Muskoka Outdoors

I get excited when I am about to hit the publish button on one of my blog posts because I enjoy sharing my outdoor experiences with my visitors. Today’s blog post is particularly special because it highlights recent hunting memories of a father and two of his daughters.

Virginia, Dad, Josie (middle knees) and family

Virginia and Josie are two siblings, of a larger family, that I know and have learned to appreciate through my current job at a local public school. When I found out that they had recently been turkey hunting with their father, I could not wait to pull them aside and hear all about their hunting adventures. I quickly found out that the two girls not only loved the outdoors as much as I do, but they can’t wait for the next opportunity for their father to take them out hunting!

The hunters were kind enough to answer a set of interview questions that I submitted to them. Here is what they said:

Q1. (For Dad) I was excited to find out that Virginia’s and Josie’s dad took them hunting. How have your hunting trips impacted your family and relationships with your daughters?
I believe our hunting trips together allow us to spend some quality time together at a slower pace. It lets us break away from the hectic and busy grind and spend some father daughter time together one on one enjoying the simple things like watching the sun come up – I believe it brings us closer together and it is important the girls spend time participating in something their father enjoys and expanding there own interests. Hopefully one, if not all, will want to take up the sport of hunting so we can continue to enjoy our time together a field.

Q2. (For Daughters) What is cool about hunting with your dad?
(Virginia says) Hunting with my dad is cool because we just get to hang out and have some bonding time. We get a lot of good opportunities to learn good skills which will be with us forever. When I go hunting, I love the adrenaline rush that comes with it and it is fun to track the animals!
(Josie says) I like seeing all the deer and turkey with my dad. I just like sitting quiet and looking at my dad – like this is so cool! I also really enjoy eating the meat after all the hard work!

Q3. (For Dad) What ‘life lessons’ do you think your daughters learn from hunting with you?
I think the girls start to learn the importance of teamwork, respect for the great outdoors and hard work. Virginia has experienced the moose camp and learned to four-wheel and scout at the camp. She has seen that hunting is a lot of hard work. I think she will learn that the rewards of the hunt are worth all the hard work and preparation. I hope they will learn that when you work hard you will be rewarded in all aspects of life.

Josie (left) and Virginia (right) inspect dad's deer

Q4. (For Daughters) Please tell me about your favourite hunting trip with your dad.
(Virginia’s Story) One of my dad’s and my favourite hunting trips was one morning when we were hunting turkeys before school. We were sitting in our little hunting tent and there were probably around three or four hens in front of us. They were eating and two big toms were just out of range. Well, there was one bearded hen that was legal to shoot. My dad has his gun up and I started whispering, “Dad shoot, shoot! Come on dad. It’s right there. Shoot it. Shoot it! He never did shoot it, I think he should have since he still had one tag left at the end of the season!

(Josie’s Story) One hunting story was when me and my dad were out and we were going into the forest. We were just entering the forest, when a deer jumped in front of us. We had spooked it and it ran away. Anyway, after that, we just kept on walking to our tree stand. When we got there my dad told me to just stay at the tree while he went out to place scent markers. As he was putting out the scent markers, I started walking towards him.  He saw me and he waved at me to go back, but i just kept walking toward him. When I finally got to him, he asked me,  ”Josie what is it?”. In a hushed voice I replied, “Dad, Dad the deer came back! I just thought I should let you know.” The deer was standing about fifteen yards away!    -End of Interview-

I would like to thank Virginia, Josie and their father for taking a moment to answer my questions. It is encouraging to know that outdoor skills like hunting and fishing are still be shared with future generations. Kudos to you (Josie’s and Virginia’s), dad. Would love to hear your buck story sometime.

I can’t wait to introduce my daughters to hunting when they get older! It will be time well spent.

Congratulations to Craig, Jeff and the Cavers brothers for going ‘out of their way’ to make sure their wives did not have to get a turkey for thanksgiving this year. Nice Ontario turkeys gentlemen!

Father and daughter team work together to take a spring turkey. Emily and Craig (father) show us that this kind of outdoor experience is not just for ‘the guys’. Great work Emily and Craig! Thanks for the photo.

Father and Daughter Ontario Spring Turkey Success!

* I would be happy to post Muskoka Outdoors blog visitors’ spring hunting or fishing pictures. Email them to me using the contact link below this post.

Huntsville's Roadside Turkeys

It’s amazing to me that these turkeys are still going strong this year – despite our recent, heavy snowfall! The turkeys that we are seeing in our area are a result of a program that began in 1984. Turkeys were trapped in Missouri, Iowa, Michigan, New York, Vermont, New Jersey, and Tennessee and transplanted in Ontario. In 1986, turkeys from successful Ontario ranges were also transplanted to various other locations in Ontario. A total of 440o turkeys were initially “borrowed” to begin the program. There are now estimated to be 70,000 turkeys in Ontario (source: Ontario’s Wild Turkey Management Plan).

Many outdoors enthusiasts are talking turkey this week, as Ontario’s wild turkey season opened Monday, April 27 in much of southern Ontario. This year’s season includes an expansion into several new wildlife management units (W.M.U.’s) introduced by the Ministry of Natural Resources (M.N.R.) for 2009. The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (O.F.A.H.), Ontario’s largest nonprofit fish and wildlife-based conservation organization, welcomes the additional opportunities for its members and wishes all hunters a safe and enjoyable season in the great outdoors.

“The spring wild turkey season continues to grow in popularity with hunters of all ages and walks of life. Spring is an ideal time to be in the field, and this challenging game bird makes for a memorable experience,” said O.F.A.H. Executive Director, Mike Reader. “The addition of new wildlife management units this year means that even more enthusiasts can experience time in the outdoors, and if they’re fortunate, harvest a wild turkey.”

W.M.U.’s 46, 54, 55A and 57 are now included in the spring wild turkey season, and W.M.U.’s 65, 66A, 80, 85, 87 and 91 will be part of the 2009 fall season.

The reintroduction of wild turkey, a partnership effort of the M.N.R., O.F.A.H., National Wild Turkey Federation, landowners, volunteers and others, is one of the province’s most successful wildlife restoration initiatives, and led to the introduction of a wild turkey season in 1987. The O.F.A.H. invested over half a million dollars in the restoration program, and as the population became well established, supported a second turkey hunting licence, all-day turkey hunting, Sunday gun hunting, and most recently, a fall season, which began in 2008. Conservative estimates place the province’s wild turkey population between 70,000 and 100,000.

According to the M.N.R., a total of 10,964 birds were harvested in 2008, including 472 harvested in the first fall season. Mandatory reporting is in place for wild turkey. For more information on hunting regulations, pick up a copy of the ministry’s Ontario 2009 Hunting Regulations Summary guide, available at ServiceOntario Centres and outfitters, or visit www.ontario.ca/hunting.

Wild turkey licensing fees generate approximately one million dollars annually for the M.N.R.’s Special Purpose Account, which is used to support fish and wildlife programs across Ontario. The socioeconomic value of Ontario’s wild turkey hunt, with outfitting, travel, accommodation and other expenditures, is estimated to be more than ten million dollars annually.

With over 100,000 members, subscribers and supporters, and 660 member clubs, the O.F.A.H. is Ontario’s leading fish and wildlife conservation organization, and the voice of anglers and hunters. For more information, visit www.ofah.org.

*Press Release Used With Permission

It is that time of year. Many Ontario hunters will be out trying to bring home their own wild turkey for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, there is still no turkey hunt in my Wildlife Management Unit 49. I recently had to ‘encourage’ 6 turkeys to leave my driveway so I could get to work. It has been encouraging to see turkeys in our area where once there were none.

Here are some important 2009 Ontario Turkey Hunting links provided by the Ontario MNR:

• 2009 Wild Turkey Harvest Report Worksheet (PDF, 615 kb)
• 2008 Fall Wild Turkey Harvest Statistics (PDF, 27 kb)
• Wild Turkey Management Plan for Ontario, 2007 (PDF, 2.3 mb)
• Map: Wildlife Management Units in Ontario with an Open Season for Fall Wild Turkey Hunting in 2009 (PDF, 359 kb)
• Summary of Fall Wild Turkey Hunting Regulations (PDF, 28 kb)
• Map: Wildlife Management Units in Ontario with an Open Season for Spring Wild Turkey Hunting in 2009 (PDF, 349 kb)

If you would like to read about my first turkey hunt in Virginia – follow this link.

Hunt safe out there everybody and please send along some photos for those of you who are fortunate to bag an Ontario Turkey!