DEER CAMP WEATHER by Ralph Bice
From Wednesday, November 8, 1978
It is well the weather took a turn for the better for we just about used up all the nasty comments reserved for when it gets so miserable. So enjoy it while it is here. Speaking of weather, in the fall of 1925 when deer hunting opened today, November 5th, there was about 20 inches of snow and the lakes had been frozen for a couple of weeks and there was more than six inches of good ice.
The fall before that l was up on the head of the Fire River, trapping, and the last few days of October there were an awful lot of black flies and mosquitoes. Then on the morning of the 5th, today, it was ten below zero. But there were no flies.
Last week l was setting traps and you can imagine my surprise when l disturbed a little marsh and a number of frogs jumped out. I do not remember seeing frogs out this late. Not too much to write about and l am in a hurry to get to my deer camp.
Post Deer Camp
Hunting season is over. Such weather. There were many who would have preferred snow but anyone who did not enjoy such a lovely week would be hard to please. Days like late summer and the nights not too cool. So even if l am still eating beef it just has to go down as about the most pleasant hunt on record. At least from the weather standpoint.
I did not hunt too hard as l did not go too far from the road. But, l did get to be on a lake l have not paddled on for many years and see some of the woods l have not visited. The first morning l was on a watch l picked myself. Over the years it was one of the most productive that we had. Not hard to get to, only a canoe was needed. I was there as soon as light permitted, sat for four hours, and did not spoil my record of not having fired a shot during deer season since 1971. The morning was so pleasant it would almost have been a shame to spoil it with noise.
Could not help but compare it with opening days years ago. It would have been so quiet it would have been a grand morning for a chase. In those far away years we would have known where each gang was hunting, even would have recognized the baying of some of the dogs. In those days each club kept to its own area and very seldom did we see other hunters, unless we went visiting, or looking for lost dogs. Such a change.
There were two newcomers who did not know anything about the good runways. They just walked into the woods and sat at the end of the road perhaps three eights of a mile away. And a nice deer came out which they shot. Perhaps it does not always pay to know the woods too well. One thing, l did not have to work hard getting what l shot out to the road.
There were many hunters but not as many as expected. The biggest crowd was the first couple of days. On one stretch of road a hunter counted 67 cars. Two years ago this had been a very productive area. Sure wish John Power (outdoor writer for The Toronto Star – Ed.) could have made the trip. He made a statement that hunters at registered camps keep transient hunters out. Think the registered hunters were outnumbered about three to one and this was not one of the heavy years. And they had no regard for registered camps. The oldest camp in the area is from 1895 and is not far from ours. We were each granted a lease some forty years ago. This year there were two campers about mid-distance, in plain sight.
But the most gall shown had to be one that camped in their driveway just about a hundred feet away. So many camps report hunters with trailers camping in sight of their camps. Then hunters who came in well before daylight. So far no shooting accidents. So many are wearing bright coloured clothes they can be seen from a great distance. Talk about the patience of Job. Sometimes patience pays off. One young hunters sat on the same ridge for three days but finally a deer did come along which he was lucky enough to shoot.
Last fall in McCraney there were only two deer killed. This year l believe there were eight, most of them fawns. So maybe the deer are going to make a comeback.
Our party was lucky during the moose hunt. Now l had nothing to do with the shooting, only l did suggest where we should hunt. The two lucky hunters were Rod MacKay and Doug Bice who each shot two. One of the bulls Doug shot had a fifty-eight inch spread. I have guided moose hunters for ever so long and have seen many fine sets of antlers but this is the widest l have seen. The other bull had a spread of fifty-one inches, which also is large for this area. Nice when there are plenty of younger men to do the heavy work. Now, I did help with the skinning but after doing most of the work for so many years it was nice to watch the younger men take over. And they did not even ask for any advice.
So another hunt is over and from our side it will have been one of the best. Even though l did not see anything it was nice to be at some of the old places again. And again, such lovely weather.
All l can add is that l hope the rest of the hunters, especially the older ones, had as much pleasure and satisfaction of having another hunt as l had.
Note: I believe Rod MacKay was a son-in-law to Ralph and Doug, a son who went on to become an Ontario Supreme Court Justice.