Surf and Turf

Yes with Walleye still in the mix hard decision, but the perch are calling me this time of year! I've never targeted them out of Maitland before.

They still have the machines, so just need license number and credit card, hopefully they don't pull the docks too soon so I can get out! I was thinking of giving Maitland a try but would be starting from scratch in my search. Tomorrow is looking pretty good right now.

13 hours ago, Dan Andrews said:

Got a person at MNRF. Basspro is full of doo-doo. Second year in a row they gave me bad info. 89 still exists! 

Basspro staff are a good example of a little knowledge being a dangerous thing. I've overheard some pretty dubious conversations with customers over the years in their hunting dept. experts on everything! No different than SAIL

Those are some good looking bucks!

Might not be safe to go into the woods alone with those bruisers running around, let me know if you ever need backup, Ha!

Good job on getting your Tom! Also nice job of processing him, looks like a professional plucking job!

Congrats, looks like you had a great hunt with a couple of wall hangers!

Congrats on your deer! Takes a lot of skill to take one with a bow!

1 hour ago, Bubba14 said:

Greetings all!

 

Well, 2022 saw the group I hunt with fill our second bull tag in two years! A few of us made it into camp on Saturday to set things up and get organized. By Sunday evening the rest of the stragglers arrived. Our plan Monday morning was to go in different directions and remain on watch for a few hours. This is what we usually do so that we can get a feel of what's been moving around recently. While we sit a couple of us will call. The spot I usually go to is a hardwood ridge with water all around, same spot where I shot my bull last year.

 

After 3 1/2 hours my good buddy Shawn slowly started to wander. He made it to my location and we talked for a couple of minutes. Apparently I was the only one to see any fresh sign with a cow and calf track about 100 yards from where I was sitting. Shawn left me and continued to wander. After about 5 minutes there were two well spaced shots and a "WOOOO HOOOO" as he had bagged a nice bull, 11:30 on opening morning and our hunt was over and the real work was about to start. The area had received a lot of rain over the previous couple of weeks so it make walking in the bush pretty silent. Shawn had walked to within 30 yards of the 45 1/2 inch animal as it was laying down chewing on browse. It had been laying there when I walked in but due to the dense leaves still hanging on the smaller trees I was unable to see him. I would have been within about 40 yards and I'm sure he just laid there listening to me.

 

The rest of the week was spent clearing trails, cutting wood and eating like kings like we always do. Getting an animal is always a bonus. If I can figure out how to post a pic I will.

Congratulations on a successful hunt!!

Congrats on your hunt Moose slayer, no luck pure skill! Impressive for the three of you to process and recover from 600 yards away. My back is aching just thinking about it.

We were up the week of 17th opener. First skunk in over 10 years, never even caught a glimpse of a moose or a single response. There was a large group of locals that had been hunting the area hard the week before we got there and were still "hunting" while we were there, which limited where we could even go. 

I got all excited just seeing the camera shots. Wait till they walk under your stand!

Looks like a worthy adversary!

3 hours ago, dave524 said:

soup anyone ? 

Nice, looks like there might be a bat in the middle?

Yeah, I don't think I'd do that now, although don't mind oysters once in a while.  Definitely don't like roughing it any more than I have too and more.

Yes, love eating fresh fish and grouse on our moose trips too. We often cook up a bit of liver from a young spiker, but I've never been a bit fan of the stuff myself.  I don't think I've never had bannock but sounds interesting.

For the clay wrapped sucker, did you eat the clay or the sucker?  I would think it would be pretty much a toss up, no? Ha  

20 hours ago, smerchly said:

You are kidding right ??  haha  !!

Warm beer & raw frog legs ???   I would have tossed my guts up el pronto !!   You did have a match to light a fire ?  

 

I checked out the bull frog season and didn't know they are an invasive species in Ontario . ..... so why have a season on them  ?  

My closest buddy had bullies in his pond and those frogs would eat anything , including  the chubs we used for bait . some of those frogs were eaten by blue herons and some ended up in the deep fryer ....tastes like chicken , but hard to get the mind off the frog part.... 

 

No kidding Smerch, that's what happens when you make a spur of the moment decision to go on a fishing trip after school on a Friday afternoon. We only brought necessities for the trip, our gear which always included beer and whiskey, but no food, not even chips, figuring that we would eat fish. We got our camp set up started drinking then about midnight got the severe munchies. There was a large pond right beside us and you could hear the frogs croaking, so we decided to catch some snacks. We waded around in the shallows with a coleman lantern and stick clubbing frogs along the way. 

Once we had a good number of frogs, we cut the legs off put them in a pan poured some Molson's Ex on them, but couldn't get the stove going. We contemplated getting some wood to make a fire, but after a sampling of the marinated frog legs, hunger and the booze over ruled good judgment. (which it had a tendency to do in may cases over the years lol)

The next day we got into some little stream specks which don't have much meat on them to begin with. On those trips we always brought along .22's to shoot ground hogs, we contemplated roasting one of those but luckily came across a rabbit which we roasted on an open fire, nothing better than rabbit flavoured charcoal for lunch, with a side of freshly caught speckled trout!

Hmm haven't had frog legs in a long time. I can't help with locations as haven't seen any bullfrogs in a long time. Got me thinking that it would be cool to try to find some. Last time I had frog legs we caught them in a pond at Allen Park close to Durham where we were camped on a speck fishing trip while in high school. We clubed a bunch of them but ended up having to eat them raw soaked in luke warm beer as we couldn't get the coleman stove working. I'm sure they would be much better breaded and deep fried.

Looks like it may be some sort of a conveyer system for aquatic weed harvester?

18 hours ago, smerchly said:

I came across this vid while snooping the You Tube just now ...had to post it !  It pretty well covers it well for us who hunt & fish .

Great photography  too !  It's a southern setting but we can relate to most of it . 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6l3ukWqRU4s&ab_channel=LukeBryanVEVO

 

 

Very familiar with the song, but that is the first time I've seen the video. I'm with you Smerch, I much prefer classic country and classic rock too. Funny, my kids couldn't stand my music when they were younger, but now in late teens and twenties they are coming around to it too.

It must be real if it's on the Interweb, no? lol

9 hours ago, Old Outdoorsman said:

I almost forgot.

 

Thanks for the reminder, I totally forgot.

Another fun fact about cats is that their faces which they love to deposit in children's sand boxes carry a parasite that can cause serious health risks. If my dog defecated in the neighbours sandbox and gardens I don't think they would be impressed.

Domestic cats were bred by people to be companion animals and as such can easily be controlled by a leash or closed door. 

And when Fluffy does become a fox's dinner, then the owners are horrified and demand that the city does something about the foxes.

3 minutes ago, Mbocco said:

That’s great everyone.  Read an article on the always reliable internet about how bad cats are for the environment… well that must be 100% true.  That stupid study is well know to be inaccurate and way over dramatized.  Way more birds die from way more causes than cats.
 

Leave animals alone!  You are NOT in control of nature.  The bird population will be just fine, as will the rabbits, and I dont see anyone defending the mice. 
 

If any of you shoot, trap, kill or relocate domestic cats then give your head a shake.  Because I guarantee you just made a child cry that their beloved pet has gone missing.  If any of you were my neighbour and did anything like that to my cat, you can’t imagine the problems you and I would have.  Not all cats are feral and even if they were they are still a part of nature.  

 

I thought we put this behind us.  This is a fishing forum. 
 

 

Hmmm, I don't believe anyone is advocating trapping or killing anyones pet cat. Domestic cats are not part of "nature" any more than a dog is.

There was a documentary done a few years ago where they put camera's on people's house cats. When they showed the owners the footage of "Fluffy" killing on a regular basis, the owners were horrified and vowed to keep theirs indoors, go forward.

Wild animals kill to survive, cats will kill for fun. 

If you have a cat and are interested in conservation, which is the topic of the this forum, then you might be interested in what they are up when they are out and about, that's all.

Growing up we had a cat that terrorized the local wildlife, used to bring home squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, etc. Only one time did it bring home a rat, which got a ride on the bus to school with me...(amazing how much fun you can have with a dead rat) lol.  Any cats out in the bush were viewed as vermin back then.

2 hours ago, Cleithrum said:

The recent search and rescue on Erie as well considering boat thefts in the area has me thinking about a gps tracker for my boat. 

 

Can anyone recommend a good gps tracker that they've used?   Ideally I'm looking for something subscription free.... but maybe that's not possible for a decent and reliable unit? 

 

Any insight is appreciated. 

Not a tracker for theft, but I bought an In-Reach Mini, satellite communicator a few years back. It has an emergency button that will summon help as well as being able to send text and email messages. In initially bought it with moose hunts in mind but, when I'm out alone on Erie especially trolling, I have it in my pocket and my inflatable on. Cheap insurance at $20 per month subscription.

Crazy for sure and sad that these “gang bangers” have no regard for human life. Their goal in life is to be a rap star, with drug dealer as a back up career.
The Federal government has our back though with new legislation freezing handgun sales and eliminating mandatory jail time for gun offenders at the same time. I’m sure those two measures will solve the problem🤬

3 hours ago, smerchly said:

Many people saved a few bucks since 2019 (like me) by staying home more and got more involved with the great outdoors & many bought RV's , boats, seadoos , canoes tents , etc etc.  We have to spend more on gas but that leaves us with less to spend on other things & I think businesses will see less sales . (jacking up the prices 30% doesn't help either) .  Gas at Fox Fuels (reserve) in Shannonville is $1.52 this morning  ....just down the road from out trailer park at Deseronto. Why the big diff.???

As Tyler said , yaks are cheap to run . My mountain bike & canoe ( one H.P....me ) will get more use also . 

Even crazier is that if you have an Indian Status Card you pay every less. Just goes to show you how much tax the government is hosing us with.