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We offer fall moose, grouse and resident spring & fall bear hunting packages in WMU 40. Winter hunts for timber wolves are also available. Please scroll down for expanded descriptions of each of these packages, including the annual bird report. Prices are listed at the bootom of this page. Moose hunts start in early October through November 15 (check MNR hunting regulations for annual dates). Due exclusively to moose tag allocation reductions by our MNR, the lodge no longer has adult tags available for our guests. However, we can supply everything else for a memorable hunting trip including deluxe accommodations with all-you-can-eat meals, guides, portable tree stand rentals, ATV (with driver) for pull-outs, as well as cutting & wrapping services (including burger and sausages). We welcome rifle, black powder and bow hunters for any and all of the package hunts.


Resident Black Bear Hunting Packages

The spring bear hunt finally came back for both resident and non-resident hunters after a 15-year cancellation and the season is open from May 1 through June 15, each year. The lodge can supply you with more bait than you will ever need but if you would like to bring your own predator call to attract them, please do. All packages includes all-you-can-eat meals, accommodations, active baits, tree stand and the skinning/cutting/wrapping of your trophy bear. Groups sizes are limited to 5 or 6 hunters per week (usually Saturday to Saturday, exceptions are possible). This all-inclusive package is only $1995 in Canadian funds, per hunter. Partial week or weekend packages can also be arranged.

The fall bear season opens on August 15 and runs through October 30 every year. Unsucessful spring hunters DO NOT have to buy another license for the fall hunt. As with the spring hunt, the lodge can supply you with more bait than you will ever need but if you would like to bring your own predator call to attract them, please do. All packages includes all-you-can-eat meals, accommodations, active baits, tree stand and the skinning/cutting/wrapping of your trophy bear. Groups sizes are limited to 5 or 6 hunters per week (usually Saturday to Saturday, exceptions are possible). This all-inclusive package is only $1995 in Canadian funds, per hunter. Partial week or weekend packages can also be arranged.

Both the spring and fall hunting packages require a 50% deposit by credit card for each hunter.


Timber Wolf Hunting Packages

Since 2012/2013, we have offered hunting packages for timber wolves. These magnificent, yet shy and elusive, animals range in weight from 75 to 100 pounds with the occassional big one topping the scales at 125 pounds. They usually travel in packs of up to 8 or 10 animals but occassionally will be seen walking alone. It could be a lone wolf, or more probably, one of the pack that has spread out to effectively cover a wider area as they patrol their domain looking for prey. They will kill and eat anything and everything they find. Moose is certainly a part of their winter diet but they also look for smaller game such as rabbits and grouse. During the summer and especially in the fall, beaver make up a large portion of their feed. As you can imagine, both small and large game hunters as well as trappers don't share a love for these voracious pests.

The lodge can supply you with more bait than you will ever need but if you would like to bring your own predator call to attract them, please do. Package prices include meals and accommodations and are listed at the bottom of this page.


Small Game Hunting Packages.

The lodge offers excellent early fall hunting for ruffed grouse, spruce grouse and rabbits. Small game season opens on September 15 every year. Various package plans (see below for prices) are available to suit your hunting needs. Free cleaning, wrapping and freezer space is included with all small game packages. Accommodation and meal prices can be found at the bottom of this page.

The 2024 Bird Report.

Sunday, September 22 , 2024. So far this season, bird hunting has been slow to terrible. Everybody I've talked with about it all say that it's just too warm out there and they think the birds are hiding in heavy shade, usually accompanied by a damp cool floor such as in cedar swamps and they are rarely seen on gravel roads. This all seems plausible to me.

Sunday, September 1 , 2024. It looks like it might be a good season again this year for grouse. I've seen lots of the smaller birds from both hatches this past summer and season opens in 2 weeks. I've also noticed several signs of an early fall and winter this year so I think we're in for a good winter and hopefully lots of snow.

The 2023 Bird Report.

Wednesday, December 13, 2023. Don't forget that bird season stays open until December 31 so there's still over a half a month of prime hunting before closure. Dark birds show up quite well on white snow, tracks are visible in the snow and there's very few other hunters anywhere... it's a good time to be here. The other upsides of late fall hunts are that the mud puddles are frozen over now and there's very little snow so ATV travel is also prime. Did I mention to bring lots of bug repellant....NOT! Accommodations are available through closing dates.

Wednesday, November 8, 2023. All the deciduous leaves are now on the ground and we have had sufficient frost, rain and a couple light snowfalls to push all the grass down also. You can see considerably further into the bush from roads and trails which makes the hunting a whole lot easier. Last week, hunters were filling their quota early in the day .... which left time for some late fall fishing, which was also quite productive. I don't have any more bookings for birds or fish so I took the boats out a couple days ago before the predicted snow storm was to hit, which it didn't, but I still have accommodations available for both groups. If you want to take the retriever for once last hunt for the fall, call or email me. As for the fishing, boats can be turned over and motors put on but bring your own bait as I'm sold out of worms.

Thursday, October 5, 2023. Bird season has been open for about 3 weeks now and everybody says the bush chickens are extremely skittish this year and hard to get. There's lots out there but few are coming home with the guys. This year, I've noticed a lot more adult birds on my cleaning table than in the last couple years. Noticably missing this year are the spruce grouse with only 2 being shot so far. The fall leaves are prime right now so it won't be long before they fall and then with a bit of luck and an overnight snowfall of 4 or 5 inches to knock the weeds down, hunting should get a whole lot easier when that snow melts.

The 2022 Bird Report.

Wednesday, November 30, 2022. There was a glitch in the computer which caused a malfunction in this year's bird report not being shown. I think we're found the culprit. Overall, it wasn't a great year for bush chickens. With 2 hatches this summer, everybody thought there would be lots of birds but somehow the second hatch didn't do well and when I was cleaning the birds for the guests, all I seen were last year's adults and this spring's first hatch. The total count was down considerably from past years and I'm hoping there are enough left in the bush to have a successful reproduction next year.


Moose Hunting Packages

Where have all the moose gone?

All moose hunters as well as lodges offering hunting packages know that the moose population across most of northern Ontario has been in serious decline for the past couple of decades. Some Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) have decreased the available adult moose allocation tags by 90% and other MNUs have instigated draws for calves as well. Why? Where did the moose go? There are several possible reasons that easily come up for discussion concerning the moose population decline that include the following: 1)the loss of the spring bear hunt in 1999 where more bears are killing more young moose, 2)the instigation of an additional hunting license for wolves when autumn bear and moose hunters used to shoot them on sight and now have to weigh the benefit/cost ratio of a wolf license vs. a case of beer, 3)deaths due to collisions on both the highways and railroads and 4)the ongoing, unrestricted & unreported moose harvest by natives as factors in this rapid decline in moose populations but I think these are all small factors in this unresolved dilemma. I firmly believe that the single biggest problem for the population decline is one that very few people (hunters and non-hunters included) ever see in Nature. It is the expotential rise in the numbers of Dermacentor albipictus or the common moose tick.

The winter moose tick is a mite that differs from other mites, most noticably by its huge size. Females are 15 mm. (over 1/2 inch) long and males are about 2/3 that size at 10 mm. or 3/8 inch. Eggs are laid on the ground in swampy or muskeg areas after the snow melts in late May or early June and hatch during the early summer. Larvae are inactive until autumn when they climb up and onto the end branches of vegetation such as short spruce and balsam shrubs of 1 to 1.5 m. (3 to 5 feet) in height, wait for a moose to walk by and then jump aboard where they gorge on blood for the winter. They mate at the end of winter, drop to the ground and the cycle is repeated annually. If a tick were to miss out on this "free ride", it would not survive the winter in the swamp. Infected moose are easy to spot in late winter. They have rubbed all the hair off their necks, shoulders, backs, rumps and ocassionally bellies in an effort to ease the itching from the tick bites. They are bald and are often referred to as "ghost moose" because of the pale or whiteish-gray skin in these areas. Hypothermia is a definite problem and they appear gaunt and have little muscle mass or meat in these areas. In severe cases, moose can die with last year's calves being especially vulnerable. If a wolf pack locates these carcasses soon enough after the moose has succumbed to these ticks or the wolves have killed a weak moose, ticks will grab a ride on the wolf, travel great distances with it before dropping off in some distant swamp and start a new infestation in that area. A cow moose that has suffered a heavy tick infestation all winter will be thin and weak for the spring and summer. She will be hard-pressed to regain lost muscle mass while trying to make enough milk to feed her one or two hungry calves for the summer and then all three of them will go into the coming fall in a stressed state and will incur more ticks once again for the coming winter. It is a no-win situation that they will never get away from. On a side note, as impossible as this may seem, a few years ago, I took a photo of a spring snowshoe hare that was carring countless gorged female ticks on its fur and ears that will eventually drop off somewhere and another generation of ticks will start again in that area.

The only good point about moose ticks (if you can call it that) is that they do not transmit Lyme disease or any other diseases that can be transmitted to humans. The meat from these animals is safe for human consumption. As a precaution for anyone handling an infected moose in the winter and/or spring time, gloves, long clothes and tight boots or shoes are recommended. Apply bug repellent to the clothing. Do self-examinations for residual ticks and keep pets away from the carcass and hides. Return the infected hide to the same area as where the moose was initially retreived from so that ticks are not spread to new areas in case that some of them are not killed by freezing (winter kills). Complete incineration of the hide is also recommended wherever possible in winter and spring. Any ticks found on your body and imbedded in the skin should be removed as soon as possible. Applying a good layer of vaseline will clog their breathing holes and will definitely get their attention. The ticks will then release their grip and can easily be destroyed after that. You may also want to pay a visit to your doctor or primary care specialist.

The following pictures that I have accumulated over several years of observing moose in the spring, summer and fall show the various stages of moose tick infestations. The first two pictures are summer moose with a full coat of hair in early development. The second two pictures are of the "ghost" moose after they have rubbed most of their hair off during the winter.The close-ups of the ticks were taken from road kills that the local Ontario Provincial Police have had me remove from area highways. The larger ticks in the one picture are the females which are gorged with blood while the smaller ticks in that photo are males. On some animals, I have seen ears that appeared to be over an inch thick because of the ticks standing so close together that they are literally elbow to elbow on each side of the ear and they are sucking the life out of the ear's blood vessels where moose can't scratch and rub them off. And, yes, we do keep and eat the undamaged meat from these animals that are victims of highway collisions.

As moose hunters arriving in northern Ontario in October, you do not see the damage done by ticks because they are not out of the swamps and attached to the animals at this time of year. Similarily, hikers and canoers do not see ticks on the moose in the summer as they have mated, dropped off and their offspring (eggs or larvae) are living in the swamps as the moose are now growing new hair for the coming winter. Very few people ever see and realize the damage that ticks are doing to the moose population across northern Ontario. These scenes can only be observed during late winter & early spring months, usually as victims of a nightime road kill accident. When I call the MNR to report possession of a road kill, they always ask me if there were a lot of ticks on the animal so they are fully aware that this is happening to the local moose population. With this knowledge in hand, they are sitting quiet and doing absolutely nothing to rectify the situation while the moose population dwindles more and more each year until we no longer have a sustainable moose hunt that we were accustomed to in past decades. Hundreds, if not thousands, of moose hunters are spending a lot of money annually on adult tag applications only to be denied a tag. Some hunters have told me that they have never received a tag in over twenty years of applying for one. But the MNR keeps raking in huge profits from these hunters and are doing absolutley nothing to change this cash cow program; no pun intended here. Hunters are getting screwed out of their hard earned dollars, lodge owners cannot make any income from lost tourism & guiding packages and the MNR is smiling all the way to the bank.

I think plenty could be done to bring back both the moose population and the moose hunts. I have had conversations with other lodge owners, moose hunters and summer tourists seeking photos of these majestic animals. All of them agree with my simple plan to rid the area of moose ticks which theoretically could be accommplished in one year.

You probably can recall the MNR's plan of about twenty years ago to drop sponge baits from helicopters into forested areas as well as creek and river shorelines across most of southern Ontario to stop a rapid spread of racoon rabies. These baits were basically covered with fish oil that foxes and coons liked the taste of and they were inoculated with something that killed the rabies virus within 2 weeks once they were injested by these animals. It worked extremely well and rabies were eliminated in a few short years. The program is still in place to address the problem of racoons entering the province from nearby American states. I think that if they can do that for the southern rabies problem, a simple modified plan could be implemented for the northern tick problem.

As noted earlier, ticks can only live if they are on a host moose for the winter. My idea is to eliminate ticks on host moose populations by injecting them with what I will call, for lack of a better term, a "penicillan dart" shot by snipers from helicopters while the moose are "catching a few rays" on the sunny side of hills in early spring. These darts would be launched from some sort of a paint ball gun that leaves a bright colored splat of indelible paint (yellow, perhaps?) on, say, the right side of every moose in that herd. A few compitent helicopter pilots could easily keep all the moose in a herd in a tight circle while the snipers in each helicopter inoculated every moose in the herd with this "penicillan/paint ball dart". If they can kill rabies in southern Ontario in 2 weeks with sponge baits, I believe they could create something that would kill northern ticks in that same time frame. On paper, this would eliminate ticks on every moose in Ontario in one year. In reality, it could reduce ticks by a minimum of 90% as the odd moose could possibly escape detection by the helicopters and some moose would escape sight detection all together. Repeat this program for three consecutive years and all ticks should be completely eliminated. The MNR owns helicopters that are used in July and August every summer for the coon baits and are sitting idle in hangers in the winter time. I think it is time that the MNR spend some of these millions of hunter dollars that they have been hoarding for decades and address a serious situation that can easily be remied in a very short time so that all resident & non-resident hunters, lodge owners and summer hikers & photographers can once again persue their favorite pastime across northern Ontario. Once the ticks have been removed from adult moose, healthier calves will be born and they will have healthier mothers to produce more milk for them to feed on and grow into a much better moose that is capable of withstanding the cold winters ahead. In a few short years, the moose populations across Ontario will show substainable growth numbers that all of us were quite familiar with at the end of the last century. An increase in tag allocations will inevitably follow after that. And don't forget to pressure the MNR to abolish the wolf license program and institute a bounty across the entire province on these voracious varmits to further assist the recovery of this precious and delicious animal.

If you agree with my thoughts and possible solution, share this web page with fellow hunters, hikers and photographers. Get your local clubs involved to apply pressure to the MNR to address this dire situation. I'm not proficient with Facebook and other electronic notice boards but please feel free to copy this page to whatever you're familiar with and let's get the message out there that problems can be addressed, solutions can be implemented and our moose can be returned to a healthy and productive population that we have all known in the past. My email is at the bottom of this page if you would like to share your thoughts with me. Thank you.


Before your next hunting trip, here are a few thoughts to ponder concerning the pursuit and care of large game....

For the novice hunter as well as an experienced bushman, on occasion, the pursuit of wild game can be both a physical and mental challenge that can seem like a frustrating and often futile attempt on the best of days. Whether you are actively stalking prey or sitting in a camouflaged tree stand, patience is a virtue that is greatly magnified once the target animal is first sighted. Quite often, a hunter only gets one shot to bring down his game animal before it slips back into dense cover, leaving him with the inevitable question: did I get it? If it is out in the open, it is relatively easy to keep an eye on it for any movement but if it has slipped back into dense cover, there are two choices to make: should I chase after it or should I wait and if I choose the latter, how long do I wait before leaving the tree stand?

There are no definite answers to this question and factors to consider in this situation include the present weather conditions (such as rain and snowfall) and the availability of remaining daylight if it were a late afternoon sighting. Finding and following a fresh blood trail can be an easy task under ideal conditions but we all know that this is a rare opportunity. Most hunters that I have discussed this with agree that a waiting time of 5 to 10 minutes in the tree stand before approaching the kill sight should be enough. If the animal only traveled a few feet, it will be in easy sight of that location. If you cannot see it, then you have to make a decision on whether to pursue it alone or return to camp and seek assistance from another member of your hunting party. For hunters equipped with compasses or GPS units, it is highly recommended to immediately take a reading before proceeding farther.

In either case, take note of the direction from which the animal left the scene and it is quite acceptable to flag a couple trees in that direction. Look for recent signs of activity such as deep tracks, overturned stones, disturbed moss and logs, broken branches or drops of blood on both the ground and vegatation. Whatever you find, take note of their location but do not disturb these signs by walking on them as you may have to back-track and pick them up again. The flagged trees will give you a general indication of the direction the animal was going and this often helps you to pick up the trail again. Very rarely will an animal attempt an uphill escape route as it is much easier to flee in a downhill direction that is relatively free of overhanging branches or other obstructions.

Continue to flag trees every so often to assist you in finding your way out of there and also to return back to the animal when others come in to assist in the removal of the carcass. If you have not caught up to your animal in fifty or a hundred yards, it probably can hear you approaching and will now do its best to lead you through the densest trees and deepest bogs it can find in an attempt to loose you. Remember, this terrain is its old stomping grounds and it knows the area quite well. In a case such as this, it is recommended to sit and wait an additional length of time before continuing the chase. How long is long enough? Again, there are no definite answers but a half hour waiting time is not an excessive amount under good conditions of weather and light. One thing is certain: animals never seem to wander back towards the road or lake that you started from and the farther and quicker you chase it, the farther you will have to retrieve it from after it is located. Once it is found, your vacation is over and now the work begins.

Every year, I am either a member of a group of successful moose hunters or I help other hunters preserve the work of their efforts so that their families can enjoy a taste of nature's finest meats, whether it be moose, bear or venison. Since we purchased this lodge in 1986 and assisted hunters every year with the retrieval of thier game meats, I have noticed quite a large variation in the amount of care that different hunting parties demonstrate in the handling of their game meat. Some hunters show great respect towards the animals they have just harvested and it would be comparable to the quality of meats found in any grocery store. Others just don't seem to care how much hair and/or dirt is left clinging to the meat nor how it is hacked up into pieces for ease of transportation from the kill site ... to their boats ... to their vehicles ... and finally to the butcher shop.

To the countless hunters that fall into the first group, congratulations! It is a pleasure to assist you with the cutting and wrapping of your game. To the small minority that fall into the second group, I'd like to offer a few suggestions that will definitely assist you in getting a greater amount of meat off of the animals that you have recently harvested.

I will assume at this point that you are aware that it is necessary to field dress (eviscerate) the moose as soon as possible. If the animal were harvested late in the day and close to sunset, skinning it (to allow the body heat to escape from the carcass) may not be possible to accomplish before darkness sets in. In this scenario, it is absolutely necessary to split both the pelvic and the breast bones and to remove the intestinal track in the pelvis as well as the windpipe and esophagus located in the throat. Use two lengths of 2 inch diameter living trees (birch, which is the best and strongest, spruce or poplar) of approximately five to six feet in length and a short length of rope or wire to make a tripod with the back leg and prop it up to facilitate this small but important task. Prop open the ribcage with another pointed living stick of approximately 2 inches in diameter that has been cut to a length that is just long enough to hold the sides apart (3 to 4 feet). This will allow heat to escape from the body cavity after it has been field dressed. Do not attempt to use water (lake or bottled) to clean the inside of the rib cage. Meat that has been in contact with water will tend to spoil faster. Instead, use a dry clean cloth to remove any blood that may be there ... then quit. Cut away any damaged meat that is around the entry hole made by the bullet or arrow.

Next, get your animal cooled down as fast as possible. Body heat, as well as the heat from the sun, will cause the meat to spoil rapidly. Never quarter an animal and wrap it in cheesecloth with the hide still on it as this will retain the heat in the meat! Instead, use a block & tackle or a chain fall along with a gambrel of approximately 36 inches in width that has been secured to a living large tree in order to hoist it completely off the ground (by the back legs) so that the hide can be removed and to allow the body heat to quickly escape from the carcass. I have found that living poplar or birch trees make an excellent choice as they are relatively free from small limbs and their smooth bark greatly reduces the amount of bark dust and other contaminants that can fall off the tree and onto the meat. A tree with a minimum diameter of six or eight inches at the point of contact with the chain fall is sufficient.

If sufficient daylight exists today, or as soon as possible the next morning, and while the moose is still laying on the ground and before you hoist it up into the tree, remove the hide from the top part of the rear shin bones (nearest the feet) and for a foot or so up onto the lower parts of each hind leg. Be very careful not to sever the Achilles tendon. Place the gambrel hooks through the skinned-out Achilles tendon on each back leg. Hoist it up into the tree and remove the rest of the skin. Any time that the skin has to be split for easy removal (e.g. down the legs), always move the knife in the direction of the hair growth (not against it) and always split it by inserting the sharp knife tip into and then under the skin and slice it "from the inside out". If you have ever used a "Wyoming Knife", you will know exactly what I am referring to here; if you haven't, I would suggest purchasing this inexpensive tool. This will allow the knife to slide out between the hairs as it moves along the line that is to be cut and this method will not cut any hairs that would certainly adhere to the exposed flesh if it had been cut from the outside in. Start with the back legs (highest in the tree) and work towards the head. This will allow the hide to fall down and ahead of the knife and eliminate the possibility of loose hair or dirt coming in contact with the wet carcass. The weight of the hide from a large moose can easily be between one and two hundred pounds. If you're not planning on having the hide tanned, don't carry it out of the bush. Yes, I know you can trade the hide in for a hat but if the moose is 2 miles from the closest boat or truck, is it worth carrying out that heavy hide just so you can claim the hat? Don't forget to leave a small amount of the genital skin attached to the carcass so that it can be used to determine the sex of the animal.

Note: If you are considering having the head prepared by a taxidermist, leave a large cape on the skin (well back onto the shoulders). The carcass can be skinned out up to the base of the skull so that the neck meat can be transported out of the bush but cut the hide off well back onto the shoulders. If it is too long, the taxidermist can easily shorten it to fit the desired mounting form. If the cape is too short ... well, you know what will happen in this case. When field dressing your moose, bear or deer, never, never, never cut the hide on the neck crossways to allow any blood to drain from the animal! If you still believe that this is a necessary cut and somehow you just can't see all the blood that drained out of the bullet hole, slit the hide lengthwise and then go inside and cut the artery crossways. This will make it considerably easier for the taxidermist to sew up. I should also mention that if the head is to be mounted, the taxidermist will require the measurement around the neck at the location nearest the skull. Most hunters don't carry a seamstress's cloth measuring tape to record the circumference of the neck but a shoelace can serve the same purpose. Take this measurement before you skin out the neck and then tie a simple round knot in it where the two ends of the shoelace overlap. You can then record this measurement when you return to camp.

After the skinning is finished, the carcass must be quartered to facilitate transportation. It must be divided exactly down the center of the entire length of the spinal cord before being cut crossways into smaller pieces. Several options are available; each with its own degree of finesse. Some hunters prefer to use a chainsaw to do this. If this is your choice, please consider replacing all the petroleum oil in the bar tank with edible oil (e.g. canola or any other vegetable oil). Oil from the chain will come in contact with the meat and petroleum oil would taint it and render it unfit for human consumption. Only operate the chainsaw from the outside of the body cavity to eliminate any exhaust smoke from collecting on the inside of the body cavity (rib cage) which would again taint the meat. Other hunters prefer to split the entire carcass with either a hand held meat saw or a hack saw. A meat saw has coarser teeth and will complete the job much quicker than a fine-toothed hack saw. Either will do an excellent job if the blade is new and sharp but remember that the spinal bones from the tail to the neck on a large moose can be up to six or eight feet in length and your arms will certainly be tired after the job is completed.

My personal preference in tools is a battery operated, cordless reciprocating saw. It is light weight, very portable, can be used from either the inside or outside of the carcass and it is easy to clean after the job is done. One member of the hunting party can retrieve it from the truck or boat while another person is field dressing the animal. It does a great job of splitting both the pelvic and breast bones while the animal is laying on the ground and it will still have sufficient power to split the entire spinal cord as well as removing the four legs below the knee knuckle (more on this later) once the animal has been hoisted into the tree. I've found a nine inch wood-cutting blade works well whereas a metal cutting blade's fine teeth becomes clogged up and is much slower overall. Keep a few extra blades in the carrying case in the event of breakage. And here's the best part ... reciprocating saws are not expensive; watch the sale catalogs and you can get a reliable one with a couple of rechargeable battery packs for under a hundred bucks. If your hunt camp has what is commonly known as a Honda generator that is light-weight and can be carried to the kill-site, a plug-in reciprocating saw will do the same work.

For the successful hunter that has access to an ATV and can drag the animal out of the bush to the road or boat, I'd like to offer a few suggestions on the proper way of accomplishing this next step. Never pull a carcass by the hind legs. First, you will be pulling against the direction of the hair growth and this only adds resistance to movement. Inside the animal, you are adding stress to the joint where the leg bone is attached to the pelvis (i.e. the hip socket). This causes a separation and bruising to some of the finer cuts of meat in that area. This is not good. Instead, wrap a short chain or heavy rope around the neck and pull the animal forward with the grain of the hair. Bring the front legs forward and secure them around this chain or rope. You will not actually be pulling on the legs; they are merely secured here and away from catching on any trees or rocks on the corners of the trail. If there is any separation of bones in this area, it will be right at the point where the neck meets the skull and this area has a less desirable cut of meat to worry about. Keep the animal as close as possible to the hitch of the ATV. If you have to drag it uphill, you might want to consider extending this chain under the entire body of the machine and hooking it to the front winch or bumper so that it pulls down on the front of the machine, Not only does this provide more traction, it also prevents the machine from flipping over backwards on the hill.

Removing the lower legs (below the knee joints) from the animal makes sense in that there will be that much less weight for transportation and it also reduces the possibility of snagging it on any trees that it would have come in contact with. Remove the hide well back of where you want to cut it off. This will eliminate any more hair from being cut by the saw and coming in contact with the carcass. Cut each leg off an inch or more below the knuckle. This leaves a solid joint and connected tendons above the knuckle. When each of the quarters is again hung up either by you or the butcher, this insures a secure location to insert the meat hook.

If it is a real large animal and the walking trail out is difficult, you might consider removing the front legs from each quarter. These leg bones on a moose are not connected directly to the rest of the skeleton and the entire leg can be easily separated from the rib cage. By holding the leg in one hand and moving it around, you will feel with your other hand where to make the cut with a sharp knife around the top of the scapula (blade bone). Lay the leg down on a clean piece of heavy plastic (that is a minimum of six feet square) to keep it off the ground and away from any contamination while it is being wrapped in several layers of good quality cheesecloth for transportation. If it is a smaller moose or you are close to your boat or vehicle, you can wrap each quarter with the leg attached. To divide each half of the carcass into quarters, start at the rib bone closest to the rear of the animal and count three ribs towards the head. In front of this rib bone is where you will divide the animal in half to obtain the best cuts of meat along the back of the moose.

I cannot stress enough the importance of this next bit of advice: Wrap each piece with several layers of cheesecloth. If you are buying your cheesecloth by the foot from a large roll, you will need at least 100 feet to wrap the four quarters of a calf. A larger bull or cow will require at least 200 feet to wrap four quarters and if you remove the front legs from the rib cage, add an additional 100 feet to wrap all 6 pieces. Cheesecloth is a single-use item and cannot be saved for another moose. There are "moose socks" available on the market that are a durable and stretchy cotton/nylon type of material that resembles a large sock or bag and will hold each quarter. Although they cost more, they can be laundered and used repeatedly. Don't forget to remind your butcher that you would like to have them returned.

Each quarter will now look like a mummy and you will be unable to see any red meat through the wrapping. This will ensure that there will not be contact between the meat and any dirt, leaves, pine needles or hair during transportation. Never wrap your meat in any material such as a plastic tarp, Saran Wrap, rolls of aluminum foil or anything else that does not allow it to "breathe". Most butchers charge an additional fee to cover their time in removing debris from your meat and you also risk the loss of meat that is too soiled to be cleaned properly. On a really dirty carcass, this can quickly add up to forty pounds of boneless meat .... or 10% of the finished product. Remember that most butchers will also weigh the animal on the way into their butchershop, not on the way out and that you are paying by the pound for cutting and wrapping services. Listen up guys ... this is not rocket science: you will pay twice for shoddy workmanship and still not have the meat when the job's finished.

Immediately after transporting it back to camp or to your home, hang the wrapped quarters up on meat hooks with sufficient air space between each piece so that the cooling process can continue. Do not remove the cheesecloth until it has been delivered to the butcher shop and is ready to be cut and wrapped. Keep it out of both direct sunlight and rain and leave it in a location that is as cool as possible. Meat that touches other meat (wrapped or not) or meat that is lying on a bench or floor will tend to spoil first. At this time, it is your call on how long you let it hang before being cut and wrapped. Some people prefer it to hang (age) for up to ten days before being processed. If it is in a refrigerated room with controlled temperature and humidity, this can easily be accomplished. A daily charge for this refrigeration service is common practice. However, if it's hung on the shady side of the barn, the meat will definitely decompose quickly and a severe loss of moisture, texture and taste will follow. Bloat flies, their eggs and their larvae are also something to be kept away from your meat. When the eggs that have been laid on the outside of the cheesecloth begin to hatch, the tiny maggots can quickly burrow through it and into the meat.

As for myself, I prefer to have it processed as soon as possible after the kill (i.e. the same day) so that as much moisture and flavor as possible will be retained in the meat. People who think that a moose has to hang for a week or more to "tenderize" it, have been watching too many John Wayne movies where cattle were driven on the hoof all the way from Calgary to Dallas. Of course those critters had to hang; they were too stiff to walk and the meat would have been as tough as shoe leather if it had been processed immediately. A moose, on the other hand, will live and die in about a 5 mile circle. With the exception of the rutting period, they never go anywhere or move fast enough to even work up a sweat, let alone get stiff muscles.

Shoot straight!


From time to time, some of our guests are looking to either buy or sell hunting equipment and related items. When this happens, I try to help them with this by posting a note and picture on this website on the Items For Sale page which can be accessed from the top of this page. If you, or anyone you know, are interested in buying these items, please look here first.

Check-in times for weekly packages are after 2:00 p.m. on Saturdays and check-out times are before 11:00 a.m. on the following Saturdays. For overnight packages, the same times apply for each day. Please inquire about any variations that can be made to these time schedules.

Responsible use of alcoholic beverages is allowed on lodge property. However, we are not a licensed outlet for the sale of these beverages.

Pets are always welcome.

Key Benefits

  • Access to unlimited trails and logging roads by truck or ATV.

  • Boat/motor rentals for hunters wishing to hunt off the lake system. Includes gas.

  • Lodge is located in the center of WMU 40 and in the center of topo map 31M4 (available locally and provincially).

  • Local guides that know the area well.

  • On site cutting & wrapping services.

Prices

Description
(Moose hunters)

Price (Can $)

Daily

Weekly

Accommodations
(house keeping unit, for 4 hunters)

$175.00

$895.00

2 Meals
(dinner & breakfast)

$40.00

$225.00

Boat/Motor Rental

$150.00

$700.00

Canoe Rental

$45.00

$250.00

Portable Tree Stand

$25.00

$125.00

ATV Pull-outs
(with driver)

$150.00 to closest road or lake
(Boat rental not included)

Cutting & Wrapping
(including Burger)
(with 1 person assisting)

Moose, bear & deer
skinned & quartered, $0.75 per pound

Extra charge for skinning
Moose $75, bear $50, Deer $40

Sausage

$5.00/lb. (several recipes)

Freezer Space

$40 per day per moose/bear.
Limited space available.

Note: Damage deposit required on all rentals.

All reservations require a 50% deposit by e-tranfer or certified check at time of booking.
Cancellations with refunds are accepted up to 30 days before arrival. Service charges may apply.
The final 50% is due 30 days before arrival and there are no refunds after that.

No monetary refunds for early returns on rentals.

Send mail to paradise@onlink.net with questions or comments about this web site.
Effective immediately, we are only accepting payment by cash, certified checks or e-transfers.
For all e-transfers, please include the booking dates (BD) and person making the payment in the subject line:
whethere it is a reservation deposit (RD) or a payment deposit (PD),
and the name of the person making the reservation if different from the person making the payment.
Example: BD January 1, 2, 3 -23, RD for John Doe, PD made by Jane Smith.

This little bit of info will help to keep my book keeper off my back. Thanks.