be provided and a $20 entry gives participants a chance at winning a gas ice-auger. Bring your own bait and rods. For more information Warren Backler via email: [email protected] or by phone: 613-859-9217 Check out their website: http://www.wcfgc.com/

Harbour Harvest Tournament
Harbour Harvest is a family-friendly ice-fishing event this weekend at the Nepean Sailing Club. Check-in gets under way at 7:30 a.m. at the main entrance of the Nepean Sailing Club. Ice-fishing bait and tackle is provided or feel free to bring your own. There is a $300 cash prize and trophy for 1st place (longest live fish), and $200 for the angler with most species caught (if a tie, the club will use total length of fish – must be alive and only one of each species). Qualifying species include northern pike, walleye, perch, catfish, crappie and sunfish. Every registered participant also receives a door prize ticket. Organizers have adopted a new system of “reserving your spot” this year, with fishing holes spread throughout the harbour. If you require gear, you can add a fully rigged up “Harbour Harvest kit*” for $20, and if you return the kit at the end of the event, the club offers a $10 gift card for Bridgehead, Canadian Tire or Cabela’s. For more info contact: Dan Dubeau: 613-355-0735 or via email: [email protected]. Check-out: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/harbour-harvest-2018-tickets-41510942346

QC Outfitters Association
Anyone not ice-fishing this weekend and looking to plan a hunting or fishing trip in Quebec this year, should check-out the Quebec Outfitters Federation website. With a full array of camps, cabins and lodges throughout the province, the Quebec Outfitter’s site makes short work of researching suitable vacation destinations for whatever outdoor pursuit you’re into. Just across the river, in the Outaouais region-alone, are 36 hunting and fishing outfitters catering to your hunting and fishing needs. I have visited a few over the years and they’re awesome: https://www.pourvoiries.com/en/

Bounder magazine – spring issue
With spring just around the corner, keep an eye out for the spring issue of Bounder Magazine. The popular men’s magazine is available at Stinson’s in Pembroke and many other locations around the valley. My spring outdoors column will include highlights on my upcoming trout adventure, as well as other hot hunting and fishing news! For more information on Bounder magazine: http://bounder.ca/