Catching the Good Life in the Canadian Wilderness

Hi folks, Catfish Chris with a short update from soggy Happy Camp.  Weather continues to hamper the Moose hunters, rain, snow and wind have made hunting difficult over the past week!  Mr. Sunshine made a brief stop in the Hillsport area on Wednesday, but before and after that weather has simply been miserable!

While the Moose hunting has been difficult with none harvested in the area this week, Happy Camp has been buzzing with many laughs, stories and tlales from various people making their way to their Camp!  Even Mike Carecelli from Toronto stopped in for a cup of coffee and a brief visit before heading back home for the winter!

From chasing Squirrels to Grouse, Deer and beyond, Happy Camp and its guests continue to make each and everyday exciting!  John brought in a picture from a White Tail Deer that was shot in the area.  Time will tell if that is an expansion on Happy Camp’s hunts?  Doug Webster and his crew have made Cabin 2 their home!  They brought in shelving, new kitchen cabinets, a pantry as well as other improvements to make it their own!  Stay tuned for the wonderful pictures and you will be pleased when you step into this cabin!

Happy Camp will be closing for the year at the end of October!  While we have many spots filled for 2015, we do have some weeks available.  In addition, we have 1 Bear hunting slot to fill.  Moose hunters, openings are pretty slim for October at this point, but November can provide some great hunting!

Since opening our doors a few years ago, we could have never imagined the wonderful people who have chosen to stop at Happy Camp!  Each of you bring something special to our area and we can not thank you enough for choosing Happy Camp!  With that we wish all of you a wonderful off season and You truly are a special bunch of people who we are eager to see again in 2015 and beyond!

So if you are looking for a truly special place, whatcha waiting for, shoot us an email or phone us today and reserve your spot and  Come on and Catch the Good Life with Us at Happy Camp Ontario!!

Week 1 is now complete with Moose Hunt 2014!  Today dawned heavy rain, cold and much wind and one would think the Moose would sleep in, but with a smaller crew as the SeaGull Clan pulled out early this morning, it was up to the Kent Krew to get the Skunk out of the bag!

They certainly did not disappoint, as Jeffrey nailed a beautiful Calf Moose about 10 a.m. near Happy Camp!  The Krew spent the better part of the day retrieving the Moose and as I write, the wind is howling, rain is coming down sideways and the Krew is finishing touches on packing for the trip home!   Watching all of our groups work together is simply awesome, they work tirelessly together to make everyone’s trip the best it can be, way to go!!

Good Number of Moose were seen by Happy Camp Hunters this first week, but most were Cows and the only Bull seen by Brian Boucher was behind a Cow and he could not get a clear shot, so he passed!  Each morning well before dawn, the rumbling of trucks and ATV’s pulled out of Happy Camp in search of the elusive Moose!  Roger did find a great covey of Ruffed Grouse and brought back his limit one morning, good for you Roger!

We all had a wonderful time chatting, playing cards, placing a bet on the ballgame, sharing a story over a favourite beverage or eating a meal together!    To watch Magoo’s tail wag with excitement as hunters or friends come into camp, or your never ending treats you save for her,  thank you to everyone for all you bring to Happy Camp!  As one hunter said to me this week, its not about shooting a Moose, its about the time spent up here with people, the woods and that comes with it!  To Catfish Chris, the  writer, host and so much, more these times are simply priceless!

As I walked from Cabin 1 to the lodge this morning, flocks of Swans were overhead flying and hooting their last farewell for the year as they head south for the winter!  The water is high for this time of year, and with the pouring rain today, it most certainly will raise more.

We got out fishing this week a couple times, and Magoo and I pulled in quite a few Pike and big ones too!  The largest we caught is still swimming in White Otter Lake, it measured about 39.5 inches, certainly will be the magic 40 next year!  Herk and Jeffrey caught a few fish for the fry last night, my were they tasty!  Tony and Ray also caught some fish on White Otter, but they let them go to swim another day and maybe caught another lucky Happy Camper!

Groups will be shuffling into Camp soon, so Catfish Chris will sign off for now!  Soon the excitement will be with new hunters in hopes of finding the elusive Moose.  Stay tuned for updates and one never knows what will come through the Happy Camp door this week!

So if you haven’t experienced the wonderful Happy Camp area, whatcha waiting for, give us a shout and save your spot today at Happy Camp Ontario!!

Good Morning and Welcome to Moose Hunt 2014!  Yes I know it is only Thursday, but the woods is alive with hunters, and the first Happy Campers will be in camp early this afternoon!  Dizzy Dan and his clan of Merry Men will grace the Happy Camp grounds!  Sadly Crazy Cal is sitting out this year, get well soon Cal, you will be sorely missed and we can’t wait for you to get your butt back to Happy Camp and chase the Moose!  Soon afterwards, the Kent Klan will stumble and bumble their way down Philip Creek to Happy Camp!  From Tony with Magoo, Brian and Roger chasing the birds, to Ray, Herk and Jeff chasing fish, Happy Camp looks forward to you and all Hunters coming after the elusive Moose!  Stay tuned for hopefully many exciting pictures and stories to come across the Happy Camp way!

As always, this is Catfish Chris with a short update!  Snow, rain and cold continue to hang around the Happy Camp area.  A Moose was sighted the other night in the area, hope our guys will get a crack at it?

The water is at spring levels right now, wonder where that will lead to? Also roads are sloppy so take care when coming into camp.  Most of the birds have left for the year, a few migrators showed up this morning, Mergansers, but they are one of the last to head south!  I guess if you look at their hairdo’s, you wouldn’t wonder why they take so long to move south, but then again a ducks temperature is 105!!

Thank you to all who come across our path including Sheldon, our new found friend in Dunseith, North Dakota.  Sheldon, you certainly need to put on some pounds man, even a Tiny T-Shirt is way too big!

As we look to 2015, we have only a couple of Bear Hunt spots left and some weeks are full with fishers, so if you want your spot don’t delay, reserve today!

So whatcha waiting for, Give us a Call or Email and Come on and Catch the Good Life with us at Happy Camp Ontario!!

The water is at an all time high for this time of year

Good Day and Hail Call to all fellow hunters who chase the Fine Feathered Fowl!!  Magoo is coming along nicely and should be ready to hunt in earnest when she returns to the Prairie in early November!  If you should like to venture out that way, Hail Call us and we will give you the low down on the Quack Shack.

Hi Happy Campers, Catfish Chris here with a brief update.  Fall is upon us and Magoo and I spent the last few days working on Shadow’s Quack Shack, our hunting house in North Dakota!  Shad’s Shack fully operational and ready to take on hunters.  We have a couple of spots open in October, but November it is Show Time for Magoo and the Duck Hunters.

Magoo spent a day or 2 in the elementary school where she quickly became Dunseith’s celebrity.  While mowing grass, Magoo had at least 20 visitors stopping to say hi and What’s up Girl?

The northern prairie is filled with water and birds, my I have never seen so many, the hatch was incredible.  Magoo and I spent this early morning at our pond in Wisconsin and holy mackerel there are the birds here as well.  Magoo and I have sent out invites to some local hunters, hope they choose to come over and spend a day in the marsh with us?

Bear hunting spots for 2015 are filling fast, if you want to secure one, let us know so we can get the ball rolling?  As of this writing I am in Wisconsin and will be here until early October.  If you wish to get hold of us, please phone or email me here.

As always, thanks to all who have come along the Happy Camp Ontario way, we hope to see all of you again in 2015 and beyond.  For the Moose Hunters, time is growing near!

Take care everyone and have a safe and enjoyable fall and wonderful hunting season!

Hi Folks, Catfish Chris here with today’s Happy Camp Ontario update.  Bear season 2014 concluded for Happy Camp hunters a couple of days ago!  Happy Camp had a very successful season, with all hunters seeing bears, and many harvesting nice bears!  During my baiting, I saw at least 6 sows with 2 cubs and 1 sow with one cub, so that should make for fantastic hunting in the future!  That coupled with the hope that the logging to take place this winter possibly opening up new areas, has us excited for 2015 and beyond!

Speaking of excitement, spots are filling for the 2015 Bear hunt which opens August 15th.  Most likely week one will be filled before the weeks end and possibly more.  We plan on taking a total of 12 and no more than 4 hunters per week.  If you reserve your 2015 hunt with deposit by the end of 2014, we will honor 2014 prices.

Fishing was a little on the slow side for the Young’s from Manistique last week, heavy wind, rain, cold and dropping water temps kept the fish scattered.  When the wind did subside and make it tolerable, Nothern, Perch and some walleye were caught.  Larry and Jeff took a break from Bear hunting and caught a nice mess of fish, including a 21″ beautiful walleye for Jeff from Amherst!

The woods near Happy Camp have become quiet, but soon the Moose hunters will be out in earnest!  Happy Camp wishes all Moose Hunters a safe and successful hunt.

2015 reservations are starting to fill up, with some weeks already filled!  As long as Mother nature does not throw a wrench into our spring next year, we plan on being open by early June!

Whatever time you choose to come to Happy Camp, it is a fantastic area to explore the Ontario Wilderness.  On my travels back from Bear baiting recently, I was able to stop and check out a river along the way!  While I did only catch 1 Brokkie about 13 inches, I lost one around 12 and another over 20 inches that would have been my personal best!  I think if one is to explore with foot or canoe, you never know what you may stumble onto!

So with that I bid you a pleasant fall and Whatcha Waiting For, give us a shout and reserve your spot today at Happy Camp Ontario where you most likely will Catch the Good Life with Us!!

Good Morning!  Rain, wind, thunder and lots of lightning filled the sky late last night and torrential rain filled the low spots at Happy Camp over!  Catfish Chris here from Happy Camp with a short update.

Sorry that updates have been slow, but bear hunting has taken up all the time.  With one week to go in our hunt, we have had an outstanding hunt so far!  Many bears have been seen and nice ones have been shot.  All hunters have seen bears and Donna has shot the largest so far this year, Way to Go Girl!

The large bear who has eaten 2 cameras has been dubbed Camera Boy!  This fellow is still running at large, where we do not know!  He and many other bears including the 3 Browns continue to hit the baits daily, but Blueberries have ripened and they have moved somewhat to those.  Yesterday in my bait run, I did see a nice mom with her 2 cubs trotting down the road!  During the hunt, we have seen I believe 4 mom’s with 1-2 cubs, which is a great sight for future years!

The bird migration is in full swing, it seems earlier, but it is happening.  Some Geese have flown south, as well as Nighthawks, Flickers, Robins and other songbirds are showing up on their southward journey!  The leaves are coloring up and Shaggy Mane Mushrooms are popping up with the latest rain!  So, Fall is coming in quickly and the Moose should be rutting pretty quickly!

Few fisherman are heading out, but those that are continue to find walleye, northern and perch in the summer areas.  Jeff and Rick brought in some nice fish this week after filling their bear tags!  On a side note, I did find a little time to check out a Brook Trout stream, and  while I only caught 1 Brookie, I did lose one about 13 and broke off another that pushed 20, the biggest of my life!  Since that season closes September 1, those will be on the radar for next year, with many, many other spots to check out!

We are winding down for a few weeks, but with Moose hunting, Happy Camp will be abuzz with  hunters in quest of the Big Bull!

Thank you to everyone for choosing to come to Happy Camp and those who have not experienced it yet, whatcha waiting for, give us a shout and reserve your spot today to come and Catch the Good Life with us at Happy Camp Ontario!

Hi everyone from warm and windy Happy Camp Ontario!  Catfish Chris here with a short update.  The weather has warmed and the water temps are at season’s high.  Fishing has become a little more difficult with the warm temperatures and lack of rain.  Walleye are scattered with fish being found both shallow and deep in various types of structure.  It seems you can pick up one here and there, with no big groups hanging in any one place.  Northern have started to make a slow movement to their traditional early fall spots and the Perch have settled in the mud.

The Blueberries are starting to ripen and should be good for a little while, but these too are scattered in bunches.  The eagles have brought 2 one young ones along at White Otter Lake and the Loons are numerous each day.

Happy Campers from Michigan have been here and currently from the Toronto region.  Sheriff Tom Kern pulled in a beautiful 6 pound Walleye with his buddies John and Robbie!  Way to go guys!

Soon Happy Camp will be filled with Bear hunters hoping for a successful hunt.  We have been working very hard to make this possible.  From baiting, running errands, working on the walk in cooler, it seems like there are not enough hours in the day but it is all coming along nicely!  Early this week, Jamie and Magoo should be back at Happy Camp for a couple of weeks!

Magoo continues to be in great spirits, and in a few weeks we shall see if the surgery was successful or not.  We truly appreciate all the kind words and gift sent to Magoo, you Happy Camper’s are awesome, Thanks!

Thanks to all who have returned to Happy Camp and for those still coming in 2014, we look forward to seeing you for the Bear, Moose and Grouse Hunt, to Fish, or just to come and Catch the Good Life with Us at Happy Camp Ontario!

For those who have not experienced the wonderful Happy Camp Area, whatcha waiting for, give us a call or send us an email to reserve your spot at Happy Camp Ontario so you too can Come and Catch the Good Life with Us at Happy Camp Ontario!!

Hello everyone from cool, windy but finally clear Happy Camp!  Catfish Chris here with an update.  As all readers know, I have been and continue to be extremely busy at camp as Magoo, my right hand girl, is not here.

Magoo has great spirits as reported by Jamie, but no idea if the tendons are healing or not.  The vet said it is a waiting game and time will tell if she heals or not?  Take care my right hand girl!

As far as Happy Camp, we have been blessed to have people from Indiana, Wisconsin, Toronto and Ottawa stop at camp in the past few days.  Fishing remains strong despite the weather.  I think the water temps have reached their peak in the upper 60’s.  Fish seem to not be bunched up except Perch.  Last week, Jeremy Mews from Milwaukee, Wisconsin brought in the largest Perch to date at Happy Camp, a 15 incher!  Way to go Jeremy.  Pictures soon to come.

While perch continue to be caught all over with many fish over 12 inches, walleye and pike remain hungry as well and many fish frys and grilled fish meals have become the norm at Happy Camp.  In fact, Quintain became a line chef of sorts, setting up a line of fish and potato fryers outside of cabin 2!  Way to Go Quinn!!

By the way Quinn, practice on that Moose call for next time, but isn’t the call suppose to bring them closer??

A few days ago, I was able to take a group of fishers to an area lake.  We caught lots of walleye up to 5 pounds and many Pike of all sizes.  Also, an Osprey soared above us as we fished!

Other items of interest, we have 2 Bald eagle chicks in the nest and the other night, there were 11 adult Loons on White Otter Lake, what a sight!!  In addition, Bull, Cow and Calf Moose have been sighted in the Happy Camp area, Bears, Fox and Lynx also have been seen!

Water levels are low and the berry development is poor, raspberries are fair but blueberries seem to be slim at best!  With slim, it appears he jumped the first CN train out of Hillsport.

Bear baiting is going well and they are eating us out of house and home, hope that continues so are hunters can take in the bounty!

This afternoon I was blessed to enjoy my first true Italian lunch courtesy of Mike and Beverly Carnecelli!  Mike and Bev come to us from Toronto and always provide us with many laughs and are truly good people, much like all of our Happy Campers!

We dined in the porch with walleye, sliced tomatoes, fresh bread, home made wine and some Mushrooms in a jar that Mike’s brother, Luigi, made after picking the mushrooms from the Happy Camp woods a day ago!  To listen to Mike and Luigi talk about coming to Hillsport in 1961, along with all of their tales, are simply priceless!

As we slide into our bear season, please remember that we also have fantastic fall fishing in September.  We lose the bugs, the days are warm, maybe you want to combine fishing with Grouse hunting?  It looks like a good year for Grouse, time will tell.

So if you are looking for some great fishing, lots of laughs, a hunting trip, or just peace and quiet away from the everyday grind, Whatcha waiting for, give us a call or shoot us an email, reserve your spot and Come On and Catch the Good Life with us at Happy Camp Ontario!!

Hi Happy Camper’s.  Thanks for all the kind words for Magoo.  She had a doctor’s appointment this morning.  They removed the cast that had been broken and replaced it with a splint.  She is resting comfortably back in central Wisconsin under much bed rest from her doctor.  She will be re-evaluated in 2 weeks if no complications develop.  It is my hope that she has a speedy recovery and makes it back to Happy Camp to run like the wind on the beach during Bear Hunt 2014.

While traveling to Manitouwadge to have truck repair done from Pat, I noticed many trees in the fresh cut north of the Sonley that have snapped about 10 feet up, most likely from strong winds and nothing to support them.

Warm and windy brought rain late this afternoon, heavy storms forecasted tonight then cool, windy for a couple of days is forecasted.

Stay tuned for more updates on Happy Camp’s Beach Girl, Miss Molly Magoo and Shadow Too!  Thanks again, take care and Come on and Catch the Good Life with us at Happy Camp!

Good Morning and Hi folks.  Catifish Chris here from Happy Camp with this update.  Fishing continues to be very good  as fish have shifted into their summer feeds.  The Mayflies are hatching almost daily and after fighting with high water levels most of the spring, the level is actually low and we could use some rain.  It has been cool in the evening’s and our bug crop is extremely healthy, with Black flies now making their first appearance of the year!

We had our first Black Bear in camp on Tuesday morning.  Around 7 a.m. a Bear showed up in the driveway looking for breakfast, but he walked away before Jamie could snap any photos of him!  Additionally, this week we have seen Moose, Fox and Pine Marten scattered here and there, our first young of the year Bear and Ruffed Grouse.  I was out bear baiting the other day and as I drove down a trail, I notices something large and white sticking up.  During the course of that day, many times I had to stop and pull trees or brush from the road. I thought, “ugh, another tree branch”.  Upon getting out of the vehicle, I walked up and no tree branch, but a wonderful Moose Shed was found!  It is slightly eaten from the critters, but still in great shape and what a find!

The Wheaton’s from Pennsylvania have found their way back home and Magoo enjoyed their companionship.  Thanks for your help in our time of need and choosing to share some of your time at Happy Camp!  Once again, is goes to show me that there are lots of good people out there and you are some of them.

As I sat in a boat with Ray and Jacob Wheaton, we could see Todd and David Wheaton in a boat nearby! David started yelling, ” I got one, Dad I got one”.  David stood up and peered into the water as Todd reached for the net.  Todd scooped up and netted the fish.  I looked at Ray and said, that’s what it is all about, experiencing the good life and all it can offer!  I think his smile meant he was in agreement?  From Eagles to Loons, Pike, Pickerel or Perch,  Bugs to Bears or Moose to Magoo, the experiences are what fuels these fingers and what will today bring for me or you, guess we are about to find out!

As I close this update, it is very quiet at Happy Camp.  Magoo and Jamie have found their way back to central Wisconsin.  Magoo will be getting the best care anywhere, at the Amherst Vet Clinic.  Until they return, I will be working hard to keep the boat afloat here at Happy Camp.

Thanks again for sharing part of your time here at Happy Camp!  We have some openings especially in September and would love to see you, so whatcha waiting for, give us a shout, reserve your spot and Come on and Catch the Good Life with Us at Happy Camp Ontario!