Valley turkey hunters gobbling up a storm!

My April column in the fabulous Pembroke Daily Observer newspaper is now out!

Thanks as always to Anthony Dixon and Tina Peplinkie who bring the daily news to folks in the upper Ottawa Valley!

Check it out online:  http://www.thedailyobserver.ca/

 

Valley turkey enthusiasts gobbling up a storm!

Wild turkey populations have rebounded in Ontario. As with Canada geese, the species was in serious decline a century ago because of over-hunting and habitat loss. Efforts to re-establish the turkey in the province from the 1980s forward were successful. (MIKE HENSEN The London Free Press)

 
With next Saturday’s start to the annual Ontario turkey season, hunters from across the Valley are gearing up for another exciting kick at the gobbler can!

April 25th each year marks the launch of yet another coveted spring gobbler season. Thanks to reintroduction programs dating back three decades, 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 game species around, so you had better get used to them!

Note: The annual April 25th Turkey Opener moves to Monday April 27th because opener falls on a weekend. Sorry for the confusion

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 least 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.

Moose tags way down!

This winter, a proposed moose project was undertaken by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry dealing with harvest, predation, parasites, and climate and changing habitat of our beloved Bullwinkle. The following moose management strategy was proposed:

1) limiting calf moose hunting season across northern Ontario to a two week period.

2) a two-week resident and non-resident open hunting season for calf and adult moose across northern Ontario, beginning on the Saturday closest to Oct. 22. Outside of this two-week season, calf moose could not be harvested. Hunting for an adult moose would still be permitted for the remainder of the open season with a valid moose licence and in accordance with existing rules. Also, a delay to the start of 2016 resident and non-resident moose hunting season across much of northern Ontario by one week, is very likely.

Scribe heading for trout

In a few short weeks as I head-off on my annual trout fishing adventure with my dad and brother-in-law’s, my mind will filled with visions of crystal clear lakes and behemoth brookies. It doesn’t matter how far you travel, so long as you bask in Mother Nature’s springtime spectacle. Enjoying the peaceful serenity in the delicate call of the white-throated sparrow, or the courtship rituals of the common loon. Playing cards and horse-shoes with family 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 monster ‘specs’ as far as the eye can see!

Great online camping resource

Anyone who enjoys spending time camping at one of the many Ontario campgrounds – whether travelling with a 32-foot 5th wheel or pitching a two-man tent – should do themselves a favour and check-out this comprehensive new website. The new Parks Blogger Ontario site includes useful information on camping and travelling into copious Ontario Parks. The new site, I began contributing articles to this spring, features scads of camping tips and tricks, as well as stories by fellow campers. Happy camping this summer and do yourself a favour and check out: http://www.parksbloggerontario.com/

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 we always carry a can of bear spray and although I’ve never used it, it is always there at the ready! Statistics show there are a dozen or so bear attack attacks in North America each year, 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 when travelling or camping in bear country.

Trout or turkey its up to you

Although things are much earlier this year than with previous springs, as soon as the warm weather hits sportsmen (& women) generally fall into two categories.

1) Trout

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2) Or turkey

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Which one is it for you?

Send me your spring plans and I may feature you in next Thursday’s Outdoors Column. There’s no money involved, though, in case you’re wondering…

Outdoorsguy

(For those who are angry I didn’t mention walleye, bass, shed antler hunting, QC bear hunting, bullheads or spring muskrats..I do apologize)

Summer fun with trail cameras

 

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Summer is a fabulous time to play with trail cameras, don’t you think?

Actually, having said that, anytime of year really is a great time for trail cams if you ask me.

I have my Bushnell Trophy cams set-up all year long and enjoy nothing more than that exciting moment when you first review your photos. I feel like a kid on Christmas morning, you know that same feeling when you’re inside your ground blind, or perched high in a tree-stand in the fall?

Wide-eyed and anxious because you just never know what image might be on there!

(Anyone who loves trail cams knows what I’m talking about)

Hey, and in Eastern ON or Western QC, you could have shots of wild turkeys, bears, predators and hopefully lots and lots of deer. Sadly, most of the images I get are of the neighbour’s cat, crows, raccoons, and with a smaller percentage of deer, turkeys and foxes.

So I have to sift through a bit of milk before I get to the cream, but that’s ok. 

‘Sure-shot Dave’ is another lad who enjoys trail cams; actually security and monitoring also happens to be his business. (You gotta love it when work and play come together in such a nice way)

Here are some of Dave’s recent trail cam images to enjoy (Nice to see the newborn fawn pics):

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Here are some of my own trail cam pics taken over the past few weeks:

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(This nice-looking 2-year old, we call Rainbow, survived a very large cyst last winter. The growth was on the left side of his haunch; which has all since healed over. Only a patch of skin is left where the hair didn’t grow back)

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(This young doe I suspect has a fawn,I just haven’t seen it yet)

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(Another young buck coming in for a look)

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(Pesky coon inside the feed trough)

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(Another doe checking out my Bushnell Trophy XLT. That older model has an element which glows, while the new one I have is completly invisible night and day)

Thanks to McDan for his ‘buck in velvet’ trail cam images. The 3rd image is just awesome:
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Let’s just say the following images, sent in by Iggy, show bears being bears in the most natural sense. The amazing thing is to capture the act on film; two days in a row!

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Happy trail-caming everyone and thanks for the shots.

Hey, if you have any of your own summer trail cam images, drop my a pm and send them along.  I’ll add them to the post.

Outdoorsguy

Some springtime rantings

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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!

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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!

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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