Muskoka Outdoors Network

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
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705 - 454 – 8177

Lake Vernon has recently been the site of a bizarre fish bite in a normally peaceful cottage setting. Muskoka's Cottage Country Now recently reported that on July 15, 2011 a swimming pre-schooler's foot was bitten by a fish while in the water with her parents. The youngster was taken to local Huntsville Hospital for treatment to multiple foot lacerations. The article suggests that the child's recent pedicure may have precipitated the rare attack:

"The mother suspects the toddler’s fancy pedicure may have had something to do with the attack; Anika’s toenails were brightly painted and decorated with butterfly stencils. Her wiggling, sparkly toes may have seemed like a delicious morsel to the hungry predator swimming by." Entire article and photos at Cottage Country Now

The young cottager is expected to completely recover.

Muskoka Outdoors theorizes that the offending fish was a Northern Pike (photo above) as it is the only fish species, in Lake Vernon, that is capable of these kind of injuries. Muskie are not currently present in the lake. We are fully capable to reduce and eliminate any hostile pike near your docks.

Over the next 5 weeks (depending on your Wildlife Management Unit) southern Ontario turkey hunters will be searching forests and fields for an opportunity to harvest a unique looking (and sounding) game bird, the turkey.  The season runs from April 25 to May 31, 2011.

Recently, a turkey hunt has been opened in some Muskoka Wildlife Management Units (WMU's). For those in the Huntsville area, turkey hunters (who have passed a provincial turkey hunting certification course) can hunt turkeys in areas south of Highway 60 and east of Highway 11. Check the Ontario Turkey Hunting Regulations to BE SURE.

If Muskoka landowners notice that hunters may be using their land without permission or feel that hunters are not hunting in a safe manner call the Ontario MNR immediately at 1-877-847-7667. Feel free to send me an email if you have a question or want an opinion on what you see.

I spent today's turkey opener with a friend on a nearby farm. We were able to call in a big Tom but, eventually, he lost interest in our set-up before he became visible to us. I think we got too excited.

Can I recommend some turkey hunting related web links you might find interesting to kick off the season? Check these out:

-Ontario's 2011 - 2012 Hunting Guidelines

-Outdoor Canada Magazine has a great article on setting up for your turkey hunt

-The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters has posted a media release for the 2011 turkey season

-An old blog post of my first turkey hunt in Virginia

-The hunters from the Foremost Hunting website have some fantastic turkey hunting information

-The Northwest Outback Blog has some great reads on turkey hunting

-The guys from First Light Gear have a great article on bow hunting turkeys (and more)

Be sure to send me photos of your turkey hunting success and I will post them on Muskoka Outdoors.

Hunt safe and respect land owners.

The Dwight Public Library Fundraising Outdoor 3D Archery Tournament will be held once again this year at Logging Chain Lodge Resort on Sunday, May 1st, 2011. The tournament had approximately 100 shooters in various categories for each of the past 2 years. All skill levels are encouraged to participate.

The tournament will take place rain or shine - with lunch provided. Women, children, men - everyone is welcome!

Download an entry form here.

Categories (you must bring your own equipment):

Men's Open (no cash prize)
Men's Bow Hunter Unlimited
Men's Traditional

Women's Open (no cash prize),
Women's Bow Hunter Unlimited
Women's Traditional

Men's & Women's Crossbow

Cadets Compound
Cadets Traditional
Cubs Open

Please Note:

"Open" - more than 12" stabilizer and movable/adjustable sights

"Bow Hunter" - less than 12" stabilizer and fixed pins

COST:

Men/Women - $20.00 each

Cadets (11-15 years of age) - $15.00 each

Cubs (up to 10 years of age) - $10.00 each

Special Family Discount - $60.00 for 2 adults and 2 children (15 years and under)

Registration begins at 9:00am, with a shotgun start at 10:00am. Due to insurance coverage, spectators are NOT permitted to walk the course. You are welcome to watch the warm-up, buy your lunch on site, and stay for the awards at the end of the day. 

Thank you to all of our volunteers who have made this event possible!  All funds raised go to the Friends of the Dwight Library to purchase much needed materials!

Logging Chain Lodge offers housekeeping cottage accommodations, in Dwight, Ontario on Lake of Bays. We are proud to be family Owned and operated since 1947.

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 best cottage docks hold more than just boats and other cottage watercraft. A muskoka dock creates a canvas that can help to paint favorite lakeside memories against a spectacular backdrop of a muskoka sunsets. If you have captured one of these muskoka moments in a photo, consider uploading it to Lenzr's newest photo contest challenge.  When I read about it, I was excited to share it with my readers.

The photo challenge is sponsored by a Muskoka cottage and the prize is definitely worth your time. It's a Sony Cyber-shot® H70 Digital Camera. This camera has 10x (25mm wide) optical zoom lens, 16.1-megapixel, Sweep Panorama Mode, HD Movie mode (720p), 3.0" LCD, iAuto mode, Optical SteadyShot™ image stabilization.

Last year, I captured a memorable Muskoka memory photo on a dock not too far from my home.  I was attempting to fly fish for some smallmouth bass when I noticed my friend's daughter enjoying a special moment fishing, with her father, off their dock. They allowed me to photograph them in a photo I call, "The Wait".

The first annual Muskoka Stewardship Conference will take place at Nipissing University in Bracebridge on Saturday, April 30, 2011.

A joint initiative by the Muskoka Watershed Council, the Muskoka Heritage Foundation and the District Municipality of Muskoka, the Stewardship Conference will feature more than 20 speakers presenting to landowners during eight concurrent sessions throughout the day. The presentations will cover topics related to water, land stewardship and research, and will arm participants with an array of strategies they can use for their own properties, rural or urban.

Dr. Norm Yan of York University will be the keynote speaker for the day. He will speak about multiple stressors in our environment.

The goal of the conference is to encourage environmentally-minded people to network and learn from each other, and the theme for the inaugural event is Get Involved!
 
      “We want people to get involved in the stewardship of their land – whether it is waterfront, rural, or urban,” says Rebecca Francis, stewardship coordinator at the Muskoka Heritage Foundation.  “Many of the speakers are landowners who will be sharing their experiences of stewardship projects they have undertaken on their own properties.”
 
      Waterfront property owners will learn about water quality monitoring and what it reveals about Muskoka’s lakes and overall environment. There will be talks for people concerned with urban issues, such as planting native species gardens. Rural property owners will benefit from the informative session on the Managed Forest Tax Incentive Program.  And for those interested in stewardship research, scientists from the Dorset Environmental Science Centre will be on hand to speak about benthic monitoring, crawfish and algae blooms in Ontario’s lakes.

The 2011 Muskoka Stewardship Conference will take place from 9am-4pm on Saturday, April 30th, 2011 at Nipissing University, Muskoka Campus, 125 Wellington Street, in Bracebridge. To register and view the full agenda, visit http://www.muskokaheritage.org/watershed/MSC.asp