Gear test - Ontario OUT OF DOORS

» where to go:
Sioux Lookout muskie and southwestern deer
Urban Deer
Cities and towns across the
province are providing near-perfect
habitat for whitetails — are there
hunting opportunities to be had?
Fall 2013
|
w w w.oodm ag.com
Bass
Fish world-class
smallmouth this fall
tHe
paCK
+
A trapper’s
true story
DUCK
DeCoys
Capitalize
on Crappie
Does spread size
matter?
Now’s the time to
put the moves on
this crafty panfish.
Here’s how
rivers
Gear
test
PM 40064489
OOD Editors
put hand-held
GPS units to
the test
Canada Post: Please return undeliverable items to Ontario OUT OF DOORS, P.O. Box 8500, Peterborough, ON K9J 0B4.
Ecology for the
stream angler
arCHery
The case for the
crossbow
Volume 45 • Issue 9 • Fall 2013
Contents
32
Features
32 urban Deer
365 fpS | 109 fpKE | 7.6 lBS
Nuisance, menace, or hunting
opportunity?
by Bruce Ranta
38 Does size matter?
44
The decoy debate continues.
by Scott McGuigan
44 epic Bass
Departments
4
the editor’s notebook
by Lezlie Goodwin
8
24 Open range
Senior Editor Gord Ellis waves
a magic wand.
cover photo: Brandon Broderick
28 Great Lakes
30 Big Game
• News: MNR jobs in flux, new
records for bear and brown trout,
youth trapping program
• Cooking: Meatball Game Soup
by Susan Kane-Doyle
•GPS reviews
• Memory Bank
• Fish & Game Activity Calendar
26
Editor Alex Gouthro spells out
the power of the crossbow.
Editor Bob McGary explains
how rivers evolve.
reader's Forum
11 the Opener
26 Bowhunting
30
Editor Drew Myers keeps the
heat on hot whitetails.
Four expert anglers share their
best bass techniques for fall.
by Lonnie King
50 Falling for Crappie
Don’t put the boat away yet.
by Tim Allard
55 the pack
A true recounting of a trapper’s
harrowing adventure.
by Lee-Anne Stack
58 travel
• A Sioux Lookout Snapshot
by James Smedley
• A father-son deer hunt in
southwestern Ontario
by Jeff Helsdon
70 my Outdoors
by Steve Galea
38
Online in October:
• How and why to shoot with
both eyes open
• Tips for fall steelheading
• Prepping for moose camp
www.oodmag.com
58
Fall 2013 | WWW.OODMAG.COM
BARNETTCROSSBOWS.COM
3
Reader’s Forum
Calf Call
If taking moose calves was
eliminated, or subject to a
limited tag draw, as mentioned in Bruce Ranta’s column “Calf Moose,” pg. 38,
(2013 Hunting Annual), our
group of 12 would likely quit
hunting moose. The population in the southern part of
WMU 49 where we hunt, has
increased dramatically in
20 years. During the same
time, bull and cow tag allocations have decreased. It’s
The Opener
Send us your thoughts: [email protected]
tough to get an adult tag,
let alone take a chance
on a calf tag. I recall when
the Migratory Bird Permit
suddenly more than doubled in cost from $3.50. A
lot of guys that occasionally hunted waterfowl quit
buying the permit, and
sales fell significantly. I
believe that moose licence
sales, and correspondingly,
moose hunting opportunities, would see a similar
decline if the chance to
New Moose Calf Tag Formula
Perhaps a reasonable option regarding moose calf tags
would be to restrict the numbers of calves allowed any successful group in the current year’s draw. Using successful
groups in the draw based on group size: large groups or
random allocation groups would be allowed calves equalling 40% of their group number (eg: groups of 8 or more,
8 x 40% = 3.2, rounded down to 3 calves. Groups of 6 =
2.4 calves, rounded down to 2 calves. Groups of 3 = 1.2,
rounded to 1 calf. Groups of 2 are allowed 1 calf).
The maximum number of calves allowed any large
group of 8 hunters or more would never exceed 3.
This formula would only apply to zones that don’t have
restrictions on calf hunting.
Paul Graveline
Barrie
take an animal becomes
even more remote. In the
near north, adult tags should
be allocated to established
camps/groups based on
group complement. I suggest
a group of less than 10 get a
tag every third year; a group
of 10 or more get a tag every
second year. Alternate years
would see each group get a
calf tag — should it come
to that.
David G. West
Barrie
Making a Point
I enjoyed reading Jeff
Helsdon’s feature, “Hunting:
A Beginner’s Guide,” pg.
50, in the July 2013 issue.
I got my hunting licence
as part of my mid-life
crisis. I believe though, he
should have moved point
5, “Finding a Place to Hunt,”
to point 1. If you don’t
have a place to hunt, you
aren’t hunting. The man
who farms the land near
my property owns 2,000
acres and allows no one
NEWS • profilES • TipS • AdvicE • gEAr • mEmory bANk • Q&A • cookiNg
Live Bait
In the June issue of OOD
there was a column by
Gord Ellis entitled “The
Endless Attraction,” pg. 26.
In it, he remembers seeing
a magazine ad for a lure
that would house a live
minnow in a glass tube, fitted with a treble hook. I’m
not sure if it was the same
ad that I saw, but I ordered
a lure (30 years ago) that
fits that description. It’s
called a Leo Lure.
Mike Walker
Peterborough
access because he had
problems with those he
allowed before. Unless we
clean up our act, we will be
greeted by even more “No
Trespassing” signs.
Gary Elderman
Caledonia
Old Gas, New Solution
Letter of
v
the
Month
A Special Day
My husband, John, and I are true anglers. Wherever I go,
I bring a fishing rod, including to our wedding, earlier this
year. John laughed at me, when after the service, the
shoes came off and down to the dock I went for a few
casts in the lake at Port Severn. I think everyone at the
wedding now cherishes a crazy bride.
Annette Wydysz-Butt
Dundas
8
ONTARIO OUT OF DOORS | Fall 2013
I just read Justin Hoffman’s
response “Getting Stable,”
pg. 10, in the 2013 Hunting
Annual on the use of fuel
stabilizers with fuel containing ethanol and the problem
of phase separation. These
issues can be solved with
a product called K100 S+ 2
Year Gas & Fuel Stabilizer
(www.k100fueltreatment.
com), which is available at
Canadian Tire. It not only
stabilizes fuel, it also mixes
with moisture in the fuel to
make it burn, and it revitalizes old fuel. There’s also a
diesel version.
Chris Drew
Amherstburg
» The price
is, write!
LETTER OF THE MONTH
GETS AN OOD CAP
Just Got Better
What’s this I see in my
2013 Hunting Annual? A
longbow? I’ve been wishing
to see traditional bowhunting in the pages of OOD.
Thank you, Steve Galea, for
writing “Small Game the
Hard Way,” pg. 69. It’s a
truly great article. Hoping
to see more. My favourite
magazine just got better.
Martin Heidinga
Hamilton
On the Run
Cool autumn temperatures, bursts
of rain, and rising waters put
spawning salmon on the move.
Tackling one of these battle-scared
brutes, like this chinook, in a Great
Lake river or stream is one of the
angling rites of the season.
Photographer: John Bennett
Location: Bowmanville Creek, Ontario
Fall 2013 | WWW.OODMAG.COM 11
The Opener
different vibration
signature among certain
types of stickbaits. Biglipped, deep-diving baits,
for instance, impart far
more tail wag, whereas
short-lipped baits tend
to have more body roll.
Buying into Walcott’s
theories means
diversifying lure types
as opposed to carrying
multiple colours of
particular models.
I’ve limited myself
to just two boxes of
Scott Walcott
crankbaits that contain
a hodgepodge of makes and models, an assortment that’s continually
under refinement.
at a glance, these boxes contain
a disproportionate number of Husky
Jerks, especially the down-deep
models, which have grown to be
one of my favourites. There’s also a
new Jointed down deep Husky Jerk,
released this year. you’ll find a few of
those tucked away in the “new arrivals”
section of my box.
There is an ample number of deepfish will push right near shore where
running models like the Mann’s
anglers can reach them casting.”
stretch 20s, Tail dancers, and
Walcott relies almost exclusively
various reef runners.
on crankbaits to catch his nighttime
also, there are mid-depth runners.
fish. “Big stickbaits, in particular, are
The Storm Thunderstick, Lucky Craft
really the ticket for nighttime walleye,”
Pointer. aC Shiners, J-11, and Bomber
shared Walcott.
Long a are among the most buoyant
of the assortment and are ideal for
Lure Selection
super-shallow situations.
Lure selection for night fishing is simSome of the best walleye fishing is
ple. “For starters, bigger is definitely
happening right now, and whether you
better at night. Larger lures are simply
fish from boat or shore, you can’t go
easier for walleye to find, given their
wrong with a well-thought-out selecincreased profile and the noise and
tion of stickbaits. Treat them kindly,
vibration they emit. Secondly, there’s
because there’s a really good chance
less need to worry about colour, given
they will continue to produce for many
that there is much less ambient light
fall nighttime forays to come.
being reflected.”
Instead, Walcott emphasizes lure
Check out the author’s video at
www.oodmag.com/videos
action, specifically noting the radically
Night Moves for Walleye
By WaLLeye edITOr LOnnIe KIng
E
very October, the same process
takes place all across Ontario
— cold nights put a chill on the
water and walleyes begin to move. The
moves are big, such as the mass migrations of Lake Ontario fish surging into
the Bay of Quinte. On smaller lakes and
rivers, it’s more localized. Both boat
and shore anglers can capitalize on
these fall movements, with some of the
best fishing and biggest fish invariably
being caught after dark.
I pulled an all-nighter on the Bay of
Quinte with Scott Walcott and a group
of like-minded trophy hunters. Scott
runs Bay of Quinte Charters (www.bayofquintecharters.com) and knows the
ways of nighttime walleye.
“Fish definitely move shallower at
night,” Walcott asserts. “Many big
I Put That S**** on Everything
One of the most useful
items I put in my hunting pack each season
is a roll of camo duct
tape. It’s amazingly useful for a wide variety
of tasks. The stuff is
great for soundproofing metal parts on tree
18
ONTARIO OUT OF DOORS | Fall 2013
By SenIOr edITOr gOrd eLLIS
stands that can cause
unwanted clangs in the
woods. I’ve repaired
many torn pairs of camo
rubber boots with it as
well. When I noticed
my shotgun barrel was
flashing in the turkey
woods a few years ago,
camo tape fixed that
problem. you can also
make a silver coffee
Thermos duck-friendly
with it. Oh, yeah, if you
happen to shoot through
the nylon material on
your ground blind, it
fixes that, too.
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
Make cold feet a thing of the past. Now adjustable heat is right at
your fingertips. A one-touch remote control allows you to adjust
the temperature in your boots without external batteries or wires.
PHOTOS: LOnnIe KIng, ray BLadeS, BrandOn BrOderICK
tactics
Stand up to the cold with ThermaCELL Heated Insoles.
− Adjustable Temperature Settings
− Wireless Remote Control
− Rechargeable Lithium Ion Battery
− Durable Water-Resistant Design
thermacell.com
Hunting + Fishing + Working + Snowboarding
[ Fins of fall 2013 ]
This is
for
Falling
crappie
country.
Take advanTage of
some of The year’s
besT lake acTion
» Homem
more
» SPECIAL REPORT: An in-depth look at the Algonquin Land Claim ade Trail Snacks: Healthy, tasty treats to keep you» good eats: Dutch-oven delights, plus the Great Canadian Shore Lunch
guns, bows, and
fuelled
» Hunting Gear Guide 2013:
accuracy
ING »
summer
Fishing
ADAsof
oH, cAN
ted guide
An illustra
spreads
field
effective
Travel
Specials
November-December
3 great angling
getaways!
JAN.-FEB. 2012 | WWW.ONTARIOOUTOFDOORS.COM
game
e
review of
Our annual across the provinc
populations
Walleye
The cure for your
live-bait dependence
’s calling
A master
repertoire
JUNE 20
11
spots from
Niagara to
Kingston
T
CaRP
adventures
Canadian nter
of a bowhu
Plus: More
Cover.indd
3
moose tips
• Dogs: the
springer
turkey
spaniel • Fall
Check us out online:
visit www.ontariooutofdoors.com
for links to web-exclusive content,
videos, news, tips, weather,
forums, polls, and more…
grouse
k and
Wolf woodcoc
hunting in
Ontario
Cover_3.indd
Canada Post:
1
• Run & gun
Canada Post: Please return undeliverable items to Ontario OUT OF DOORS, P.O. Box 8500, Peterborough, ON K9J 0B4.
12-08-03
3:53 PM
Please return
undeliverable
items to Ontario
OUT OF DOORS,
P.O. Box 8500,
Peterborough,
ON K9J 0B4.
PM 40064489
Keeping Ahead
of the Pack
atures
Keep
when temper
The
tools for fall
ader futures
• Muzzlelo
A fine-tuned
approach to
hard-water
presentations
PM 40064489
PREDATORS
+ MOre
right
• Panfish droppers done hunter
• The well-dressed upland
13-02-04
Canada Post: Please return
undeliverable items to Ontario
OUT OF DOORS, P.O. Box 8500,
Please return
undeliverable
june 2011 final.indd
cover.indd 2
7
OUT OF DOORS,
doors.co
A mid-lake
for chinooks run
and
steelhead
m
J u ly 2 0 1 1
P.O. Box 8500,
Peterborough,
ON K9J 0B4.
walleye
M AY 2 0 1 3
Overcoming
a stubborn
gobbler’s
hang-ups
gs
sCop
New spoons for
es >deep
The
tech late
lunkers
Gear
tips
Decoying
with
strutters +
reader’s tip
tRiPs
Newboro Lake:
bass and crappie
and
5 ducks
Hitting the limit
tips for more
A waterfowl guide shares his secrets
PM 40064489
Travel
Canada Post: Please
return undeliverable
items to Ontario
Canada Post: Please return undeliverable items to Ontario OUT OF DOORS, P.O. Box 8500, Peterborough, ON K9J 0B4.
Getting ready
August cover
options.indd
OUT OF DOORS,
P.O. Box 8500, Peterborough,
ON K9J 0B4.
Trouting
Owen Sound
by houseboa
t
canada post: please return undeliverable items to Ontario OUT OF DOORS, p.o. box 8500, peterborough, on K9J 0b4.
SPINNER
RIGS
Fishing a proven
walleye catcher
tRaVel
MAY 2013 $4.95
10, 2013
Display Until June
Canada Post:
» A Trent river
goose hunt
» A summit
adventure
Please
return undeliverable
Box 8500, Peterborough,
3P.O.ONTARIO
items to Ontario
OUT OF
PM 40064489
ON
DOORS | K9J 0B4.
February 2008
colD-Weat
he
GRouseR
HOT SP
OUT OF DOORS,
Fall cover_working.in
11
dd 17
13-03-04 11:55 AM
july cover options.indd 13
YOU SAVE
$208.50
$62.40
$146.10
05/07/11 10:43
AM
27/09/10 5:44
PM
Taxes and
shipping
included
SAVE!
$5.95 an issue
$2.08
*
1 year subscription: $26 ($2.60/issue) • 2 year subscription: $46.80 ($2.34/issue)
* Based on a 3 year
subscription
• Extra Postage
required for
U.S. and
International
Residents
- call for details.
50
ONTARIO OUT OF DOORS | Fall 2013
OTS
The best places
when the tempeto find birds
ratures fall
28/06/11 12:46 PM
YOU PAY ONLY
Subscribe today and
ss
Pointed
on
woodcockpoints
hunting
Dee R
Trolling
elk
hunt’Eyes
3-YEAR NEWSSTAND PRICE
09/05/11 1:09
PM
FAT
FA For
BA ll
hookeD
on haWs
»
prepping for our first
OOD’s Big-Game EditorsHook
revealmore
what you need toearly-se
know ason fish
with these tips
Frog
gin’
rs.com
Making the
most
of small bushlots
» Balancin
the herd g
No clear-cut
answers
to forestry
woes
sPEcial
Muskie
for Lake Erie perch
Easy
lure modificat
ions for
more action,
flash, and sound
toFdoo
strategies
safety tips and
for
waterfowlers
The latest lines for
bass and pike
Sorting out the
chaos when a
flock takes
flight
ta r i o o u
clo sinG
shots foR
late-sea
DiVe Rs son
fly
fishing
BIG
GAME
Jump
Shoot ing
| w w w.
on
OORS.COM
Reconnecting
in the turkey
woods
Bears
Exciting
alternatives
to the old
bait & wait
cover2.indd 4
As low as
RIOOUTOFD
LAST-DAY
JAKE
gun
Dogs
Great new
calls and
convincing
decoys
W W W. O N TA
Targeting
to-reach fish
Travelling with
hunting dogs
gROundHO
|
A surefire plan
for summer
success
KAYAKS &
H
PANFIS
hard-
nolo st
stay gy for
ing
targ on
et
Get
Your
Bird
Fa l l 2 0
10
night-bite
| w w w . o n ta r i o o u t o f d o o r s . c o m
advanced
bassin’
> Three super skinnyCros
sbow water tactics
and where to
catch ‘em
Great Lakes
guardians:
the Fisheries
Management
Units
Gameplan
Going wet
items to Ontario
12-10-29 4:47 PM
riooutof
Beating
theCoho
mob
to the big
saLmon
bulls
How they’re doing
the
flows for
green-backs
FLy
FisH ing
Peterborough, ON K9J 0B4.
Canada Post:
10:43 AM
| w w w. o n
tA
Moose
DeeR season
RiVE R noW
staRts
PikE
Your fall hunt
depends on
spring
prep
Hitting
Turn off the
lights for
summer giants
Whitefish
Practical lessons
for range
and field
BeArs
& Bows
Reserve your
hot spot on the
ice now
Foolproof
Wing
Shooting
August
2011
A graphic guide
to
what ails Ontario’s
fish & game
2013 | www.ontAriooutofdoors.com
Fishing April
the soft stuff
YOur
Bird
Jika
Rigging
A hot bass
technique
Japan
2013
ICE-HUT
RUNDOWN
nigH
SKILLS
diseases
On THE sand
rs.com
on WatCh
PLUS OUR
from
Late-season
tactics for
trophy catches
T
Too Ho
NGeven?
ToyourHA
harvest safe, soar
tofdoo
Bass
Carp
Turn your old
tinny into a fresh
fishing machine
Deer
Ar
Gelatest
hunting
ta r i o o U
Zone
WiLDLiFe
WaLLEyE
| w w w.
oN
Lake Ontario
Top
Use cold
weather to your
advantage
PROJECT
Boat
Makeover
+
from
Sage advice ed
three season
guides
m
Deer &
Moose
mallards
Moose
2012 | www.oNtariooutofDoors.co
Last Chance for
s
ck
DU
No-Bait
for
Sweet talk
A recap of
the results
and moving
forward
ON K9J 0B4.
om
rosy
the Gun
ReGi stRyVote
Take the bowhunting
challenge
Seeking slabs,
no matter where
they roam
For
ors.c
Ive
excLUs
ING
HUNTcA
sT
Fore
cast: look
ing
ARROW
TURKEYS
crappie
In the
Drifting the
upper and
middle river
8500, Peterborough,
the mighty
saugeen
2012-2013
ofdo
ioout
onta r
w w w.
» steelheaDinG foRe
for pinpoint
OF DOORS, P.O. Box
bow setups
Check us out online:
fdoors.com
visit www.ontarioouto
content,
for links to web-exclusive
weather,
videos, news, tips,
more…
forums, polls, and
» In Flight: Arrow and
Trout
Trips
Two hidden
destinations for
ice action
items to Ontario OUT
Profiling six professionals
and their insights on
getting started
return undeliverable
new in 2013
Outdoosr
Career
PM 40064489
Taking on winter Canadas, plus
field tips for spring snows
buyer’s guide for what’s
2013
CrAPPIe
• SALmo
trAveL • FISHIN N & troUt
G GeAr GUIde•
Canada Post: Please
rs.com
WALL
JAN.-FEB. 2012 $4.95
utumn is a busy season
for outdoors enthusiasts.
Opportunities to hunt
feathery and furry
creatures abound, while finned
quarry serve up incredible angling
options across the spectrum of
sport fish.
Like a sweepstakes winner’s
60-second shopping spree, deciding
how to spend your time outdoors
during the fall can be a bit bewildering. To make sure I don’t miss
out on crappie, I always reserve
several days for fishing slabs before
winter arrives.
w w w.o
nta r io
outofd
oo
WATERFOWL
eye
Lessons for
CAtFISH • PIke • SteeLHeAd
• PerCH • tIPS
•
& trICkS
Tardy Geese
Display Until March, 2012
A
story and photos By tim allard
F IS H IN»G
A N N UA L
FISHING BOATS: Our
» ATVs Galore: The lineup of 2012 machines and accessories
G
HUNTUIN
L
ANN A
For Rush delivery call:
1-800-361-0645
or visit www.oodmag.com/subscribe