Daybreak

Doing my first Whitetail trip to Ontario this fall and was wondering if anyone on here is familiar with the Kenora area....actually, the town of Redditt, to be exact. I have a few questions reguarding hunting styles and such...

Anyone familliar with hunting these bruisers up there?

WWhunter

You're not to far above the MN border by hunting there. Lots of water up there (hunted moose in the area) and fairly flat landscape. Pretty much thick woods and brush so most shots should be close. I may be way off with my statements as I haven't hunted the exact area you are planning on going to. Some areas up there are farm land and have wide open areas.
My dad's neighbor went up there recently and we all laughed when he returned. His "big bruiser buck" was smaller than most of the one's we harvested around here in north central MN. My buddy got a 250lb 12 pointer and mine was 230lb 8-pointer.
Good Luck on getting that big one....hope you get a wallhanger!
WW

YooperMike

I was up there last year and the hunters were thicker than ticks on a bear's ass. If you aren't going with an outfitter that controls his/her own land, prepare to see LOTS of other hunters. IMO, you are about 5-7 years late, just like I was. We were extremely disappointed in the whole experience, especially the hunting. In 6 days of hunting dawn to dusk, I saw 1 deer while hunting, and that was an 80 pound doe. We got hosed by our outfitter, which is beside the point, but the rest in camp only killed small bucks, biggest was a 9-point that may have gone 115". I'm sorry if this isn't what you want to hear, but we were completely shell shocked when we got up there by the number of hunters.

Western MA Hunter

Are you going with an outfitter?

WWhunter

Thanks for saying that YooperMike. I guess I didn't want to be as blunt as I should be. My dad's neighbor was a little disappointed also. I think years ago all the hunting rags made Canada look so good with monster bucks everyone with any money went their to get their "buck of a lifetime" and things got overhunted. Same with around the area where I hunt. Many big bucks killed years ago so guys still coming around trying for that big one. Sure they are still around but not like it was 20-30 years ago. The woods around my place get the same way during rifle season....almost scared to walk outside on opener. My property (120 acres)is inside the Paul Bunyan State forrest and I've found stands set up right off my property line within a couple hundred yards of my house. Even found them on my property. The first time they get a nice note just asking them to remove it because they are on private property. Had a window shot out of an old Jeep Chorokee once. Lots of "out-of towners" think everything up here is public property. I would guess there are at least 20 guys that hunt within 1/4 mile of my southern side of my property.
Okay, guess I got off subject.

Daybreak

I have heard that about some spots up there....it can be crowed. We will be going with a few guys that go every year and they know more than I do. I have been told if you stay close to any cities or camp areas, it will be very busy. We are staying in Kenora, but we are hunting 55 miles North, near the town of Redditt. Freinds have been there for 3 years now and say they see very few, if any hunters up that way. The few you may see are more than likely locals. They were sent up that way by a lodge owner they know in Kenora. He said thats where he goes to hunt, and almost no tourist go up that way. He also said dont even start hunting until you are 1/2 mile in the bush away from any of the roads. Most people up there will drive the roads...find a spot...and walk in 200 yards and sit down. Most people never make it to the interior sections.

From the looks of the aireal photos I have and the topo maps....there is as much water as there is land!! Now I live in the Northern Upper Pennisula of Michigan, and am used to hunting thick nasty cedar swamps and creek bottoms, in treestands, ground blinds, and still hunting, but I have heard that alot of the bush up there is "unhuntable" because its so thick? Some of my friends say they like to concentrate on hunting the big rocks and higher spots above the thick brush??

The Main question I have, which i have been getting many mixed reviews about, is this: Are you better off finding an area with a ton of good sign, setting up on it, and staying put all week.Or trying to go into different area each day while still hunting??

I usually like to sit in a ground blind orjust in the bushon sunny, nice, calm days andI like to do my still hunting when its a bit nasty out, using the wind and motion of the woods to my advantage.

Most people are telling me to take a day or 2, find an area that is definatly hot, and just sit and wait. They say you spook to many deer still hunting and the shots are often at running animals. Thoughts??

Sorry this is so long winded.....I would just like to hear the opinions of others. What do you think??

Thanks Guys!!

Daybreak

No, I am not going with an outfitter. I,like to do things on my own. I dont have to kill a monter for the hunt to be a success! It would be nice, but not nessary. My chances may be better with a guide, but the feeling of doing it all alone is MUCH more fullfilling to me.

I have heard that it aint like it was 20 years ago......but then again......there aint NOTHING like it was 20 years ago. I am also a Great Lakes Charter Boat Captain, and I can tell you that it aint like it was 20 years ago either......but I still do it!

Where i hunt, in the Northern UP, a good buck to me is anything with 8 or more points and outside the ears. If you get much pickier than that.....you aint gonna be eatin a whole lot of venison! Lack of good food, good genetics, and a 6-7 month winter with 250-300 inches of snow each year really keeps them in check. I just want to hunt somewhere that the CHANCE exists of me finding a GIANT......at home there is no such chance. Three years in a row, all 3 of my buddies have come home with deer. All heavy, chocolate colored racked, big necked bucks. the 2 biggest from last year went 145 and 161. They may not be crazy big, but that'll work for me!! Most of them say they saw between 3-10 deer all week.....but almost every one is a big racked buck. Who knows??? Its hunting right.....and thats why we love it!!

Thanks guys!!

TRACKER

I went to Kenora a couple years ago on a white tail adventure with a buddy .
He went the year before and went with a guide .
He was not all that happy with the guide service , so we figured we would try public land on our own .
We went last few days in Oct, until Nov, 6th .
Should have been in the rut .
Anyways we sean a ton of does and bucks right in and near the town ,
Most deer seam to be getting fed by the locals .
We tried a few spots , Very hard to disifer were pulic land lines were .
We ended up setting up a couple ground blinds (close to the Manatoba border )most of the week ,
We only seen a few does and a spike .
Last couple days we went up to a clear cut and set up our blinds .
Next to last morning I shot a 7 pointer aroung 175 lbs, and My buddy shot a 6 pointer 160 lbs .
There are parts that ARE unhuntable . Very thick .
Mostly logging , water, and rock up there .
You will see a lot of Eagles and Coyotes .
We went for a wall hanger to, we planned everything to coinside with the rut up there .
Not sure why it didnt happen ??
In and near town there were many hunters.
Mostly having to do with the BANOITS ?
They are somewhat famous for there hunting skills .
Apparently they frequent the area every year and have many fallowers .
Anyways good luck hope you can tag a big one .

YooperMike

There are plenty of areas that are basically unhuntable. Coupled with the abundance of low land and water, it makes for a tough hunt in some areas. It seems everyone knows of a spot where nobody goes, but don't be surprised if you are covered up in other hunters. With the thousands of people flooding the areas every year, lots of people need to push farther north to get away from the other hunters. We tried everything we know to do last year, every tactic that you mentioned. I don't know if there is one right way up there. With the woods being so thick, still hunting is fun, but you will spook plenty of deer. If you can find some clear cuts, you can still the edges, maybe 30 yards inside the timber and look out into the cuts. I also hunt in the UP, obviously from my name, and we were looking for the same kind of buck you are, since we know what kind of deer we have back home. But, hopefully with the antler restrictions in place, we can get things where they should be in a couple years.