whitetail – The Outdoors Guy

October 24, 2016

Experience a whitetail hunt this Fall

With moose season drawing to a close, whitetail hunters everywhere are gearing-up for the pursuit of North America’s most sought after big-game animal.

The white-tailed deer rifle season is a special and sentimental time I have enjoyed immensely for the past 36 years. From that first deer season back in 1980 when my dad brought me along to hunt with the men, I was hooked instantly. Of course I lucked out when a big eight-point buck ran right out to me on that first morning. It was an exciting time for a young green-horn hunter and I believe most hunters, young and old, still share this child-like enthusiasm for the deer season. My upcoming hunt at Kenauk Nature is something I now look forward to year after year. The famous Montebello, Que., deer woods is a true hunter’s paradise with its rolling hills, rugged terrain and the most majestic old growth stands of red oak I’ve ever seen. Climbing the peaks each autumn with my hunt gang in pursuit of a whitetail buck is always exciting, and this year is no exception. I have been fortunate to take some truly magnificent whitetail bucks at Kenauk over the years but, as most deer hunters know, it’s not all about the harvest.

Getting out in the crisp, cool fall air with the boys planning out each hunt with a fine-tooth comb is what we live for. Coming together as a team; strategizing and pouring over topographic maps and GPS co-ordinates with hopes of positioning ourselves for a chance at a deer. Many years our best planning does not translate into a sagging game pole and that’s fine with me. The experience is what it’s all about and what an experience it is! For more info on Kenauk Nature: http://kenauk.com/

Fish, Hunt & Ride Fall issue If you have not yet found an issue of everyone’s favourite magazine – Fish, Hunt & Ride, I suggest you find one at our nearly 300 location. The FHR summer edition celebrated Ontario’s reinstatement of the black spring bear hunt with adventures penned by several columnists’ including ‘Uncle’ Ted Nugent. Our fall issue will be bigger and better than ever with scads of hunting, fishing and riding stories, news, tips and tricks.

Fall is ALL about hunting and we really take it to heart in our next edition. Fish, Hunt & Ride would like to welcome a new member of our team: Ashley Rae of SheLovesToFish.com fame. Ashley is a gal who lives and breathes the great outdoors and is as passionate an angler as I’ve ever seen. Be sure to read Ashley’s first column along with great material from other members of our team of experts and specialists. Oh and hey, Old Toothless is celebrating 20 years, read our fall issue for more details. If you have an upcoming hunting, fishing, or ATV event in your area you’d like to mention or advertise, drop us a line. In the meantime check out our website: www.fishhuntandride.ca.

Safety always comes first! Statistics show that firearms-related accidents are rare during the hunting season, however there are other health and safety concerns to be aware of. Perhaps our greatest hazard, apart from falling asleep in the tree stand, would be muscle strain and body fatigue.

For many hunters, deer season can be one of most strenuous activities of the year. After trekking five miles or more up and down the mountains, aches and pains are part of the package and injury a possibility. Simple stretching exercises in the morning can help get the old body loosened up and ready for an enjoyable day in the woods. For those who do a lot of walking like we do, be sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day. Waking up at camp in the middle of the night with excruciating leg pain from muscle spasms can be avoided if you don’t let yourself get dehydrated. Trust me on this one. Good luck, happy hunting and be safe out there this fall!

September 3, 2014

Preseason scouting time is upon us

For hunters out there not currently chasing black bears or gearing up for moose, just a reminder that it’s nearing that time of year when pre-season deer scouting is in order.

Man, I don’t care who you are, just setting one foot into your hunting territory at this time of year is exciting!

I’ll be heading up to my deer woods over next couple of weeks to do some scouting and put up some trail cams. Cant wait!!

Has anyone else done any pre-season deer scouting?

Outdoorsguy

January 22, 2014

Trailcam memories of fall

Ahhh, don’t you wish it was Fall again?

I know I do, especially after browsing through some of my favorite trail cam images from this past fall. I never get tired of photographing deer, I don’t know what it is.

All of the following Bushnell trophy-cam images were taken around my place – right here within City of Ottawa Limits from 4 different trail cam locations. Each camera is a slightly different model with somewhat different features.

Take note that most of these deer have never been hunted and end-up succumbing to predators, the elements, are hit by cars, or die of old age. (Vehicles and predators usually get them long before natural causes do)

No, I may not get to hunt these beautiful animals, but observing and photographing them throughout the year is nearly as rewarding. (almost)

Here are a few images to kick-it off and I’ll be adding a bunch more this evening…

Enjoy…Fall is still a long 9-months away !!

October 18, 2013

Return of Garfield – local buck lives on!

My old pal Garfield, now an impressive 6 1/2-year old whitetail buck (who was born in my back field) has returned for yet another fall!

The mature buck who has returned to my neck of the woods year after year may not boast the most symmetrical set of antlers in the world, but he is impressive animal none the less.

And toughs as nails too!

It’s always nice to see a familiar face, especially one I have photographed many times with my Bushnell Trophy cams over the past 5 years. I realize you are not supposed to name a wild animal, but this bad boy is more of an old friend than anything.

Of all the whitetails who’ve come and gone in my area, Garfield is the most resilient of the bunch. He’s been chased by coyotes hundreds of times, broken his rack two years in a row, and always had one side of his antlers look slightly different the other.

One time my daughter and I found Garfield lying flat out like a horse in the back field, we thought for sure he was dead until we walked closer and discovered he was just exhausted and sleeping.

In the daylight, the distinctive brown patches on his hind legs are a give-away to his identity. Besides that, I just never forget a face!

Isn’t the onset of the whitetail rut a magnificent time of year? You just never know who might show up!!

Outdoorsguy

June 11, 2013

Great Outdoors Trivia Contest – Question #2

Sorry it has taken so long for the next trivia question, and in case you missed the first one which appeared in May 3rd SUN Outdoors Column, here it is:

Question #1:

OK folks, put your thinking caps on, here is question No. 1 in the Great Outdoors Trivia Contest. The tarsal, interdigital and preorbital are all types of what? A) Range-finder settings; B) Trail camera settings; or C) Type of deer glands. Watch for question No. 2 coming up in my Outdoors Guy Blog.

Question #2:

According to the Centre for Occupational Health & Safety, in recent years most Rabies infections in British Columbia and Alberta have been reported in bats; in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, in has been skunks; and in Ontario and Quebec rabies has been reported most in bats, skunks and what other wild animal?

Is it A) Red foxes; B) Raccoons; or C) Eastern chipmunks.

The final question in this year’s Great Outdoors Trivia Contest will appear in next Thursday’s(June 20) Pembroke Daily Observer. (Link to that column will be provided in case you can’t find it, and you don’t live in the Ottawa Valley)

Winner of this year’s contest will receive a nice scent package courtesy of Tink’s!

Outdoorsguy

December 5, 2012

Hunting deer with trail cameras

Well, hunting season has come and gone – for me at least. I realize there are still some hunting opportunities left but, sadly, I haven’t any time for them. How far off is retirement again?

Thank goodness for my trail cam hunting; the closest thing to real hunting I’ve found yet. Planning out a good trailcam strategy and location, I’ve discovered to be very much like hunting itself.

You need to understand whitetail patterns and travel habits, and setting up camera position & location can be compared to choosing the proper stand location. The actual photos and vids you acquire would be to hunting, akin to lining-up the shot and making the decision when to pull the trigger.

You see where I’m going with this?

Also, trail-camming is similar to hunting in that there is, certainly, some luck involved but as you become more skilled, the better the images you will get. Sure, there is such thing as beginner’s luck with hunting, but it is also common knowledge that the more experienced hunter will have, on average, more opportunities to harvest game than those with little experience.

Throughout the year I run just 2 trailcams around my place , however, once December arrives I’ll put out 2 or 3 more to cover different areas as deer travel patterns change.

The more the merrier I always say and, as luck would have it, Bushnell has just sent me two new models to test- out. The Trophy Cam HD and the X8.

Here are some of the more interesting images I’ve taken this fall. Although I pride myself on knowing the look and names of practically every deer I photograph around my place, I was surprised to discover a big buck I had never seen before. Mrs Outdoors Guy named him ‘Silver’ and he’s a real beauty as you’ll see….

Happy trail-camming and enjoy!

(This young bull was photographed on the trail beside our hunt camp, while the moose hunters were in the camp having breakfast. They never saw this bull during the season)

(In Sep this black bear stopped by my deer camp feeder for a nibble and a close-up look at my trail cam)

(This is the same bear 1 minute later trying to bite said trail cam! Thank goodness for my Bushnell Bear Safe and cable lock, the camera wasn’t damaged or moved. And since this cam stays up for 2 months without being checked, it remained in position until deer season!)

(This coyote had a good snack at my camp feeder. Notice the Acorn Rage attached to tree in lower left)

(Coyote then notices the Acorn Rage attached to the tree..now what’s he going to do?)

(This photo shows same coyote after he tore the Acorn Rage block off the tree. Keep in mind this things are attached with a heavy screw!)

(Now on to the cameras around my place. Here’s a nice pic of my old pal Garfield – now an impressive 5 year old buck! Garfield was born in my back field and can be recognized by tell-tale white markings on his hind legs)

(Another picture of Garfield at same camera location)

(Here’s the new buck we’re calling ‘Silver’. Not sure if he and Garfield have met personally, but I’m sure they will soon as I suspect there is a hot doe around!)

(A little while after Silver went through, this guy was on his tail..bugger!)

September 26, 2012September 7, 2017

Outdoors Guy – Memorable Hunts

I thought perhaps a fun way to gear up for the moose and deer season would be to recount some of my more memorable hunts, and I invite you to do the same.

Here’s one of my favs that goes way back to November, 1996- the story featured in Rack: Adventures in Trophy Hunting magazine the following year:

STORY OF OL’ TOOTHLESS

Our hunt camp is nestled in the woods two hours north of Montreal in Argenteuil County, Quebec. It has been a hunting and fishing camp in my family for close to 50 years and the saying, “knowing the woods like the back of your hand” would be an apt expression for our hunting gang.

Even though it is situated on public land and host to many other southern Quebec deer hunters each fall, we are still quite successful in our deer hunting endeavors. Our strategy of finding “quiet corners” to pursue whitetails has really paid off for us, as we have been rewarded with some nice bucks over the years. It seems Quebec’s increase in deer herd since the early 1990s also have helped our success. Most mature bucks harvested, albeit very few, are usually found on private land with the private landowner getting first dibs. This is why the story of “Ol’ Toothless” is even more surprising.

Alarm number 1 shatters the silence at 5 a.m. on that fateful morning. Since I was assigned the job as catalyst for the gang, I dragged myself from my bunk and began preparing my “last breakfast” for the boys, while pondering our morning destination. It being my last morning to hunt for the 1996 season and last chance at a buck, I was eager to get to the bush.

I thought maybe starting with a small chase closer to camp would be wise. This drive formed a natural funnel between two lakes, flanked by a stream on the east side. We also have taken deer on this drive, but have not pushed it recently due to the amount of hunters frequenting the area.

As the drive began, I made my way along the creek bottom and back up on the ridge, slowly moving through the funnel. Approaching the middle with a lake on either side of me, shots started sounding off across the lake. Bang! Bang! Bang! They echoed off the lake. Then two more shots followed. Sounds like the old man’s .30-.06, I thought to myself. Something told me to run to the lake’s edge to cut off any escaping deer.

Making my way to the lakeshore I ran full out, clearing spruce and balsam branches from my face. That last shot seemed a lot closer for some reason, I thought, just as I broke into the open lake edge. Wondering if my father got one, I could not believe my eyes when I arrived!

At the lake shore I watched in disbelief as the largest racked deer I had ever seen was swimming across the end of the lake, at about 80 yards. Staring for a moment in disbelief, I saw a shot hit the water about 30 feet behind the deer. I thought I had better nail him or he will be up on the other side and gone in a second. A well-placed shot in the back of his neck and the big boy was down instantly.

I sprinted my way around the end of the lake and across an old beaver dam, like a mink jumping from log to log. The buck was lying in a few inches of water when I yanked him up on the bank, just as my father arrived. Neither of us could believe the size and beauty of this buck’s crown. He was a heavy 13-pointer with long tines and sweeping beams. As we hugged and shook hands all we could say was, “I can’t believe it!”

The rest of the guys finally made their way to where we were with the buck. None of them could believe a deer this size existed up here. After we field dressed the deer, I examined him more closely. Having recently finished the Fish & Wildlife Biology program at SSFC, I was interested in determining the big fellow’s age. To my great surprise, I found that he had no front teeth whatsoever, and his molars and pre-molars were extremely worn. “An Ol’ Toothless One!” Harold said. We all chuckled. I estimated the old boy with his sunken face to be approx. 8.5 – 9.5 years old, based on dental condition. We measured the main beams at just fewer than 26 inches each, the outside spread of 23.5 inches and both G2s between 11-12 inches.

I subsequently had the head caped out and mounted, but it was not until I scored it myself that I knew it could be a new provincial record, for the Buckmasters Trophy Records. Under the BTR system, the inside spread measurement is not included as it is deemed to be a measure of air not antler. Rick ‘Whitetail Guru’ Poulin of Barrhaven scored the old boy officially at 141 ⁴/8 inches BTR in the typical category and discovered that it was the new Typical Provincial Record whitetail for the Province of Quebec.

It was a day I wouldn’t soon forget and I was grateful to have shared it with my Dad.

March 7, 2011

Dan Grant trophy muzzleloader buck

Here is one fine trophy whitetail muzzleloader hunt, as told by hunter Dan Grant:

I have been an avid hunter since the age of 16. My parents let me take one day off from school and that day I shot my first buck, an eight point 202 lb beauty by 1978 standards.

Fast forward 32 yrs later…being self employed it doesn’t leave me with much time to hunt during deer season. I managed to take 1 day off during the regular rifle season and shot a nice little 5 point opening morning 10 minutes into the hunt. As muzzle season approached, the plan was to hunt the final Saturday back at our hunt camp. I arrived Friday night looking forward to the next day’s hunt and was the first to find the feathers in bed that night, as it had been a long and busy week at work.

The next morning, those who got up out of bed headed out to their respective stands and watches. I decided I would poke my way around the perimeter of our area and see what, if any, tracks could be found in the fresh snow. The wind was in my favour and I approached the back fence line. Fifty feet from the corner I heard the crashing through the bush inside the fence row. Busted! I thought, but I pulled out my grunt call anyway, blew 4 times, made my way to the turn on the trail, crouched down and waited. The deer had stopped, turned and began to make its way out of the bush onto the trail 25-yards in front of me. My first sighting of this buck was of his head and rack stretching out of the brush, and turning to look at me. In a cloud of smoke the deer disappeared, crashing again through the brush to my left as I quickly reloaded and ran back down the trail in case he tried to cross behind me.

Did I miss this deer? I wondered

The silence was deafening, my heart pounding, as I went back to where he had crossed. No tracks in the snow on the trail, no blood at all then I saw the snow off of some branches and a track where he had landed inside the bush. One drop of blood on the snow was all I could find, so decided to look a little further.

I didn’t have to go far, 100 feet from that spot lay my first deer ever taken with a muzzle loader, and what a deer it was!

There is a sign on the wall in our camp which reads “Tailspin Hunt Camp: where the legend grows”…I can vouch for that now! (Dan Grant – March , 2011)

Thanks so much to Dan for sharing his story.

Footnote: Dan Grant’s impressive muzzleloader buck was scored recently for the Boone & Crockett Club, to the tune of 169 6/8” B&C. As one can imagine with a buck measuring so close to the benchmark 170”, the numbers were calculated and recalculated several times.