Has the Ontario bubble burst?

[VTHunter08]

I'd like to know how they do. I heard the herd is coming back and people are shooting good bucks again. My dads best friend and basically my 2nd father is talking about retiring and moving south so we're thinking about one more trip to Ontario before everyone goes their separate ways. I'm heading west next fall, so possibly be back north in 2020. Aslong as they don't have anymore bad winters between now and then, and the wolves stay in check there could be a healthy herd of 3+yo bucks up there again.

 

[longbow]

I suspect it’s been pretty good even thru the decline. Probably 2x or 3x the hunting in Maine even at its worst.

 

[Mountain Hunter]

I'd like to know how they do. I heard the herd is coming back and people are shooting good bucks again. My dads best friend and basically my 2nd father is talking about retiring and moving south so we're thinking about one more trip to Ontario before everyone goes their separate ways. I'm heading west next fall, so possibly be back north in 2020. Aslong as they don't have anymore bad winters between now and then, and the wolves stay in check there could be a healthy herd of 3+yo bucks up there again.

Sounds like fun. The guy I work with shot a beauty up there last year. Last day of the hunt too.

 

[Mountain Hunter]

I know of a guy who went for a few years back. He sent me a text the other night asking about game cameras. Long story short, I sparked up a conversation regarding Ontario and he told me he would love to go back. He is trying to get me to get next year.

I'm torn about it to be honest. It is twice the cost of a hunting trip to Maine and it is 5 times the driving distance as well, but I've always wanted to go there.

 

[VTHunter08]

I hunted maine for 5 years, never came home with a buck, saw a few, and my inexperience held me from bagging a real nice one.

I hunted Ontario 4 years, came home with 3 bucks ranging in weight from 190-230lbs. The one year I didn't get a deer I hit a great buck that I never found, and saw a true giant (170+")

I'd like to go back to maine some day, but I am going back to Ontario, hoping in 2020.

Driving wise we use to cross at cornwall, go through Ottawa, cross back into the US in Sault Ste. Marie, pass through Wisconsin & Minnesota, cross again in Duluth and head north for about 6-8 hours. We would do this to avoid buying any gas in Canada BUT this route would take us about 28 hours. My dad said the last couple years he went they would get above montreal and just head due west. This cut 4-6 hours off the trip. Pretty sure he told me they were in the 22-24hr range at that point. Animal wise atleast two people needed to stay away in northern Wisconsin to watch for deer. They were everywhere on the edge of the roads at night there. I guess the northern route they had to keep an eye out for moose and inland caribou.

 

[Mountain Hunter]

I hunted maine for 5 years, never came home with a buck, saw a few, and my inexperience held me from bagging a real nice one.

I hunted Ontario 4 years, came home with 3 bucks ranging in weight from 190-230lbs. The one year I didn't get a deer I hit a great buck that I never found, and saw a true giant (170+")

I'd like to go back to maine some day, but I am going back to Ontario, hoping in 2020.

Driving wise we use to cross at cornwall, go through Ottawa, cross back into the US in Sault Ste. Marie, pass through Wisconsin & Minnesota, cross again in Duluth and head north for about 6-8 hours. We would do this to avoid buying any gas in Canada BUT this route would take us about 28 hours. My dad said the last couple years he went they would get above montreal and just head due west. This cut 4-6 hours off the trip. Pretty sure he told me they were in the 22-24hr range at that point. Animal wise atleast two people needed to stay away in northern Wisconsin to watch for deer. They were everywhere on the edge of the roads at night there. I guess the northern route they had to keep an eye out for moose and inland caribou.

Yeah. The guy I know told me 26 hours.

 

[bmiller]

it would be great to go one day

 

[Mountain Hunter]

How in the heck do you choose a place to stay up there? I've been researching this morning and there are over 20 different lodges in Kenora and Dryden.

 

[shawn_in_MA]

There are a ton of places because there is a ton of fishing up there too. PM sent.

 

[VTHunter08]

yeah fishing and snowmobiling is their thing up there. Hunting is more icing on the cake then anything.

We got super lucky finding the place we did. My dad booked the same hotel he'd used the previous 2 years and thought we were good to go. couple months before our trip he tried calling them to confirm everything but no answer. So over the next couple weeks he continued to call until finally someone answered. It was a grounds keeper and he said the hotel had been sold and was completely vacant and couldn't believe the previous owners didn't call to inform us of that. So he gave my dad the number of the old owner and they were very apologetic and "pulled some strings" with a friend to get us in another motel in town. So we drive the 28 or so hours up there to this new place which was in the 2nd story above a convenience store. The place was super sketchy, and very dirty. But I was fine with it, I was early to mid 20's, newly single, and quickly noticed the constant traffic of young women going in and out of the dark motel across the street. Figured this is going to a fun trip haha

Well the next morning while my dad and his friend were outside gasing up the atv's for our first day of hunting at 4am two squad cars came squealing up, and uniforms coming from everywhere with side arms drawn! After my dad and his friend spending 10min face down in the street the police officers were finally convinced of our story and not that they were stealing atv's. We told the cop we were up there hunting for two weeks, and his response was "oh no you guys can't stay here, someone was stabbed to death in front of the store the week prior, and they are actively watching the motel across the street b/c it was a known crack and whore house". That was my ah ha moment on all the friendly young women around haha. The cop told us to stay put and give him an hour he was going to see what he could do for us. Hour later he came back and said his captain had just retired and bought some camps on a lake just outside of town and was in the process of fixing them up for vacation rentals. After talking with his ex captain he worked a deal that if we helped him fix up some of the cabins he'd let us stay in the only cabin that was winterized at the time, and he'd give us a deal on our stay. Worked out good, we all shot good bucks, installed some waterlines, and other miscellaneous things around camp, and made some good friends.

 

[Mountain Hunter]

yeah fishing and snowmobiling is their thing up there. Hunting is more icing on the cake then anything.

We got super lucky finding the place we did. My dad booked the same hotel he'd used the previous 2 years and thought we were good to go. couple months before our trip he tried calling them to confirm everything but no answer. So over the next couple weeks he continued to call until finally someone answered. It was a grounds keeper and he said the hotel had been sold and was completely vacant and couldn't believe the previous owners didn't call to inform us of that. So he gave my dad the number of the old owner and they were very apologetic and "pulled some strings" with a friend to get us in another motel in town. So we drive the 28 or so hours up there to this new place which was in the 2nd story above a convenience store. The place was super sketchy, and very dirty. But I was fine with it, I was early to mid 20's, newly single, and quickly noticed the constant traffic of young women going in and out of the dark motel across the street. Figured this is going to a fun trip haha

Well the next morning while my dad and his friend were outside gasing up the atv's for our first day of hunting at 4am two squad cars came squealing up, and uniforms coming from everywhere with side arms drawn! After my dad and his friend spending 10min face down in the street the police officers were finally convinced of our story and not that they were stealing atv's. We told the cop we were up there hunting for two weeks, and his response was "oh no you guys can't stay here, someone was stabbed to death in front of the store the week prior, and they are actively watching the motel across the street b/c it was a known crack and whore house". That was my ah ha moment on all the friendly young women around haha. The cop told us to stay put and give him an hour he was going to see what he could do for us. Hour later he came back and said his captain had just retired and bought some camps on a lake just outside of town and was in the process of fixing them up for vacation rentals. After talking with his ex captain he worked a deal that if we helped him fix up some of the cabins he'd let us stay in the only cabin that was winterized at the time, and he'd give us a deal on our stay. Worked out good, we all shot good bucks, installed some waterlines, and other miscellaneous things around camp, and made some good friends.

That is a crazy story!

 

[Big D]

Now that's an adventure!

 

[SportsmanNH]

Well the next morning while my dad and his friend were outside gasing up the atv's for our first day of hunting at 4am two squad cars came squealing up, and uniforms coming from everywhere with side arms drawn! After my dad and his friend spending 10min face down in the street the police officers were finally convinced of our story and not that they were stealing atv's. We told the cop we were up there hunting for two weeks, and his response was "oh no you guys can't stay here, someone was stabbed to death in front of the store the week prior, and they are actively watching the motel across the street b/c it was a known crack and whore house". That was my ah ha moment on all the friendly young women around haha. The cop told us to stay put and give him an hour he was going to see what he could do for us. Hour later he came back and said his captain had just retired and bought some camps on a lake just outside of town and was in the process of fixing them up for vacation rentals. After talking with his ex captain he worked a deal that if we helped him fix up some of the cabins he'd let us stay in the only cabin that was winterized at the time, and he'd give us a deal on our stay. Worked out good, we all shot good bucks, installed some waterlines, and other miscellaneous things around camp, and made some good friends.

GUILTY As Charged ! LOL That is one funny story now , but I bet it wasn't at the time. Sounds like it worked out for the best though.

 

[Mountain Hunter]

My co-worker and his buddy went up this year. My co-worker shot a 9 pointer the 1st day. His buddy shot an 8 the second day. They were hunting on an island. He said the locals have been shooting more wolves and that it is starting to bounce back.