Every year, we receive hundreds of submissions in our annual photo contest, and it’s never easy to pick just 12 winners. So, we choose 12 honourable mentions as well. In no particular order, here are the photos that made our runners-up list from all the four categories: Fishing: Photos depicting any aspect of sportfishing in Canada Hunting: Photos depicting any aspect of sport hunting in Canada Family: Photos depicting young Canadian enjoying fishing or hunting Wildlife & Wild Places: Photos depicting wildlife or natural landscapes in Canada Feeling inspired? We are now accepting entries ..read more

Misery doesn’t always love company.  We went through a spell recently when one low pressure system after the other blew through the region, and while our muskie and pike fishing friends were all lamenting the tough bite, too, it didn’t make life feel any better. So we set out to change it the best way we know how. And that is to comb cover, specifically, the densest, thickest, weed, reed, grass and vegetated areas we could find. Thick cover—and heavy current—are the great equalizers when the bite toughens up, so the day after the last cold front pushed through, dropping the air temperatur ..read more

Wes Nelson dressed for the buggy hike into McNally Lake Drenched with sweat, clad head to toe in anti-bug clothing and grimy from scrambling up a steep slope on all fours, Wes Nelson fixed me with a wry look, and asked the question I’d been dreading. “I probably should have brought this up sooner,” he said, “but just how sure are you about this new lake?” I was equally sweaty, and lavishly perfumed in two kinds of insect repellent. I was also noticeably dirtier, thanks to a tumble along one of the boggier sections of the rough trail we’d been following for close to an hour. We’d just emerged ..read more

95th Anniversary this year of Peterborough, Ontario-based Lucky Strike Bait Works, founded in 1929 by Frank and Elsie Edgar. The first offerings from the family-run business included wooden baits handcrafted from broom handles. Today’s tackle line-up includes spoons, spinners, plugs, trolling rigs and numerous accessories. The post The latest outdoor numbers: 2 concerning stats & 2 notable anniversaries appeared first on Outdoor Canada ..read more

The author is regularly drawn to Alberta’s brown trout streams It’s the last week of September and I really should be duck hunting. The flights of northern bluebills and canvasbacks are due to arrive any day, and typically I’d be scouting my favourite diver lakes and ensuring my boats, motors and decoys are ready to go. Instead, I’m chest-deep in an Alberta spring creek, swearing to myself as I try to extract my Turck Tarantula, once again, from an overhanging willow branch without going in over my waders. I’m not having any fun. Or maybe I am. It’s hard to know, and that conundrum is the ver ..read more

A adult hexagenia limbata mayfly (photo: James St. John/Flickr) It’s that time of year again, when the giant hexagenia limbata mayfly hatch occurs and here in our Northwestern Ontario neck of the woods, and the first sailboat-like flies are just starting to lift off the lakes. A bit further south, they’re swarming everywhere, while to the north of us, the peak hatch is still a week or so away. It is a strange time on the walleye calendar, too, because if you know how to take advantage of the high-protein bug bars—there can be up to 120 worm-like larva spread across every metre/yard of lake b ..read more

ONE IS TOO MANY The non-fiction book One is Too Many ($22.99/$34.99) by wildlife biologist Terry Quinney provides a deep dive into the politics and propaganda that fuelled the 1999 banning of Ontario’s spring bear hunt. Quinney’s exhaustive research, including excerpts from Outdoor Canada, offers a cautionary tale about today’s threats to hunting. Learn more: Friesen Press, www.friesenpress.com The post Even more great new outdoor gear for your spring and summer adventures appeared first on Outdoor Canada ..read more

All photos courtesy contributors unless otherwise noted Here we go again—our annual roundup of the country’s hottest fishing destinations! Over the years, we’ve focussed on a wide variety of blue-ribbon angling opportunities. The best bets for catching trophy fish? Done. The top drive-to fisheries? Done. Fly-in only? Done. And on it goes. This year, we’ve drilled down once more to give you something a little different, asking our amazing roster of contributors to share their favourite places to hit the water. Here’s where Outdoor Canada’s angling brain trust loves to fish, from the West Coast ..read more

Don’t ask me how this incredible walleye pattern has flown for so long under the radar screens of so many walleye anglers—it is one of life’s mysteries. Dr. Paul Cooley first got onto the midday walleye/shiner spawn beach pattern as a youngster fishing in Lake Winnipeg. Then, he documented it as a scientist, while working with Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Paul outlined every detail for us when we talked with him recently on our Doc Talks Fishing podcast.  Here are some of the key takeaways to get you excited: Why are larger lakes like Lake Winnipeg, Lake Manitoba, Lake Erie and Last Mou ..read more

When the best fishing and hunting is found in tough-to-reach places, you need a vehicle that can comfortably transport you and your gear, yet still manage tough trails and unexpected obstacles. And that’s where a versatile ATV or side-by-side truly shines, such as these latest models designed for taking on the great Canadian outdoors. Please note that the prices shown here are for the base models. Vehicles are listed in alphabetical order by manufacturer. XPLORER XRT 1000 LE ($15,999) Key features: Four-stroke, 997cc engine; power steering; push-button two- or four-wheel drive; 26-inch tires ..read more