Monday

Fred's third moose hunting trip on the Romaine River

It was around the end of September 1968 and I guess my brother-in-law JM and I were still in the process of learning and experiencing. It was Friday and around supper time and we were on our way up the river to Iles des Officier or Officers Island. The canoe was pretty well loaded with our hunting and camping gear. We were out for 3 days and only going back tuesday morning if we did not kill anything big before.

The weather was nice and the weather forecast for the week-end was good, no storm.

It was 6:30 PM and everything was setup, we just sat down to have a light lunch, when I heard a cracking sound at the back of the tent, it was loud, like a big tree branch that snapped. We were both out of the tent in a flash and both rifles were ready. I when back into the tent and turned the naphtha stove off, back outside and listened, not a sound. We discussed to see if we should call right away, we decided with all that we’ve been reading, that it was better to wait for a good hour. That we did and heard not a sound, also the dark, night was setting in. We waited an other hour and decided not to call at all, if it was a moose it would probably scare him off or might come and try to smell us during the night. We finished our lunch with a good cup of hot tea, went and listened again, not a sound. It was time to hit the sack, which we did.

Next morning very very early, no breakfast, we were both outside beside the river. We listened for a good 15 minutes, not a sound. I started breaking little dry twigs about 5 to 6 twigs, listened, nothing, JM started walking into the water lifting his legs high step after step doing the sound of a moose walking in the water Filled the birch bark call with water and lifted it up over his head and started pouring it back into the water, like a cow moose urinating, making all the same sounds. Walked slowly back out of the water, I cracked a few more dry twigs. We listened and not a whisper, no sound. About 4 minutes, it was the time for the cow in heat call, nice and soft, JM really had this one. He let it go once and few seconds latter he let the second call go. We listened and nothing not a crack, not even a bird call, it was dead quiet. Half an hour later, JM gave the second call and a little louder. We listened again and again and not a sound.

I went into the tent and had a good cup of tea and a peanut butter sandwich, no toast or frying something. When I finished my sandwich, I went out and JMCame in to have breakfast, he said not a sound, if that was a moose last night that made the cracking noise, well I guess he far from us now. I went and listened for a good hour, then I heard this snoring noise, yes JM was sound a sleep in the tent.

I little wind from the west had started, but it was very nice no bad weather in sight. It was around 11 AM and I was sipping away on my cup of tea, when I heard soft sound, like a long and pulled out sound, like a mosquito flying close to my ears. I listened and nothing else. JM started to move around in the tent, I went and asked if heard the sound, He said what sound, so I explained it to him. He said it has to be the cow moose. He said look and get down, don’t move,I didn’t know what to do, but I turned and looked. Two moose on the right side of the river about half a mile from us and coming for us. I could not hear a thing all I could hear was my heart pounding in my ears. We jumped for the rifles and started crawling for the little bushes to hide. Then and I say it again then, a boat two guys aboard were coming up the river, oh no I said to myself, not now.

The moose, a big bull and a cow headed straight for the bush, the boat turned straight for them. The boat pulled a shore exactly where the two moose headed for the bush. We heard one shot two shots all up to 14 shots and then we heard the two guys yelling with joy.

We looked at each other and said yep, I guess they were not for us. We pulled the tent down packed our stuff, loaded the boat and headed for home.We stopped to have a look at he moose and to see if they got both and to find out who they were. The moose were both shot, the bull was big and had 16 points a very nice and equal rack. The cow was a far size and looked healthy. The two guys were the Cormier brothers who hunt like us on the river.
So we said to our selves going back home “ that’s part of a hunting trip “ maybe the next time.
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Until the next story. Fred

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Friday

Caribou hunting and fishing trips in Northern Quebec

Caribou and Fishing Trip in Northern Quebec

Caribou hunting or salmon fishing trip up on that beautiful George River in Northern Quebec Canada. I think that every hunter or fishermen (women)have to take a trip like this once in a life time.

This river is situated at 175 miles north east of the paradise town of Schefferville known for it’s fishing and hunting. The fishing is atlantic salmon, artic char, lake and speckle trout and nice size fish. The fishing season begins the 15 th. June and ends the 30th. September.
The caribou hunts opens on the 8th. August and ends with the trophy hunt the 2 nd. October. Let me tell you that the George River herd is 750 thousandheads. They start moving south migration around the middle of August and all through the month of September. You will see herds of 30 to 10000 caribou heading south and its something to watch, the bigger racks are in front leading the herd.

Last year I was 6 weeks on the river at the Wedge Hills Lodge as a guide and handy man. I had plenty of time to enjoy my favourite sports, hunting and fishing.I caught two salmon 12 and 16 lbs. and played catch and release with lake and speckle trout, how many I do not remember, but a lot.

Caribou, if I did not see 100 thousand I did not see one. I shot a nice size bull with a nice and even rack, it was a trophy. I also bagged a young bull around 20 to 25lbs. less meat than the big bull. But let me tell you the tenderness and taste of the young bull, you can not compare it with the trophy bull. These caribou were shot at the end of September and the big bulls then are getting close to the rut and the meat has a strong taste. This is why I preferred the young bull.

There is always something new to see. Like one evening I was relaxing in the owner’s camp, when I noticed an artic wolf out in front. It was sniffing the ground, it layed down and started rolling and stretching itself. It reminded me of Blacky when I use to untie him to let him run around. This wolf was healthy, big and looked in great shape, yes this was his territory. I watched this beautiful creature for a good 20 minutes and never thought about my camera. I saw the same thing with a black bear and her two cubs and that was something to see also. The cubs had a lot of fun but the mother had her eyes on me all the time.

Like I mentioned you have to do this at least once in a life time.

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