Ontario wild turkey season, coming right up!
Fish, Hunt & Ride magazine columnist Brian Houle with a nice springtime gobbler.
With next Monday’s kick-off to the province’s wild turkey season, hunters from across the region are gearing-up for another exciting spring. April 25 has become the new standardized date for launch of the coveted annual spring gobbler season. Thanks to reintroduction programs dating back more than three decades, wild turkey populations across the province have exceeded expectations. Yes, the glorious gobbler has evolved into one of the most prolific (and tastiest) game species around, so you had better get used to them. Hunters need be aware that it is illegal to pursue turkeys within 400 meters of bait that has been deposited, unless the location has been bait-free for at one week. Bait is described as corn, wheat, oats or any other feed that may attract wild turkey or any imitation of such feed. Crops stacked in accordance with normal farming practices and grain scattered as a result of normal farming operations, are not considered bait. New this year, turkey hunters are permitted to use shot size #7 along with the standard #4, #5 and #6 size shotgun shot. For more information on Ontario spring turkey hunting along with other changes to the spring season: https://www.ontario.ca/document/ontario-hunting-regulations-summary
Scribe heading for trout In three short weeks, I depart on my annual trout fishing adventure with my dad and brother-in-laws, so my mind is currently filled with visions of north wood’s serenity and behemoth brookies. It doesn’t really matter how far you travel so long as you bask in Mother Nature’s springtime spectacle. Playing cards and horseshoes, walking the woods, portaging the canoe and scouting backwoods trails are all part of the experience. For all the avid trout anglers out there, here’s to tight lines, bent rods and monster ‘specs’ as far as the eye can see. Remember to catch your limit but also limit your catch. Fish, Hunt and Ride spring issue on the way! Hunters, anglers and off-road enthusiasts await the arrival of everyone’s favourite magazine with baited breath. The spring issue of Fish, Hunt and Ride is just around the corner and, trust me, it’s bigger and better than ever. Now available at over 200 outlets across eastern Ontario and west Quebec, our exciting spring issue features black bear, spring trout, turkey, ATV events, shed antler hunting, Ottawa fly-fishers, Uncle Ted, an informative interview with Canadian country starlet Meghan Patrick and much more. Thanks to everyone who showed-up for the FHR Sportsmen’s Show early this month. It was a huge success and we’re already looking ahead to our next show! For more information on where to find FHR near you, check us out online at http://www.fishhuntandride.ca
Be bear safe While fishing, hunting or camping in bear country this spring, be sure to keep your wits about you. During the trout season I always carry a can of bear spray and though I’ve never used it, it is there at the ready. Statistics show that there are a dozen or so bear attack in North America each year, some of which end in a fatality. Bear spray can be purchased at local hunting and fishing stores and will provide a bit of extra insurance when travelling in bear country.
Sportsmen Bragging Board Have you gone on a recent hunting or fishing trip and taken some great images? I am looking for some of the most original photos, captured in the great outdoors, for a Readers’ Photo Section here in the Pembroke Daily Observer and for FHR mag as well.If you have some neat pics you would like to share with thousands of like-minded individuals, send them by email to: [email protected]. Be sure to send along a caption as well.
Trout or turkey, what be your pleasure?
Its Fins or feathers, folks???
Early Spring generally falls into two main categories for area sportsmen:
1) Trout
2) Or turkey
What be your pleasure? They’re both mere weeks away(even though it doesn’t feel like it)!!
Outdoorsguy
2015 Toyota Highlander takes on Temiscaming
My two weeks this spring testing-out the 2015 Toyota Highlander XLE included a wild and woolly jaunt through the Northwestern Quebec forests, on a 5-day trout fishing excursion to Temiscaming.
The 2014 year was a pivotal re-design benchmark for Toyota’s star Crossover Utility, marking the Highlander’s 3rd generation entry with noticeable changes and improvements over previous generations. I was the proud owner of a first generation Highlander (2005 model) but found few seminaries to this modern 2015 offering.
Upon first glance, the new Highlander doesn’t appear a lot different than its Gen 2 predecessor until you analyze the subtleties.
The XLE model, I had the opportunity of piloting for spell, came equipped with such upgrades and creature comforts as a sunroof, all-leather upholstery, upgraded driver display, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, roof rails, retractable second-row sunshades, large 8-inch central touchscreen, navigation system and a voice amplification or Driver Easy Speak system, for communicating with passengers in the back.
Of all add-ons included in the XLE package, the sizable driver display, large touchscreen and solid comfortable leather seating was most appreciated. As far as the Driver Easy Speak goes, I can see it being useful for parents with younger children however I personally had no need for it. On the other-hand, I really enjoyed the SeriusXM Satellite radio.
I found the seating on this new Highlander to be roomier, more snug and form-fitting with improved lumbar support than its predecessors, making a 7 hour road trip into God’s Country seem like a walk in the park.
My first driving impression, from a performance standpoint, was very positive and there’s good reason for that. The Highlander I tested came equipped with a smooth running 6 speed automatic with a 3.5-liter V6, rated at 270 hp with 248 lb-ft of torque. It had plenty of get-up-and-go.
Safety-wise, the 2015 Toyota Highlander boasts a 5-Star Safety Rating based on Government crash tests, and it comes standard with rear-view camera, anti-lock disc brakes, stability and traction control, front seat side airbags, driver knee airbag, front passenger seat-cushion airbag as well as side curtain airbags.
The ride quality of the new Highlander is most impressive; firm and solid with smaller bumps being soaked up in the vehicle’s ample suspension. Hauling a full load of fishing and camping gear was no challenge for this beast, as the vehicle handled no differently with a full compliment of anglers and tackle.
Developers at Toyota have evidently borrowed a page from the Lexus design manual when it comes to quietness and interior noise. The Highlander is extremely quiet with a recorded sound level of a scant 69 dBA at 110 km per hour.
The overall size of the new Highlander was impressive too, compared to my old Gen 1 model, at 191.1 inches in length and wheelbase of 109.8-inches, the 2015 model has stretched by three inches over the prior version.
The XLE Model I tested came with third row seating with room for 8 passenger. The smaller 3rd row is geared more towards smaller passengers.
The Highlander’s braking and traction control system was put to the test early-on, when a surprise wash-out at the foot of a blind hill, forced me to brake hard and swerve to one-side in order to avoid and tremendous pothole. The vehicle held its ground perfectly with no sliding or loss of control. I was relieved.
Designers at Toyota installed a clever built-in shelf on the dash of 2015 Highlander’s interior, which became the perfect catch-all for my cell phone, two way radios, sunglasses, fishing lures and even a small flashlight – a convenient touch, which came in handy on such an adventurous trip, where gadgets tend to run amok. The new shelf takes over where the center console storage and glove box leave off.
The gauge cluster I also found to be straight forward and clean.
As my father, brother-in-law’s and I meandered our way through rustic backwoods trails, over hill and dale, I couldn’t help but feel I was behind the wheel of Toyota’s classic 4 Runner; however, the Highlander’s smooth and quiet ‘unibody ride’ reminded me I was not in a ladder-frame truck-based SUV.
Certainly not touted as a hard-core ‘off-road’ vehicle by any means, the new Highlander still had more than enough ground clearance and sure-footed AWD traction, which made short work of some less than hospitable northern logging roads.
Fuel consumption with this vehicle hovered, on average, between 11.5- 12.5 liters per 100 km’s, which I found good but not what I would describe as fuel sipping by any means. It still ranks near top of the pack in fuel economy compared to others in this class, and greatly improved over its first two generations. The Highlander hybrid actually took top honors this year as most fuel efficient SUV/CUV for 2015.
After having reviewed several SUV’s and CUV’s in this size class over the years, I can honestly say the 2015 Highlander is as comfortable and convenient a ride as any I’ve had the pleasure of driving.
Anyone looking for a roomy 7-8 passenger Crossover with more sporty appeal and utility than your old minivan; combined with some pretty decent ‘off the beaten’ capability to boot, this is the vehicle for you. From front to back and from side to side, the 2015 Highlander exudes class, comfort and above all utility.
I’m not sure the Highlander enabled me to catch more fish, but it certainly made getting to our camping spot a more enjoyable experience.
For more information on the 2015 Toyota Highlander:
http://www.toyota.ca/toyota/en/vehicles/highlander/overview
Ontario's moose population in peril?
In my latest Outdoors column in SUN Media’s Pembroke Daily Observer, I discuss several springtime activities such as; wild turkey hunting, fishing for brook trout, being bear safe and perhaps most important, sifting through details and implications of the Ontario moose tag draw.
Thanks to our pal Keebler for sharing his thoughts and information on the 2014 Ontario Moose season draw which, by some accounts, may indicate a population be in peril.
You be the judge…
http://www.thedailyobserver.ca/2014/04/28/area-sportsmen-busy-gobbling-up-wild-turkeys
Area sportsmen busy gobbling up wild turkeys!
Jeff Morrison, the Daily Observer’s newest columnist, offers up his take on the great outdoors.
With the start to the annual Ontario wild turkey season, gobbler enthusiasts across the Valley will be out hot pursuit of trophy beards and spurs.
For thousands of wild turkey hunters, April 25 marks the kick-off to another coveted spring gobbler season. Thanks to successful reintroduction programs dating back 30 years ago, 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!
Although most hunters are aware, it is illegal to hunt turkeys within 400 meters of any place where bait has been deposited, unless the place has been bait-free for at 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. I wish local turkey hunters all the best and feel free to drop me a line with news from your area!
Moose tags way down!
Bullwinkle enthusiasts are scrambling to take part of the moose draw which runs until June 2. The province recently announced a substantial reduction in adult moose tags for 2014. The reduction, said to be approximately 18 per cent overall, is in response to a declining moose herd in northern Ontario, as noted by Ministry of Natural Resources winter aerial surveys. Some areas of Northwestern Ontario will see upwards of 88 per cent fewer tags this fall; which comes as a shock to moose aficionados. Hunters like Brian Houle, of Stittsville, are very concerned indeed and left with more than a few questions.
“Why didn’t the MNR implement measures a few years ago?” says Houle, who hunts WMU 37. This hunter wonders what effect predators have had on the province’s moose.
“Bears have been unregulated for 15 years since they took the spring hunt out,” Houle adds. “North of the French River you need a tag for wolf/coyote and only a maximum of 2, what is the impact of those packs on moose?”
With the current state of Ontario moose, Brian Houle is considering Quebec this year to give our province’s moose population a chance to rebound. For more information on the tag draw: http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/OC/2ColumnSubPage/STDU_131065.html
Scribe heading for trout
In a couple of short weeks as I head off on my annual trout fishing adventure with my dad and brother-in-laws, my head will abuzz with visions of tall trees and behemoth brook trout. It doesn’t really matter how far from town you travel, so long as you bask in Mother Nature’s eternal glow. Enjoying the peacefulness found in a delicate call of the white-throated sparrow, or the courtship ritual of the common loon. Playing cards and horseshoes and scouting the backwoods trails on ATV are part of the experience. For all the avid trout anglers in the Valley, here’s to tight lines, bent rods and brookies over three pounds!
Being bear safe
When travelling in bear country this spring, be sure to keep your wits about you. When portaging up north during the trout 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 attacks in North America each year, and 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 provides a bit of extra insurance in bear country.
Outdoors Guy Annual trout trip solves mystery
(Sr. Outdoors Guy with a nice cold water brook trout we caught, with surface temp ranging from 49 – 54 degrees F)
My annual trout fishing trip to Temiscaming with my Dad and brother-in-law’s is a time I look forward to all year long..regardless if we catch a lot fish, mystery or otherwise.
This year certainly was a great trip fishing-wise, and a very poor one weather-wise, with bitter cold daytime temps and even 3″ of snow on the tent one morning!
Oh well, when you’re catching fishing like this, who cares!!
(Photo of ‘mystery trout’ now beleived to be an Aurora trout)
(Here’s Bruce with a great looking male brookie pulled from ‘Lac Perdu’)
This year we released 12 trout(10 brook, 2 mystery) – the most trout we ever have released; including one fish well over 3 pounds!
(Not a bad looking camping spot!)
(Not a bad tent set-up too!)
(The boys working on breakfast inside the tent)
Mystery solved!!!
Ok, thanks to Maple(& others) for their assitance in finally identifying our mystery trout!
What I had always considered to be ‘Quebec Reds’ appear to be the endangered species called Aurora trout. Although we only caught two this year (both released) we have probably caught more than 20 of these special fish over the years.
In our secret lake we call Lac Perdu, brook trout and Aurora trout appear to live together(& spawn) in harmony. The brookies account for probably 90% of the lakes population with Aurora accounting for maybe 10%.
Now that we know what they are, and after reading up on this rare fish, we will no longer keep any of them from this lake. According to what I read, the Aurora experts are not coming out and labelling the Quebec Aurora’s with that name, as they claim all Auroras’ are found within Ontario waters.
The QC Aurora’s currently found in only 2-3 lakes(I gues 4 now), at the moment, appear to be a mystery. The original Aurora’s were distributed only in lakes around Sudbury, and most of those fell victim to acid rain.
Just one more reason I enjoy my annual trout fishing trips. You never know what you’re going to catch!
Here are some close-up shots of the QC Aurora we caught two years ago. The ones from this year were released safely at boatside and no photos were taken:
You can see how they differ from regular brook trout with a lack of ‘halo’ spots and lack of vermiculation on the fins and upper half of their body.
Outdoorsguy
Turkey and trout just around the corner
Although we are still a few weeks off with plenty of snow left to melt, sportsmen (& women) at this time of year generally fall into two categories.
1) Turkey
2) trout
Which one do you choose?
Send me your spring plans and I will feature you (and all your secrets) in my next Ottawa SUN Outdoors Column. There’s no money involved, in case you’re wondering…
Outdoorsguy