Seal Hunting on the Gulf of the Saint Lawerence

Hello everyone, I’m still in Kawawachicamack near Schefferville, Northern Quebec. I just wanted to tell you about our fishing trip. My wife and I drove 11 km. on the old mine road to a small lake called Elizabeth Lake. We casted from shore. Too make this story short we caught 6 nice lake trout in an hour. Not big ones but good eating size from 2 to 3 pounders. We cooked up a couple for supper, they were excellent.

It was the month of July 1968 my brother-in-law JM and I decided to go out hunting seals, the Ranger seal. Why, there was a bounty on the seals, $10. for the young seal and $50. for the adult, all that you gave the Fisheries Department was the bottom jaw to get your check. Also they are great to eat. The meat is a black or dark colour but tender and excellent in your plate. The reason that they had a bounty on them in those days and not today, is that the government decided that there was to many seals and they were killing too many lobsters, crabs, sea trout and salmon.

We left Havre St. Pierre very early that morning, the weather was great, not a breeze of wind. We could see Anticosti Island 23 miles away. The island looked like it was floating it was so calm. We were travelling with a 18 foot home made speed boat with a 18 horse power Evinrude. We saw a couple of whales a lot of dolphins and a few big seals, not close enough for us to shoot. We had been travelling out at large for a good hour and then decided to go closerin shore to check the bays out.

The first big bay called Saint Lawerence Bay was the one that we entered, the tide was at it’s highest and we were close in and barley moving with the boat. JM said look in front there must have been 500 seals, big ones and small ones. They were jumping over each other because they were in shallow water. Probably having a fiest on the crabs. JM gave me the boat to drive while he got in front with the 12 gauge shot gun. I even saw a young seal pass under the boat and we were in about 6 to 10 feet of water.

All we had to do is find one and follow it and not give it time to stick his head out to breathe to long. I did just that, I could even see the “V” line just in front of it’s head as it was still under water. I was following it at about 30 feet away and all that JM was waiting for is for it to stick it’s nose out of the water. Then bang and all I saw was red I could not even see the seal. We got the long rod out with a hook at the end and hooked the seal with it to drag him aboard. This was a young seal but weighed a good 200 pounds.

JM killed 6 in a row and then it was my turn and I killed my six also. We went shore for a good cup of hot tea and a sandwich. I checked the boat out and said to JM. we have a pretty heavy load, but the weather still nice and we didn’t see any problems making it back home.

That summer we did a good 10 trips and were lucky each time, we made a bit of money to pay at least for the gas. Those hunting trips we did and pleasure we had was worth alot more than money.

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So long for now until the next story. Fred

My fourth moose hunting trip on the Romain River Qc.

Before I get into the hunting trip I would like to talk about our trip back to Schefferville my wife Madeleine and I. Yes I’m back with the Naskapi Police Force for a 3 month contract. The pay is good and the fishing season is just on its way and if you read my stories before, like they say here, Schefferville is the Capital or Paradise for the fishermen, women. When we talk about lakers 30lbs our more is not rare. Big landlocked salmon, nice 5 to 6 lbs speckle trout, big pike and corrigan’s “white fish”. On my way down we saw a healthy cow moose and two little calves. The calves could not have been more than a week old, they were small.

It was in September 1969 all the practising had been going on for the last month. My brother in law JM and I said this is the year we get our big bull. It was around the middle of September, the 18 foot Rupert’s House canoe was loaded and the 6 HP Evinrude was running and up the river we went. Yes it was the same Island, Officer’s Island. We managed to leave earlier it was about 3PM. As we approached the island I noticed tracks, moose tracks, the bull and the cow. As we got closer we noticed that they were very fresh. The cow track returned to the river and the bull track into the bush. We looked at each other thinking what will be our the plan to get this big bull.

There was another Island just a little lower about a couple of thousand feet. I told JM I’ll let myself drift to the Island before you do your walking in the water moose imitation. He said okay, I’ll wait until you’re all installed before I do my calling.

Once on the other island and ready I waved an okay to JM. He already had his hip waders on; I noticed that he was breaking small twigs by his movements. He listened for a few seconds and then headed slowly into the water. I could hear clearly the sound of a moose walking in the water, good and loud. Then I heard clear, yes very clear the grunt sound of the bull, just beside him in the bush. JM did not hear a thing by his reaction he continued the walking process got out of the water, broke a few twigs, waited a few seconds and gave the soft short call of the cow in heat.

I heard nothing, no answer after that first grunt and it was a loud one. About 20 minutes later JM gave the same call a little louder this time, I could hear the echo hitting the mountains in the back. The call was excellent, but no answer. Where is that bull? Was he still beside JM? Maybe he’s only a hundred feet away. I knew by JM’s reactions that he heard nothing.

Dark was starting to set in and JM was walking around, looked like he was checking the moose tracks. I hopped into the canoe and started paddlingback. Going up the river was hard work. I did not want to start the motor; we have to put all the chances on our side. When I arrived on shore JM came up to me asked not to loud. Did you hear something? I said you, no he replied, I said yes, just after your second or third step on the moose walk in the waterimitation, the bull gave a loud grunt, just one and I heard it loud and clear. JM said no, I did not hear a sound not even a branch or twig crack. He said are you sure you heard the grunt sound and I said yes and it was just beside you in the bush.

We discussed for a couple of minutes and came to the conclusion to camp just a little farther up on the same island and that we did. It was close to 10 PM when tent, sleeping bags, every thing set up for a light lunch, as usual peanut butter and jam sandwiches with a good hot cup of tea and the sack we hit. We did not give a call, only tomorrow morning before sunrise would be best for our chance to get that moose interested again. He smelled us and perhaps was far from us now.

The next morning at 5 AM we were out beside the river and listening. Not a sound, it was very quiet and it was pitch black out there. I managed to find a few dry twigs. It was time for the moose call, I broke a few twigs, JM walked into the water, did his moose walk, and moose urinating, and back out onto shore, I broke a few twigs and listened. The whole imitation was perfect. What I do while all this is going on is just close my eyes and listen. It’s exactly the same sounds.After a couple of minutes not a sound, JM gave his soft and short call of the cow in heat. Not a sound or answer. Twenty minutes later the cow call and a little louder. Half an hour later the same call, nothing in sight or not a sound to be heard.

We stayed quiet for the rest of the morning until 3 PM, When we started giving a few soft calls, not to loud about every 45 minutes. Not an answer, not a sound, It was even quiet on the river, no one travelling. That night are 9 PM just before going to bed, I gave the loud and long call and this I did 3 times. You could here the echo hitting three to four mountains away. Maybe tomorrow morning we said.

But no not the next morning and three more mornings gone by not an answer or a moose in sight. It was time to pack up and head home and that we did.Until the next moose hunting trip we told ourselves. We ran here and there during the hunting season, no luck at all.

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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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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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