Hello everyone! This is my first time posting here, so I hope I'm posting in the right forum.

Anyhow, hunting is something I've been interested in for a long while now. Unfortunately I live in suburbian southern Ontario. My parents managed to raise me with a healthy respect and love for nature but to them hunting is still something taboo and negative. I have maybe one other friend who'd be interested in a hunt, but for the most part I'm going all this alone. I think too many Canadians forget that hunting is as much a part of our heritage as anywhere else. Anyway, bowhunting is what I'm interested in. I was pretty decent at archery in high school and there's a good archery club at my university.

I was browsing some lodges in northern Ontario but they all seem like little resorts where you jsit in a blind and lure deer to you with feed. I'm not really interested in that. If I'm going to hunt I want it to be as 'authentic' as possible, and I don't want to be paying extra fees so I can return to my comfy hotel room and relax in a hot tub at the end of the day either.

So can anyone here offer me any advice on hunting lodges in Ontario? I dont want anything fancy or expensive. I certainly don't care about having lots of fancy amenities at the lodge, I've been camping enough times to know and love it.

I don't know of any hunting lodges, but why don't you find some land and do it yourself. It will save you some money and be a greater accomplishment to have done iton your own. You have plenty of time before the season to learn what to look for and scout out a place to hunt. You may even come accross someone to help you out on the forum.

By the way welcome aboard and happy bowhunting. Hope you love it half as much as I do.

My only concern with hunting without support from a lodge of some sort is the animal going to waste. Trophies aside, if I go deer hunting I'd also like to get as much venison as possible, and maybe save the skin as a pelt as a memento.

Hey Tage, Welcome!

I'm more or less in the same situation than you...novice hunter doing it all alone, etc...too bad I'm all the way here in California, if not we could be hunting buddies..hahahhaa...

Sorry, I'm of not help regarding the lodge in Ontario...find yourself some public land and just do it...that's what i'm doing any ways...cannot afford to pay fees for private land...

Good luck!

Welcome to the board, and good luck with your venture.

Shane

Welcome to the boards. I'm sure that with a little guidance from this site you will learn enough to be able to do it on your own if thats what you'd like to do. I'm sure you will be able to find an outfitter that could get you started too, but that is a little pricey. If you want to do it on your own, all you really need to do is learn how to field dress the animal and then get it to someone who can process it for you. I'm sure if you do a little looking around locally you will find someone who can handle that for a reasonable price. You have a lot of time between now and the season to line up a butcher. Anyway, you found the right place to ask questions. There are lots of experienced folks who post here that would be happy to help!

I am sure you have a while before it is time to start hunting. I would find someone and start trying to locate an area to hunt. I would then start doing some scouting take aGPS or compass with you. I am sure that between now an Oct. you can learn enough hereto get you started. Good luck.