Muskoka Outdoors Network

Nothing like a crisp opening Monday in deer season. This photo was taken not far from Huntsville, Ontario.

Triple Threat or “Grouse’s Bane”, this photo captures three shotgun rounds in my hunting vest. On this fall day, I was hunting just outside of Huntsville, Ontario.

You may laugh when you see this treestand. It was an early prototype and design variant that dad used when he started building tree stands on our acreage. This particular stand watches a thick section of evergreens and cedars that we call, ‘The Cedar Posts’. Only the ‘new’ guys attempt to climb it, while the rest snicker silently until we feel guilty.

Our humourous banter only lasts until the unsuspecting ‘newb’ reaches the halfway point of the ladder .

In hunting (unlike grocery store meat) the advantage always goes to the prey. I captured dad in this photo trying to read 'the signs' of a deer that managed to slip between us after an early morning hunt. This deer track slipped into an area of forest we have nicknamed 'The Bermuda Triangle'.  Deer seem to disappear off all tracking maps when entering this small section of thick, entangling cover behind the camp.  Notice our standard-issue Muskoka hunting wear: hunter orange and blue jeans. This classic look will have you pros shaking your heads, but these obvious colours are easy on the budget and Muskoka deer are used to it (lol).

Most times, the closest we ever get to a ghost buck is proof that they had recently walked in a certain direction. This Muskoka buck led me through some thick forest growth until I lost him in the grasses of large pond.  An area I now call, The Lair of the Swamp King.

Those of us fortunate enough to hunt and/or enjoy the outdoors with family members can appreciate that the time after the hunt are often more memorable than the greatest moments during the hunt. After a 'special assignment' at a friend's farm, dad and I took some time discuss why we missed our shots.

*for the Safety Consultants out there - both our firearms were unloaded.