Hunters prepare for action
This is the first in a series of three reports about Eagle outdoors columnist Jay E. Hewitt's recent hunting trip to northern Quebec.
The road was long, washed out and strewn with rocks when we made the turn into the Lake Maseres camp road as we finally arrived at our hunting destination.
The cabins that we would call home for the next week were perched on a ridge overlooking the lake. They were basic fishing camp structures with propane refrigerator and stove setups.
The cabin consisted of two rooms: the kitchen/cooking/eating area and the four-bunk bed sleeping area. This is when we met the new owner and camp staff for an orientation of the area.
Sometime during the Harrisburg Outdoor Show and the start of our hunt, the entire personnel of the camp changed. This was not good news for eight Americans in a foreign country, even if was nearby Canada.
We unpacked our gear and everyone gathered at the kitchen table for a look at maps of the area and potential hunting sites for moose.
We would be spread out for miles, and individuals would be hunting over bogs, clear cuts and on the edge along the lake. The morale of the camp was high in anticipation of our hunt, and we began to select the areas that we thought might be good places to spot a moose.
One of the members of our group had decided to concentrate on walleye fishing and it was decided to pair up a hunter with the fisherman for the chance at a moose on the lakeshore.
In preparation, we went down to the boat launch and found several motorboats tied up to a makeshift dock, as well as a fish cleaning station. We met back at the cabin to have a meal and to share information about our impressions of the camp staff and facilities.
It was pretty much what we expected out in the bush, and, after we surveyed the outdoor shower and toilet, we were glad the wives were not along.Each member of our hunting party had prepared a meal for everyone to share during the week and we also factored in at least one fish, grouse and moose dinner. We figured that this would give us an incentive to hunt in earnest or we would go hungry.We had seen several grouse along the road as we entered camp and reasoned that a good population of game birds resided in the area. We also had seen deer near Maniwaki, and someone saw a moose as we traveled the road to camp.The Canadian skies turn dark and stars dot the heavens at night. This is when we found out that we would have about five hours of electricity each night, compliments of a generator. The camp water was pumped out of the lake by a gas pump and put into a holding tank. Boiling the water before drinking it appeared to be solid advice, as I noticed the handmade signs above the sink.After morning arrived quickly, we put the coffee on and had a quick breakfast as we headed out for our hunting areas.West Sunbury resident Sim Grossman and I headed down to the boats and picked out a seaworthy craft for a ride up the 14-mile long lake. I had a fishing rod in one hand and a Remington rifle in the other and hopped into the bow of the boat. I would scope out the shoreline and Sim would fish for walleye on our first day of camp.The scenery was spectacular, with rocky shores, pine forests and islands dotting the length of the lake. We were searching for the river that feeds the lake, as a pair of bull moose had been seen in that area by archery hunters a week past.This area was also reported to be a good place to find fish congregating, so it interested both of us.We explored the shoreline and found the river's mouth and our destination. Sim began fishing and I surveyed the forest edge in hopes of finding the twin bull moose that claimed this territory.
