November 29th, 2006: Winter has hit Winnipeg all of a sudden! This week the temperature has dropped to near 0 degrees Fahrenheit and we got about 8 inches of snow yesterday. Last week I was hunting deer with Tom (2 year guide at Bolton) and we had to take a few layers of clothes off in the afternoon because it was getting very warm. It was my first real hunt, although I’ve shot many problem bears, skunks and squirrels at the lodge and now I’m sold on hunting! Tom set me up in a blind with his Remington 270 and all I had to do was wait for a buck to come through. I passed up a doe and two fawns hoping that a buck would be on their trail and got lucky enough to take a shot at a very nice buck. He ran a short distance and then collapsed near a field. By the time I walked over to him he was dead. It was a lucky shot that went right through his shoulder, then through his heart and out the other side. I’m looking forward to next season when I plan to take a bull moose in the fall at Bolton. Kelly Ross will not be available to guide next year, so Tom and I will spend the fall season scouting out moose territory, practicing calling them in and video taping what I expect to be some great footage of some big moose! Then in 2008 we will be ready to take guests moose hunting again. The spring bear hunt we have planned for 2007 will continue as planned as the baits were being hit very regularly last season, the stands are set up and there are an abundance of bear that need to be culled out.

Tom and I will be doing the bulk of the shows together this season as Jodi will have to stay home and take care of Jordan. Please take some time to come and see us at a show near you! This year it’s especially a good idea to come to the All Canada shows because they have a booth set up to help you with your passport which is mandatory this year if you’re flying into Canada. If you’re driving, you probably have another year to get a passport. This is not a Canadian regulation, it’s to allow you back into the U.S. on your way home.

Here are some pictures from my hunt and of the bear Kelly shot last spring at Bolton Lake at one of the bait sites.