Peter Tolley's stories

[曾经是]

================================================
My neighbour Peter never learnt to read and write until his mid-40s. Then he went back to school after leaving his deeply-loved bush. I would like to share some of his adventures in the bush with you. Hope you will like them too.
=================================================

Bears in the sugar bush

I used to cut trails to make a new sugar bush in the reserve at Maniwaki. We worked in the summer time to set up the bush for the maple sugar for next spring.

The next fall I was there again to do some brush cutting. It was about a twenty minute walk through the sugar bush to my patch. The leaves were just turning red and gold and the beech nuts and oak nuts were falling off the trees. The squirrels were busy running back and forth gathering nuts for the winter.

After a few minutes on the trail I heard branches cracking and a loud grunt sound. I stopped in my tracks. There was a big black bear coming down the skidding road towards my trail. That bear was only about 25 feet away. That's close enough when you are alone!

Thin(Then?) I started to backup. I noticed two bear cubs in the valley not far from the mother bear. I knew that meant trouble. They were just grazing and heading towards the sugar bush to nibble on the hoses. They had dried up maple sugar in them. My heart started beating faster and I could feel goose bumps on my arms and hair going up at the back of my neck. I was all alone and that made it even more scary. I backed up real slowly and turning around and walked away looking over my shoulder until I knew it was safe. Then I ran to the truck. The next day when I went back I carried a gun but I never saw my bear again.

 

[曾经是]

Moose Hunting (1)

Back in 1973 I was a guide for French Canadians for moose hunting. They were from all over Quebec, Montreal, Laval, and Western Quebec. I could not speak much French at that time but I tried and some of them could speak a little English, so we got along.

A lot of people were proud of me because I am a lucky hunter. I could think and sense like the moose. Back in those days I earned $320 for four days of hunting which in those days would be very good money for something I loved to do.

We used to stay in the bush. We slept in tents in the Park Laverendrey. We needed a four by four truck to get into my hunting territory in the spring thaw when all the roads were rough and muddy.

The hunting season was in the fall. They used to give me my territory for the hunting season. I carried my tent and boat on the back of the four by four truck. We set up tents and I showed my hunters the hunting territory with the boat before we would go hunting first thing in the morning.

 

[雪在烧]

有意思.我有一次和一头大黑熊也是up close..but not personal.我们在山里camping,一大早收拾了帐篷,准备出发了,突然不知从哪儿冒出了一头大黑熊,闲庭胜步一般,从离我们不过两三米远的地方晃悠走了,旁边那个camping site有父子两个人正在吃东西,都傻在那儿了,时间在那个时候定格了.不过,黑熊不危险,可怕的是大灰熊.那次还看到一头母鹿正在生小鹿.

 

[曾经是]

Moose hunting (2)

We made plans over night by the fire side and had coffee. With a branch with a “V” at the end we roasted hotdogs and toast. We filled up the thermos so we could leave quickly in the morning with no noise or fire. Moose will smell smoke off you.

We slept in sleeping bags in the tent. I remember the smell of kerosene heater to keep the tent warm. This smell brings back pleasant memories of lonesome memories because I was a young boy at that time. It is a happy satisfying memory.

In the morning we checked our area for moose tracks or any other sign. There would be branches or twigs broken, or signs of them eating or dropping. My uncle explained to me what to do and what to look for. He was a good experienced guide and he gave me all kinds of tips on how to be a good guide. He was in his forties and had many years of guiding. Today, I am very lucky because I learned from my uncle and old timers who knew the bush very well. They were hunters and trappers and this was almost 30 years ago.

 

[我亦有亭]

nice experience, thanks wei for your recommendation.

 

[曾经是]

Moose Hunting (3)

We used to get our supplies of food for 4 days. All the guides would go with their wooden boxes instead of a cooler. Coolers were not popular at that time. We preferred wooden boxes because they were stronger and they belong to the park. This the setting for the hunt.

Now we are in the morning. Early in the morning, the mist is lifting from the lake. I have to be at the Domane before sun-up, that's where the hunters all meet up. From there, I will take off in my boat with my two hunters.

There were about 60 or more guides at Domane. I was the youngest. I had never gone that far up north before. It was No Man's Land. The hunters put their hands in the basket to choose a number of the guide and he was their guide for the hunt. Today, I still remember my number after 30 years. It was a lucky 22.

 

[曾经是]

Moose Hunting (4)

It's time to go to our territory, set up the tents and launch the boat.

In the morning, as soon as we get out of our tents, it is cool sometimes it is raining. Not too pleasant weather; pee and wash up the cool lake water. After you wash your face, you are up and awake. We each have one thermos of coffee before we had off. We make the coffee the night before. We have our pack and rain gear. We put the guns in the boat. Now we are going to our hunting spot.

We are at the spot. I place one hunter in the bay of the lake. I go off and keep one hunter with me. They need a guide for hunting safety. People will get lost, or accidentally shoot each other. I go to a little beaver dam on the other side of the lake. At the beaver pond I get off and pull the boat ashore. I walk a little to find a place to hide. Moose have a very good sense of smell. I find a place where the view is good and the wind is right.

 

[我亦有亭]

great, keep going

 

[waterwalker]

LA VERENDRYE

LA VERENDRYE号称CANOE爱好者的天堂。离OTTAWA250公里，确实非常不错。我们有幸去过那两次。

这是其中的一次：
http://www.comefromchina.com/newbbs/showthread.php?s=&forumid=28&threadid=113649

还有一次在我的JOURNAL里有记录。

 

[赤练仙子]

Continue please. I'm waiting.....

 

[赤练仙子]

Re: LA VERENDRYE

最初由 waterwalker 发布
LA VERENDRYE号称CANOE爱好者的天堂。离OTTAWA250公里，确实非常不错。我们有幸去过那两次。

这是其中的一次：
http://www.comefromchina.com/newbbs/showthread.php?s=&forumid=28&threadid=113649

还有一次在我的JOURNAL里有记录。

那地方真美。水流挺激的象是RAFTING。

 

[我亦有亭]

Re: LA VERENDRYE

最初由 waterwalker 发布
LA VERENDRYE号称CANOE爱好者的天堂。离OTTAWA250公里，确实非常不错。我们有幸去过那两次。

这是其中的一次：
http://www.comefromchina.com/newbbs/showthread.php?s=&forumid=28&threadid=113649

还有一次在我的JOURNAL里有记录。

师傅，今年是不是还要去啊？带上我呀，我能招蚊惹虫，且吃得不多，我保证
哇，照片里的风景，看看都醉人。

 

[曾经是]

Moose Hunting (5)

Moose smell is stronger than a wet dog. I found it easy to track moose. Buck smells of urine. The female doesn't have a strong smell. We are very quiet. Then I go down to the pond about twenty feet and there I use my moose call. I grunt low because the moose could be close by. A loud sound would spook the moose. Then I grunt three times; I go back tip-toe to my hunter and we listen. I go back down in half an hour if the moose doesn't answer me.

I go back down to where I am calling and break a twig. I gake the moose horn and put it in the water. It makes a dripping sound and I listen very carefully. I call a litter louder. I return to my hunter and we listen and wait. We have been waiting two hours so we decide to head back, get the other hunter and go for breakfast.

Around ten o'clock the wind picks up. After breakfast we scouted to see if there were any moose prints. We saw fresh tracks not too far from the tents where a moose had passed during the night while we were sleeping. We drove up and down hills looking around trying to find the moose.

 

[雪在烧]

Re: Re: Re: LA VERENDRYE

最初由 wei 发布


I want to go too

你也招虫惹蚊吗? :lol: :lol:不带谁,也得带你呀.还指望你给我们做辣子鸡火锅呢.:smokin:

 

[赤练仙子]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: LA VERENDRYE

最初由 wei 发布


Heehee, I am too stinky for mosquitoes So, I would be the best company if you are afraid of them.
By the way, I am learning to make sushi now.

有时间教我做辣子鸡火锅如何?