The middle of September was approaching and the hurricanes were brewing in the Gulf of Mexico.  In previous years, these hurricanes had great effect on our hunting conditions here in Northwestern Ontario.  Once the archery season started, the winds were in our favour from Sept. 20th to 30th.  We couldn’t blame the weather on our bow hunting mistakes!  September 17th, opening day, almost proved fatal for the trophy bull that Fern called into bow range.  With a 2 ½ year old bull looking on, Fern was not able to get a good shot with his recurve on the more aggressive 50 incher.

Gridiron Lake again produced some great action.  Three bow hunters from St. Louis spent a week at the cabin with guide, Ben Prince.  Throughout their hunt, they saw cows, calves and bulls ranging from spike horns up to mid 50”s.  With arrows flung on different days, there were no lungs deflated.  Guide Rob White and 2 hunters from Minneapolis had a hair raising encounter on Loganberry Lake.  Rob called a trophy bull into bow range for a perfect broadside shot.  Then the bull was so wound up that he was determined to see who the other bull was in his territory.  With only one tree between the hunters and the angry swamp donkey, the bull finally expired after a few intense moments.  The boys at Mosher Lake did it again, with lots of action and close calls.  Throughout the hunt, they were able to anchor a long tined 48 incher. 

Guide Jerry Fillion, had his hands full this year with two determined 1st timers.  They had action every time they went out.  One of the hunters became unglued when a boon and crocket moose came into bow range.  By the end of their hunt, they both went home with respectable bulls.  The Turrie Lake tent camp hunters had some great action and stories to tell at the end of each day.  With a few arrows shot in different directions, the meat pole was not used this year.  Two Minneapolis hunters tried it on their own this year up in Wildlife Management Unit 12A.  They were successful in bagging two young bulls, way to go guys! 

On September 27th at 7am, two grunting bulls became silent after both Fern and Jim called them into bow range.  Thanks to radio phones in the ½ tons, Kashabowie Outposts base knew that both Jim & Fern shot moose that morning.  Fern was quickly field dressing his moose, as he knew he would have to help Jim.  A few miles cross country, Jason, Kevin and Jim were trying to locate and pull Jim’s moose off the bottom of the lake!  The 50 incher died trying to swim across the bay and sank to the bottom.  After five hours and a cold swim (thanks Kevin!), the bull was now lying up on shore.

When the rifle season started, the weather changed.  Our Indian summer had arrived and the moose stopped moving.  The beaver pilots could see the bulls lying up on the ridge tops resting from the intense rut.  Even though the temperatures turned warm, most of the groups had success by the end of the week. 
Thirty inch bulls up to mid-fifties were harvested, along with some cows and calves.  I guess that’s why they call it hunting and not shooting!