A Pelee Island Trifecta
Wine, walleye, and ringnecks make a journey here an unforgettable experience
By: Jeff Helsdon
Appropriately, our first view of a Pelee Island pheasant was one sailing over a vineyard to land in the fencerow in front of us. A pass through the thick mat of grass found nothing, even though we had some idea of where the bird landed. As John and Hardy Kueppers and I headed back to our vehicles, the hen bird sprung up unexpectedly in front of us after Hardy's Lab, Jazz, flushed it. We emptied our guns in a salute to the bird, as it sailed back over the vineyard it came from.
This happened last Decem-ber and was our first experience hunting Pelee Island's famed pheasants. It took a little time, but the dog work and shooting both improved.
Island Getaway
Pheasant hunters have been coming to Canada's most-southerly inhabited island for decades. The fall tradition starts with three 2-day hunts for 25,000 birds released each fall and residual birds that call the island's ditches and fencerows home. Four 3-day clean-up hunts follow the main hunts, along with a winter hunt from January 1 to February 28.
I'd heard tales, both good and bad, about the Pelee Island pheasant hunts since I was a teenager training springer spaniels. The bad was about the droves of hunters that swarm the island for the main hunts. The good was the huge number of pheasants.
Resolving to actually experience the hunt last year, I toyed with taking part in the main hunt or one of the clean-up hunts. I mainly heard great things about the clean-up hunts – still lots of birds and fewer hunters – but the one caution was the weather could delay the ferry from taking hunters to the island or bringing them back. When the Kueppers agreed to go on one of the clean-up hunts, the decision was made.
We found out about the bad when our hunt got off to a slow start after the ferry ran into a sandbar. We were in the lineup area to board the night before the hunt when we were told the ferry wouldn't be going that night. It was 24 hours later before we actually got to the island.
With one day out of our trip, we were ready when hunting started at 8 o'clock the next morning. We encountered that first bird after splitting up to comb a fencerow and adjacent woods with no success. From that first bird, we moved to a nearby farm. Our success rate increased there and by lunchtime we had two birds in the bag.
Locals said we should have been encountering more birds. Heeding their suggestions, we hunted another spot with much greater success. Although not all the birds were in range or shootable for safety reasons the next two hours saw close to two dozen flushes. My springer, Becky, and John's Chesapeake, Doc, shared flushing duties with Jazz.
When our day-and-a-half of hunting was up, we had 11 birds, just over two-thirds of our combined 15-bird limit. We resolved to return again to experience the entire hunt after spending some time at the trap range.
Welcome Wagon
Pelee Island is one place in Ontario that actually welcomes hunters. In fact, a sign adjacent to the ferry dock proclaims this. Hunters basically have free range of the entire island, with a few exceptions. No hunting is allowed in vineyards, standing crops (unless you have permission), or nature reserves.
It's excellent habitat for pheasants, with ditches, hedgerows, and forest interspersed between fields of soybeans, wheat, and rice. Mild climate helps pheasant numbers.
Pelee Island is about a lot more than pheasants, though. It has a moderate climate and its growing season is even two weeks longer than the nearby mainland. Pelee is home to numerous rare plants and animals.
Besides its southern exposure, Pelee Island's largest claim to fame is its wine. Pelee Island Winery vineyards comprise 550 of the island's total 10,000 acres. The number of frost-free days, warm climate, and a lake breeze that discourages fungus and limits humidity make for excellent grape-growing conditions. Tours of the facility are offered from May to October 13.
In nearby Kingsville, grapes grown on the island are processed into Pelee Island Winery's award-winning vintages. We made the obligatory stop at the winery before heading to the ferry port in Kingsville. Tours of this facility are also offered throughout the year.
After pheasant season draws to a close and the last ice floes of winter are gone, sportsmen again flock to Pelee Island and its adjacent waters for walleye. Any angler who hasn't tried Lake Erie's walleye is in for a treat.
Ministry of Natural Resources estimates put Lake Erie's total walleye population at more than 22 million fish. A good spawn in 2003 accounts for 14 million of those fish. Shoals off Pelee Island and the western end of Lake Erie in general are prime spawning grounds for walleye. After spawning, good numbers of fish remain there for the catching.
A Walleye Adventure
I headed back to the Pelee area in late June to experience the walleye fishing with my family and Terry Vandewauwer and his wife, Debbie, of Rampage Sports Fishing Charters. Based in Leamington while targeting walleye, the Vandewauwers fish the waters between Point Pelee and Pelee Island.
Terry Vandewauwer has more than 30 years experience fishing Lake Erie. It was soon evident. Shortly after we left the dock at 7 a.m., before he could even get all the rods out on one side of the boat, a fish hit one of the spoons we were trolling. I ended up landing a walleye just over 2 pounds – likely one of the 2003 year-class fish. Another walleye followed that my son, Collin, reeled in.
A succession of storms in late June scattered the large school of fish Vandewauwer had been into earlier in the week we were fishing, but we still ended up with our limit of 18 fish (six each). Many of them were likely 2003 year-class fish, which due to Erie's bountiful food supply are now about 21 inches long and tip the scales at 2.5 pounds. To me, that's prime eating size. Two fish – one I caught and one Collin brought in – were over five pounds. Another my wife, Karen, claimed was over four pounds.
Walleye fishing off Pelee starts to turn on in May. It's good through June, but when the water warms, fish head for deeper areas on the east side of the point. Still, some fish hang around the island year-round.
Vandewauwer says the island offers protection from the wind. During a blow, all anglers need to do is go to the other side to find flatter water.
Many anglers don't have a boat large enough to access the island, but take their vehicles and boats across on the ferry to fish the calmer waters around the island. To me, the prospect of taking my smaller boat across on the ferry is another reason for a return trip to Pelee.
Trip Info
THE TRIP
By ferry to Canada’s southern-most inhabited island for pheasants, wine, and walleye.
THE HUNT
The regular-hunt limit is 10 birds per person, with licence costing $200. Licences sell out and accommodations fill up, so book early for 2009. In clean-up hunts, the limit is five birds, with a $100 licence. To book a hunt, go to www.peleeisland.org
TRANSPORTATION
A one-way fare to Pelee Island costs $16.50 per vehicle/trailer, plus $7.50 per adult and $3.75 per child. More information on schedules and fees is at www.ontarioferries.com. Lake Erie can be rough in late fall, resulting in ferry cancellation or delay. Make allowances to get back later than originally planned, in case you get stuck on the island.
ACCOMMODATION
We stayed at the Anchor and Wheel (519-724-2195). A list of accommodations is at www.peleeisland.org
CHARTERS
Rampage Fishing Charters (519-354-1901)
Getting There
Pelee Island can be accessed from ferry terminals in Leamington or Kingsville. At the time of writing, the Kingsville terminal was being repaired. Fall runs are usually limited to one port. Leamington is about a half-hour south of Highway 401 via Hwy. 77.
Check List
- Lots of shotgun shells (limited or no supply on island).
- Anything necessary for dogs, including extra dog food.
- Food and drinks (restaurants open in the clean-up hunt are limited, but not during the main hunts).
- Provincial small-game hunting licence and island pheasant licence.
- Fishing licence
