Catching the Good Life in the Canadian Wilderness

Hi from Happy Camp Ontario everyone!  Moose hunt 2015 is upon us and the area is full of hunters looking for the elusive Moose.  Magoo and I have seen a couple of Bulls in the area in the last few days and hopefully the pole will be sagging from the brutes in the following days.

The weather has been pretty good, some light rain but temperatures continue to hold in the 50’s, hope that continues for a long time???  The lake flipped over last weekend, and the water is now crystal clear.  Some weeds have died away and soon the fish will shift to other locations.  Magoo and I have been able to fish in the summer places, nice chubby walleyes and snappy northerns!

Bird hunting has been a little slow, our Michigan hunters and 7 dogs worked hard for the birds they got!  But to see Chuck, Toby, Brandy and the rest run around was pretty cool!  The duck numbers for Magoo and I have been low, it looks like again a slow, small migration but it is better than nothing and soon we will be on the prairie looking for the eternal string of geese in the sky.  Maybe we will find it this time?

Magoo is up, the rest of the hunters just rumbled into camp!  Gotta go great and help, hope all is well with all of the Happy Campers!  Take care and what you waiting for, Come on and Catch the Good Life with us at Happy Camp Ontario!!

Good Evening and Happy RockTober Happy Campers!  Catfish Chris here at Happy Camp Ontario with update.

First hard frost of the year hit last night.  It was a tad chilly at 26 when Magoo and I slumbered to the Duck Blind early this morning!  Heavy fog lifting off the lake limited sight for us and apparently the birds as no opportunities were had for .  But many other opportunities have come our way in the last few days.

Magoo and I traveled to Hearst for supplies and a fellow from All North Plumbing told us of some good duck area to try while waiting for Goo’s dog food to show up.  Goo and I went up and checked it out, my oh my!  In about 20 minutes there, we saw about 100 ducks, shot 2, Widgeon and Mallard.  Our first Widgeon in Canada and our only wish was this spot be closer to Happy Camp so we could get there much more often!

We have Grouse hunters here from Michigan right now with 7 dogs, some English Setters, the rest are Griffon’s.  Magoo has met them all and she and the boy and 6 girls play a little before their daily romp in the bush.  The hunting has been tough, lots of work for a few birds, but maybe their luck will change in the coming days!

Moose have started to move a little with sightings of Bull and Cows in various areas.  Lots of hunters continue to set up there camps for Moose Hunt 2015 which starts Saturday, October 10, 2015.  So with the woods alive already with hunters, the days leading up to the opener should be busier and busier!

Many new songbirds have showed up the last few days, must be migrators.  Robins, Flickers, various Sparrows, Junco’s and Waxwings are scurrying around feeding.  Some Geese have been seen flying high and south migrating towards greener pastures.  Mushrooms have also popped all over the place.   I think Magoo and I need to go look for Shaggy Manes, they are so tasty with a fresh Grouse!

After work this afternoon, Magoo and I took the small boat out fishing for a while.  We quickly caught walleye up to 19 inches as well as the Pike showed us that they still have sharp teeth!  So in the cleaning house we had Grouse and Walleye today, our version of Surf and Sky!

On another note, we are taking reservations for the 2016 season, and have a couple of weeks filled already, thanks for that!  In regards to Bear hunting, we have Week 1 filled, and have 2 spots left for Week 2.

We want to thank you for choosing to come to Happy Camp Ontario!  Time flies and we are already on the eve of our 5th year and so many more exciting adventures lie ahead!  So whatcha waiting for, give us a call or shoot us an email today to reserve your spot with us to Come and Catch the Good Life with us at Happy Camp Ontario!

From Magoo and Sadie, Good Luck Hunters!

Good Day Happy Campers!  With leaves changing color, losing daylight almost daily, and the cool breezes, fall has arrived!  As our Bird seasons have begun, the honking of migrating Canadian geese have been heard and we have seen a few flocks high in the sky heading south.

Happy Camp’s 2015 Bear Hunt was very successful.  8 hunters saw 31 Bear and the biggest taken was Don’s 300 Pounder shot the last night of the season!  A great time was had by all and we look forward to 2016.

We are hopeful to expand our area in 2016 and that may allow us to provide more hunts, stay tuned for that!  As of this writing, we have filled week 1 of 2016 and have a couple of spots for week 2, so if you are considering a hunt of a lifetime, don’t delay, get in touch with us today!

On a somber note, my right hand girl and pal, Magoo, fell very sick recently and is hopefully recovering!  Each day she gets stronger and hopefully in a week or so she will be back ready to rumble in the jungle for some Grouse, Bunnies, Ducks or whatever else walks near her paws!

While we look forward to our Moose hunters and all the fun they bring to the table, we want to thank all of you for making another successful stop at Happy Camp Ontario!  With our numerous year classes of walleye, we are set for continued outstanding fishing in the years to come!

Catfish Chris here wishing you all a safe, exciting and enjoyable Fall hunting and Fishing season!  Whatcha waiting for, give us a shout on the phone or shoot us an email today to reserve your spot to Come and Catch the Good Life with Us at Happy Camp Ontario!

Good Bear Eve all!  Bear Hunt 2015 is upon us as night has fallen on Happy Camp!  The most intense heat of the year has blanketed the Happy Camp region as well as should stay with us for the next few days!

Henry went out baiting with me this morning, and the Bears were hungry after the nasty storm that rolled through here.  Baits were empty and hopefully this trend will continue for the hunting season?  Interestingly the Bears are feeding heavily on Blueberries, guess they know where to look much better than we do, our buckets have remained empty!

Len and I waded the shores this evening with top water plugs and caught a few small Pike, my the water is warm but wet!  The wind pushed waves in from the north at a gentle pace, and the Loons sang loudly in the distance!

All of our week 1 hunters have made it into camp, preparation is complete, and they are fast asleep.  Tomorrow we will descend into the forest in search of a Trophy Black Bear!  As we walked and talked today, one hunter said, this is so cool to be in the woods, the smells and all of it!  Man, if  I even see a Bear that will make it even cooler!  So, our hopes are very high for a safe and successful hunt!

To anyone venturing out into the woods or water, be safe, enjoy the wilderness and all it has to offer!  If you are looking to catch a huge piece of the Wilderness Pie, Shoot Catfish a message or phone the Girls today so you too can Come and Catch the Good Life with us at Happy Camp Ontario!

Jigpole Jamie here, taking over for the bear-baiting Catfish Chris. First it was the tire on the boat trailer that went flat on Fry’s Road back in June. Next to fall victim was a tire on the truck. Yesterday, a tire on the Jeep went flat. Maybe the next wheel casualty will  either be one on the “bike” (that’s Canadian speak for 4-wheeler) or our lawn mower. For anyone venturing our way, please make sure you have a good spare (or two) on hand.

After two days of high heat, we are enduring our second day of strong wind. Ed and I heard one tree fall near camp while Chris and Rob actually recorded one fall while fishing on Echo Lake (Rob at first thought the noise he heard might be that of a moose in the bush). Wind was so strong yesterday it pulled up some of the rolled roof off the porch. Thanks to the guys from Take A Vet Fishing in camp who helped us secure it in time for a passing shower. The sign to White Otter Lake is still waiting to be uprighted.

I guess the one lesson that prevails day to day here at Happy Camp is to expect the unexpected! For me, I’m expecting Chris back in camp from bear baiting in an hour or two. Let’s hope the girls and I are not in for any more “unexpected” until tomorrow!

Hello 19th Campers!  Today the sun is shining beautifully and the wind is picking up nicely out of the west.  Fishing is similar to the weather the last few days, a roller coaster ride to say the least.  Friday was in the 60’s with rain and yesterday was high 80’s and humidity, walleyes chomping Saturday morning but no where to be found last night!  This writer suspects the fish were attending the ceremony in Lambeau!  They were so busy clapping their fins saying thanks they found no time to eat!  It was nice to see #4 where he spent so many years, days and brought us so much excitement!  Thanks #4, you will never be forgotten!

As I approached a Bear Bait on Saturday, 3 Wolf Pups poked their heads out in the trail and trotted across.  I drove ahead about 200 yards, put the Jeep in park, opened the door and got out.  I said HI Pups but nothing was seen or heard.  I proceeded to the back of the Jeep, got out the bait, and walked into the bait.  Seeing the bait being hit, I re-baited, fixed things, then did my customary Welcome to the Bears!  Those who have hunted with Happy Camp know of this very well.  I grabbed the pails, turned around and there they were!  The 3 Wolf pups must have followed me into the bait and were staring at me about 20 yards away.  I yelled at them and they crept closer trying to figure out what I was?  I started walking out, they held their ground, then suddenly I noticed something out of the corner of my eye.  In the bush about 25 feet from me, a head appeared and I suspect it was the Mother Wolf!

My mind started to race what to do?  Sure we all hear of this or that to do in a perfect situation, but is there EVER a perfect situation?  I yelled at the Wolf Pack that now numbered 4, 3 Pups and 1 Adult all within 20 yards of me and the only way out is behind me and that is the bush that leads to who knows!  As I pondered what to do, the Mother made some sound and almost instantaneously She and the Pups vanished into the bush.  I quickly made my way to the Jeep and off down the road to the next bait.

So the incident turned out favorably, but gets me to wonder just what others have done if in that situation?  We here at Happy Camp would like to know and it would be a wonderful conversation tool while sitting around having dinner or just shooting the breeze catching up.

As summer quickly fades and we work feverishly towards Bear hunt 2015 and beyond, if you should stop by we would take time to catch up with you and and share stories that are brought through the bush to Happy Camp Ontario.

So give us a shout today either via email or phone to save your spot and Come share some Adventures while Catching the Good Life with Us at Happy Camp Ontario!!

Good Evening Happy Campers, Catfish Chris with a short update.  Today I traveled to Bear Baiting and while on the trail I saw numerous animals, from Bear to Wolf to Grouse. But as I drove towards a curve, I saw something blue, and as I rounded the curve, I came upon a helicopter landed on the side of the bush road.  Interesting I thought as I slowed to take a look at it.  As I slowed down, a person came out of the cockpit.  I got out of the Jeep and spoke to the pilot.  Interestingly she told me that she was part of the DeBeers Diamond Mine Exploration and her 2 explorers were down the trail exploring.  I spoke to her for a bit, then hopped back into the jeep and off to bear baiting.  I ran into the explorers, got out and spoke to them.  While they were eager to talk, they were certainly not eager to share what was on their screen, a GPS I suspect.  But this screen was held tight to his chest as he spoke.

After I finished baiting, I headed out and the chopper was just starting to warm up and the explorers were outside.  I paused and yelled from the Jeep, “Did you find what you were looking for?”  Both explorers smiled, and said, “we certainly did”.  So, hmm, gets me to thinking, could there possibly be a Diamond in the Bush up here in the Happy Camp region?  Never know till you try right?

Fishing has been very good this week, the bears are eating well and I heard of 9 Wolf Pups down the Fry Road, what’s up with that?

Time’s up for now, lots to do and little time, so if you are looking for an adventure, whatcha waiting for, shoot us an email or give us a call today to reserve your spot to Come and Catch the Good Life with us at Happy Camp Ontario!!

Hi Folks.  Well it looks like the 3 W’s have hit Happy Camp land along with the hottest weather since 1966.  Today it is in the 90’s with no relief for a few days.  One hopeful thing is the dry heat may help alleviate some of the bugs that seem to be everywhere.  Keep your fingers crossed for  that!

Wind, Weeds and Walleyes, it doesn’t get any better than that does it?  Well maybe a tasty fresh fish fry which happened many times this week!  Wind has led to a tremendous weed growth and the walleye are not far behind!  Lots of fish over 20 inches were caught and released.  In fact, I had a stretch of 14 casts in a row with a walleye over 20 inches each cast.

Other than that, not much to tell.  We have a full camp now and hopefully many new stories to share with you in the near future?  Catfish Chris wishing all of you a Happy Day and whatcha waiting for, Give us a call or shoot us an email today to Come and Catch the Good Life with us at Happy Camp Ontario!

Happy 4th and Greetings from the North Happy Campers!  Although the weather has been very erratic, fishing was quite good last week with many walleye, pike and perch showing up!  The Mayfly hatch is in full swing but the fish continue to feed especially in the evenings!  Rain has kept the water levels high and the tubes at the Oswain are almost full and the current is cooking quite good.

Each day we travel to the Bear area we have seen bears, some good sized ones too!  Today we came upon a good sized fellow that appeared to be eating some flowers, interesting eh!  Also, have seen first strawberries of the year.  With all the rain, it should be a bumper crop of Rasberry and Blueberry!

Time to go get fish fry cooking, always a tasty treat, so if you are hankering for one, whatcha waiting for, shoot us a message today to come try one and Catch the Good Life with us at Happy Camp Ontario!!

Good Day Happy Campers!  Catfish Chris here at Happy Camp with today’s update.  Fishing continues to be good with some doing very well while others catch only a few, but hey that’s fishing!

Water levels continue to be high as the Oswain tubes are almost full!On my travels yesterday, I saw a few clutches of Grouse on the roads and I wonder at what age can they fly?  I think they are about the size of a baseball but they certainly flew up into a tree!  Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

Also ran into a nice sized feller looking for some grub, he stood up and looked very proud, but then quickly vanished into the bush.  He looked like a real scrapper, a good sized one at that!

Fishers from Michigan are in Camp this week and the Mayfly hatch has started so we shall see what that means to the fish activity.  If you follow our site, you have seen in the last few days what our Pike have been eating, Snakes and Mice!  My what a menu, eh!

Rumbling in the distance so I think our dry day will quickly become a wet one, need to head to the lake and see how the waves are coming along?  By the wave, we have quite a swimmer in Sadie as she has learned how to do the Dog Padddle, that a girl!

Take care and have a super week Happy Campers!