Hunting & Fishing Expo 2013

A special supplement to The Daily Nonpareil

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Hunting & FishingHunting & Fishing10th Annual River City

a place unlike anything you’ve seen.

1-800-658-4024 • www.visitvalentine.com

Going the distance for a great huntSee Page 8C

Fishing pros to share secretsSee Page 3C

ExpoExpo

2C Thursday, January 17, 2013 The Daily NonpareilHunting & FisHing Expo

File photo

More than 100 exhibitors who brought along products for you to look at, test and learn about at the River City Hunting, Fish-ing, RV and Boat Expo.

Everything outdoors under one roofOutdoor enthusiasts can get a glimpse of

spring this weekend at the River City Hunt-ing, Fishing, RV and Boat Expo. The event

is Friday through Sun-day at the Mid-America Center, 1 Arena Way.

Visit with more than 100 exhibitors who have brought along their products for you to look at, test and learn about. Among the products to check out:

• Hunting equipment• Fishing equipment• Archery equipment• Sporting firearms• Dog village• Plus the newest lines of boats, ATVs,

campers and RVs available on the market today.

Outfitters and lodge owners will be at the expo to answer your questions about hunting adventures, fishing trips and that family vacation you’re planning or dream-ing about.

There will also be several speakers on

hand once again, sharing their knowledge and experiences and answering your ques-tions. Speakers are:

• Jeff Lewis, predator and coyote hunt-ing

• Jim Mayer, bleeder chain for ice fish-ing

• Dave McCoy, bass fishing secrets• Sue Barnes, tips on dog training• Jerry Walker, catfishing• Joel Vasek, the “Walleye Tamer” is

back to talk walleye and smallmouth bass• Rob Brodhagen, fishing in Canada• Native Performance Dog Food speak-

ers share their knowledge on variety of topics important to you and your canine companions.

The expo is also kid-friendly. Bring your children to try out their fishing skills at the live trout pond and learn about turkey call-ing at the Turpin Tee-Pee. There will also be casting games, Daisy BB Gun shooting arcade, video fishing games, Drop in the Bucket Game, Hot Toss Game and interac-tive games. They can show off their archery prowess. There will be giveaways of tattoos, stickers, pencils and silly bands.

Dave McCoy with Bass Pro Shops – Bass fishing

Joel Vasek – Walleye fishing plus smallmouth Bass fishing

Jeff Lewis with Kanati Tek – Preda-tor calling/hunting

Sue Barnes with MyTDog – Dog training; New dogs plus proper e-collar training

Rob Brodhagen with North Caribou Camps – Canadian Fishing

Jerry Walker with C.A.T.S. (Catfisher-men Are Tops) – Catfishing in the area

Jim Mayer with Hippy’s Bleeder Chain – Ice fishing with bleeder chain

Expo speakers and seminar topics

tim johnsontjohnson@nonpa-

reilonline.com

If you drive a four-wheel-drive pickup, like to shoot at mov-ing targets (whether you hit them or not), own a pair of wad-ers and like to drown worms, you’re prob-ably already planning to attend the 10th annual River City Hunting and Fishing Expo.

But don’t forget to bring the whole fam-ily.

The event features a whole string of activities for young outdoorspeople.

Young anglers can drop a line into the live trout pond and hook real fish at this popular indoor fishing hole.

They can also play casting games. If they’re more inter-ested in the virtual outdoors, they can sink into a video fish-ing game.

For those who want to take aim at a target, there’s the Daisy BB Gun Shoot-ing Arcade and the archery booth. Hunt-ers and their prote-ges can learn about turkey calling at the Turpin Tee-Pee.

Kids can aim for prizes in the Drop in the Bucket game, Hot Toss and interactive games and enjoy a (temporary) tattoo, sticker, pencil and silly band giveaways.

Expo is fun for whole family

Show hours: Friday, 4 to 9 p.m.Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

General admission: Adults: $8Kids 15 & younger: $3

Free parking

Thursday, January 17, 2013 3CThe Daily Nonpareil Hunting & FisHing Expo

Fishing pros to share secretsMike Brownlee

[email protected]

Jim Mayer invented a 3-D fish-ing lure.

That’s what he calls the Hip-py’s Bleeder Chain, a lure that features a sparkled red ball and chain that simulates blood drop-lets falling from live bait.

“Originally designed for wall-eye fisherman. But with add-ons it’s able to be used for many fish,” the Mitchell, S.D., native said. “And we hope to make it univer-sal for all fisherman.”

Mayer will be among those speaking about fishing at the 2013 River City Hunting and Fishing Expo.

After he invented the lure – the government approved the patent in 2011 – Mayer and his father, Eugene, started Hippy’s in 2008 and have traveled to sports stores and outdoor recreation shows ever since.

Jim Mayer said the bleeder chain lure is predominantly used for open water fishing, but it also works for ice fishers.

“Our bleeder chain attach-ments are ideally designed for stick baits and crank baits, also,” he said.

The longtime angler left his job as an emergency room doctor to start Hippy’s with his father, tak-

ing a chance in a down economy.“We opened our company right

after the Great Recession, we couldn’t have picked a worse time for a company selling a discretion-ary product,” he said. “With that in mind, we’ve always strived to keep it affordable.”

Mayer will give a seminar on fishing at the expo. He didn’t want to say too much about his spiel – “I want people to come out for the talk,” he said – discuss icefishing and finding a good loca-tion.

“If you see blood stains around a hole, especially lots of blood, the fish bled from the gills. The fish are biting there,” he said. “That’s one of the simpler tips for a great way to find a place to fish. Stop by for the rest.”

This will be Hippy’s Bleeder Chain’s fourth trip to the expo. They missed last year.

“Last year we missed it, made a mistake and went to a differ-ent sports show,” Jim said. “We’re back. This is a good show.”

Visit the Hippy’s website at Hippysbleederchain.com.

Another speaker talking fish-ing this year is Dave McCoy with the Bass Pro Shops pro staff. His employer calls him one of the most competitive fisherman in the area.

He brings extensive knowledge of seasonal patterns, bass behav-ior, fishing techniques and more, according to a release. The most important aspect of his seminar (and fishing)? Enthusiasm.

McCoy is always motivated to share concepts and techniques with fellow anglers, young and old.

The Omaha native grew up on a lake with his father and the Omaha Fish and Wildlife Club.

Another local expert is Jerry Walker, who’ll impart his wisdom on catfishing at the expo.

Catfishing is a brain sport, he said.

“You have to outthink them,” said Walker, president of Cat-fishermen Are Tops.

Catfish will eat almost any bait, he said. It’s knowing what and when they’re eating a par-ticular kind.

“Catfish are most unpredict-able,” Walker said. “There is no set basic bait. You can use any-thing that smells. There is a mil-

lion things you can use. It just depends on what they want to eat that day.”

Therefore, Walker recom-mends taking along lots of dif-ferent bait. That includes chicken breasts, beef blood, even shrimp, he said. Catfish might be swim-ming around where other fish like blue gill are biting, Walker said.

“It depends on where the bait goes.”

Walker will explain the lat-est catfishing techniques at this year’s River City Hunting and Fishing Expo. He’ll have one sem-inar on Friday, two on Saturday and one on Sunday.

Walker said he likes to go cat-fishing when the temperature is over 70 degrees.

“But, you can catch them any-time,” he said, adding that he and a friend recently caught seven of them in icy waters. “I like farm ponds, but state lakes are good, too. Lake Manawa has good cat-

fish.”At night, the best place to fish

is along the shore, he said. During the day, the catfish swim about 25 to 30 feet away from the bank.

“You really need to have a boat or be able to cast a long line into the deeper water.”

– Reporter Tim Rohwer contributed to this story.

Dave McCoy, a Bass Pro Shops pro staff member, will talk about seasonal patterns, bass behavior, fishing techniques and more at the expo.

Stop by our booth and check us out along with these vendors:

Dog Pack Dog Treats

Invisible Fence of the Heartland

Bark’m Canine Portraits

Bark Busters Home Dog Training

Posh Pets/Barb’s Best Friends

Paws to Angels Pet Loss Center

Everything to

protect and take

care of your pets

Submitted photos

Jerry Walker, president of Catfishermen Are Tops, will be a speaker at the River City Hunting and Fishing Expo. The local expert will impart his wisdom on catfishing. Catfishing is a brain sport, he said.

Display Booth#EDWARDS MOTORSPORTS & RV 100-103BIG RED ROCKS 100ALET'S GO FISHING 101OMAHA MARINE CENTER 104APACHE CAMPER 105ZACHS BOAT LIFT 106FEDDERS RV 107VICTORY MARINE 108THE BOAT SHOP 109TURPIN TEEPEE 201TECHNICAL MAGIC 203POTT. CONSERVATION 207-209POTT. CO. SHERIFF 210AYUSA INTERNATIONAL 211BARNWOOD TRAYS 213ABSOLUTE SECURITY 214HIPPIE HEAD BANDS 215DELTA WATERFOWL 216NRCS HABITAT HELP DESK 217CB FISH & GAME CLUB 217ARILEYS REMINISENCE 218REEL & TRIGGER RESORT 219ACTION BATTERIES INC 220NATIVE DOG FOOD 224TRAILBLAZERS 225KANATI TEK GAME CALLS 227MYTDOG 228NORTH AND SOUTH 229-230GREAT LAKES OF S.D. TOURISM 231NEBRASKA GAME & PARKS 232-233JOHNSON CUSTOM RODS 234MISSOURI VALLEY GUIDE 235OLD INDIAN SECRET 236PHEASANTS FOREVER 237NORTHERN LIGHTS RESORT 238WESTERN WYOMING OUTFITTERS 239PURPLE PEPPER CREATIONS 240ITS ALL ABT BEES 241TASTEFULLY SIMPLE 242KOELZER BEE FARM 243OMAHA WORLD HERALD 244LONESOME WIND LONG BOW 246BIRCH POINT OUTFITTERS 301LAC SEUL LODGE/KS GAME BIRDS 302-303

MAYER TACKLE 304GLIDDEN CANOE RENTAL 305CHERRY CO. TOURISM 306NORMARK/RAPALA 306ACEDAR POINT RESORT 307NE TRAVEL ASSOC 308TIMBER EDGE CAMPS 309U.S. COAST GUARD AUX 310JOHNS ELGIN MEATS 311-312SCENIC POINT RESORT 313-314NORTH CARIBOU CAMPS 315CATFISHING ADVENTURES 316SAND BAY RESORT 317TALL PINES CAMP 318CANADIAN WILDERNESS CAMP 319LJ CONSTRUCTION 320MILLARD INDIAN PUBLISHING 321SANDS 322THRASHER BASEMENT SYSTEMS 323RADERS LODGE 324FEHRLE SAFES 325-326MOUNTAIN MAN GAME CALLS 327RENEWAL BY ANDERSEN 329-330IOWA D.N.R. 337-338BURR PAW 339DOUGLAS CO. BASS CLUB 340L AND L SUPPLY 341GLOBAL STORM SHELTERS 400LEACH CAMPERS 401CAMPING WORLD LLC 402POTT. COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER 403RHINO LINING 403ACOO CANDLES 404BY MOMS 4 PETS 405MIDLAND HUMANE SOCIETY 406DOG PACK TREAT CO. 407WONDER WEIMS RESCUE 408BARK'M CANINE PORTRAITS 409INSPIRING ALL BREED RESCUE 410POSH/PETS 411INVISIBLE FENCE BRAND 412PAWS TO ANGELS 413BARKBUSTERS 414BOAT FARM 415MIDWEST RADIANT HEATERS 416

2013 RIVER CITY HUNTING & FISHING EXPO4C Thursday, January 17, 2013 Thursday, January 17, 2013 5C

The Daily NonpareilHunting & FisHing Expo6C Thursday, January 17, 2013

The story behind Kanati TekChad NatioN

[email protected]

Jeff Lewis has always loved the outdoors.

As a young man growing up on a farm south of Lincoln, Neb., Lewis hunted, trapped and called just about everything a young boy could.

After growing up on the farm, Lewis pursued a career in elec-trical engineering and has since designed hundreds of products, some of which related to his pas-sion for hunting.

And he has turned those products into a business with Kanati Tek digital game calls, decoys and attractants.

Lewis will show off his digi-tal game calls at the River City Hunting and Fishing Expo.

What is Kanati Tek?Kanati is a Native American

word for “lucky hunter” and Tek is about bringing calls into the future.

The Kanati products offer a variety of game calls that all come with 35 digital sounds, including coyote barks, rabbits, pigs, geese, raccoons, turkeys, fox, crows and more.

“We believe this market is

underserved, and needs a high quality manufacturer to step in and offer quality at a much lower price,” Lewis, president of Kanati, said. “At the end of the day, we hope that we can pro-vide you with the tools you need to hunt, and leave a few extra bucks in your pocket.”

Lewis is also proud to have been a Hunter’s Safety Instruc-tor and enjoys teaching children safe hunting practices today.

Kanati Kidz was formed to reward young boys and girls with discounts on Kanati Tek prod-ucts for above average grades.

Lewis has also worked with the University of Nebraska to raise thousands of scholarship dollars, served on the Engi-neering Alumni Board and the National Alumni Board. He and his company were the recipient of the first Walter Scott Entre-preneurial Business Award.

Nearly 20 years later, the business now resides in a 60,000-square-foot facility in Lincoln, and prides itself in its ability to produce all the prod-ucts under one roof in the Mid-west. He employs graduates and students from the University of

Nebraska, as well as other local colleges.

And while his business and family demand a lot of his atten-tion, he still finds time to hunt and call predators.

Calling during the hunt is

a skill combined with passion. Make time to hear what Lewis has to say about this unique and challenging way to hunt.

Lewis will have four shows over the three day River City Hunting and Fishing Expo.

At 7 p.m. Friday and 4 p.m. Saturday, he will show attend-ees how to use digital calls for predator hunting, and on 1 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, he will hold coyote hunting calling sessions.

While hunting season rolls around, beginners and old pros gear up for adventure. But even the most seasoned hunters don’t know everything about their sport. Hunting can be dangerous, and experts warn that there is such a thing as getting too com-fortable with firearms.

“Everyone needs instruction,” says David E. Petzal, co-host of the Outdoor Channel show “The Gun Nuts” and co-author of the new Field & Stream book, The Total Gun Manual: 335 Essential Shoot-ing Skills. “Admitting what you don’t know is actu-ally one of the most crucial steps toward becoming an expert shooter and a safer hunter.”

With that in mind, Petzal and co-author Phil Bourjaily are providing crucial safety tips to anyone planning to go hunting this season:

• Every time you see a gun, pick one up or point it, assume that it’s loaded and treat it accordingly.

• Make sure your safety is always on and that the barrel is pointing down when you are walking or transporting your gun. When hunting with dogs, be sure the muzzle is level with the ground at the very

least and preferably angled up in the air.• Never shoot at a sound or movement. Be abso-

lutely sure that you’re shooting at an animal and that no people are anywhere near your target.

• Wear at least the required amount of orange so you don’t become another hunter’s target.

• Make sure all animals are dead before strap-ping them onto your vehicle.

• Wait until your kids are old enough to under-stand and follow rules before bringing them hunt-ing.

• Never climb a tree or over a fence with a loaded gun.

• Keep your finger off the trigger until you’re ready to shoot.

• Save those beers until the end of the day, it’s just plain common sense.

• Look well beyond your target before you shoot. High-powered ammunition can travel up to three miles and still be deadly.

• Hunt with a trusted buddy. If you’re alone, make sure that someone knows where you will be

and when to expect you back. If you’re hunting with an unsafe shooter, you don’t need an excuse to leave.

• If using a tree stand to hunt, don’t forget to wear a safety belt.

• Be sure all your equipment is working properly and you know how to operate it before hunting.

• Store and transport ammunition separately from guns. Keep everything under lock and key when it’s not in use.

• It doesn’t take much effort to elevate your heart rate into the danger zone. Make sure you exercise regularly for better fitness on your hunt.

Thorough safety tips, buying guides and practi-cal gun handling advice can be found in “The Total Gun Manual: 335 Essential Shooting Skills” by Phil Bourjaily and David Petzal. For more information, visit Bourjaily and Petzal’s blog, fieldandstream.com/blogs/gun-nut.

Before heading out for your next big hunt, lock and load for your adventure by reviewing life-saving safety rules.

– StatePoint

Stay safe this hunting season

Submitted photo

Jeff Lewis, president of Kanati Tek, will show off his digital game calls at the River City Hunting and Fishing Expo.

Thursday, January 17, 2013 7CThe Daily Nonpareil Hunting & FisHing Expo

New dog? You’ll want to meet Susan Barnes

Ashlee [email protected]

Dogs make the best friends, partners and family members. But sometimes, learning to train them – whether for hunt-ing or just as a household pet – can be frustrating.

Susan Barnes, a full-time professional dog trainer in the Des Moines area and owner of MyTDog – “My Trained Dog” – will be at the River City Hunting and Fishing Expo this weekend to offer advice and information to those with training woes.

Barnes’ love for training dogs started in the early 1990s when she got her first dog – a rottweiler named Bria. Want-ing to properly train Bria, Barnes looked for opportunities to attend classes, read books and talk with dog trainers. She even spent time as an appren-tice with pet and hunting dog trainers in the Dubuque area.

In 2006, Barnes launched MyTDoG – a full service dog training company dedicated to helping owners in all areas of training – on a full-time basis in the Des Moines area. MyT-DoG currently serves clients in Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, Kamrar, Coon Rapids, Kansas City, the Quad City area and into Illinois.

“We train people to train their dogs,” Barnes said. “Or we actually take dogs in, train them and then train the people to take over from there.”

During the expo, Barnes will have a MyTDog booth where expo attendees are encouraged to ask Barnes or her colleage questions. Barnes will also have dogs at the expo demon-strating their abilities.

Barnes will talk a lot about training, as well as give two formal seminars about how to “Jump Start Your New Dog.”

“The core of what I talk about is how do we make our dogs good dogs or our good dogs better,” she said. “There’s a lot of things people don’t real-ize about how you get started when you get a new dog. I talk

about how do we get everyone on the same page and how we problem solve.”

Barnes said she discusses everything from the basics, including creating a strong foundation, to how dogs learn and think.

“That strong foundation includes you being a leader and teaching your dog to be a follower,” she said. “We need to understand that we speak two different languages. We’ve got to make sure our definition of things – come, heel and sit – are the same.”

Barnes said she gets a lot of questions about behavior issues.

“I get questions about hunt-ing dogs with gun shyness, who don’t have a good recall or are terrible at home but great in the field,” Barnes said. “But I also get questions about the little dogs that are barking at everyone or jumping on every-one. We work with all sizes, shapes, breeds and behav-

iors. So that’s what makes it dynamic.”

With hunting dogs specifi-cally, Barnes said to remember they’re just like people.

“Some people are more ath-letic than others – it comes nat-ural to them. Dogs are similar,” she said. “I’ve seen dogs that are not bred to be hunting dogs that can be fantastic hunting dogs because when they were young, their owners did the right things to teach or expose the dogs to make them excited to hunt.”

Of course, some dogs are better at hunting than others, Barnes said.

“Is a Chihuahua going to go out and hunt in the field? Probably not,” she said. “But our whole goal – whether it’s hunting or your pet – is how do we make the dog the best they can be? That depends on the best we can be, too – meaning we have to be good leaders.”

Barnes’ advice for training any kind of dog is to do the

work when they’re young.“If you don’t do the work

when they’re a young dog to you – either new coming in your house or a puppy – to make sure that dog can be a good member of your family and fit your lifestyle, they’re not going to be good for you all around,” she said. “My phi-losophy is if you want that dog to be a good hunting part-ner in the field, make them a good companion in your home because if you don’t spend any time with them other than the field, they have no motivation or desire to want to hunt with you. They may want to hunt, but not with you.”

During each day of the expo, Barnes can be found in the dog seminar area from 4 to 9 p.m. Her seminar, “Jump Start Your New Dog,” will be held Satur-day at noon and Sunday at 2 p.m. The seminar will be held both days in Room B. For more information about MyTDog, visit mytdog.com.

Submitted photo

Susan Barnes, a full-time professional dog trainer in the Des Moines area and owner of MyTDog – “My Trained Dog” – will be at the River City Hunting and Fishing Expo to offer advice and information to those with training woes.

How to fit a life jacket correctly

Many people assume that sim-ply wearing a life jacket or another personal flotation device, or PFD, is enough to provide adequate safety while enjoying activities on the water. But just as important as wearing the PFD is that it fit properly.

According to the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission, life jackets that are too small or too large can come off or ride up in the water. A jacket that rides up can end up rising over the mouth and nose, making breathing difficult. The proper fit of a life jacket is one where the jacket is snug, but not suffocating. All of the zippers, ties, straps, snaps and other connection points should be correctly secured.

Those who have experience in the water can test out the fit of a life jacket by walking into the water up to the neck. After lifting up the legs and tilting the head back, the person should be able to float comfortably and not have to put any effort into staying above water. The life jacket shouldn’t obstruct the mouth. The person should also be able to swim easily on the back or side without restriction of the arms.

The Division of Boating and Oce-anic Recreation of Hawaii says that fitting children with PFDs is one of the most frequently asked questions of boating safety educators.

Typically, children 12 years and younger are expected to wear a life jacket at all times when in a boat or around the water.

According to DOBOR, children’s life jackets are typically designed around three sizes. An infant device is for children under 30 pounds. A small child is appropriate for children 30 to 50 pounds. A youth size is right for children 50 to 90 pounds. Larger chil-dren may graduate to a small adult’s size. Life jackets for young children may have a flotation collar that helps to keep the head upright. There will likely be a strap that secures between the legs to prevent vest from riding up.

All life jackets should be replaced when they start to fade to the color of the inside label. This might be indicat-ing that their safety protection may have started to deteriorate.

It is important to practice being in one in the water. While life jackets may keep adults and children afloat, they may not keep a struggling person face up.

– Metro Creative Connection

8C Thursday, January 17, 2013 The Daily NonpareilHunting & FisHing Expo

The National Sporting Goods Association ranks fishing sixth out of 42 recreation activities in terms of its popularity, pre-ceded only by walking, swim-ming, exercising, camping and bowling.

The mass number of fish-ing hobbyists spend millions of dollars on equipment and gear for their fishing excursions each year. With so much money being spent, it is essential to properly care for gear and store it well. Here’s how to get started.

SafetyThere are many components

of fishing gear that can be dan-gerous in the wrong hands. From fileting knives to bait hooks, there is the potential for injury should young children get into the fishing equipment you have. Also, sinkers made out of lead

can be toxic should children put these items in their mouths.

Emphasize safety when stor-ing your equipment. If you are keeping rods and reels on your boat, be sure they’re in a locked cargo area so they’re not easily accessible. If tackle and other gear is kept at home, be sure to have a locked cabinet where it can be kept, or place it high enough where it is out of reach.

Make sure sharp lures and hooks are kept together in a tackle box and placed out of the way. Not only will this keep people safe, but it also helps to keep gear organized.

CleaningIn order to work properly,

gear should be cleaned and inspected prior to storage. Cleaning will also prolong the life span of fishing equipment.

Fishing rods should be wiped down after each fishing trip to prevent harmful contaminants and corrosives from eating away at the clear coat on the rod and any metal components. Wiping down also reduces the chance of salt water corrosion.

In terms of cleaning lures and tackle, start out by soaking them in distilled water. If there is a smell or debris stuck on it, some people have used a spray like WD40 with success. If using a soap-based cleanser on soft rubber lures, choose one that is gentle, like baby soaps or even gentle laundry detergent. Just be sure to rinse well.

Rod storageIt is important to store fish-

ing rods horizontally to prevent warping or bending. If using a rack specially designed for

fishing rods, it will keep rods straight despite them being stored vertically. Try to keep rods out of a humid room, which can further exacerbate warping and bending of the equipment. Also, never stow a rod in its tube. This can trap humidity and cause corrosion of the guide rings.

Reels should be rinsed after use and disassembled to clean the gears inside. Water can become trapped in small crev-ices and may rust out ball bear-ings. Never soak reels in water and try to keep them out of the water on fishing trips. Fly fish-ing backing may be left on the reel, provided it is completely desalinated and dry. Application of lubricant between uses of a reel can improve performance.

– Metro Creative Connection

How to properly store, care for fishing equipment

Going the distance for a great huntTIM ROHWER

[email protected]

There is a place way up in northwest Ontario in Canada where civilization hasn’t yet dis-covered, which makes it ideal for big-game hunting, according to a big game hunt outfitter.

“It’s just like going back into the old days,” said Rod Broadha-gen. “We are talking remote.”

He was referring to his family-run North Caribou Camps, par-ticularly, by the hamlet of Arm-strong.

“It’s about 2.5 hours north of Thunder Bay, the biggest city in northwest Ontario,” Broadhagen said.

It is here where hunters come from all over to seek bear, moose and other large game. If they have enough gas to get there. “There’s no fuel for two-and-a-half hours,” he said of the drive from Thunder Bay.

But that’s the appeal of travel-ing great distances to hunt there – it’s just man against animal in a most natural environment.

“Our places are away from civi-lization.”

Big game hunting in north-west Ontario begins on Aug. 15 with the opening of bear season, followed by moose season starting

on the third Saturday of Septem-ber, Broadhagen said. There is no deer hunting at his facility.

Guns are not used at his location. Instead, it is bows and arrows. Hunters must also have an outfitter like himself as a guide, and reservations should be made at least a year in advance. Hunting licenses need to be pur-chased in advance and the loca-tion of the hunt must be provided, also. Cabins are available, but many stay in tents during their stay.

But, it is more than just the hunt that appeals to many, accord-ing to Broadhagen. It’s sitting

around a campfire in the evening with other hunters telling stories of their adventures.

“All of a sudden friendships are made,” he said. “There is so much more than the hunt. It’s all the connections you have and what you can learn from other hunters.”

It’s not uncommon for hunters to make arrangements with oth-ers, even if they live a continent apart, to meet there again on an annual or frequent basis, he said.

Most hunters stay seven to 10 days. Bear hunts costs about $2,500, while moose hunts aver-age $2,000 to $3,000.

Licenses to hunt at his facil-ity are as follows (in Canadian funds): $230.31 for black bear, $460.88 for moose, $266.76 for wolf, $115.28 for small game and $51.28 for fishing.

Broadhagen will hold one sem-inar on Friday, two on Saturday and one Sunday.

Submitted photos

Above, North Caribou Camps in northwest Ontario is a popular place for both bear and moose hunting. At left, Rod and Sandy Broadhagen, owners of North Caribou Camps, show off one of their prized catches on the lakes there.

Hunting & Fishing Expo 2013

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