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from Perrault Lake Camp In the fall, Mark and his Dad, Joe would go moose hunting. We walked and walked through the early morning hours. The air was cool against our cheeks and the trails around Perrault Falls were overwhelmed with leaves crunching under our feet. This year, because of an Indian summer mixed with a sudden drop in temperature, fall looked different. The millions of leaves on the forest floor were green, not the usual dry yellow and brown. Every morning a thick layer of frost would settle over the woods and remained until well after sun up. The puddles were topped by a fragile sheet of ice and the mud was crusty and brittle. It was difficult to move quietly! We hunted for 8 days in and around the old railroad bed a few miles north of Perrault Falls. We saw 15 moose. We have a new appreciation for the grace and beauty of a moose in the wild. We saw cows and their cautious calves meandering through clear cuts; a bull and cow drinking from a creek deep in the woods. We watched a calf that was not quite old enough to be on its own swimming franticly across East Bay. They are a handsome creature. Mark practiced his calls and on a few occasions he attracted and held the animals’ attention. It was an exhilarating experience to hear a bull moose huff and puff on the other side of the tree line no more than 50 yards from where we sat. Not to mention the challenge of keeping still enough to hear the faint sounds of such a large animal moving through the woods. It’s truly amazing how an animal so huge can move inaudibly and with ease through the thick woods. We sat on hilltops, walked miles of trail and 4-wheeled over the beaten paths of Perrault Falls’ back woods. This place never ceases to amaze us. If anyone tells you the woods are a calm, quiet place. Think again... The squirrels surprised us the most. We’re convinced that all the animals are on the same team. If there was a squirrel within 50 feet of us it would scream bloody murder! We had to be a bit more selective of our look-out points in order to keep the peace. The game birds were thick. At first they scared the heck out of us when they flew up out of nowhere as we walked by. They probably scared all the moose away too! We saw groups of a dozen hens and their rooster with his feathers flared. (Boys are always putting on a show!) One morning as we walked a brownish-white rabbit with huge ears came hopping toward us. We stopped; it hesitated for a second, then continued on its way passing only a few feet in front of us. In a small clearing we watched a fox pouncing on lumps of dead grass to flush out a mouse. This looked more like a game than survival. We also spotted a garter snake crossing the railroad bed, a few deer tracks, and tons of wolf sign. To make a long story short, we got our moose. Mark went out late in the afternoon. He set up his gun on a bipod and lay down in the tall grass not far from a well travelled marshy area to play “sniper.” Less than an hour into his watch a bull and a cow came walking out of the woods. His licence permitted only a calf, so he watched as they leisurely crossed the bog and disappear into the trees with less than the snap of a twig. Minutes later, where the couple had vanished, a cow and a calf emerged from the tree line. Mark watched them through his scope. He couldn’t believe he was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. After a few deep breaths he calmed his nerves and steadied himself. Mark took aim and exhaled as he squeezed the trigger. One shot and the hunt was over. What a great experience for us and an exciting way to close the season. In case you’re wondering, moose meat is very tasty. Better than beef. On an angling note, team Tycholis has finally broken 50 inches in the musky department. Mark had been hunting a certain fish for most of the season. It would surface and taunt him regularly. One day in September the two of us went out fishing. The conditions were right for musky so we headed to the spot where the illusive beast teased him. Sure enough, after some dedicated casting and lure rotations Mark pulled the musky out of the rocks. It followed his lure to the boat and around several figure 8s. Then, as usual, it flicked its tail as if to say, “nice try loser” and disappeared. As Amy reeled in her next cast the huge fish was behind her lure and only 5 feet from the boat. “Figure 8! Figure 8!” Mark said. She did and on the third turn the fish struck. Amy managed to hook the fish at the side of the boat and somehow keep hold of the pole as it thrashed. What a show! We netted the fish, removed the hooks and took a quick photo. The silvery musky was an impressive 51” and weighed about 35-40 lbs. (Photo at bottom of letter.) We released it. Thankfully it was healthy and swam away. Now the funny thing is while Amy hooked the fish that Mark put so much work into catching, he is the one holding it in the photo! A 40 pound fish is a lot heavier than one may think and she couldn’t handle it! What can you do! Our travels to the shows marked the first time either of us had driven through Minnesota and Wisconsin. Amy really enjoyed the scenery and would have taken a lot more photos but... “We don’t have time to stop the truck, we have to make miles.” Mark’s favourite part was Cabela’s, Gander Mountain and Menards. We seemed to have plenty of time for that. While travelling and at home everyone seemed to ask us the same question... “What’s the difference between Canadians and Americans?” Other than the impressive abundance of beer, and not a single American says “Eh” both teams seem to be playing on the same field. Mostly, we appreciated seeing the sights that we’ve heard so much about... The super friendly people at the border crossing in Fort Frances (yes, there is a healthy dose of sarcasm in that one), The Dells, Ho Chunk Casino, The Red Mouse in Pine Bluff WI, the giant rock formations along I53, the classic farm houses with their tall skinny silos and big red barns, the bridge between Duluth and Superior, and of course Lambeau Field. The trip was fantastic, worth every minute. On a more personal note, we are well. The cabins and equipment are winterized and all our junk that scatters the yard has been put back where it belongs. This puts us in Amy’s home town of Lac La Biche, Alberta. We really appreciate that we can be close to family all year long. However, we’re hoping that Lac La Biche doesn’t get another January like last year... -25°F to -40 °F EVERYDAY! Mark is back with Lac La Biche Transport, moving oil field equipment and Amy is back at Fountain Tire doing the books and more importantly keeping up with the camp. Which brings up two important notes: Firstly, our phone number, as always, is 807-529-6267, over the past couple weeks we have had connection issues. For some reason calls do not always connect. We will have the problem fixed as soon as possible. If your call does not connect or rings busy, don’t panic. Please call us at 780-623-9721. You are also welcome to email us at perraultlakecamp@yahoo.ca. Faye is also doing well. She is happy in Kenora gambling up a storm with her weekly rummoli gang and crib partner. She is an active member of the local legion and is still a fanatical bowler. Last week she was very proud and excited to say that she has bowled a 251. The league uses the 5 pin system and a 350 is a perfect game. Over the summer Faye travelled to New Mexico for a family wedding. She and Frank, the new man in her life, visited several popular spots as they drove. Her favourites were Hoover damn and the Grand Canyon. The sights and memories are commemorated with a zillion photos which we can attest to! This holiday season we wish you all happiness and good health. So far, we have managed to avoid the H1N1 virus and we hope you and your family and friends will too. Enjoy the company of the ones you love and be thankful for the good times you share with them. We also want to thank you for sharing your summer vacations with us. The winter has barely begun but we’re already looking forward to seeing the familiar friendly faces that the spring, summer and fall bring to the camp. If next year is anything like this one passed, we pray that Santa brings everyone a new rain suit, rubber boots and a renewed appreciating for the rain! On Christmas day there are only 141 days until opening day... 140 days too many! Our best holiday wishes go out to you and your loved ones, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from your favourite Canadians.
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