Last year I shared some of my tales and trail cam photos from the big woods of Eastern Ontario and folks enjoyed it. Given that here's the 2021 version of my whitetail season. Spoiler alert - I ate tag soup again, partially because I was trying to be selective in a low percentage environment!
I hunt thousands of acres of big woods public land in Eastern Ontario. This is classic northern big woods - thick conifers, beaver ponds, mixed hardwoods. It's rugged country and thick cover - being able to see further than 50 meters is good visibility.
These were the two largest bucks I was after, even though trying to hold out for these two in a low density big woods environment is a tough ask.
This one (dubbed Arnold due to his mass) is one that I have been after for 2020 and 2021. I have dozens of trail cam photos of him and am clearly hunting his core range - but no dice thus far.
The second deer was this one - probably the largest framed buck I have ever gotten on trail cam. Far fewer photos of him, but he was around again this year (I had one photo of him in 2020).
My best chance came still hunting in late November during archery season (rifle season in Eastern Ontario runs the first two weeks of November, muzzleloader the first week of December roughly). I was slipping along the edge of a thick conifer swamp and higher thick mixed forest. I was on high alert as I had started to see a lot of fresh sign - droppings, fresh bed, etc. I stepped around a large deadfall and a mature bruiser buck caught my eye (likely was bedded and just stood up) at less than 40 meters. My grunts brought him in to about 30 meters, but he stood still quartered to. Eventually he retreated a bit and moved to my right, grunting. He then eventually worked off to my left. Insane encounter – and so close to arrowing a big woods bruiser still hunting. I am 99% sure it was this buck.
Hope everyone had a great season - on to 2022!
I hunt thousands of acres of big woods public land in Eastern Ontario. This is classic northern big woods - thick conifers, beaver ponds, mixed hardwoods. It's rugged country and thick cover - being able to see further than 50 meters is good visibility.
These were the two largest bucks I was after, even though trying to hold out for these two in a low density big woods environment is a tough ask.
This one (dubbed Arnold due to his mass) is one that I have been after for 2020 and 2021. I have dozens of trail cam photos of him and am clearly hunting his core range - but no dice thus far.
The second deer was this one - probably the largest framed buck I have ever gotten on trail cam. Far fewer photos of him, but he was around again this year (I had one photo of him in 2020).
My best chance came still hunting in late November during archery season (rifle season in Eastern Ontario runs the first two weeks of November, muzzleloader the first week of December roughly). I was slipping along the edge of a thick conifer swamp and higher thick mixed forest. I was on high alert as I had started to see a lot of fresh sign - droppings, fresh bed, etc. I stepped around a large deadfall and a mature bruiser buck caught my eye (likely was bedded and just stood up) at less than 40 meters. My grunts brought him in to about 30 meters, but he stood still quartered to. Eventually he retreated a bit and moved to my right, grunting. He then eventually worked off to my left. Insane encounter – and so close to arrowing a big woods bruiser still hunting. I am 99% sure it was this buck.
Hope everyone had a great season - on to 2022!
