Groomed or ungroomed
TRAILS BECKON FOR RIDING, TRAPPING AND BEAR HUNTING
THIS PAST WINTER
was filled with as
much ATV action
as any winter I
can remember. A
balance of cold
temperatures
and moderate
DAVE
snowfall kept trails
in spectacular shape
BAKER
– particularly with
many volunteers devoting hours to that
goal. And clubs that couldn’t take on that
chore kept trails open simply by being out
there riding them. So riding opportunities
were endless! Even my wife joined in a
few times when temperatures were a bit
warmer.
I rode with the Johnstown ATV Club,
the Eastern Ontario and the Nation Valley
clubs, and Northumberland District ATV
Riders – the newest club in the Ontario
Federation of All-Terrain Vehicles. Further
afield, my first winter ride in Quebec was
with Club Quad Pontiac out of Quyon
when I headed over to a rally supporting
VETS Canada (Veterans Emergency
Transition Services). We had 120
kilometres of Pontiac-Quyon area trails on
offer, and the weather was perfect.
Riding with the Northumberland
club started with a warm welcome
when we met at their clubhouse to
head out. These riders have beautiful
trails in the Northumberland County
Forest, along unopened road allowances
and on private property. The highlight
was riding up the highest lookout in
Northumberland County Forest. This
breathtaking lookout looks out towards
Peterborough and Rice Lake.
Since this adventure was only about
three hours from Ottawa, I will definitely
be checking these trails and lookouts
again this summer.
Interspersed with these far-flung
rides was my trapping season. The
Honda Pioneer side-by-side allowed me
to transport passengers comfortably,
pack the trapping supplies easily and
haul out my catches.
As spring thaw approached, I prepared
for my second-ever round of spring bear
hunting. I struck out at harvesting a bear
8 | FISH , HUNT RIDE
ATV • Sea-Doo • Ski-Doo
• Pontoon • Fish & Ski boat Rentals
Located at Perth Powersports & Marine
Hwy. 7 E. Perth, ON 613-267-6371
[email protected]
www.outdoors-adventure.com
Getting the ATV ready to go at
Dave Baker’s bear camp.
last year, but that didn’t make it a bad
season. The worst day of hunting is still
better than the best day at work and I’ll
learn from last year’s mistakes.
For example, last year I used game
cameras on trees with large 12 volt
batteries and solar panels for charging. The
bears …
Did. Not. Like. Them.
They went straight for them even before
they got to the bait. So I ended up with
pictures of fishers, pine martens and
jack-rabbits right up to the moment my
intended prey came along and the cameras
were history.
This year I’ll switch to lithium batteries,
and place two cameras at different angles
for each bait-set to maybe get an actual
picture of a bear.
Last year’s bears loved dog food laden
with syrups and goodies from ProNature
Rockland, so I’ll stick with that menu, but
planning ahead and starting early means
I can watch for dog food sales. And get
restaurants to save bacon grease for me.
If that doesn’t make a bear drool, nothing
will!
Spring thaw gives me time off from
weekly ATV adventures so I can plan
my spring and summer rides. Planning
has become easier since District 1 clubs
published a Ride Card to showcase some
of the bigger events this season.
If you want to swap tales and find new
trails, the Ontario Federation of All-Terrain
Vehicles is hosting its annual general
meeting this year in Ompah, Ont. on June
2, 3 and 4.
For more information on the District 1
rides this spring: www.ofatv.org/calendar
THOUSAND ISLANDS
OPEN FISHING
COMPETITION
CASH IS KING FOR ANGLERS IN THE UPCOMING THIRD
ANNUAL THOUSAND ISLANDS OPEN.
Hosted by Ed Huck Marine in beautiful Rockport, Ont., the three-day event August
10–12 gives anglers the chance to fish competitively in one of North America’s premier
smallmouth bass factories, the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario.
The Open, presented by Hookset, guarantees the largest payout in Canada at
$100,000. The competition is fierce with the field