Bounder magazine’s coveted 10th Anniversary issue is NOW out in full circulation! Get yourself a copy! Read the Outdoors Guy talk about trout, turkey and more or read a whole ton of other great stuff!
Check us out online: http://bounder.ca/
Outdoorsguy
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
The Spring issue of everyone’s favourite hunting and fishing magazine is now out! Available at over 200 locations throughout eastern ON & West QC.
Read it online: http://www.fishhuntandride.ca/
Yours in the great outdoors,
Outdoorsguy
It’s hard to believe this time last spring I had just introduced readers to a new local publication – Fish, Hunt & Ride, and now this year our magazine has its very own sportsmen’s show. Talk about cool! Sharing space at Ottawa’s EY Centre with the Outdoor Travel & Adventure Show next weekend (April 1-2) I am proud to present the 1st annual Fish, Hunt and Ride Sportsmen’s Show. Organized by the team from this region’s two best magazines – Ottawa Outdoors and Fish, Hunt & Ride, our show features tons of outdoor services, gear and apparel, exhibitors, hunting/fishing lodges and more ATVs than you can shake a stick at. Come check out the Adventure Stage for informative seminars by sporting experts and FHR team members Amanda Lynn Mayhew, Ashley Rae, Jamie Pistilli and Lawrence Gunther. Even muskie Guru John Anderson will be on-hand.
And if that lineup isn’t enough to entice come visit the Fish, Hunt & Ride booth where yours truly and a handful of FHR columnists will be stationed, my FHR team and I will be handing-out mags and chatting with readers about all things fishing, hunting or riding-related. We look forward to speaking with dozens of avid local sportsmen and women who will (hopefully) stop-by to say howdy. For more information on next weekend’s Fish, Hunt and Ride Sportsmen’s Show. http://www.fishhuntandride.ca/
I look forward to seeing you all! !
Toyota Tundra fun
Toyota’s 2017 Tundra TRD Pro pickup truck I road-tested recently, made for an enjoyable week of touring the town. The new Tundra, with its 5,500 pounds of “twisted steel and sex appeal” came equipped with ample 381 hp, 5.7 liter V8 engine. The TRD Pro trim is a slick looking truck, indeed a modern ‘cement’ matte grey colour. Having read other reviews from professionals who gave this truck overall high marks but noted that it was due for a facelift, I take these rumblings with a grain of salt. Having reviewed the 2013 Tundra and several other full-size pickups from other auto makers in past few years, I had others to compare to. For me, the new TRD Pro was solid, comfortable and roomier than the one tested three years ago. As many Toyota aficionados and even the auto-maker themselves would likely argue, why change something when it’s working? This truck is as smooth and supple a ride as any I’ve seen in a pickup and with smooth Bilstein towing shocks all around and TRD coil-overs on the front, varying terrain felt as smooth as butter. The Tundra garners highest marks for reliability and resale value, both huge in my books. Fuel consumption was not stellar as I averaged between 18-19 L/100 KM, which runs a tad thirstier than some competitors. Long-term maintenance/repair costs on these trucks, combined with high residual value make them a sound investment. Thanks to Tina Allison of Toyota Canada for the opportunity of road-testing this great truck. For more info on the 2017 Toyota Tundra: https://www.toyota.ca/toyota/en/vehicles/tundra/overview
Column Anniversary
This month marks the four year anniversary of this Outdoors Guy column with your Pembroke Daily Observer, and I wish to thank managing editor Anthony Dixon and news editor Tina Peplinskie. Thanks also to the avid sportsmen, and women of the Ottawa Valley for your support over the years. As many are aware, hunting and fishing newspaper columns have all but gone by way of the dodo bird, so it’s great to keep this one going!
Ice hut removal
Pembroke District’s March 31 mandatory ice-hut removal is coming-up next week and ice-anglers are reminded that huts which end-up in waterways after ice-out are in violation of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, though I suspect the majority of huts are gone by this point. Winter angling remains open on most lakes and rivers although ice conditions would be sketchy and unsafe by this point.
Tapping and maple syrup season is here, based on weather at least!
I heard from my pal “imacdon” who was already tapping last weekend, and I’ll be heading out to my garage shortly to gather the spouts and pails for our own little operation.
My daughter Grace and I produced a whopping 1 litre of syrup last spring from just two trees. Not a ton 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.
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 btw was one of the best syrup seasons in recent memory)
Now, out to my garage I go to gather some equipment..and then wake my daughter up!
Outdoorsguy
This awesome looking 14-point monster buck has spent the past 5 1/2 years roaming around my place and I have photographed him many times. He is actually the only buck I never got around to naming, so I’ll just call him ‘No Name.’
I am happy to report that No Name is alive and doing well!
This deer is quite distinctive with a separate non-typical point coming off his main beam on the right side, along with some nice kicker points! He’s had this non-typical crown for the past two years. It is the same buck who rubbed a tree 10 feet from my garage in Nov, 2015 and again this year in late November. He can barely fit his enormous rack inside my deer feeder!
Enjoy the wonder and beauty of this magnificent beast!
Seasonal changes are upon us, you can just feel it in the air and our fish and wildlife are greatly influenced by it.
Fish species like northern pike and muskie, which spent much of the summer in deep water, slowly begin to appear in shallower more ‘fishable’ water. Seasonal movement is observed among the white-tailed deer population as well. With the buck’s antler development all but complete, resident males will travel into open fields for the annual meet and greet with the boys. As the pre-season sizing-up period approaches, bucks congregate in groups to compare antlers size and establish the pecking order. Late summer can be one of the best times to observe critters on the move so be on the look-out, and have your camera ready!
Fish, Hunt & Ride magazine
I trust by now you have all found the summer issue of everyone’s favorite magazine, Fish, Hunt & Ride? Our summer edition celebrates, among other things, Ontario’s reinstatement of the spring black bear season with hunting adventures by several columnists’ including ‘Uncle’ Ted Nugent. Add to that more fishing, riding and hunting than you can shake a stick at and you’ve got Ontario and Quebec’s most comprehensive publication. Special note of thanks to Pembroke native and FHR columnist; Jordan Durocher for his work organizing the 1st Annual Upper Ottawa River Kayak Fishing Derby held Aug. 6. With a total of 28 participants, it was a darn good turn-out for its first year and Jordan tells me the event was tons of fun too! If you have upcoming hunting, fishing, or ATV/watersports events in your area you’d like to mention or advertise, drop me a line. In the meantime check-out our website: http://www.fishhuntandride.ca.
Lexus RX-350, luxury at its best
The completely redesigned 2016 Lexus RX-350 SUV I tried-out recently came with a 3.5-liter V6 under the hood kicking-out a more than ample 295 horses; and launching me soundly (and safely) up the Ottawa Valley to Cobden. Road-testing a luxury SUV is a new experience for me and I savoured the task to the very end. The new RX-350’s interior was very well-appointed with a high-end quality feeling throughout. The gauges were nicely laid out and quite user-friendly. This RX featured a joystick controller, which is much like a computer mouse and took some getting used to. Lexus is about quality and safety and the new RX-350 is rated as the safest luxury SUV on the market. Through the Enform App Suite located on the large centre console, you can stream music or listen to live radio once the app has been installed. Perhaps the most interesting feature I discovered; however, was the colour heads-up display where important parameters such as current speed, gear and RPM are projected onto the lower part of your windshield. I referred to it as the ‘hologram.’ This neat safety feature keeps the driver’s eyes on the road at all times and I found it absolutely succeeded. Oh, and the Mark Levinson Premium surround sound system is by far the best automobile sound system I have ever heard! It was much like sitting front row at a Guns & Roses concert and trust me I’ve been there. My time with the 2016 Lexus RX-350 was short but sweet and I was sad to give it up. For more information on the RX-350, check out: http://www.lexus.com/models/RX/technology
Arnprior fundraiser dinner
It was great this week to hear from my old pal Blake Corbin, host of Outdoors in the Valley Radio Show on the awesome Valley Heritage Radio (FM 98.7) in Renfrew. Blake wanted to give me the heads-up on the annual Arnprior Fish and Game Club fundraiser dinner being held on Sept. 10. For more information on Blake’s show on Valley Heritage Radio: http://valleyheritageradio.ca/meet-our-djs/blake-corbin/
Next time
Be sure to check-out my next column when I discuss the upcoming moose season.
Hey all you hunters, fisherfolk and ATV enthusiasts out there, the Summer issue of Fish, Hunt & Ride is finally here, fresh off the press and it’s bigger and better all the time!
Now available at more than 200 Outlets across eastern Ontario, Western Quebec and the Laurentians, our exciting new edition features all the summertime action you can shake a stick at.
FHR Magazine celebrates the return of Ontario Spring bear hunt with cover story featuring our columnist ‘Uncle’ Ted Nugent’s trip to Wawa earlier this Spring! We also welcome our new Columnist, well know angler and professional fishing guide; Jamie Pistilli!
You can pick up your copy of FHR in such places as; Barry’s Bay, Killaloe, Forrester’s Falls, Golden Lake and Madawaska up the Ottawa Valley, and across in the Pontiac at Fort Colounge, Gracefield, Low and all points in-between. We even have FHR Magazine available at a number of roadside boxes around town.
For more information on where to find an Outlet near you or to read the latest issue online, check out our website; www.fishhuntandride.ca
Please stop by our Facebook Page as well and let us know what you think of the new issue: www.facebook.com/fishhuntandride
I hope everyone is enjoying a great summer so far?!
Outdoorsguy
With Canada’s National Fishing Week (NFW) well under way, our lakes and rivers will be inundated this week with anglers bursting with National pride. The goal of NFW is to promote the renewable recreational activity we call sport fishing and to get young people involved. Veteran anglers are encouraged to offer those new to the sport a chance to cast a line and discover the excitement of angling. It is time to pack up the kids, dust off the old rod and reel and make tracks for the nearest honey hole. The best part about is that until this Sunday, July 10, you do not even require a fishing license to participate. For more information on National Fishing Week, check out: http://www.catchfishing.com/th_event/national-fishing-week-2016/
Family time at Orlando’s Discovery Cove
Despite recent setbacks, the City of Orlando remains as one of the world’s top family vacation destinations. We have visited so many times we consider it as a second home and even today with my daughters in their mid-teens, our interest in Orlando vacations has not wavered. For anyone who hasn’t been there and is wondering about things to do, the 2016 Trip Advisor Travellers’ Choice Award winner is a little slice of heaven known as Discovery Cove. Having spent the day there back in December; I can tell you this place came by its accolades honestly. Outdoor enthusiasts are in heaven interacting with dolphins, snorkeling in crystal-clear waters with exotic fish all around you, or hand feeding tropical birds in the free-flight aviary. Relaxing with my wife and daughters in the beauty and spender of this paradise was something to behold and to be treated to all-inclusive meals, with equipment provided throughout the day, was an added bonus. We were feeling quite melancholy when our adventure was done but departed with memories to last a lifetime. During your next Orlando-area family vacation, be sure to visit: http://www.discoverycove.ca/
Ford Explorer fun
Ford’s 2016 Explorer Platinum I road-tested during a fishing trip to my hunt camp in the Laurentians this spring, made an already great adventure even better and certainly more luxurious. The sophisticated new Explorer Platinum SUV comes with what Ford calls; intelligent four-wheel-drive and sophisticated Terrain Management System, which responds and reacts to road conditions in the blink of an eye. The system monitors such parameters as throttle position, wheel speed and even steering wheel angle making my mountainous off-road adventure a thing of beauty. Many of the roads around camp have been torn-up by recent logging activity yet all the ruts and holes were no match for this ‘Top Shelf’ luxury beast. Thanks to Melissa Wood of National Public Relations for the opportunity of trying out this awesome vehicle. For more info on the 2016 Ford Explorer Platinum: http://www.ford.com/suvs/explorer/trim/platinum/
Fish, Hunt & Ride summer issue
Get ready fellow hunting, fishing and riding aficionados, the summer issue of everyone’s favourite new magazine is about to go into circulation. All those wonderful off-the-beaten path locales up the valley and across the river in the Pontiac will soon be stocked full with the latest offering of Fish, Hunt & Ride magazine. Our summer issue celebrates Ontario’s reinstatement of the black spring bear season with hunting adventures penned by several FHR columnists’ including ‘Uncle’ Ted Nugent. Add to that more fishing, riding and hunting coverage than you can shake a stick at and you’ve got Ontario and Quebec’s most comprehensive publication. Please check-out our website for an outlet near you: http://www.fishhuntandride.ca.
Bear awareness this summer
Be aware that black bears are attracted to any food source and in areas where berries and natural forage are not available, they will eat whatever they can get including pet food, compost and even garbage. Bears will also return to food sources they remember from last year so be mindful when spending time in bear country. Although encounters are rare they do occur, so be sure to keep your wits about you this summer. If you have a nuisance animal around your property, report it immediately to the MNRF Pembroke: 613-732-3661.
Avid bass angler Randy Rosenthal with a nice largemouth caught in a secret lake somewhere in the Ottawa Valley.
The Genus Micropterus season might be the last fishing season to open each spring, but with a growing list of devotees’ bass remain one of the most popular sport fish.
Each year, the largemouth and smallmouth bass season in Fisheries Management Zone (FMZ) 15 gets underway the fourth Saturday in June, two weeks later than other sport fish. From a conservation standpoint, a later season allows for warm water smallmouth and largemouth to complete the spawn, and also for young bass to mature so they may fend for themselves. Other species like walleye and trout play no real role in guarding of the eggs so their seasons always open earlier in the spring. Anyone who fishes the Ottawa River, otherwise known as the Fisheries Management Zone (FMZ) 12, may start bass fishing next Friday – one day before the rest of the Ottawa Valley. If anyone’s looking for me next weekend, I’ll be in Cobden searching for old bucket mouth.
Big bass event
Speaking of bass, the Lefaivre Lions Club is holding their annual Open Bass Tournament on the Ottawa River next Saturday, June 25th from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. With thousands of dollars in cash and prizes up for grabs, the town’s Open Bass Tournament has garnered the attention of anglers from across the region and beyond. The Lefaivre Lions Club hosted its very first Annual Open Bass Tournament back in 1993, and here we are more than two decades later and the event is bigger than ever. Registration is $200 per boat (team of two) plus $20 for the big fish prize.
Cougar sightings on the rise
No sooner had I completed my interview with an Ottawa area news website regarding the recent cougar sightings in our region than all hell broke loose in the cougar world. An extremely credible report arrived in my ‘Outdoors Guy Inbox’ from Kington-area veterinarian doctor Brian Overgaard, who claims to have spotted several big cats near his home over the years, include one that darted across a trail in front of him on June 11 in the nearby town of Bath. Overgaard went on to tell me about the first big cat he encountered back in 2013. “There was no doubt that it was a cougar, it was a large cat with a long tail,” Overgaard said.
“He (cougar) hung around for several days because more tracks appeared in the deep snow”
Over the years I have received more than 100 reported cougar sightings, in several ‘hotbed’ areas of Ontario and Quebec. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry continues to dismiss the presence of big cats despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
There are far too many eye-witness accounts each month, in my opinion, to all be as the result of escaped captive cougars. If only funding was available for research and a full-scale investigation. If you should happen to see a cougar in your area please drop me a line: [email protected].
National Fishing Week coming in July
The goal of National Fishing Week (NFW) is to introduce anglers to this special activity we call sport fishing. Between July 2 and 10 everyone in Canada is encouraged to plan a fishing day at your nearest stream, pond, river or lake. To remind folks of the recreational value of our freshwater fishery, the Ontario government waves the fishing licence 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. For more information: http://www.catchfishing.com/th_event/national-fishing-week-2016/
Deer tag deadline looming
Even though the deer season is still several months away, hunters are watching the calendar closely with the antlerless deer tag validation draw closing on June 30. There are three application methods available although your chances at a tag remain the same, whether you apply by telephone, Internet 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 license, 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: http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/OC/2ColumnSubPage/STDU_137147.html
