Author: Chris

Good Morning Happy Campers! It is mid February and there is very little movement towards Spring here in the north, nor much change in the Covid situation. As you know, much talk has led to explosions, closures, openings, and all kinds of crazy things.

But alas we all can hope that things settle down to a more form of normalcy by Spring! Spring will be upon us soon we can only hope, and soon we could be swatting mosquitos, listening to the wind push the water against the shore and smelling the fish cooking in the pan!

We do hope to be back at Happy Camp by the end of May and have our fingers crossed the list is only a page of repairs needed? I was just thinking of the dock and Loons that often play in the first bay, it will be a welcome sight and sound to see those and all the other creatures we encounter along our travels.

From what we know, to get into Canada you need the ArrivCan, a vaccine card as well as a negative Covid test within a 72 hour window from when you come thru the border. Also, I was told earlier this week, the test needs to be the one where they swab your throat, not the nasal one. Perhaps this will change by Spring, again we all hope don’t we?

Winter has been tough for us, lots of snow, bitter cold which continues today, perhaps in a couple of weeks some change will occur? Until then, Magoo and I will keep holding our own as the Great Captain McSorley stated.

Perhaps we shall see you in 2022, shoot us a message or give us a shout today, take care and keep in touch!!

Good Morning and Happy New Year’s Eve Eve everyone! As we turn the page to yet another year, we look back at the year or year’s gone by and can only hope as we move forward the sun continues to shine brighter on the Happy Camp Wilderness. As fall fell into winter, right now we are sitting at -44 degrees and yes this Fahrenheit not Celsius, the bitterness just stings. If my figuring is right in C, the temps would be like -90. Either way, that is damn cold!!!

Waterfowling was put in my blood I guess from Dad or Grandpa. As I get older, its harder to get going especially in the cold, but Magoo nudegs me very early each weekend morning in hopes of a new adventure.

So for this Saturday Magoo and I hunted the shores of Lake Sakakawea near Coleharbor, North Dakota. Decoys were set and we waited for the Honkers to come back for water, I looked at Magoo and the white muzzle she now has and as I gazed into her eyes, many of our memories came to mind. So many adventures, hunts and travels we have gone thru, both above and below the border. Soon a lone goose flies into the spread, BOOM, the Goose thuds onto the ground. OFF is Magoo and the familiar, fantastic snort she has as she carries the 10 pound plus Canada Goose come back to hand. I have been so blessed to have such wonderful hunting companions, from Buster, Shadow and now Magoo, each of my Labs have been wonderful. Great companions and world class hunters and retrievers.

Magoo is nearing 11 years old and as I write she is laying at my feet. To walk and hunt with world class retrievers that you have worked with from the 49th day brings a pure sense of joy from within! To have the retriever work like an extension of your arm, turning on a dime to the whistle and working flawlessly through heavy marsh, woods or whitecaps is simply breathtaking. Being raised a waterfowler I am often reminded of how wonderful it is to reach Greatness, just below Perfection. To have that special companion at your side ready, waiting for their next direction is something that makes a heart swell like the Grinch on Christmas Day :))

I remember a few years ago hunting on White Otter Lake in the first bay in early November. The Webster and Kent Crew’s were in the woods chasing Moose while Magoo and I sat near the decoy spread waiting for ducks to lure in. Out in the main lake the wind roared and it was completely white. In the first bay it was windy but not white yet but the day was still early.

In the duckblind, the coffee cup empty so Magoo and I stood and stretched. Magoo’s head quickly turned to the east and locked on a small black dot in the sky. Quickly the dot became a small group of birds winging their way to the spread. Magoo trembling was shaking and drooling with excitement as the group of a half dozen or so divers swung out wide of the decoys.

I reached for the duck call making the diver putts and brrt’s which brought them immediately out to the west and the hooked towards the spread. As they neared the line of white decoys, 3 broke off and went north as the rest set their wings and sailed into the spread. I emptied the gun and 3 Buffleheads were down, 2 in the spread and the other swimming toward the main lake. Magoo was off for the swimmer. Magoo pumping fast was hard to see her black head as she was about half way out in the bay. I guessed Magoo was about 400 yards as she caught the duck turned and headed back with the retrieve.

Magoo finishes the retrieve to hand, shakes off, sits down and says “what’s next boss?” Times like this I am often reminded I am so blesses to be in the presence of greatness. It is really hard to explain but I simply say, I hope everyone has the opportunity to be near or part of greatness in some capacity at sometime during your life. Greatness does not come easy, nor should it, but once you reach and experienced , it is simply the greatest addiction one can ever have, achieve or experience!

2022 will ring in new greatness and perhaps perfection. I have been blessed being part of greatness and can not wait for the next drip of greatness to come our way! Hopefully this will take place at Happy Camp and we can hope for 2022 to bring us back together. Until then, hug your hounds, loved ones and raise a cup of Cheer in remembrance of those lost before us and the Perfection or Greatness we all may strive for and Experience!

God Bless everyone and Happy New Year!!

Good afternoon and Happy Holidays everyone! We hope that everyone gearing up for a great Holiday Season? Winter has come, and gone and come again to us in North Dakota and Wisconsin. Snow and cold are then replaced with rain, wind and thunderstorms, one often wonders how wild the next few days will be? Guess we will have to wait and see.

As weird and the weather is the Pandemic which continues to rage on and on and on. As I sit in North Dakota waiting my results to get cleared to go back to work, I checked on the status of coming into Canada. Guess what everyone, as of December 15th, we can NOT come into Canada! While I am not surprised, it is again quite demoralizing to say the least. Will this change in the future, we can certainly hope so?

I know we are doing all we can to take care of ourselves and everyone around us, all we can hope is that each and everyone of us does the same?

So as we look to this Christmas time, I think of years gone by, my how the time flies. I remember my Dad saying the older you get the faster time goes, and boy was he right! Actually I can not remember much of the last time at Happy Camp, certainly seems like decades not years ago! We hope and pray that 2022 will bring us brighter times and get to the beautiful Wilderness all of us miss at Happy Camp.

We are gearing up for a 2022 season with much work to do, many bear sites to re-cut and who knows, but we are up for the adventure and hope to see some of you. Remember to bring your chainsaws, bug dope, smiles and energy so afterward we can sit in the porch or at the lake enjoying a Barley Pop or Fizzy drink of your choice catching up on so many things!

Happy Holidays to everyone out there, take care and keep in touch!

Happy Labor Day Happy Campers! Fall is in the air, leaves are starting to show the first signs of autumn and the migration is starting. Nighthawks have passed through the northern Prairies and the first Canada Geese migrated thru yesterday!

Magoo and I have started hunting Geese near the Manitoba border. Small flocks of resident Honkers are around and while we are in a 100 year drought, we did get about 2 inches of rain last week which helped, but we will need feet to catch up. Small grain harvest is happening and we have hunted a stubble field nearby. This morning we were greeted by a big hatch of mosquitos and while they did their best to fill the decoys, few Canada Geese were in the air and while we did get one, it was sure nice to see Magoo tear around the fields and also put her teeth into fresh feathers. Simply awesome to watch and hear her as she drags back these birds which I guess are around 6 or so pounds. Often times Magoo is snorting as she brings them back. In fact, this morning I forgot the game strap and after I layed down the Goose which was not dead, it took off into the decoys and Magoo quickly grabbed it and brought it back for a second time. Interestingly I think she watched me so I did not let that happen again!

Earlier this weekend, Magoo and I went fishing and found plenty of large Bluegill on a weed edge. We kept a handful for a meal, and while they are quite the fighters, nice to put them back for another day! Temperatures should soar into the upper 80’s this week, so while Autumn is here, the temps will mean summer is hanging on which we certainly do not mind!

2022 will be upon us soon and we can not wait for Happy Camp 2022, and seeing the Canadian Wilderness again. I am guessing there will not be a shortage of items to repair, but a Spring Bear Hunt is definitely in the works, let’s all work hard on this Covid thing and do our best to take care ourselves and everyone around us!

The Bucks brought home the first of a trifecta for the Wisconsin Sports fans, Brewers certainly look great and each game is a treasure in its own with Bob Uecker calling spectacular home games. Like yesterday winning in grand fashion with a Grand Slammer in the bottom of the 9th. Let’s hope for the Brews to send out Uecker in style holding a World Championship up for Halloween. Finally, the Packers will embark on another journey which will end in February bringing home the Lombardi Trophy. Sure they are lofty goals, but all the pieces are in place for the trifecta!

If you are looking for a place to come unwind, catch the beauty of the far north, peace and quiet with awesome wilderness, get in touch with us to save your spot at Happy Camp Ontario. Take care and Happy Labor day all!

Good Morning everyone, as you know there is no update from the border. As of late, I have begun to really struggle with the essential travel? Can anyone explain to me how hauling cattle to the US is essential, or hauling goods like toilet paper is essential to Canada? I have often thought that each country is self supportive and does not really need each other? So I am beginning to become irritated by the lack of movement on either side to ease up. Lately I focus on repairs, how Happy Camp will look when we ever get there. We have our fingers and paws crossed that Mice have not overrun the camp, guess we shall see?

Changes were to occur on July 5th, but that only amounted to re-wording of restrictions and nothing is different for us to cross to Happy Camp! So as we sit and twiddle our thumbs and paws, I saw a hockey game last night. As it began from Montreal with players from Tampa, Florida and Montreal, Quebec playing, I scratched my head again! Hockey is essential, how is that so? But none the less, a smile came to my face when I heard the familiar O’ Canada sung by the crowd and even a deeper smile came as the some of the players sang! It is so wonderful to hear the outcry of nationalism in Canada, and while we do it as individuals in the US, I have never heard anything like what I hear even at the smallest venue in Canada! One would hope that is this day of hopeful Unity we would hear different in the US, but it appears that we are drifting farther apart everyday. While we can only control ourselves, we can only hope our fellow Americans will come to their senses sooner than later?

Thanks Canada for making me Happy last night with your outcries of Nationalism, not soon enough can I cross the border and get back to Happy Camp, take care!!

June 22, 2021 is here everyone, and as we were hoping for the best, we knew the inevitable was going to happen and it had. With the extension of the closure of the border thru late July, none of us will have the opportunity to be at Happy Camp in 2021. As we have for the last 2 years, we say let’s look to the future and plan for 2022 to get back to the wilderness and enjoy the beauty and peace that is has to offer.

So until then, shoot us a message or phone us to save your date, stay safe, be strong and do the best you can. We look forward to seeing everyone after the pandemic is gone, take care.

Good Morning Happy Campers! Summer is heating up quickly and along with it we finally have seen some rain on the northern prairies. While not nearly enough, at this point we will take any rain we can get. Most sloughs are dry and many fields bare from no seed to sow nor rain to germinate. So we shall see what unfolds as it does not look promising for the crops nor bird hatch.

Speaking of promising, all of us know all too well of the Covid and border closures. From what we can figure, if all goes well, we figure their may be some ease up around September and with that we will not be at camp in 2021. While this breaks our hearts, we need to remind ourselves that this is out of our control and we can hope for the best in the future.

A couple bright spots do definitely come to mind, especially when thinking of Bear, Birds and Fish, when we do get back to Happy Camp, all of them should be excited and happy to see us!!

So for now, I will finish school for the year, then hopefully relax and enjoy as much of the summer as I can. I urge everyone to get their vaccine and continue to stay safe, after all, we can only control ourselves.

If anyone is out wandering around, shoot us a message or call, we always enjoy seeing and catching up with all of the Happy Campers! If not, the 2022 Calendar is ready for us to pencil you in to save your spot to Come and Catch the Good Life with us at Happy Camp Ontario!

Happy Day everyone! While the Covid rages on here and everywhere, it is easy to get caught up in all the hullabaloo of this mess! Brain Fog often is in my mind and I suspect many people. Although it is the day of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, the Race like no other, it is time for me to reflect on Memory.

Hi folks, Catfish Chris here and as you know there is not much to report on the border opening. As of now, many people who have no control in the US are saying the border will open on June 22, but that is nothing but them running their mouths. From what we surmise, the border may ease up in late summer and early fall. So unless a miracle happens, we don’t think we will see Ontario again until 2022.

Please remember to take a moment for Memorial day, we have so much freedom, but need to give our thanks to the people who had their lives taken while serving our country actually providing us our freedoms! Simply said, Freedom does NOT come free, so I urge you to give thanks. In 2020, I spent time making music for those who have fallen, and in 2021 I will be doing the same in the Rolette, North Dakota Memorial day ceremony. In addition, Ray Trottier, a 7th grade Trumpet player in our Band, will be traveling with the Belcourt VFW and performing Taps, thank you Ray and to everyone thanking those who gave themselves for our freedom!

Memories develop for all of us and for me watching Grandpa get his Indy car list ready and sit near the radio listening to AJ Foyt, Gordon Johncock and the boys race for gold was great, well before TV and all the Hoopla shit that overshadows so much today. Later it was drinking a few Pabst while listening to the Race with my brother and in the last years before Covid it was either at Happy Camp or traveling to the great north with Larry. I remember a few years back I dedicated a song, Alberta Bound, for my buddy Shadow on WPR Simply Folk radio show and heard the host Stephanie Elkins play that song for Shadow while Larry and I were on the north shore of Lake Superior, my time just flies doesn’t it?

So many memories and in the past years made at Happy Camp. Seems like eons ago, but we can only hope to make new memories not soon enough. But for 2021, there again will be no Bear hunt, but the Moose crew’s will be in full force in late September, man I wish we could be there for those days, those were memories!

So for now, we will all make memories today and everyday, I hope all of yours are special and in time you find your way to Happy Camp, make memories and also share a few with us. Until then, take care and keep in touch!

Good Morning Happy Campers! As always, we hope that you continue to do the best you can with the pandemic. Furthermore, there seems to be no end in sight and sadly the window for 2021 it looking bleaker all the time.

As the same for the last year, we do not anticipate any change anytime soon, wish we had better news. Interestingly as I opened the site today, the sight of Happy Camp brought a smile to my face. We so miss all of it, from the Wilderness, wonder, people, excitement, fresh air, smells and all that makes it Happy Camp.

Extreme drought continues on the northern prairies and almost all sloughs are dry and the ones with water have many waterfowl, but they will very soon seek out areas to nest so we continue to pray for rain all the time. Spring is slow to arrive here as well this year, temperatures struggle to stay about 20 over night and highs in the 50’s do help. Trees are starting to bud a little, but I think the drought also plays a factor.

Magoo did go swimming on Pelican Lake last night and we did find a couple pods of Bluegills sunning themselves in very shallow mud where it was warmer. It was nice to see them, soon we will get out and try to catch a few too! Western Grebe’s singing thru the woods are a beautiful sound as they sing and mate on the water’s edge.

We will update as we learn of anything, take care everyone and Happy Mother’s Day to all Mothers big and tall, short and small! Take care and keep in touch.