Hunt & Ride Mag – The Outdoors Guy

March 30, 2017

Fish, Hunt & Ride Sportsmen’s Show – THIS weekend at EY Centre!!

Spring has finally arrived and this year’s most exciting show is near and dear to me heart and will have hunters, fishermen and ATVers heading to Ottawa in droves!

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.

February 9, 2017

Winter Fishing is here, be careful on the ice!

(A group of happy ice fisherman after a productive day of winter trout fishing in the Dacre area)

With the region’s ice-fishing season now under way winter anglers are being reminded that safety should always come first.

Winter anglers venturing out on the hard top this month must always tell someone where they will be fishing and when they plan to return. Appropriate clothing and equipment are also vital to safety and comfort. Some ice-fishermen may prefer survival suits and should carry a set of ice picks, while others go to the extent of using modified ice vehicles with the doors removed, in case of an untimely plunge. Ok, so tearing the doors off your car may sound extreme but the point is taken. Please remember the rule that ice does not freeze at a uniform thickness, especially now at the start of the winter season where near-shore ice is undoubtedly thicker than ice further out.

Best of luck this winter and for goodness sake, be careful out there!

Dogs and deer

A reminder to dog owners who allow their animals to run feral in the deer woods during wintertime, their actions may be devastating for whitetail populations at a fragile time of year. Conservation Officers deal with dogs on the loose each winter and, in case you did not know, are authorized to destroy any dogs observed chasing or injuring deer in areas where herds gather for the winter. Penalties for allowing your animal to be at large during the closed season for deer, range anywhere from $155 up to $25,000. With the high density of coyotes in our region it is also in your dog’s best interest to have Rover under wraps during the winter months.

Coyote conundrum continues

If feral dogs weren’t enough, this week I lost another member of my dwindling resident whitetail herd, to coyotes. The deer stopped coming to my feeder more than a month ago, and a neighbour emailed me this weekend to say he found remains of a recent kill no more than 300 yards from the house. Of the six whitetails that frequented my ‘back 40’ in recent months, only one was a fawn and according to a description of the remains found, it appear to be a juvenile that was killed. Public opinion keeps yapping in my ear that coyotes are simply ‘doing what comes naturally’ and that is just the way things are.

Anyone who subscribes to wildlife management understands that conservation includes predator control and in the case of the eastern coyote, and what is referred to now as a ‘North American urban coyote epidemic,’ there is cause for concern. In my case living within City of Ottawa limits, a ‘no discharge zone’ means I must watch theses marauding ‘yotes run rampant across my property with my hands tied. Now with Ontario’s recent protection of the hybrid Algonquin Coywolf, the wily eastern coyote sadly falls under the same umbrella and is protected further.

I truly hope the ‘coyote-huggers’ among us are satisfied when our local deer populations are decimated beyond repair. The thought of this turns my stomach.

Fishing guide service

Fellow Fish, Hunt & Ride magazine team member and renowned angler Jamie Pistilli has recently launched a new fishing service called Rising Sun Fishing Charters. It is a full service guide business that offers family and seniors trips, as well as youth trips, team building, business meetings, fly-fishing for anything that swims in the Ottawa/Gatineau region, and beyond. He specializes in giant carp, musky, longnose gar, bass, trout and northern pike. Jamie has many satisfied clients to his credit including US Ambassador Bruce Heyman. For more info on Rising Sun Fishing Charters: www.facebook.com/risingsunfishingcharters

Ice-fishing rundown

In my next Outdoors Guy column I will run down some of the top ice fishing destination our region has to offer. Do you have a favourite winter fishing hotspot? Drop me a line at: [email protected]

December 18, 2015

Ice fishing safety for if/when it freezes

This weeks outdoors column in the Pembroke Daily Observer:

http://www.thedailyobserver.ca/2015/12/17/safety-first-when-ice-fishing

Safety first when ice-fishing

Avid winter angler Grant Bailey with a nice walleye pulled through the ice.

With ice fishing season presumably just around the corner, winter anglers are reminded that safety must always come first.

Winter anglers who venture out on the ice this winter, should always advise someone where they will be fishing and when they plan to return. Seasonally-appropriate clothing and equipment are also vital for safety and comfort. Some winter fisherfolk prefer to wear survival suits and carry a set of safety ice picks, while others go so far as constructing modified ‘ice cars’ with all the doors removed and the roof cut-out, in the event of an untimely plunge. Remember that ice does not freeze at a uniform thickness across most lakes and rivers; especially at the start of the winter season when near-shore ice is always thicker than ice further out.

The Pembroke Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry wishes to advise anglers that not only is ice hut registration a requirement by law, it goes a long way to preventing wayward huts later in the season. Abandoned ice huts which end up in waterways after the thaw create havoc for boaters and early season fishermen. Registration numbers on all huts should be at least 2 1/2″ inches in height for improved visibility. You do not need to register tent-style huts made of cloth or synthetic material provided the base measurement is less than seven square metres. (75.4 square feet) To register your hut in Pembroke District, please call the MNRF at 613-732-3661

Supplemental deer feeding

Winter deer feeding is not just an enjoyable winter pastime it can be of great benefit to these animals as snow depth increases and temperatures drop. I currently have a half dozen, or so, whitetails feeding at my place which is about average for this time of year. I have had as many as 16 deer feeding at one time in the boom years. Remember that if you begin distributing feed in early winter, as I have, it is imperative to continue until spring as the animal’s digestive system will adapt to the supplemented diet. Ritchie’s Feed and Seed sells a terrific pelletized deer feed I’ve been using for years with good success. I’m sure other feed stores up the Valley produce a similar blend. Another less expensive way to help out our ‘deer friends’ during winter months is through increased access to natural winter forage, by creating hard-packed trail with snowmobile, ATV or even snowshoes. With deer numbers down in many areas it wouldn’t hurt to provide a helping hand this winter.

Fish, Hunt & Ride magazine – now available!

By now, sporting enthusiasts in the Valley have caught a glimpse of my new hunting and fishing magazine – Fish, Hunt & Ride (FHR) – distributed this past week to more than 100 outlets across Eastern and Northern Ontario and Western Quebec. My writing team not only includes regular material from Pembroke native (and trapper extraordinaire) Jordan Durocher, as well as a team of other great local writers, you have surely been enjoying Ted Nugent’s first FHR column. Uncle Ted will be with the magazine each and every issue. Feel free to send comments or suggestions on this new local publication and be sure to check out our Fish, Hunt & Ride (FHR) website: http://www.fishhuntandride.ca/

Great Outdoors Trivia Contest

Every year I hold a Great Outdoors Trivia Contest, in some form or another. They are always well received and include a generous price package courtesy of Tinks Scents and Brecks/Williams fishing tackle. This year I decided to kick the contest off right here with my good friends at the Pembroke Daily Observer! Everyone knows there are more hunters, fishermen and trappers per capita living in the Ottawa Valley than almost anywhere else in the world! You will need to be sharp and stealthy for this array of trivia questions, as they will require not only a vast knowledge of the great outdoors, but a keen eye as well. Stay tuned in January for Question #1.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to one and all and I’ll see you right here next month!

December 14, 2015

FISH, HUNT & RIDE MAGAZINE – Fall/Winter Launch finally here!

Well folks, the long wait is nearly over…..

I am very proud to introduce the inaugural issue of FISH, HUNT & RIDE Magazine available in newsstands, sports stores and various assorted outlets throughout Eastern ON, Northern ON and Western QC, later this week!

I’d like to take this opportunity of thanking our faithful publisher Mr. Dave Brown, who had the brilliant foresight to expand on success he already enjoyed with Ottawa Outdoors Magazine these past 15 years. If not for Dave’s forward thinking and the idea of ‘completing the outdoor picture’ FISH, HUNT & RIDE Magazine would never have come to fruition.

I would also like to officially thank my Editorial staff – the best damn team of columnists I could have assembled under one magazine cover:

Amanda Lynn Meyhew, Grant Hopkins, Doug Phillips, Brian Houle, Grant Bailey, Sheila Ascroft, Don Wilcox, Ed Hand, Jordan Durocher and last but certainly not least everyone’s favourite uncle, the Motor City Madman himself, Mr. Ted Nugent!

Without this incredible team of highly-skilled and accomplished writers, hunters, guitar players, anglers, cyclists, scientists, trappers, talk show hosts, ATV’er, conservationists, journalists and Spirit Bloodbrothers, NONE of FHR would ever have been possible!

Thank you, thank you and thank you!!!!

We look forward to hearing from you (the reader) with ideas and suggestions on future issues. Check out our website: fishhuntandride.ca and look for us(& like us) on Facebook!

Yours in the Outdoors,

Jeff Morrison

Editor-in-Chief – FISH, HUNT & RIDE Magazine