Outdoors – Page 5 – The Outdoors Guy

January 27, 2012

Vote Memories2DVD as Small Business of the Year

(Keebler accepting his 2011 Small Business award)

Ok folks, our friend Keebler (aka Brian Houle) has been nominated again for a Grammy Award, I mean Kanata Chamber of Commerce Business Award, sorry about that.

As you may recall, Keebler won the 2011 Small Business Award for his company Memories2DVD- a small business specializing in Video & Audio Transfers, Photo Slideshows & Photo Restorations.

Yes, Keebler is one of those specialized geeks you don’t meet everyday – by that, I mean one who’s an accomplished hunter and is as dedicated to conservation and wildlife as anyone I know! (And besides that, just look at the guy..he’s as cute as a button)

I invite all you hunters and fishermen out there to support a great local business owner and a personal friend. Brian did some incredible work for me a couple of years back. He somehow took a handful of old 5-minute 8mm film reels from a 1974 family trout fishing trip to Northern QC, and transformed them over to modern DVD.

Keebler’s work is impeccable and he deserves accolades again this year. My Outdoors Guy avatar is, incidentally, a screen shot from that video put together through Memories2DVD.

So if you frequent any of the Kanata Chamber businesses, this is how you can help:

The first step is to register your email http://pcba.kanatachamber.com/en/pcba/register.php

You receive an email confirmation. If not, be sure to check your spam or junk folder. If you do not receive the confirmation, please refresh your browser to try again.

Then you go to this link http://pcba.kanatachamber.com/en/pcba/loginVote.php to vote.

Keebler is listed under Small Business [Goulbourn] – Memories2dvd

Vote for our pal Keebler today…

Outdoorsguy

(This has been an unpaid and unsolicited announcement by Jeff Morrison)

January 10, 2012

MNR New Automated System met with mixed feelings

The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources is really getting with the modern times in this new automated system of licensing.

But what about the old school methods? Does that mean you can no longer purchase a license at your local bait or tackle shop?

Apparently you can longer get a new fishing license at Petrie Island. My pal Yves Grandmaitre proprietor of Oziles Marina wanted me to let people know he no longer has fishing licences for sale.

I get the feeling from touching base with Mr Grandmaitre that he’s not the only one who cannot sell hunting or fishing licence out of their shop anymore.

I can guarantee this will put a lot of weekend fishermen in a sticky situation once ice-fishing gets rolling big time.

Here is the info I have on the new system:

http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/LetsFish/2ColumnSubPage/STDPROD_091032.html

My hunting & fishing license renewal went smoothly over the phone, but I wonder who else is effected by this new automated system?

Outdoorsguy

August 24, 2011

Outdoors Column returns to Ottawa SUN Sports Section

Ok folks so here it is, the BIG announcement I mentioned last week…hopefully I haven’t built it up too much.

And no, its not free products for all the readers and I haven’t won the lottery either, if that’s what you’re thinking.

Starting next Thursday – following a 2.5 year absence – my Outdoors Column will be returning to the Ottawa SUN Sports Section! (in print & online)

Having the outdoors column back is great news, not only for me, but for every hunter, fishermen & conservationist in Eastern Ontario and Western QC, and not to worry, the Blog isn’t going anywhere!

Anyone who followed my SUN outdoors column from 2002 – 2009 pretty much knows what to expect. Hey, you will probably even see your name mentioned in there now and again, plus the latest in hunting and fishing news, gossip, reviews, tips and more. For now it will be running every second Thursday.

You could say getting my SUN outdoors column back is like have one of my children return, after having gone missing for over 2 years, and you wouldn’t be far off.

I would like to thank SUN Publisher Rick Gibbons, Editor-in-Chief Mitchell Axelrad and Sport’s Editor Tim Baines for the opportunity to return to print on a regular basis.

It’s great to be back and right before hunting season too – it must be a sign!!

Outdoorsguy

August 9, 2011

Three year old buck takes a quick bite

After a 6 week absence this nice looking 3 year old, 8-point buck (I call Garfield) returned to my feeder last week for a quick bite.

My Bushnell Trophy cam captures my old friend as he tentatively approaches the feeder; trying to decide whether or not to sneak in a nibble.

With the trusty trail cam set on ‘2 photo burst’ on 30-second intervals, his every movement is recorded as he nears the feeder; grabs a mouthful of feed and then moves on.

God bless the glorious trail camera!!

Outdoorsguy

June 15, 2011

Bounder Magazine Summer Issue

If you have not yet picked up the Summer(Vintage) issue of Bounder Magazine, I suggest you get moving.

Bounder is marketed as a Men’s Magazine, but its appeal transcends all gender lines. Whether you’re a ‘sitter’ or a ‘pointer’ who enjoys a good read, you will discover something of interest within the thick, high quality pages of this publication.

Thanks to the ongoing efforts of Publisher Brian Warren, Bounder is getting better and better with every issue. It can found ‘scattered like a shotgun blast’ throughout the Ottawa valley and across town, in a number of different outlets.

I usually pick mine up at Metro and Canadian Tire stores.

I would like to again thank Publisher Brian Warren for inviting me to be part of this Ottawa success story last summer. For features on classic cars, dogs, men’s health, music, fishing, comedy, hunting, local entertainment, and regular columns by such folks as Red Green, Randall Moore, John Switzer, Mark Papousek, Tom McLellan, Dave Brown, Delmer & Cecil and more.

In this issue, Dave Brown’s column gives you a glimpse into the life of a ‘young Bounder’ – his love of tradition and of the Great Outdoors. Hey Brian, all this makes sense now!

And if you just can’t get enough hunting and fishing here on the Outdoors Guy Blog and have a hankering for more, pick up a copy of Bounder and check out my column. (And just between you and me, the man plans to expand to even more issues next year!)

Outdoorsguy

June 13, 2011

Royals told by Animal Rights group to avoid Stampede

Prince William and Kate Middleton are being urged to avoid the Calgary Stampede, during their visit of that city in July.

The UK Animal Rights group called Fight against Animal Cruelty says if the Royals visit the famous Calgary Stampede; it would be like saying that rodeos, in general, are ok.

The Animal Rights group also sent Prince William and Princess Kate a short propaganda video(shot to the dramatic music of Olivier Stone’s movie Platoon) depicting the horrors of rodeo in North America, although none of the footage was reportedly taken at the Calgary Stampede.

According to the Calgary Herald:

“Every year, the Calgary Humane Society has animal protection officers on the grounds throughout the Stampede monitoring and enforcing provincial and federal animal protection legislation.

Executive director Patricia Cameron said the Stampede has been responsive to recommendations for improvements to animal safety. She said the Stampede has made at least 33 amendments to its practices based on consultation with the humane society in recent years.”

It remains to be seen whether Wil & Kate keep the Calgary Stampede as part of their 3-day itinerary. I would sure that, with the Royal Family’s long history of hunting and show horses, they do not cave to pressure.

According to Stampede Spokesperson Doug Fraser, the Royals are more than welcome in his fair city:

“If the royal couple has any intention of seeing the rodeo, we’ll give them the best show possible,” said Fraser.

Prince William and Princess Kate will be in Calgary from July 6 – 8, as part of their cross- Canada visit.

Outdoorsguy

June 8, 2011

Luskville bear collision a freak accident

Blame, in this unfortunate fatal bear collision near Luskville, it seems, is being cast in a number of areas, and we have several experts on hand to attest to that:

Here is a list I have compiled of factors identified by several experts as being to blame:

1) Hunters are to blame for pursuing bears over bait. 2) Three registered black bear outfitters are to blame – who operate in that area (between 70 – 100 km away) 3) A black bear sow’s maternal instincts are to blame 4)Gatineau Park is also to blame for having no bear season 5) Bear hunting itself could really be to blame, although stats show it is more popular in other areas of the province. 6) Bear populations are also to blame as stats show bear numbers are on the increase, and finally 7) Road conditions are to blame because of an 80 KM per hour speed limit along the 148 and poor visibility at that time of night.

When sifting thru the reasons why this terrible accident happened, there is something that keeps jumping out at me…this was a FREAK ACCIDENT and a terrible one; no doubt.

It was so rare; in fact, I could not find another case in North America where multiple fatalities resulted from a bear – vehicle collision. I couldn’t find a case where even one person died from hitting a bear on the road.

Sure, we can cast blame until we are blue in the face and it is human nature – don’t get me wrong – to look for a cause, or blame following such a terrible loss. The fact of the matter is, though, we have wildlife in our region and vehicle strikes do occur – usually not with such unfortunate outcome, but it happens.

The province of Quebec does their best to control bear numbers with 1, and in some cases 2 hunting seasons throughout the year.

Could more be do to thin the bear numbers in western QC and eastern ON?

Possibly, but what the stats don’t show is that bruin numbers in the Pontiac and Outaouais are actually lower today than they were a few years back, before expended hunting opportunities were introduced in that region.

I feel very very sad for the families and loved ones, but we need to keep things in perspective here. This type of accident could easily have been called ‘an act of God’ as the way things unfolded on that hwy the other evening is perhaps the biggest fluke in big-game collision history.

I can’t even imagine one of my family or friends being involved and you hate to say such a tragedy could be chalked up to bad luck, but really that is the truth of the matter.

Outdoorsguy

May 31, 2011

Outdoors Guy with an Edge

A FORD Edge that is…….

(Me nestled comfortably in the cockpit of a 2011 Ford Edge Sport)

Thanks to Kristine Simpson of Ottawa’s Marketing Agency Thornley Fallis and the good folks over at Campbell Ford for putting me in one sweet ride last weekend.

Over the years I have reviewed and field-tested pretty much every gadget under the sun including: spotting scopes, trail cameras, GPS units, hunting apparel, sunglasses, fishing tackle, rifle scopes, remote control fishing boats, digital range finders, field binoculars and even boots, but I can honestly say I have never tested out a vehicle.

And considering the 2011 Ford Edge Sport is my very first, I’d say I’m kicking things off in style!

My time with the Edge over the May long weekend included a trip up the Ottawa Valley to our trailer in Cobden. I found the Edge to be roomy enough, and the automatic lift gate was a play toy I would never tire of. Press the button hatch goes up, press the button again the hatch goes down. I was like Homer Simpson with a donut….a big shiny silver donut….mmmmm donuts!

The Edge’s interior is a must see. It is laid out in a functional yet extremely modern and stylish manner. Once you have mastered the ‘voice command system’, you simply press a button and tell the car what you want.

“Radio….106.1 FM, please” Your system seamlessly switches over to Ottawa’s Classic rock, and all that’s left is to control the volume; which is conveniently located on the steering console.

Pretty much every aspect and feature of the Edge can be monitored from the control panel: the navigation system, heating & cooling, sound system and so on. You can use the touch screen, or live life on the ‘edge’ and go with the soothing voice command system.

It even tells you how many KM’s you have before you need to fill up, I thought that was neat, and the kids really enjoyed the MP3, USB and SD memory card slots.

As far as performance and practicality goes, the Edge was top notch. We flew up the Ottawa Valley like a ‘Bat out of Hell’..I actually had a Meatloaf CD playing, in case you were thinking something else.

As a member of the Crossover Utility (CUV) Class, the Ford Edge provided an ideal ‘apples to apples’ comparison for me since my regular vehicle is a Highlander – Toyota’s popular crossover a direct competitor.

But this was certainly a fancier machine than I’m used to driving.

With perhaps the most aggressive looking grill I’d ever seen, a beefy 305 horses purring underneath the hood and 22 inch wheels, the Edge is a real head turner. Even the lad at the McDonald’s drive-thru in Arnprior was smitten with it. (And once you’ve impressive the younger generation, you know you’ve made it big time)

“Hey man, you got 20’s on that?” he inquired. “No my friend, 22” actually” I replied proudly.

I have never been a particularly ‘showy’ type, but when it came to this vehicle I did feel somewhat like a show-off. Was it the big wheels, mean looking grill or all leather interior, I wasn’t quite sure but I did feel rather pompous and important whilst driving it.

As far as outdoor utility goes, I can see how the Edge would fit in; although I would go with the standard 18″ wheels for heading off road to the hunt camp. The Edge’s AWD system handled very nicely on the wetter days that weekend and having owned a Subaru I say that with experience.

In the end, the Ford Edge Sport was a great long weekend diversion and a vehicle I was very sad to return. Recently named the 2011 Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year, as well as the Top SUV/CUV in the $35,000 to $50,000 price range, the Edge has evidently attracted a lot of people’s attention.

April 8, 2011

Some springtime rantings

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Outdoorsguy

March 24, 2011

Wild turkey hen sure sign of Spring

(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