Muskoka Outdoors Network

Join Orillia's Trombly's Tackle Box for their 23rd Annual Outdoor and Fishing show this weekend, April 8-10 2011. Visit their hunting and fishing store and interact with outdoor gear representatives to talk about what's new in 2011. It is their biggest weekend of the year and you might walk away with a deal because many items are sale priced!

Follow this link to visit Trombly's website for their sale flyer.

Trombly's Tackle Box
595 West Street South
Orillia, Ontario
L3V 5H7
Tel:705-327-3474
  Fax:705-327-1440

The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (Ontario MNR) and the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH) have jointly announced that the Bancroft-North Hastings area of Ontario will be open to a one week elk hunt in 2011.

There has not been an elk hunt in Ontario for over 100 years, but the ground work for this new hunting opportunity began ten years ago in Elk Island National Park, Alberta. According to the Ontario MNR website, elk were transferred from Alberta (between 1998 and 2001) and released into these areas: Nipissing/French River, Bancroft/ North Hastings, the North Shore of Lake Huron, and Lake of the Woods. (Entire Article Here)

Ontario Elk - Photo: Ontario MNR Website

An article from the Science Daily shared that the transplanted elk encountered a high mortality rate of 41% during the years of 1998 – 2004 attributed to wolf predation, illegal hunting and stress from the transfer process.

Since that time, the mortality rate has decreased yearly and the population has increased in many areas. The elk population in the Bancroft area is now estimated to be between 330 and 766 animals. (Ontario MNR Website)

The OFAH news announcement shares details about the Bancroft 2011 elk hunt,

“A limited number of licenses and seals will be available through a random draw process for designated Wildlife Management Units in the Bancroft-North Hastings area. The short season is slated to run from the third Monday in September to the following Sunday, which is September 19 to 25 in 2011.”

Some Hunters and residents have reported to me that some elk have been seen in our area.

Muskoka Outdoors salutes all partners involved in this historic announcement.

*Science Daily Article: Blackwell Publishing Ltd. (2007, February 27). Over A Century After Disappearing, Wild Elk Return To Ontario. ScienceDaily. Retrieved

Tom successfully harvested this nice moose over in Nipigon this fall. At that time, he contacted me about an opinion on how to score the moose’s expansive rack.

The antlers measured 67 3/4 inches across, with the measuring tape not being at 90 degrees. This created the conundrum for Tom. A ‘straight-across’ measurement had the rack spreading out at 65 1/2 inches. His moose had created a media stir, in his area, and he had been visited by The Chronicle to get his story in print.

Tom had this to say about his monster moose,

“I shot this moose Monday evening with a tikka lite 300 WSM at approximately 300 yards. I have been chasing him for a few days with my group of partners and finally called him in. I do not think he has what it takes to break any records but at any rate he is nice and going above the mantle.”

Update: Since I posted the original blog on my old blog site in October, Tom recently got an official scoring on his moose.  The rack came in at it 65 3/8" across and they scored in at 204 1/8". This put the moose at number 23 in the Ontario moose record books. Congratulations Tom!

The 2011 Perth / Lanark Gun, Hunting and Sportsman Show will be held on April 16 and 17, 2011.  The venue for the constantly growing event is the Lanark Community Centre.  Please note this location change from previous years.

Visitors to the event can expect to see military items, knives, gun parts, archery gear, ammunition, fishing tackle and equipment, antique and modern firearms, hunting gear and buy/sell/trade new and used collectibles.

Admission: $6

Times: Saturday 9am to 4pm and Sunday 9am to 3pm

Tables are available for $40 for the weekend.  Vendor inquires can be made to Jeff at:

905-623-1778 or email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Ontario OUT OF DOORS and Rocky Canada Outdoor Gear are partnering to give Ontario hunters some new hunting gear for 2011.

Just tell them why you deserve the ultimate in new hunting apparel and footwear from Rocky Canada Outdoor Gear in 50 words or less and include a photo and they will enter you into the contest. They will pick 4 winners, outfit them from head to toe for this fall's hunting season and feature their experiences in a special advertorial page in the April 2012 issue of Ontario OUT OF DOORS. 

This contest is open to residents of Ontario who are over the age of 18. Contest opens 12:00 AM ET July 1, 2011 and closes at 11:59 PM ET September 12, 2011. Limit: One (1) entry per person.

For complete contest rules or to enter online please visit www.ontariooutofdoors.com/rocky

According to a Globe and Mail news report, Toronto resident and legal gun owner (and collector), Peter Sedge, was removed from his home at gunpoint by Toronto police in May, 2008. His 120 legally stored, and collected, guns were seized by police as well. All 14 firearm related charges were dropped 10 months later and his guns returned. The lawsuit has named Toronto police and the individuals who told police about his large gun collection.

Mr. Sedge, through his lawyers, told the Globe and Mail that,

"... the arrest “completely unnecessary” because his client was licensed and had no criminal record. Ontario’s chief firearms officer, who is in charge of licensing, could have been called in to inspect the site or confirm Mr. Sedge’s licence and registration..." Entire Globe and Mail Article Here

Muskoka Outdoors is curious to see how this law suit will play out. What bothers me about the story, as reported, are a few glaring questions that need to be asked:

1. With a billion dollar-plus long gun registry in place, that police 'SAY' they check on 'every' call, you would think the fact that the man was a legal gun collector and owner would be noted before the raid?
2. Why a raid on a legal gun owner with no prior criminal charges? Why not arrive with the proper paperwork and inspection team at a more appropriate time of day. This is only speculation, but I doubt the person 'reporting' on Mr. Sedge called police minutes before midnight.
3. Should legal gun owners be worried that a raid will homing in on their private residences in very much the same way they occur for drug, gang and other criminal shake-downs? I would say yes. It happened in British Columbia, in 2008, for example. Four men were removing their encased firearms from their vehicle when a 'do-gooder' called it in. The men and long-guns were seized shortly after - then released. Read about that incident here.

Meanwhile, back in the world of crime and illegal gun users, the Liberal long gun registry is not even a concern. Police don't know where their guns are...

Modern and Antique Guns, Ammunition, Knives & Military. Buy, Sell and Trade. Lots of free parking!

Location Bracebridge Fairgrounds, 330 Fraserburg Road

Two Dates:

Saturday May 19th, 2012

Sunday October 21st, 2012

Times: 8 am to 2 pm

Admission: Adults $6; Children Under 12 Accompanied by an adult, free

All firearm laws are to be obeyed. Trigger locks are required. Security will check at entrance.

Show Organizers Ron Pickering and John Harlow
www.BracebridgeGunShow.com
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
705 - 454 – 8177

Muskoka Sportsmen will want to mark March 25, 2011 on their calendars.   The Friday evening event will feature a turkey hunting seminar (including video footage, hunting tips and demonstrations) from the guys at The Call Outdoors.

Faith Baptist Church in Huntsville, ON will be hosting the men (and sons) only event.

The savoury event begins with a 6:30 roast beef dinner that will feature wild game like: moose, venison, bear, chucker, pheasant, and more.

The cost of the event is $25.00 and tickets are available in advance from the church office (705-789-2492) or Dave Hiscox (705-385-9475) or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

March 16 - 20, 2011 marks the date of this year's Toronto Sportsmen's Show at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Consider filling the winter void (that can exist) between hunting and fishing seasons and get excited about new products, outdoor celebrities and outdoor presentations this upcoming March Break.

Early Bird online tickets cost $17 for adults and $13 for Junior Tickets (6-15 yrs). Doors open 10am to 8pm (weekdays and Saturday) and 10am to 6pm on Sunday.