It is with supreme honour that I welcome to my FISH, HUNT & RIDE Magazine writing team, North America’s most prolific and respected hunter/conservationist, the Motor City Madman himself:
MR. TED NUGENT!!!!!!! (Cue the blistering Gibson Byrdland)
That’s right folks, you heard correctly, THE Ted Nugent!! Let’s just say this past week was one for the history books.
Working with Mr. Nugent’s assistant at TedQuarters in Michigan was a surreal experience. And for Ted to agree to be a part of my humble team of writers (in time for our Launch issue in late November, no less) is truly a dream come true!
The NUGE will share some unique insights on hunting, conservation, wild game, guns, rock ‘n roll and scads of other cool stuff with the FISH, HUNT & RIDE readers each and every issue. You may be surprised to know that the man has actually spent considerable time over the years, pursuing game in many of our provinces and holds a special fondness for his Canadian Spirit BloodBrothers.
Not only is Ted Nugent rated as one of the greatest guitarists of all time with musical roots dating back to the Amboy Dukes and having sold Millions of albums, he has dedicated much of his life’s work to the wise use, management and harvest of our renewable natural resources. Ted is an extremely clean living, breathing conservation legend, and the fact that he’s chosen to be part of our humble magazine is simply mind blowing.
So, once you’ve laid down the rifle and bow for a much needed break later this fall, check out FISH, HUNT & RIDE magazine as my team of experienced hunters and fishers (along with our distinguished newest member) take a Stranglehold on sportsmen in Eastern Ontario & Western Quebec.
I hope you’re ready to whack ’em and stack ’em with the man who created, and still lives, the very essence of the Spirit of the Wild on a daily basis!
In the meantime, have a peak at our website and watch for our introductory launch issue, distributed alongside Ottawa Outdoors Magazine to 125, 000 eager sportsmen and women: http://www.fishhuntandride.ca/
Jeff Morrison – The Outdoors Guy – @ThatOutdoorsGuy on twitter
Editor-in-Chief – FISH, HUNT & RIDE Magazine
Wow, that’s HUGE to get the NUGE
This is unbelievable Jeff, this man is one of the best guitar players of all time, and I guarantee you he’s the best guitar playing hunter of all time. Mr. Nugent is a musician who lived around an environment full of drugs, alcohol and bad character but stayed true to his beliefs.
What an inspiration to the hunting and music community.
Congratulations Jeff. If only you could get Charleston Heston to write a few words….kidding
Can’t wait to read his first article
Mr Nugent, Sir you are truly inspiring. Thank you.
Fantastic!
As someone who has spent lots of time with Ted and his guitars and even a few occasions on his gun range, I’ve learned quite a bit from him about hunting and music.
No doubt your readers will enjoy his stories, complete with his unique “Nuge-isms” used to describe his hunting experiences in ways that only he can.
Hey Todd, any friend of Uncle Ted’s is a friend of ours!
Having him as part of FHR is incredible having been a fan of his music way back to early 80’s with Intensities in 10 Cities blasting, and my Nuge poster on the wall. To have him contribute material for us up is very special indeed, and I hope the readers realize how fortunate we are! Besides the fact we could use another supporter in our fight against the animal rights groups!
Please stop by to visit anytime!
Outdoorsguy
A man after my own heart tell it like it is and if you don’t like it tuff Sh#@
Yeah, it’s definitely a coup for you to be able to have him a s a contributor. No doubt he’ll write stories about bear hunting in Wawa, Thunder Bay and Val D’or.
Glad to hear it. Thanks for the heads up Iggy. Nice to see you all again.
(Todd of Big Bux pics I am guessing…)
Good luck next week to all of you! Keep it safe!!
Todd… find me on facebook if you can,,,
Wow, that is HUGE indeed. Can’t wait to read it all.
Back from the moose hunt and what a great week shooting them with the camera. No calf harvested but that is ok we had a great time.
Now getting ready to hunt the second week of the deer hunt because of the moon cycle our camp decided to push it back one week. I’ll be going to a property in Almonte on opening day and then Eganville / Renfrew area the full second week.
Good luck to all
done for the Almonte hun with a nice deer at 12:15pm
Now I wait for next week to the deer hunt camp.
good luck everyone
I so love the Nuge. Don’t know if many people know or remember this, but in the early 2000’s, Mr. Nugent had a reality TV series where he brought contestants to his lodge/land and they would hunt, fish, cook and clean wild game and he had some of the best one liners. One I so remember was those who don’t like what you see can kiss my a**.
Looking forward to reading the great articles in the magazine Jeff.
Frank, it was called Surviving Nugent..and it was terrific! My wife and I used to watch it…think he made it two seasons.
Tks for the note btw..you know if Uncle Ted is involved with FHR, it certainly will NOT be dull! I was just thinking last week after Ted sent me a “good luck on your spirit family hunt’ message.as I was leaving for deer camp..WOW..I am like one of Ted’s buddies now.
But really, once he finds out you are passionate about hunting and conservation, he is totally gracious and willing to chat.
Wait till you read my Ted Q&A Interview…some of neatest stuff I’ve ever seen in print!
Outdoorsguy
So how was the hunt Jeff?
imacdon, the deer situation around our home camp isn’t great..sad to say. Although I had deer on the trail cams, the numbers are way down this year.
Full report to come…how about around your camp?
Outdoorsguy
We where lucky, no doe tags but got three bucks. Too warm to hunt last week.
Nice there was no rain.
He had two shows in the mid-2000s with people doing various things on his property. The large crosses that people had to stand on are still there.
Here’s some fun at his house a couple of years ago after a few days of guitar tech stuff.
http://youtu.be/Qn42qKLTDno
Cool vid Todd, tks for sharing! Was it actually two diff reality shows, or two seasons of Surviving Nugent?
Well, it would seem that Uncle Ted(& his FB fans) are also excited about being part of the FISH, HUNT & RIDE Team! 1150 ‘Likes’ – not too shabby:
https://www.facebook.com/tednugent/posts/10153288305602297
Outdoorsguy
Very poor hunting up Low Quebec way. I was up there yesterday and got a grouse. So one grouse for 90 bucks but who ever said wild game was cheap hehe
Hey Iggs, were deer numbers way down around your camp as well?? Apart from a couple of bucks on the trailcams, we didn’t see anything of interest!
Outdoorsguy
Way down, we got two dandy bucks and let a couple of fawns and does walk, not good at all.
Seven does tags in camp out of 14 guys but the MNRF keeps issuing doe tags even when the herd is obviously hurting. Maybe they don’t know.
Missed mentioning something, we only got two deer but had an absolute blast at camp. So much fun, now I’ll have to wait another 51 weeks to do that again.
There ya go Iggs, that’s what it all about!
Outdoorsguy
Jeff: IiRC, it was two different shows though they were very similar. It’s too bad we can’t watch his Spirit of the Wild TV show up here. He was filming next season’s episodes when I was at his house last June. He busted my balls on camera over missing a shot — have to see if that makes it through the editing process. Lol.
Anyone who has HBO Canada can catch him on Rock Icons next Sunday. It replays throughout the week.
Back up tomorrow night for a couple days. Had to put my 15 year old Beagle down when I was at camp so today I made a cross with a set of antlers mounted on it and a plaque that reads
“Gordo The Wonder Dog”
His name was Gordon.
We have a vet. in camp that took care of it.
Very sad time
My other Beagle misses him terribly
well I have always been a meat hunter. and I can not bring myself to shoot a doe this year as the deer are far and few between . it would have to be a old grey faced doe or a hurt yearling before i could shoot it . the deer herd in northern Ontario is hurting as well as in southern Ontario . Folks we are in a bad situation .
Guys that hunt my area had one deer chase the first week, the rest the runs the dogs were on yotes. No deer but they were back at it this morning with a new plan. I finally saw a single deer track on my place Wednesday morning. I made a nice pot of track soup….!
Spending more time trying to get the second skunk that’s been aerating my lawn. Finally got rid of the stink from the first one too.
Hunting out in between Dacre and Eganville this week and here we are Friday and no shots taken all week and only 2 deer seen on Monday. Dogged on Wednesday and hardly any signs in da bush;only seen one scrape and one rub + hardly any deer shit on the ground. Very unusual for these 300 acres….indeed numbers are way down and I agree with Chessy “Folks we are in a bad situation “. just hoping its a cycle that has hit rock bottom and the numbers will get better.
Saw a few more while we were up, they seem to be coming out of the woodwork. The rut is full on now with major scrapes all over the place
Next year, because October 31st falls on a Monday, the Ontario hunt starts late, Nov 7th. The rut will be full swing half way through the hunt, so watch for a record number of deer to be harvested. That’s what my crystal ball says anyway 😉
Iggy I don’t think so you may see small deer shot but there wont be any large number of big deer.. I never went north this year . first time in 21 years . went up north to take down hunt after moose season walked the road (no gun ) and did not see a single track. also talked to a few of the guys and they never got a chase all week with 9 dogs they have a large group and not a single deer was seen . talked to the warden and he only seen a few hanging deer and in his weeks of patrolling the park he usually sees a good number of moose and deer he can count the number of deer on one hand he seen alive. its going to be at least 5 years before large numbers will be seen again . and that is if elneno co operates if we get the snow fall they are calling for we are done. also its going to be very interesting as the apple farm I hunt never picked up 10 rows of apples if deer do not show up to eat them it will confirm what I already no deer in southern Ontario are hurting as well
Just came in from the end of a two week gun season. Hunted pretty hard both weeks.
In the two weeks I saw one deer, Not a big buck but decided to take it, Had time to think about it. Our gang of 6 got 3 bucks. First time since the 80’s I have seen so few deer.
May take a few days off and start bow hunting. When I started hunting in the 70’s
deer number where really low. That’s when they started the doe draw. Back then if you saw a deer it was a big deal, did not matter if you got it.
Funny no one seeing a lot if deer yet the MNRF keeps giving out lots of antlerless deer tags. They are supposed to have a clear handle on the deer heard
Guys here got a small buck the last day and it was the first and only buck they saw in a week and a half with dogs. This one wasn’t even in front of the dogs and they only had two deer chases total. MNR needs to not only severely restrict the antlerless tags, but return the hunting season back to a week, and limit bow season as well if they want to see results in the next 5 years. They can’t keep the same pressure on a thinning herd.
The deer population is dropping all over North America. It’s just not a Ontario issue it all across the 50 states as well as other provinces. On a avarage the success rate has dropped 12 percent on avarage
You really have to ask yourself what the MNRF is thinking. Or do they even think. They should be at the leading edge of this not a reactionary government body. Some tough questions should be asked. Do they have any real idea how the deer herd is reacting to these last two tough winters. Do they even care. Will they totally screw up the deer hunt in Ontario like they have the moose and bear hunts. If they can’t or won’t manage the natural resources in Ontario should they just be abolished.
You might be able to fool the hunters into buying tags but eventually it’ll catch up to you. Pretty scary. This isn’t just where I hunt. It seems to be a huge problem all over this part of Ontario
I believe that the core group within the MNRF care, but the higher it goes up the chain the more it’s diluted by politics and money. The voters and the ridings who control the province and the money live in Tranna, and they don’t care about hunters, hunting, and certainly not herd management. Why would they? Meat comes from a supermarket.
Well guys…obviously there are some major concerns with our deer friends. It is the topic of my Pembroke column this coming Thursday.
As Chess noted, numbers are down all across NA but what are WE in ON & QC going to do about it? What are our gov’t agencies going to do?
The year before I started deer hunting back in 1980, the QC deer season was closed COMPLETELY for the year (1979). Sounds drastic but really, what other option do we have?
The only encouraging thing I saw this fall is that our big ghost buck is still alive..and hopefully spreading his genetics big-time. Of course he’s about the buck around and there are not many does either! On the 6 trail cams I had out..in a 3-4 mile radius..I may have photographed 5 diff deer in total
Outdoorsguy
I can’t argue with you Jeff…. A closure of the season for a year might help the herd. I’ve spoken of that for the moose hunt, given the meager adult tags issued every year. I’m sure any such action would have hunters’ up in arms though… It might be a bitter pill to swallow though to help our herds.
I think that limiting the antlerless tags drastically might help, but that could also put more strain on the buck population. I know our crew has been getting more than our share of antlerless tags. Last year I think it was 4 or 5 out of 7 hunters, this year we had 6 out of 8.
I’ve had antlerless tags for each year except once during the last several. Haven’t tagged anything but a buck though for quite a while even though I could have taken does on many occasions…
The two week season reduced to one week would be a help too like Johan says. After all the only reason it originally went to two weeks was in response to excessive road kills when the population was out of control. (Remember? They were even handing extra tags like stale Halloween candy…).
I was lucky, got a small 4 pointer on the second afternoon, the only buck I saw all week. A single doe and a doe with a smaller fawn and a really big fawn (gonna be a big’un?) is all that is around my place. Even the trail camera is devoid of anything else.
On an up note, I did send two coyotes to meet their maker (one was at 265 yards). But there’s still plenty of them around…
Here’s to hoping it improves….
good morning jeff deer population is way down I was lucky enough to bag a nice 6 pt buck and then get another 8 pt buck for my hunting partner but put lots of time and effort , as we all know these deer are moving at night feeding and then go into hiding the rest of the day .I did see a massive 10 pt buck 25 yards from my stand but my tag is full so I have a lady friend who is trying to get him with the bow but it may take the week of muzzleloader to get him. I did speak with her last night and she said there is actually a 10 and an 8 and 6 pt buck let but I have nobody to step in and get these extra deer I hope they will make it to next season . These deer are moving more now with the colder weather and my buck was quite big considering the rack was great but his body was big for the size but I cannot complain , I just wish I had 2 spots to fill but 2of my hunting buddies had to work for the second week . Take care jeff have a great day
I went to a meeting 10 years ago to discuss deer season in 72a which is a huge area. We had the head biologist for our area. They were discussing all sorts of things about deer management and doe tags. I stood up and asked 2 simple questions and I got 2 simple Annsewrs 1 how many deer in 72a and what is te Carring capacity of the area. Both Ansewers were ” I don’t know”. I asked what the hell are we doing here then. We need mandatory reporting I would also like to see moose season pushed back and combine the deer with the moose season.
The point being made, many hunters view coyotes as Enemy No. 1. They see these cunning animals as a threat to the deer population. Some say coyotes played a role in the 21 percent drop in Virginia’s deer kill last year.
These concerns appear to get support from a 10-year, U.S. Forest Service study conducted in South Carolina that found fawn mortality by coyotes to be “much higher than expected.”
The study’s lead researcher, John Kilgo, said if the appetite of coyotes for fawns continues to increase, wildlife agencies in the Southeast will have to factor their predation into their deer management plans. The result could be shorter seasons and less generous limits for hunters
My interview (Part 1) with ‘Uncle’ Ted Nugent:
http://blogs.canoe.com/outdoorsguy/hunting/outdoors-guy-interview-with-fhr-columnist-ted-nugent-part-1/
Outdoorsguy
This is the first year since 1990 I have not seen a single scrape in my bush, or anywhere for that matter. Of course coyote predation should be considered in deer management plans, but I believe that while coyote populations play a role here, I believe they are only a small part of it. Poaching used to be estimated but I think that sortof went away when the population burgeoned. I suspect will become a bigger factor again as people grab their lights and hit the road to fill their freezer. 2 week season was a good idea when the deer were thick, but now it’s hurting an already declining population. Add the ‘black powder’ season, which with technology advances is basically just another rifle season with a little more smoke. Same goes with crossbow technology; more power and better accuracy in the right hands, but it’s a very long season and I would hazard to guess a lot of deer die without being tagged or found for that matter. No one reports how many are wounded and not found but I bet those numbers are high. I know guys that can hit a dime every time at 35 yards but everything is different in a tree stand and live targets and they have wounded their share.
All of those things are accentuated with a few tough winters and it takes it’s toll on what we don’t harvest in the 3 month window we have to fill our tags. The weather, and maybe the coyotes, are the only things we don’t have control over. My uneducated opinion, take it or leave it.
On a completely different slant, I saw a bald eagle this morning snacking on a road kill raccoon. When I tried to get a pic of him I noticed a large Red Tailed hawk in a tree waiting his turn. Didn’t get a shot of either of them. Nice to see them occasionally.