Turbulent teenagers

If you’re the kind of person who find that your teenager are or were turbulent, get over it since it seems to be the same of many mammal species.  Many years ago, we had a fox den on our land where a female succeeded in delivering 7 small fox cub.  I spent many days observing them while they were awaiting the mom’s return with her mouth full of rodent.   Ma conclusion was very simple, they reminded me of 12 to 14 years old teenagers.  They sleep, play and eat or they play, sleep and eat… 

Have a good day.  Louis 

Big eater

May I present the gray seal.  With the closure of seal hunting for the last 30 years, the gray seal is one of two species that the numbers have increased dramatically in the St-Lawrence river.  Each spring, the Anticosti shores becomes a meeting place for many thousands of these marine mammals.  They come to molt their winter coat.  They spend a few weeks basking in the sun, awaiting the return of their prey.  In their case, capelin and herring are their regular menu.  In July, the seals are very close to the shore to benefit from the migratory flows of the capelin.  They catch them by charging in!   

Have a good day.  Louis    

Major project

Here is a photographic sequence of a major food plot project that we are finishing this year.  This all began when the beavers flooded a 15 acres cedar grove, killing the trees.  We caught the beavers and digged a drainage ditch in the entire cedar grove, in the flooded area as well as in the dried area.  During the winter, the wood was cut and part of the residues were burned.

Next summer, the excavator came for the first time to dig a ditch on the surroundings, remove the tree stumps and make windrows.

 

It dried and drained for one year and we made seed tests in the small opening on the left of the future field. 

 

The excavator came back again to bury the windrows.

 

For the last two weeks, a young man has been collecting the final residues with an ATV so that we may sow in three weeks a mixture of Whitetail Imperial clover and soya.  I will let you know the progress during the summer.   

Have a good day. Louis

Beavers again

Obviously, I’m not trapping beavers at this time of the year even though I again had a lack of time to control the situation around my place and in the surroundings… I would, however,  like to share with you some thoughts about the beavers.  It’s true that they cut woods and that they flood large areas, but the forest openings that they do are awesome for deer and other wildlife of the area.  The beaver fur is of great quality during the winter, the meat may be used to bait bears or to feed my spouse cats.  Trapping them takes us outside in the winter and each catch is a small adventure…  Have a good day and remember, never underestimate the vicinity of beaver ponds for deer…  Louis 

Measurers

Today, I take this opportunity to introduce to you two acquaintances of mine,  André Beaudry and Georges Landry, official measurers of the Boone & Crockett Club in the Granby area.  They were present at an antler party held at the trophy region of Alexandria, Ontario.  I’ve also added a picture of an Ontario giant harvested a few years back between Alexandria and Casselman.  As you can see on the pictures, the official measuring is a technique which require special attention and a certain laps of time which may vary considerably depending on the geometry of the antler.   

Have a good day.  Louis    

Majestic but parental

During our 6 years as resident of Anticosti, the bald eagle was our preferred subject.  His majesty and his greatness would make his encounter always enjoyable.  One spring, we were installed in our blind so that Jose could photograph the hatching.  Many times, we thought that it was happening but every time it was a partner exchange to cover the egg or eggs.  When this exchange was being done, the adults seemed to take a meticulous care by either replacing twigs around the eggs or by turning the eggs.  Finally, we never had the chance to take these pictures.  Each year, we’d arrive a few days later, the eggs would be hatch and life got back to normal.  

 Have a good day.  Louis

Power line at 12h00

Back in 2007, I had the chance to be welcomed in Alberta by two friends of mine, Robert and Andrée, two Quebeckers who have been working at Fort-McMurray for the past 10 years.  They had proposed that I come and hunt with them for the making of my second film.  One of the agreements was to give them a hand to setup some tree-stands in « big buck spots », as Robert would say.  After some scouting, I chose one of these famous spots right under a power line and suggested that they hunt it all day.  They always had the bad habit to get out of their stands at 11h00 and be back at 14h00.  A friend of the couple, Robert Blackurn form Alma, had never killed a nice buck despite 3 previous trips in the west.  I therefore suggested to him to use the tower in the power line and to bring his lunch with him instead of coming back to camp for lunch.  Finally, on his second day at 12 :10pm, a nice looking 155BC buck showed himself on the right side of the tower and therefore supported my theory of big bucks moving in the middle of the day… especially in the west and in forest area.  

 Have a good day. Louis