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This article appeared
in Jan 2002 issue of Wildfowl Magazine
A SECRET PLACE
By Bill McClure
YOU HEAR THE SILENCE AS SOON AS
YOU ARRIVE ON THE BANKS OF THE KAPUSKASING
RIVER, 550 MILES NORTH OF TORONTO, ONTARIO.
EVEN THE SWIFT DARK CURRENT WHISPERS AS IT HURRIES ON ITS JOURNEY NORTH TO
JOIN THE MATTAGAMI AND THE MOOSE, FINALLY EMPTYING INTO THE ARCTIC OCEAN
AT JAMES BAY. Our shooting grounds are about
95 miles below the rivers confluence. We are above the continental height of
land and here water flows north, but 150 miles below the town of Kapuskasing it heads south to the Great Lakes and
eventually to the Atlantic. These northern watersheds abound in waterfowl and
are hardly hunted at all.
Ontario, Canada is home to tens
of thousands of lakes and rivers, brooks and beaver floods that make up a
significant portion of the southern edge of the Hudson Bay lowlands where
there is virtually more water than land. Walleye, pike and trout are found in
the rivers and lakes and dozens of species of ducks breed in the area around
the bustling mill town of Kapuskasing,
a significant flight of Canada
geese migrate thought central northern Ontario but attracts little local
interest. People have bigger game in mind.
Residents hunt moose, the
coveted species sought by every able-bodied male in the north. Five hundred
pounds or more of meat is the goal, and opening day is a carnival
. In mid-September Trans-Canada highway #11 conveys a procession of
trucks campers and trailers, boats and ATV's to bush camps. Virtually all the
land in Northern Ontario is owned by the
Crown and the millions of acres of woodland swallow up the moose hunters. A waterfowler is an anomaly. But what a geography for those
of us who celebrate the pastime, especially when practiced in a riveting
landscape of unlimited space and diverse wildlife.
Gerry Moraal, a biologists with the Ontario
Ministry of Natural Resources, described the Kapuskasing
area as a "wildlife paradise" In the late 80's and into the 90's,
ducks Unlimited Canada was very active in the area. Fourteen projects were
completed, including hundreds of acres of wild rice plantations suitable
sites, Hay Creek, Lily Lake and the Kap River
wetlands were a few of the prominent initiatives. Of course many other
locations have naturally occurring wild rice, a northern grain thriving in a
short summer of cool nights and warm days.
Mr. Moraal
characterized the country as one of unending wetlands, dugouts, creeks,
rivers, and lakes home to myriad waterfowl, black bears, woodland caribou,
moose, timber wolves, coyotes, ruffed grouse, sharptail
grouse, and if you can believe it woodcock. Said Mr. Moraal,
"There are cougar sightings all the time". That's why my host and
hostess Dr. Peter Martin and his wife Terry, live in Kapuskasing,
they are northerners by birth and remain so by choice. Peter, a chiropractor,
angler, wolf hunter and veteran waterfowler, Unable
to find anyone in town interested in dogs, ducks and geese, he decided to
open a one man outfitting service so he could enjoy the company of other waterfowlers. KapRiver
Outfitters has attracted considerable interest, and although bookings are
steady, there are usually openings for an adventure trip with all the
comforts of home, no language barrier and responsible guiding and outfitting
services.
I will quote Terry Martin's brief
description form her original letter to me. "We hunt on the Kapuskasing
River about a half an
hour's boat ride from the landing. We shoot out of makeshift blinds on mud flats
in large wild rice bays and use trained retrievers so that no birds are lost.
The shooting is usually fabulous...our area would compare to anywhere in Canada
for the number of mallard and blacks. The Kap river
is the first staging for the birds coming off James Bay,
so fresh birds are arriving daily. The season runs from September 10th
to November 20th which is usually our freeze up."
Guest stay with Peter and
Terry in their attractive home in downtown Kapuskasing.
The meals are sumptuous, the accommodations first class and the company happy
and enthusiastic. Sometimes Dr. Martin hires a friend to assist with the
guiding. When I was his guest he was on the river, alert to my enjoyment and
safety, scouting for areas the birds are using and moving us as required to
get me into flights. All the money in the world wouldn't buy what Peter
Martin has: a kennel of splendid Labrador
and golden retrievers including puppies - young prospects in training - and a
few competitors currently winning in major field trials. He trains them
himself and is an avid student of bloodlines, advanced training methods and
the outdoors. Waterfowl are his passion. A few miles from Kapuskasing
and lakes and rivers unlimited, and many bordered with rice, which attract
masses of mallards, black ducks, Canada geese, green winged teal and ringneck which are all prominent breeding ducks in this
area. Later in October divers join the others on their journey from the
Canadian prairies, the western parklands or north western Quebec
via the nearby Hudson Bay lowlands. Here
they find an attractive refueling depot before continuing migration.In
addition to the water and marsh habitat, the district has a small but viable
agricultural industry, located on the northern clay belt that runs for Cobalt
to Hearst along Highway # 11 . In spite of a short
growing season, the excellent clay soil utilize the
wasted grain and guess who had permission for field shoots?
In the spring and summer, Peter
and Terry fish walleye and speckled trout while congratulating themselves on
their good fortune. A half an hour drive and the boat is
in the water, during the journey the traffic might consist of a couple of
logging trucks. You don't need a cell phone, they
don't work in Kap anyway! Waterfowl hunting on the Kapuskasing is different than anything. I have
experienced Peter Martin doesn't go on the water until after dawn and returns
in the early to mid afternoon. Safety is a prime concern. Downstream there is
no habitation , no roads, and little boat traffic,
especially in the autumn. Any mishap and you are in deep trouble. For
example, the river channel is narrow in places requiring an experienced eye
and daylight to navigate. There are stumps and deadheads left over after the
flooding created by a downstream dam, so a boating accident would place the
party in jeopardy. Although theoretically one could walk out, practically
only a madman or someone unfamiliar with the northern bush would try.
Spruce bogs, swamps and
unimaginable impassible muskeg blocks one's passage.
Winter when everything is frozen solid is the only time anyone could traverse
this wilderness, on snowshoes or motorized sled, and even then with great
respect for this is not a place for the foolish. But if you're game it's
quite an experience. And Terry and Peter Martin and his KapRiver
Outfitters will guide you safely and completely on an adventure you will
never forget. But you have to love landscape wild places as much as waterfowling.
I had planned for several years to spend a few days with Peter Martin and
finally was able to work out dates in September 2000. A very warm, gentle
spate of weather had not moved many northern flights as far south as Kapuskasing during my stay. But I saw lots of birds.
Black ducks were common, and in far northern Ontario the limit is two per day. The
ubiquitous mallard, likely locally nesting birds, dominated the river and
lakes in September.Friends of mine have journeyed
with Peter Martin in Mid October and confirm Terry's description. Action is
rewarding, especially on blustery days when parties are likely to encounter
newly arrived flocks eager to decoy all day. There is an almost constant
movement of birds up and down the Kap under such
conditions, and it is likely most are first-time visitors, hungry for the
succulent rice.
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