The razorbill

This is the razorbill.  Another member of the alcidae family of the St-Lawrence river.  He forms part of the large offshore birds grouping of the St-Lawrence. We call ‘offshore birds’ all those that come to the shore to nest and spend the rest of the year at sea to fish and to live.   

Have a good day.  Louis.  

What a shame

Those that believe that the persons from Quebec are champion poachers, you are wrong.  Each year in Alberta, while I was guiding, I would find one or two abandoned bucks because the antlers were not as big as the hunter expected.  What a sad reality.   

Good day.  Louis   

Is that my nest?

The gannets don’t have a wide margin of error if they don’t want to start a street fight with their neighbors.  18 inches by 18 inches is all they have, they must have a good eye… 

Good day. Louis

Bad choice

Here is an inappropriate treatment to control bad weeds.  This hunter has chosen the use of herbicides instead of doing two summer cuts.  In addition to being harmful to the environment, the herbicides have little effects on the clover.  For an optimum result, the cuts should be done just before a rainfall.   

Have a good day.  Louis

Welcome sign

The slap of their beaks as a welcome sign is a regular habit in almost all the alcids of this world.  The Atlantic puffin is among the most expressive birds that nest in the province of Quebec.  This was in June at the Mingan Islands, more than 15 years ago.  Time goes by quickly!  

 Have a good day.  Louis  

Northern adventure

Here is a small herd of female caribou followed by young males and a few mature bulls which you can see the antlers exceeding in the background.  I wish to all of you the chance to go some day in Northern Quebec to admire the tundra in the fall.  Quite something to see.   

Have a good day.  Louis   

Close call ...

Nothing much to add other than we came very close to eating wild turkey… 

 

Good day. Louis

Predator of the shore

Here is the Great Black-backed Gull.  This seagull is the biggest in Québec and also the greatest winged predator that the coastal birds have to continuously keep an eye on.  In fact, all the small birds nesting along the shores of the St-Lawrence river are in danger if they do not hide from these outstanding hunters.  The eggs of these seagulls were for a long time very appreciated by the residents of the Lower North Shore, but they are protected nowadays. 

Have a good day. Louis

Deers that are blind

Most people think that deers are blind… Oh yes, and I repeat, they believe that because of the way that most deer blinds are constructed.  It is obvious that you believe that they are blind… Here is a quality installation that will surprise all the deers, as long as you take the wind into consideration. 

 Have a good day.  Louis

Hunting on horseback

Three years ago at the same date, I was preparing my hunting trip in the Rockies for elk.  This elk hunting trip on horseback is without question the most beautiful trip that I had the chance to do.  If you’re up for adventure, I would suggest BigNine outfitter, which we chose.  In the hope that my next trip will be as successful.  You may find the DVD that was produced from this adventure in many hunting stores.  

 Have a good day. Louis 

Better than salt

Here is a small technique that is even better than salt.  To verify if your have local bucks in your area, make a false scrape late in the spring at trails intersection or in an area occupied by deers.  If there’s a buck that sees this naked area, he won’t resist at leaving his scent and his tracks in the scrape. A game camera will do the rest.  No lure or apple, only a small naked area under a branch.  You may repeat this strategy in all your sectors by leaving your game cameras in place for 2 weeks.   

Have a good day.  Louis 

The first fawn

Yesterday, while I was installing game cameras in the wood, I had the chance to observe my first fawn of the year.  The doe had cease to molt and had her red summer coat.  It is obviously not this Anticosti fawn on this picture that we see being photographed by my spouse.  Here, on the continent, with the number of predators, I try to stay away from the fawns so that I don’t leave any odors.  

 Have a good day.  Louis  

Here we lay

The current hot days that we actually have seems to have triggered the beginning of the annual laying period of the turtles.  Since the last few days, the painted turtle and the snapping turtles are getting out of surrounding ponds, creeks and lakes to dig on gravel roads so that they may lay their eggs.  Here is a snapping turtle of approximately 11 pounds which will lay around 20 eggs.  She will lay some more in another area since this is their strategic defense if they want to succeed in having some of the eggs hatched because foxes , coyotes and raccoons will feast upon this wealth which will last for almost 2 weeks.   

Have a good day.  Louis    

A new life

Finally, after more than a month of nesting, two chicks are born.  They will be nourished from two to four times a day by the two parents until the end of August, which by then, they will attempt their first flights.  The parents will be by their sides until the end of the year, and even later.  This picture got me a third place in a provincial photo contest held by the Union Québéçoise de la Conservation de la Nature.   

Good day.  Louis

The braggarts

Let me present the black guillemots.  This small alcid, of the same family as the puffin, nest in rock crevices on cliffs along the sea shore.  They are great fisherman of sandeel, a small and long fish which can be likened to a small eel and which are of a red wine color.  The guillemots get together in small groups and get excited by discussing of some hot topics. When they fly, you may notice the big white stain on their wings from many hundred yards from the coast… just like mirrors.  

 Good day. Louis      

Mother courage

Approximately the same date as usual… it seems that life continues.  Yesterday morning, I had the chance to observe a mother fox with a mouthful of small rodents.  I followed her for a few hundred yards in the forest and there she had a meeting with her litter of fox cubs.  I will try to do a follow-up on them later in the season.  Have a good day.  Louis  

The bite

My friend came to my place yesterday to hunt bear.  He was joined by one of his sons.  Side by side in their tree-stand, father and son experienced exciting moments.  I think that the hunt bite will have more durable effects than the mosquito bites… 

Have a good day.  Louis 

Danger

Here is the most dangerous hunter for the mature bucks.  A full camo hunter, seated in the middle of a thick wood, close to a small patch of food with the wind in his face.  One hour on this spot and then he moves 400 to 500 feet still the wind in his face and sits back close to a quality food source in the thick wood and so on.  How can a nice buck detect this hunter if he doesn’t have the wind for him?  

 Good day. Louis   

Biologist

More than 25 years have passed since I was working as a biologist-assistant in the swamps of Thurso, in the Outaouais region, on a muskrat doctoral research.  We would catch muskrats to determine the major causes of death and the effects of trapping on these population.  You will agree that with 6 to 8 youngsters per litter, it takes efficient predators otherwise the population will explode… 

Good day. Louis  

Tenderness…

Many birds show signs of tenderness in their courtship behavior.  Here are two examples with the Atlantic puffin and the gannet.  In fact, mos twill continue these exchanges during the entire breeding season, particularly the species united for life, which is the case for these two bird species.   

Good day. Louis