Catching the Good Life in the Canadian Wilderness

Hi and Happy 4th of July Happy Campers!  Summer is showing itself with some heat and heavy rain.  We have made it into the 80’s and finally today the sun shined brightly.  The bugs are still fierce as ever so bring your favorite bug dope along everyone.

Fishing was red hot but has slowed a whole bunch due to the massive Mayfly Hatch that found its way to White Otter Lake Saturday morning.  Walleyes who were eager to feed have filled their bellies with mayflies and this should last for a few weeks.  Although the bite is tough, Rooster and his clan were able to catch a handful late Saturday night and left a couple for dinner, thanks Rooster!

The Pike are aggressive and becoming more numerous.  They can be caught on spinner, cranks or Top waters.  Although the Walleye are a mystery, we have a few ideas to toss to our fishermen to help them provide a fish fry or 2 during their stay with us!

Al and I went after Trout last week and found some dandies in the White Otter River.  They were caught on spinners and worms.  In addition, during my Bear baiting I have found the Fraser River that looks absolutely fantastic for Trout, so lets get after them!

The Archery Moose crew found lots of sign during their stay last week.  In fact, one of them stated he has never seen so many tracks.  In our travels they found Bulls, Cows and Calves and have lots of ideas to adventure on this September.  In addition, they did find a nice dead Bull along Fry Road.  Ed, Al and I spent the better part of last Friday cutting off the horns that are now hanging and drying near camp.  As one local hunter told me, Damn, that boy would have been well over 60 inches come hunting season.  With that, please everyone drive safely!  A big thank you to the Moose Crew who helped fix the Game pole, do some construction items, go on some great adventures and an overall great time last week!

As we being Bear Baiting, bears are starting to be seen and a nice one was seen checking out the BMA.  Although we are full for the 2017 season, we are now taking reservations for the 2018 season.

The campers with us this week are local people and they enjoyed celebrating Canada Day and are spending time with their families playing games, catching up on old times or just hanging out!  Near the end of the week, they will take their crew to the annual Caramat Fish Derby!

That’s all for this week folks.  Enjoy your Independence day, take care and if you want an adventure, whatcha waiting for, give us a call or shoot us an email today to save your spot to Come and Catch the Good Life with Us at Happy Camp Ontario!

Hi everyone, here is an update for June 25, 2017!  Lots of First’s happened at Happy Camp Ontario the last week and thus the title of the update!  Last week’s fishing was nothing short of wonderful, from lots of walleye being caught by trolling, drifting or jigging, to Pike over 16 pounds and Perch over 13 inches coming to the net!  The FIRST walleyes ever were caught off of the dock this morning and were caught on a jig and twister tail.

In our travels this week, David from Pennsylvania and us were able to see our very FIRST Cow Moose with Twins in the area.  They were lounging along a pond while we were looking for wildlife!

Speaking of wildlife, our old pals from Manitouwadge stopped in this afternoon.  Rooster and John stopped in to chat and are headed to White Otter for an afternoon of fishing!  Those old boys do nothing short of living the Wild Life and are headed to the Caramat Fish derby in a couple of weeks.  Maybe they will catch the Big one and bring home a trophy!

The First Mallard and Merganser Babies were seen on the lake near the beach this week along with the Eagles have been seen around the nest on the north end of the lake!

The weather has been providing some interesting times, it seems everyday we get rain, and pea sized hail pelted the fishermen last week.  One good thing about the rain is the berry crop appears to be in good shape.  The Lady Slippers are ending their bloom but wild roses are starting to pop everywhere!

We have some Canadian fishermen in camp who also are checking out the area for Archery Moose Hunting this fall.  We have already seen more Moose this year than all of last year, so that is another positive!

Fishers are back, need to go check with them, thanks for choosing to come to Happy Camp Ontario all, and if you are looking for an adventure, what you waiting for, give us a call today to save your spot to Come and Catch the Good Life with Us at Happy Camp Ontario!!

Good Morning Happy Campers!  All is alive, wet and well in the Happy Camp region, time for our weekly update.  The camp is buzzing with fishermen from Michigan and Pennsylvania.  They have been fishing hard with good results.  Walleye up to 24 inches, Pike to 31 inches and Perch in excess of 14 inches have been caught this week.  The start of the Mayfly hatch has been halted by strong Northwest winds and steady rain from Mid day yesterday and still raining as I write this report.

The fish are still scattered all over, some shallow, some deep.  From drifting with rigs, jigging, slip bobbing or trolling, one constant is that many walleye are being caught and the smell of fresh fish has filled the air daily!

One fisherman noted the surface feeding of fish early yesterday morning and possibly Cisco or Whitefish eating the Mayfly hatch. Someone’s gonna have to tackle that mystery to see what they actually are?

We went Pike fishing the other day and packs of fish were around the culverts and fish were caught almost every cast for a while.  It seemed like they were watching the surface as sometimes they hit as soon as the bait hit the water.  Beetle Spins, spinner baits and Mepps Spinner are catching fish.  Crankbaits aren’t used as much as all the hooks are embedded in the Pike’s mouth making it tough to release.

Perch are starting to show up more frequently with some real dandies as well.  Ray and his crew brought back a nice pile of them yesterday caught in shallow weeds.

Trout are still a mystery, it seems the local creek that has held plenty of fish the last few years is void of anything except water and beavers.  The beavers have dammed up the creek and fish are not found on either side of the dams, sure wish the MNR would allow some help to stop the beaver’s onslaught of timber.

Speaking of onslaught of timber, just to the south of the dam along with west of White Otter Lake there has been massive cuttings.  One can see for quite a ways now and the only thing left is a few Birch twigs!  Soon the twigs standing will topple over as they have nobody to help them when the wind blows, sometimes we scratch our heads, don’t you think?

For those of you venturing up, be aware of the continued road construction on Highway 17 near Wawa and the few stops along 614 north until Manitouwadge.  The gravel up from Manitouwadge continues to be pretty good.  Travelers from the north, Philip Creek and Bound road continue to be good.  There is lots of timber to be hauled, so please watch out for the haulers.

That’s a brief update from Happy Camp Ontario.  Thanks for all of you who choose to bless us with your company and for those who haven’t found us yet, what you waiting for, Come and Catch the Good Life with Us at Happy Camp Ontario!!

Hi Folks, Catfish Chris at Happy Camp Ontario with this weeks fishing report.    Weather has been erratic with temps into the low 80’s late last week, and today temps in the low 50’s.

Water temps we are at 64 on Saturday, but tonight they struggled to stay above 60.  So weed growth is slow in coming along, but when they are coming along.    The first Mayfly of the year have started this evening.  Walleye have been caught in the wood, mud, rocks and edge of weeds in depths from 3-25 feet.  In fact, tonight Magoo and I fished the deep drop out from Prick Lake and where they sand met the mud the fish were hanging there and we caught a handful of fish in the 23 foot range.  The majority of walleye are on the smaller side, with some fish not quite 18 inches.

Pike are starting to hit hard, but many of them still pecking at spinner baits.  The other night while fishing Flanders River, Pike were caught on almost every cast up to about 30 inches.

It looks like the Speckle Trout numbers are good and while the water is a bit dirty from yesterday’s rain, forecast calls for no rain for a few days and the clarity will improve.

Black Flies and Mosquitos are very intense, so bring your best bug dope, nets and anything else that works for you to keep them away!

Bear and Moose are out and about.  We have seen 3 Bull Moose, one real nice one and a couple hefty bears in our travels.  No Caribou yet, but rumor has it a herd has made its way to the area?

Soon we will get busy for the year, and only a few spots remain for fisherman, so if you are looking for great adventure, give us a call or shoot an email to save your spot and Come and Catch the Good Life with Us at Happy Camp Ontario!

Until next time, hug your hounds, take care and drive safe Happy Campers!

Hi Folks, Catfish Chris from sunny, warm and windy Happy Camp Ontario!  Larry and I have made it to the Happy Camp Region and here is the update as of June 7, 2017.

Our first campers showed up today and we hustled to get the cabin ready for them.  We have some CN contract guys spending time with us.  As I write which is now quite twilight, they are pounding away working on the rails!  One good thing about working all night, the bugs can not be as fierce as they are during the day.

Black Flies and Mosquitoes are everywhere.  We have been working outside and it seems like just when we find a spot that the bugs have not found, another swarm finds us.  Never seem to figure out a great bug dope, but the Thermcell certainly does kill its share.

White Otter lake levels are dropping as the area has not seen rain in a couple of weeks.  The first mayflies, brown drakes, were seen last night while we were catching dinner on the Oswain and ditch down the road from Camp.  Larry caught some fish, was pulling a nice one up the shore his line snapped!  Oh well, another day and another story to tell, right Larry!

For those traveling soon, there is some road construction on Highway 17 south of Wawa, about 20 miles, so take care when coming to Happy Camp.  Also, Highway 614 has a few stops, but not as major as 17.  The gravel from Manitouwadge is in good shape for this time of year, just dusty.  The first Moose of the year was seen near Sonley, so look out for this nice fellow, his horns are growing daily.  Hopefully he will venture up this way to hide out for hunting season, never know do you?

Speaking of hunting season,  Happy Camp’s Bear hunts are full for 2017.  I often wonder why we fill out tags so quickly and a guy told me the other day, its pretty simple, when you find the Best, forget the rest!  All I know is our hunters are the best and no one works harder to put the adventure of a lifetime together for them!

When it comes to adventure, there is all kinds of logging going on and the river is open when one searching for Speckles should have a great adventure.  Never know till you try, and we certainly can put you onto the spot.  All you have to provide is the energy and creativity to experience the time of your life!

Soon camp will be full of fishers and other outdoor enthusiasts.  We can not thank you enough for choosing to come to Happy Camp and take time out of your busy schedule to spend some time with us!

We do have a few spots open and will find room for you, so whatcha waiting for, give us a call or shoot us an email to save your spot to Come and Catch the Good Life with us at Happy Camp Ontario!!  Thanks and take care.

Hi Folks, Catfish Chris here as we get closer to the 2017 Season, the snow still lingers on, with much snow reported in the bush and the ice still hanging tight.  Water levels apparently are low and some rain is needed.

With the wild weather, it seems that the damage to the Camp was not as severe as first thought, but then again Roger has a genius mind and can fix almost anything, thanks Roger!!

As we get into the season, we have a few spots left for fishing, our Bear hunts are full as well as the Rifle Moose portion, we do have a few spots for Archery Moose, so shoot us an email or call us to save your spot if you are looking for an adventure of a lifetime.

As the logging may slow in the Happy Camp region, too may the maintenance of the roads, so stay safe on the gravel.  Its always wise to carry spare tires for your trailers and jacks to prop up in case of a flat.

We look forward to seeing all our Happy Campers again as well as the first timers who will have their first chance to Catch the Good Life with us at Happy Camp Ontario!  Thanks everyone, take care and keep in touch.

Good Day Happy Campers!  Winter is slowly marching away and today is Fat Tuesday, the eve of March and Lent.  So I hope all of you filled your bellies with fried walleye and coleslaw?

Now that sounds delicious doesn’t it, fresh fish at Happy Camp with potatoes and some cold beverage to wash them down!  It wont be long now and camp will be open and reels will be singing with sounds of drag being tugged from Walleye Northern or Perch!  Now that would be a Whopper of a Perch if it sounded the drag, don’t you think?

For 2017, our rates will remain the same, $220 per person per week.  In addition, we have a few Bear spots open and that rate is $1300 per hunt and that will start on August 15th unless we can swing a spring hunt, but it seems unlikely at this point!

We did have some damage from the weather to camp, the porch is in need of repair as is some of the roofs.  So there will be something to do, always seems to be a list isn’t there?

So as we march towards Happy Camp 2017, I want to invite you to check out what we have to offer and think you will be pleasantly surprised as we provide fantastic wilderness adventures that include fishing, hunting, berry picking, bird watching, hiking and most of all a relaxing, enjoyable time.  So whatcha waiting for, shoot us an email or a call today to save your spot to Catch the Good Life with Us at Happy Camp Ontario!!  Take care everyone.

Hi and Happy New Year everyone!  I hope that the new year brings everyone all they can hope for?  As far as we are concerned, enough of this snow and winter already!  We are in the midst of our 3rd Blizzard and have not much room left for the snow!  Highs by the end of the week should reach maybe -5, a heat wave!

Magoo and I have finished chasing birds for the year and while Ducks and Geese were not the best, we certainly put plenty in the freezer and had days of wonderful hunting for Pheasant, Shaprtail and Hungarian Partridge, so all in all it was a nice time on the Prairie, but certainly not the same as Happy Camp!

We are starting to get inquiries about 2017 and some weeks are already filled!  In addition, we do not have a definite go ahead on our Bear hunt, but if we do we may have a couple of spots open and are considering a Spring hunt, so if you have interest, shoot us a message today!  Almost all of our Moose spots are full, but this will also shake out in the following months.

As I reflect back on our time in Northern Ontario, I have to say how wonderful meeting all of our campers has been, the absolute beautiful outdoors and the awesome adventures that we all have had.  From Fishing, stumbling onto Bear with Tom Kern, pulling the Beast out with the Best Bear Crew in all of North America, to the late night Moose drag with the Webster Crew, I would not have changed it for the world and you, Happy Campers, are simply the BEST!  Thank you for a fabulous time so far, and time only tells what the future holds?

So if you are looking for an adventure of a lifetime, whatcha waiting for, give us a call or shoot us a message today to save your spot to Come and Catch the Good Life with us at Happy Camp Ontario!  Take care everyone.

Hi Happy Campers,  we are only a week away from the US Thanksgiving and Happy Camp is closed for the 2016 year!  Thank you to all for yet another successful season.

As we look to the future, we are still waiting to hear from the MNR on our Bear Hunt for 2017.  As of now, we have many people interested in hunting with us and as I look back at our hunts, they certainly have brought us wonderful times, hunts and yes many special Bears seen, harvested and most of all the memories that we have made and I thank each and every one of you for that!

In addition, we are waiting for the Moose Season dates to be finalized, and we again have many people interested, with weeks already filled.

Finally, fishing weeks are starting to fill up with some already spoken for, so if this is your cup of tea, don’t delay, shoot us an email or phone us today to save your spot at Happy Camp Ontario.

Thanks again for a wonderful season and we look forward to seeing you all in 2017!  Take care and whatcha waiting for, Come and Catch the Good Life with Us at Happy Camp Ontario!!

Hi everyone and happy fall!  With Grouse season upon us, the first frost has hit the Happy Camp Region, but good fishing still continues.  Lots of Walleye, Perch and Pike filled the guys coolers from Michigan in the past week.  The fishing should continue until it gets cold in October for Moose season.

Magoo and I are busy working on the prairie and as I have told our Moose hunters, we shall miss each and everyone of you this year!  Some old friends, Gaetan and Peter will be hunting again at Happy Camp, hope the Bull finds its way through the bush to their call!  As with all of you hunting at Happy Camp this year, we wish all of you the best season ever and enjoy the adventure!

As we look to the future, we still have no clue what will transpire with the Bear season and tags, the Moose Calf season will be only 13 days in 2017, and hopefully the fishing will be kept the same?  As any of you know who have Bear hunted with us, we work extremely hard to give you the best opportunity possible and I guess it shows as if we get the tags, we already have enough hunters waiting in earnest to come up for another adventure!

Fall is slowly inching its way to the prairie, lots of ducks and geese in the area.  Crane season starts tomorrow and while we have seen a few, we will not be hunting for a few days.  Magoo has set goals for us to get after Pintails and Specklebellies this year, hope we can find some of them?  If not, we will get after the other birds that fly our way.

We want to thank you for making our first 5 years at Happy Camp Ontario seem like it was yesterday when we opened our doors and guess that Time Does Fly When You Are Having Fun!  We are starting to fill some fishing spots for 2017, so if you are looking to save your spot, shoot us a message or give me a call at 715-630-4444 to reserve your spot today to Come and Catch the Good Life with Us at Happy Camp Ontario!  Take care Happy Campers.