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Our Yearly Hunt - graphic pictures


TJQ

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This is my 12th annual hunt to Mine Center. Always a good time and usually a great hunt. This year was a bit different. I like to call it the year of the wolf. A lot of our usual spots had no deer sign at all this year, some spots i was particularity looking forward to hunting.. none.. nada... nope. The one spot we usually hunt had lots of sign though so we concentrated on that one and spent the afternoon looking for new locations.

 

The trip out was uneventful except for a little slush on the Sultan Road

 

A pic of Den and Uncle Joe - 84 years old and his 50 or 60th consecutive trip out!!

 

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The scenery on the trip out out is always great!!

 

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We always stop here for gas... amazing murals on the wall.

 

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For the most part the hunting was slow, the weather was bad for hunting, and after going 12 years and only seeing one wolf, we saw three this year.

 

One was hanging around my morning watch so much, I got a tag for it and the next day I got it. I skinned it out and am tanning it now!! Hopefully a bad winter can bring the population down, as I'm pretty sure the large number of them has a dramatic effect on the deer population. The amount of howling that goes on around our watch's pre-dawn is quite unnerving.

 

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We did manage to get some fishing in a couple of times and the lake never let us down, some nice pickerel and a nice pike as well were caught and consumed!!

 

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The crew at our annual prime rib dinner!!

 

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Tequila and Chicken wing sauce shooters..... I wont be doing that again.... bad for my poker luck.... LOL

 

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Finally, Tookie, while watching a NEW spot took this nice little buck, perfectly broadside, through and through at about 200 yards. It would turn out to be our only deer this year. That afternoon I chased a moose around for a couple of hours but didnt manage to catch up..

 

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We hunted hard every day, at the watches before dawn and walking/ touring till we were exhausted, so it wasn't for lack of trying.

 

I did take one nice afternoon off, our last day was the only real decent weather to go fishing and get these scenery shots...

 

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Every year, we all chip in on something to make our lives a bit easier at camp and this year... I've had so much good luck with the Canadian Tire Woodsplitter that I own, when it went on sale for $200 we couldn't resist!! Makes putting next years wood away a breeze!! Manual says no bigger than 16 inches.. lol.. they are just being shy!!

 

 

Every year, it gets less and less about shooting for me, (Says the guy who didn't shoot!! LOL) and more and more about being there and the comradeship we all share after many years of hunting together. It's nice to see some of the kids starting to come, and I think ill do my best to drag Avery out there with me next year. Ill take some pictures of the wolf hide when its done and over my bannister. I'm already planning for next years hunt!!

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Um TJ, I'm not much of a hunter but that one picture of you and that buck....well it just doesn't seem very safe.

 

I mean the way the barrel of the rifle is pointed directly at your face.

 

Mean while Tookies stance is more safer in my books anyway, just a thought.

 

Nice shots by the way!

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Um TJ, I'm not much of a hunter but that one picture of you and that buck....well it just doesn't seem very safe.

 

I mean the way the barrel of the rifle is pointed directly at your face.

 

Mean while Tookies stance is more safer in my books anyway, just a thought.

 

Nice shots by the way!

 

 

Yup your right... its the only part of me I haven't hurt yet... lol.. in any event all guns are unloaded before we get anywhere near camp. LOL.. in the gun safety course they teach you... (yes its true) to LOOK down the barrel of the gun to see that it is unloaded... thats what i was doing...

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To be honest, I just took it for the hide.. its the only thing Ive ever shot that I didnt eat. Ive never heard anyone eating wolf meat, although when I skun it out the meat was nice and pink. I struggled with whether to eat it or not, and in the end decided the hide was enough... that being said, I do think that's the only one ill ever shoot.

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1st pic looks like the pullover just before Pays Plat First Nation.

 

2nd pic is definately the Jackpine River east of Nipigon, you gotta watch yourself when fishing the base of that slope, rocks are constantly coming loose. Don't want to get thocked in the head from even a small rock coming down that slope. I have had to dodge a few in my day, :lol:

 

3rd pic is Dorion, 45 min. east of Thunder Bay.

 

Nice pics and report TJQ, too bad the hunting wasn't the best, but that happens.

 

As for the wolf, we have lots of them up here now because of the previous exploding deer population. But, I have heard the deer are in decline now, probably because of the wolves, so the population should stabilize in the future. I still will not shoot one, no interest in the hide myself.

 

Ya might wanna rethink the size of wood for that splitter though, it is Yardworks brand after all. Was that cut up wood from last year, it seemed to split too easy?

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Great report and pics TJ :thumbsup_anim:

It's always nice to be able to get away from it all and spend quality time hunting with the boys!!!

Congrats on shooting down that wolf :clapping: Nice specimen!!!

Congratulations to Tookie on that beauty buck :clapping: Looks like a 6 pointer from the pic!!!

Another 4 dodo for me and I'm off too B)

Again great job you guys and thanks for sharing

Leechman

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Your hunting reports every year are always an enjoyable read TJ. And, this is the first I've ever seen a wolf shot in ANYones hunting report. Cool... but yet kinda weird dood.

 

Thanks guys, and yes weird is right.. I'm still not quite sure how I feel about it. Like I said its likely the last one Ill shoot, although the locals out there would like to see them all gone. Interestingly enough I talked to a very good friend of mine last night that hunt moose here in Sturgeon, been hunting and trapping the same bush here for 30 years, never saw a live wolf in the bush, and this year their party saw five, three of which ran right at him while he was dogging. Must have though he was a moose or something, ran to thirty yards of him till they figured out he wasn't edible.. lol

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The wolf issue usually draws fire from all sides of that furry debate and I believe like keeping a fish limit it is the individuals choice.

 

I used to live in Northwestern Ontario and hunt as much as I could----long season --so lots.

 

I have been eyeball to eyeball with the big dog and never pulled the trigger-----now I pulled my gun up till I seen what the response was gonna be but never had.

 

Should mention I've encountered 15-20 pets in my hunting days--even had a pack tracking me in the snow.

 

Some hunters I know believe their hunting will suffer with the wolves runnin around---way I look at it---they were hunting in my areas long before This painter showed up so I'll let them be.

 

One example---My buddy and I entered a huge cut once and we decided to walk around (Split up) and meet back at a certain time-----not long into my walk (wind in my face) I come up a knoll and comin up the other side was a lone wolf ----we looked at each other for a second and he beat it out of there----an hour later I hear---Kapow---my buddy shot a huge cow moose-----I always wondered had I shot that wolf how the shot may have disturbed the area---maybe no moose sausage--who knows?

 

Nice Buck

 

Bushart

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I don't like the concept of hunting wolves, but I might feel very differently if i was a farmer and they were taking my livestock.

 

btw - i know a lot of people who fear wolves....you're more likely to get struck by lightning while in a car accident than attacked/eaten by a wolf.

 

btw2 - TJ, thanks for sharing. The pics are beautiful, and while some (including me) may not agree with shooting wolves.....I have many friends who feel the same way about my fishing, so kind of hypocritical for me (or anyone) to judge. To each his own, right?

Edited by cram
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Nice report TJ,

 

Wolf Hide is definatly a cool score in my books.

The Wolf population rise will definatly effect the Deer numbers but I'd agree they will move off as the deer lessen and start the cycle again.

Although a few wolves around would be a good thing I think?

People use dogs to keep the deer moving so I Suppose if the Deer populations were indeed good a few wolves might increase your odds LOL!

Maybe your deer populations might be at a low and on the way up?

who knows....

 

Cheers,

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