Muskoka Outdoors

A fourth sweet buck has been added to the Muskoka Outdoors ‘Most Wanted’ list  photo contest. It is another local buck that looks very similar to the brow tine buck. I believe the difference is in the right G1 as it branches off at a different spot. The buck photo was submitted by Kyle.

As a kick-off to the ‘Most Wanted’ photo contest on my blog, I would like to share 3 photos of some bucks that are still at large in my ‘neck’ of the woods for the 2010 hunting season. These photos are from last year.

Number 1 on my list: The Brow Tine Buck

Check out the brow tines (G1′s) on this guy! Last year, my cousin Kyle had a crack at this bruiser and grazed him. He still haunts the area west of Spiers’ Field.

Number 2 on my list: Craig’s Ghost Buck

I could call this brute the ‘Snow Plow Buck’ but I’d like to keep him friendly long enough for Craig to get a chance at him. Like most big bucks he comes out a night or when your bow is tucked safely in your truck. For this buck’s uncanny ability to show up when a bow is out of sight – He’s on my most wanted.

Number 3 on my list: The Shy Buck

Going through the photos Kyle provided for us last year, this buck always seemed to avoid a head on photo shoot. With another year of antler growth this buck’s rack should clearing brush with ease. Check out those G2′s! Would love to fill my tag on this buck.

You could win a $25 Bass Pro Shops gift certificate by submitting a photo of the buck or doe (big or small ) that:

• You have captured on your game camera (or regular camera) and that is currently ‘At Large‘ in the area you hunt OR
• You have successfully and legally harvested in 2010 with a bow or firearm

When the deadline for photo submission ends on December 31, 2010  - I will randomly (using a random number generator) pick 2 photos and email the winners a $25 Bass Pro Shops Gift Certificate.

Validated photos will be featured on my blog with a ‘Wanted’ logo like the photo above. You will also be able to track submissions by following Muskoka Outdoors on our Facebook Fan Page or our Twitter account.

To enter – Use the form below:

*Bass Pro Shops has not sponsored NOR endorsed this contest

The Ontario Ministry of Natural resources has made some changes to the 2010 hunting regulations. These amendments are in response to efforts to ensure that Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) does not impact Ontario deer herds.

According to the Ontario MNR website, the changes are as follows:

• Prohibits the use of natural attractants that contain parts or bodily fluids of a member of the deer family for the purposes of hunting in Ontario (e.g., natural deer urine/by-products)
• Restricts the possession of certain higher risk carcass parts (e.g., brain, spinal column, antlers, etc.) of moose and caribou that were killed outside the province. This regulation is the same as the existing regulation that applies to the carcasses of all other members of the deer family which came into effect in 2005.
• Restricts the transportation of live white-tailed deer, American elk, moose and woodland caribou into Ontario unless accompanied by a provincial permit  (Source: Ontario MNR website)

I am somewhat skeptical over the need to ban deer urine attractants especially since no apparent CWD case has been linked to any these products. Perhaps when more is known about the actual transmission vectors of CWD – this could be re-evaluated. The synthetic products are cheaper anyway.

At least, they were.

UPDATE: The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH) has since posted a media release about the changes. To summarize their media release,

“Unfortunately, these half measures fall far short of what actions should have been taken, and not only fail to address the problem, they leave outdoors retailers on the cusp of hunting season with inventories of natural deer attractants that can be sold, but no longer be used by hunters, at least in Ontario.” Entire OFAH Press Release Here

Chronic Wasting Disease Fact Sheet

2010 Ontario Hunting Regulations Download

It’s a fitting name. I bestowed this name on a huge buck that should have secured my entry into the ‘Legends’ of Rip and Tear Hunt Club’s history. I guess my chapter was yet to be written.

It started out harmelessly enough. All of the gang had returned from a long afternoon on the deer stands and we were anxiously awaiting supper to hit our stomachs. It became quickly apparent that one of our guys, Kevin, had not arrived yet. I forget exactly why the ‘old-timers’ in the camp felt it was so important that Kevin made it back in good time, but they delegated to me the task of his evac.

Then, the debate started.

I remember it quite vividly. Not wanting to tell the ‘Ole Guys’ that I did not want to agree to their request, I threw on my hunting vest and headed for the closest atv.

“You better take your gun.” dad said.

Grandpa and Bill Billingsley piped up with similar sentiments and I think went into story mode about some long lost time forgotten.

“I’m just going down to Spiers’ field. Besides, the atv noise will scare any deer off before I even get there.” I replied. The dice of probablity began to spin in my head.

Grandpa and Bill stopped talking for a second and looked at me with a puzzling look. I could have heard a .22 shell drop on wet leaves. They grinned, looked at dad and went back into their story. Dad ‘encouraged’ me one more time to take my firearm. Stubbornly, I said “I’ll be fine” and fired up the atv and tore off down the camp road to the field.

The dice were still rolling.

Somewhere in the distance a hound started on a deer scent. A feeding buck planned his escape route.

When I reached the field location where I was to pick-up the hunter I turned off the atv’s engine and waited.  That hound was getting closer.  Out of instinct I reached for where my gun pouch would be and remembered it was sitting on my bed listening to 3 men chuckling about the rookie who left it behind.

A buck picked a path down a ridge to Spiers’ field.

The dice in my head stopped rolling.
“Snake-eyes.”

After another minute, the hound sounded very close and then I saw a massive buck briskly walking across the field. He was 75 yards from me at full broad side. I watched with a broken heart as the deer continued his perpendicular path in front of me for another 30 seconds!

Moments later, Kevin walked out of the bush and asked if I saw anything. I said “Yup!”

Then, he asked, “Where’s your gun?

“Back at camp.” I sheepishly whispered.

When we got back to camp the smell of supper welcomed us inside the cabin. 3 heads turned towards me and asked me if I needed my gun.

The dice in my head started rolling again. There was not much chance of dodging that question.

Four old-timers jeered about what had happened that day. Three were in the cabin and the other was somewhere west of Spiers’ field.

Over halfway through 2010 and one could argue that bears are trying to destroy their teddy bear image through various bear attacks and snarling close encounters.

For or against, these occurrences have many people talking about the cancellation of Ontario’s spring bear hunt. A lost hunting opportunity that many hunters felt was politically motivated. It was a management tool that developed a healthy fear of man in bears and helped to minimize encounters like those shared in this post. It did NOT mean the end of Ontario’s bears. Nobody wanted that!

Black Bear Photo: HBarrison from Wikipedia

Those against a bear hunt are being ‘treated’ with more bear sightings, bear attacks, property damage  and other close encounters.

Anecdotally, through sources close to Muskoka Outdoors, some Huntsville residents have been having some close encounters.

One man was working outside his house when he came face to face with a bear. After repeated attempts to scare the  bear off, the man went back inside his house, with the bear following, to get his firearm. When the man exited his house with gun in hand – the bear bolted away.

In a second, different encounter, one woman returned back into her kitchen to find a bear in her kitchen. It had come in through a screen door.

Then, there was this past spring.  In less than one month, three separate aggressive bear encounters have been reported in the area of Orillia, ON. One of the attacks was nearly fatal, while the other two were ‘charges’ and acts of aggression.

Listed below are accounts of the encounters from various sources:

1. Mauling victim gives chilling account of bear attack

2. ATV rider charged by black bear

3. Woman on bike chased by black bear near Orillia, ON

Recently, there have been other bear attacks in Canada and internationally:

1. Canadian woman recounts bear attack (Montana)

2. Bear killed after biting man’s arm (Colorado)

3. Port Alberni bear attack sends two to hospital (BC)

4. Yellowstone Bear Attack KILLS Camper, Injures Two

It’s getting more difficult to buy into the ‘rarity’ of hostile bear encounters and attacks. Clean BBQ grills, bear ‘proof’ garbage containers and call lines might fool humans into a sense of safety, but ‘Smokey’ the bear’s identity is lost in the reality of the Canadian rural setting.

Live trapping bears might make sense – until they end up in your back yard or mine. If we are going continue with this tool – I hope those involved are getting DNA samples of the bears that are re-released to make sure they are not repeat offenders. It will also give human victims a means to trace who released a potential risk to back to the wild.

At some point, increasing hunting opportunities, in conjunction with a science-based management plan, will need to be considered to start minimizing risks to humans. It could be a tough pill to swallow for anti-hunting groups.

It is more heart breaking for me to see a human become a causality of the ‘business-end’ of a bear.