
Opener success: Field editor Alan Davy (left), yours truly and Al's 22-pound tom
Well, I still have a wild turkey tag in my wallet. The spring season here in Ontario opened on Monday, and field editor Al Davy and I got set up before sunrise on his acreage near Port Sydney, Ontario.
Around 7 a.m., we had a hen come right in within gun range, but with no men were in tow. That wasnât too surprising, since we hadnât heard any gobbles. And so went most of the day: no tom talk.
Finally, at 4 p.m., we got our first gobbles. We kept calling, and within 10 minutes in came the first bird, albeit silently. I had the bead on it at 30 yards, but I couldnât make out a beard, so I Iet it walk (for those not from Ontario, we can only shoot bearded birds here during the spring hunt). Clearly, it was male, but no beard is no beard.
The second bird soon followed, and he came to within 15 yards of us, staying hidden behind a large tree. He was swinging a nice chunk of rope. After about five more minutes, he finally popped out on Alâs side of the tree and-Bang!-Al had his bird, a 22-pound tom.
We had a few more gobbles, but couldnât entice another turkey to come in. Day over.
Later, we checked Alâs trail cam over on the strut zone where we first heard the two birds gobbling. The turkey I passed up was on the camera; he had a barely discernable nub where his beard should have been. It mustâve been torn off in a fight or something. He was also a jake, so no mind: Iâve got my sights set on a tom this season
Yesterday, I joined Rob Pye from the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters to check out some cow pasture and mixed hardwood stands just north of Orillia for the last four hours of legal hunting time. It was far too windy, though, and I didnât hear or see a thing.
Did I mention I still have a tag in my pocket?
One of the many issues of concern for the fishing and hunting community is recruitment, or, more specifically, the greying of our ranks. In short, we are continually striving to bring new anglers and hunters, particularly youth, into the fold. And more and more, the outdoors community has also been targeting woman as potential new outdoorsfolk of tomorrow. And that’s a good thing. In
Have you made plans for National Fishing Week yet? It’s coming up fast, kicking off this Saturday, July 2, and running through to Sunday, July 10. Even if you don’t participate in an official event, it’s a great time to take a kid fishing or introduce someone new to the sport. That is, after all, the main point of National Fishing Week: to get more Canadians outdoors and
Awesome. Sweet. Dude. Those are the three new words my Dad says he learned during our four days of fishing at northern Saskatchewan’s Milton Lake Lodge (we got back to Ontario on Tuesday). That’s hardly surprising, given we were hanging with Nick Pujic, the hip young principal of Fly Max Films and Fly Nation TV (think surfer culture meets fly fishing), and our guide Naoto Aoki.
Congrats to the winners of the first annual B.C. Loch-Style Fly Fishing Championship, held last Friday and Saturday on Trojan Pond near the town of Logan Lake, B.C. Eight teams of five anglers apiece vied for the top team and individual honours. Among the winners? Outdoor Canada field editor Mark Anderson, who placed third in individual results. As well, Mark’s team (Equipe
Subscribers should be receiving the March/April issue of Outdoor Canada magazine any day now, and among the great features, they’ll find a travel adventure story by yours truly. The subject? Trophy lake trout and northern pike fishing on Saskatchewan’s Lake Athabasca (at Lakers Unlimited’s Spring Bay Lodge). As promised in the article (”A sure thing,”
///// FOLLOW ON TWITTER: @OutdoorWalsh ///// Outdoor Canada Editor Patrick Walsh grew up fishing and hunting in Bracebridge, Ontario, where he began his magazine career in 1983 as assistant editor of Muskoka Life. Since then, he has worked for a variety of media, both in Canada and abroad, earning numerous writing and editing awards. In both 2011 and 2005, the Canadian Society of Magazine Editors named him Editor of the Year, while Outdoor Canada was honoured as Magazine of the Year. Learn more: www.outdoorcanada.ca.