I've been fortunate in taking coyote, deer, moose, and turkey during my years of hunting. My four brothers describe it less charitably as "dumb luck." Happy with my delusions, my thoughts turned to hunting the one big-game species in Ontario that I'd yet to harvest: the black bear.... more »
Within and outside the hunting community, wolves continue to be controversial. Everyone has an opinion about them. Some hold them in reverence over any other bird or animal, others despise the beasts. Although the vast majority of hunters these days have an appreciation for wolves... more »
Ontario is perfect rattling country. With buck-to-doe ratios fairly even across the province, competition for breeding can be intense. Couple this with the relatively low population densities in much of traditional deer-camp country or the segmented habitat in southern Ontario, and you have... more »
Standing over a downed deer, moose, or bear in the bush is no time to start thinking about learning how to field-dress the animal. As a responsible hunter, you should have planned for success long before game hit the ground. This means educating yourself in the techniques needed to transform the... more »
The shot felt good, but instead of collapsing on the spot, the deer ran off. And, as it vanished into cover, you couldn't help but be concerned, because you know that even a mortally wounded whitetail can travel a long way before giving up the ghost. As you sit and let your heartbeat... more »
The sound of your call is nowhere near as important as the type of call used. The sounds you make to entice a bull moose can be broken down into two areas, vocal and non-vocal. There are all kinds of sounds in the forest. As long as the noises you make have no human element and serve to... more »
A lot of scouting can be done on the internet. Web sites such as Google Earth can give you an idea of likely hunting areas. Topographic maps are also useful as you can look for ridgelines, low ground, agricultural fields, roads, etc. The corners of fields, the narrowing of ridges, and... more »
Most hunting articles focus on ways to successfully hunt and harvest a deer. You know, the pieces are titled "Ground-Blind Savvy," "Way of the Scrape," or "RX for Monster Bucks." But, no one caters to folks who prefer to strike out each season. If you're afraid of success, don't like the taste of... more »
Deer are nature's mobile CSI teams, with a lab that consists of a nose, ears, and eyes constantly combing their environment for danger. Each time you hunt a spot, you leave trace evidence, increasing the chance deer will detect your intrusion. To be successful, you must avoid letting them know... more »
