I just returned from a 16-day trip on the Ogoki River where I was guiding moose hunters. Ihave to say that Ontario’s “Far North” is one of my favorite places on earth. Of course there were many great experiences to remember from this trip but in particular an early morning hunt has stuck with me…

I had found some fresh moose tracks the evening before in the Goldsboro Creek area, so I headed there at first light with two customers. As I powered up the outboard motor and cruised away from Whitewater Lodge, I could see a blanket of fog lying across the flat-calm water. As the sun rose, the fog turned orange in the muted light. Looking eastward, the same crystalloid light made a large stand of tamaracks look like yellow flame. The black spruce that the area is known for looked black in contrast, like God had globbed dark paint against the canvas while creating a spectacular work of art. Once we arrived at Goldsboro and sat quietly in our blinds, we could hear wolves calling across the lake – and a lone wolf returning the call from points beyond.

Later that morning, we saw a pair of caribou – a bull and a cow – on a small island near where the wolves were calling. We surmised the pair had swam to the island to escape these swift predators. Just how does one forget experiences like this? And who would ever want to?

Every now and then when I’m up in the north, I’ll hear a noise in the distance and my sub-conscious instantly computes that it’s a barking dog, or a slamming car door. Then I realize, “Hey. Wait a minute. There are no barking dogs up here – or car doors.” There is something amazing about a place where the only sign of human activity is the occasional buzz of a passing bush plane – or a vapor trail left high in the sky by a passenger jet. The north is in my blood. It has become part of me. It’s wilderness in the true sense of the word. No wonderthey came up with the name Wilderness North… That is a fitting name”.

I hope next season you’ll join us on an adventure. We’d love to have you.
Give me a call and we’ll start the conversation.
Cheers,
Scott Earl Smith