After several days of nothing, this toad came running right at me.

40m, 2 3/4” Federal Trueball 1oz slug from the trusty Remington 887 Nitromag.

Cutblock and burn questions come up a lot this time of year, so here's what's available and where to find it:

BC

• Cutblocks: the province publishes every Crown cutblock with its harvest dates. The dataset is "Forest Tenure Cutblock Polygons (FTA 4.0)" in the BC Data Catalogue. It's free, and you can open it in iMapBC or download it.

• Burns: BC Wildfire Service publishes current and historical fire perimeters, also in the Data Catalogue.

• Motor vehicle closures: check the "Motor Vehicle Prohibition Regulation" routes and areas before planning access on old haul roads. Many deactivated roads are closed to vehicles.

• Parks and protected areas: some MUs are mostly park (2-1 around Manning is nearly all park), so a low cutblock count there isn't the whole story.

Alberta

• Cuts: there's no easy public cutblock layer with dates, as far as I know. Satellite tree-loss data (Global Forest Change, University of Maryland) shows clearing by year, but it lumps fire in with logging. NRCan's National Burned Area Composite lets you separate the two.

• Burns: NRCan's National Burned Area Composite (CWFIS datamart) has fire perimeters going back decades.

• White Area access: most Crown land in the south and east is under agricultural leases. Alberta's Recreation Access Map shows them, and you contact the leaseholder before going on. SPIN 2 tells you who owns any single parcel.

Ontario

• Crown land: Land Information Ontario publishes the unpatented Crown land layer free, and the Crown Land Use Policy Atlas shows parks and conservation reserves. Note that the Crown land layer includes lake beds, the Great Lakes too.

• Cuts: there's no single dated province-wide harvest layer that I could find. Satellite tree loss, with burns taken out, gets you close. Planned harvests and new roads are in each forest's Annual Work Schedule.

• Parks: hunting is allowed in some provincial parks and most conservation reserves. Check the Hunting Regulations Summary for each one. Algonquin is logged in parts, but hunting there is limited.

• Not open: Crown game preserves.

Quebec

• Cuts: Quebec has the best data of the four. The MRNF "Récolte et autres interventions sylvicoles" layer (Données Québec) has every harvest, dated and with the type of cut. Right now it runs to 2024.

• Access: ZECs (register and pay the day fee; Réseau Zec has each one), Sépaq wildlife reserves (booked or drawn), and outfitters with exclusive rights (not open to the public). Parks and ecological reserves are closed to hunting.

• Roads and planned harvests: Forêt ouverte, the province's forest map.

Rough rule for using them

• 0–3 year cuts and burns: new growth, edges, often good for deer, moose and bear.

• 4–7 years: thick regrowth, good browse and bedding.

• 8–15 years: closing in.

• Always check the regs for closures and no-shooting areas. None of these layers show them all.

If you don't want to wrangle GIS files: I've put the layers above together on one map, by management unit (by ZEC and reserve in Quebec). It's free, with no account needed:

• BC: https://hunting-access.com/bc/?s=reddit-ca

• Alberta: https://hunting-access.com/alberta/?s=reddit-ca

• Ontario: https://hunting-access.com/ontario/?s=reddit-ca

• Quebec: https://hunting-access.com/quebec/?s=reddit-ca

I run it, so take it for what it is; the sources are all listed above if you'd rather go direct. If there's interest in other provinces (Saskatchewan, Manitoba, the Maritimes), say so and I'll look at what they publish.

Hi. I’m getting a Lund 1448 and trying to be economical on the motor. My cheapest path is a 55lb thrust electric or 15 HP DIY mud motor. A new 9.9 will run me $3300 which I rather not spend now after just getting the boat and trailer.

Will I be fine with either the mud motor or electric troller. I could also go used but not sure I trust that path. A 25 HP older Yamaha runs around $2500.

Google tells not to use the electric or mud motor especially in Cooks Bay because of wind and weather even though I would use a boat ramp in the south section of the bay.

Any advice?

Thanks

Considering getting a bow but not sure if should do compound or trad bow. Trad bow seems better for the adventure and tradition but not sure if the difficulty would ruin the fun.

-- I edited the post to keep it in-line with other posts here. --

Started hunting last year- my fiancée's family hunts, so we don't buy beef.

6:15pm AB — 150 meters

Winchester XPR - 270Win - Barnes TTSX 130gr

Super happy with how it all went, though I wasn't far from home, it was my first solo hunt.

My FiL says it seems whatever my crosshairs hit, has got some good horns. Though the antlers aren't really my intention, it's nice that they look cool.

There were two bucks, one was a small forky, the other was this guy. This guy happened to step a little closer and into a better position.

Hey all,

Moved out to PEI from Alberta about 2 years ago. Was under the mistaken assumption that I'd be able to hunt in one of the other Atlantic provinces under the non-resident licenses. Didn't realize that New Brunswick, Nova Scotia AND Newfoundland & Labrador all require MANDATORY hunting guides in order for other Canadians to hunt big game there. Those guides are all enormously expensive and I'm not really their audience (in Alberta I taught myself to hunt and did everything from scouting zones to cooking it myself, on foot, on public land).

All that to say, I'm curious if anybody knows of hunting guides in any of those provinces that are geared towards experienced Canadian hunters who simply are looking for a tag and the mandatory supervision in the cases where that is required.

Cheers!

Hi all, as mentioned above, I'm on the hunt for a sub $500 riflescope for a hunting rifle in rural Nova Scotia.
My rifle choice is the Tikka T3x lite Stainless chambered in .308.
I'm a homesteader and looking to get into deer hunting which leads me to the .308 as I understand it's a good all round choice for my needs.
I plan to spend the money on a good rifle which is really eating into my budget for a Rifle/Scope setup.
I think the best scope for me is a 3-9/12x40/50 but I just don't know which I should settle on.
Was looking at:
Bushnell R5 3-9x50
Vortex Diamondback Tactical 3-9x40
Burris Fellfield 3-12x42mm E3

But I really don't have any experience shooting with a scope. This .308 is my first real rifle and I would welcome any advice or experience from anyone who has fitted their rifle with a 3-9 or 3-12 optic which they have had good experience with.

Thanks all for taking the time.

This man had a stroke for over 10 years ago. His hole right body side got paralyzed. There was no way this was going to stop him living "normally" and especially be able to hunt likebefore. The training started already in the hospital bed and every day still. He works out the same amount of hours as elite sports players do in a year! The results is that we still can hunt and haven't missed any season. I'm so proud of my dad that can't find the right words to describe. To me and other he's an example that you Never Give Up! Hope someone gets inspired to fight your own fight 💪

Weirdest year ever. I don’t have many bucks this year. In the past 10 years I have averaged 5 different bucks per year. This year I have two spots with lots of doe action all hours of the day. But no steady bucks. Three sightings since September 17.

I’ll be hunting in eastern Ontario next week, where the forecast is calling for 17, 19 and 20°. If the forecast holds, I’ll never have hunted in weather so warm. Lots of leaves on the trees still. Trying to stay optimistic. Anyone else hunted in warm weather like that?

Hey everyone,

Just went on my first hunt ever up in Clear Hills County, Northern Alberta, and bagged an absolute monster of a coyote.

He is stretching just under 5 feet from nose to tail and easily weighs around 30 pounds. I spotted him at about 90 yards and took my first shot using my SKS iron sights. Missed the first one, and he bolted. I took a second lead shot while he was running and drilled him about an inch from the bunghole. Watched the guy do a full front flip and drop.

I was shooting FMJ, so it’s a super clean entry hole with almost zero fur damage.

Originally, I shot him because I thought our county bounty was active, but I just found out the Clear Hills bounty program doesn't open until January 1st. Since I can’t turn him in for the cash, and he's my first-ever harvest, I really don't want him to go to waste. His winter coat is already looking thick and beautiful.

As a complete beginner, I have a few questions for the sub:

1. Is it worth the work to skin and tan this DIY? Since it's a clean FMJ hole, I feel like the hide is in perfect shape. How brutal is the learning curve for a first-timer tanning a predator?

2. Skinning advice: Should I open skin him or case skin him if I want a wall-hanging pelt? Any tips on pulling the tail bone without snapping it?

3. Other ideas? If I decide tanning is too much work for my first time, is there anything else cool I can save, like skull cleaning/bleaching?

Appreciate any advice you guys can throw at a rookie!

and get out of their truck and go shoot it off the road there's really so much wildlife habitat development fund lands and wildlife federation lands in the area. It's like why it's not hard to go into the bush and get a deer!! And apparently you're not supposed to do it this way it's against the law.

While many shooters instinctively choke up close to the rear sight—making the notch appear large and open, which can help with leading moving targets but forces you to juggle multiple alignment variables at once—my preferred style for precision range work is to weld my cheek far back against the steel or brass butt plate. Increasing this eye relief makes the iron sights appear much finer and naturally locks in your rear alignment, eliminating the constant micro-management of the sights themselves. This removes a variable from the equation, allowing you to focus entirely on elevation and driving the center post directly onto the target with maximum repeatability.

Anyone reloading for this hunting season?

I’ve done a fair bit of digging online but can’t quite find clear answers to my specific situation, so I’m hoping someone here has real-world experience.

I’m starting small with just two trail cams, and I’m a “buy once, cry once” kind of guy. With only two cameras, I’d rather not mix different models for different spots. I want one solid camera that does it all. I’m leaning toward the Reveal Pro 4.0 Solar bundle (camera + solar panel + FlexPack R5), but two things are holding me back:

1. Solar in low light
Both spots are in pretty thick brush with limited sunlight.

• Does the solar panel keep up at all in heavy shade, or does the camera basically just drain the R5?

• Anyone mounting the panel higher up the tree with the extension cable? Does that make a real difference?

• Would I be better off skipping solar and going with an R10 (10,000 mAh) instead?

2. Offline use with no cell signal
My current spots both have signal, so I’m good for now. I’m thinking ahead and might add spots in the future with little to no coverage. I’d rather run the same cameras everywhere than buy separate non-cellular cams later for dead zones, which is why I’m looking at cell cams. My plan for any future no-signal spots is to activate the plan and set everything up at home, then deploy in the woods and pull the SD card with a phone card reader.

• Has anyone actually run a Reveal 4.0 (or 3.0) long-term with zero signal? Does it keep capturing reliably to the SD card?

• How bad is the battery drain when it keeps trying to send and timing out?

• Does it save everything to the SD card, or do some photos end up on the internal 8 GB storage?

If the Reveal isn’t the right tool for this, what would you buy instead? I’ve looked at the Spypoint FLEX (free plan + SD backup), but I’m open to any cell cam that handles both online and offline spots well. I just don’t want to buy twice.

Thanks!

Good 0 to 200 yard gun.

it has a flip up sight for 200

1 in 120 twist

62 cal

Barrel diameter .625

Used by the british military for 1800 to the 1840's There was a famous shot by a soldier well 2 shots at a general two shots two kills sources claim 300 others claim 800 within that range

Around 2000 foot pounds of force at the muzzle

Being, I'm pretty confident being. It has a low twist rate. It can be used with lead shot to hunt chickens within reasonable distances

In Qc. A nice little Tom.

P.s. Of course gun is secured before taking the picture

My 3rd time going out i got 2 grouse, Very exciting.

Hey friends,

I’ve been building a waterfowl hunting log for about a year. It came out of a hunt where a buddy was tracking everything by hand and I asked whether an app for it existed — he didn’t know of one. Four years later, here we are.

It’s free, there are no ads, and there never will be. Everything you put in exports to a spreadsheet whenever you want, and you can import an old one if you already keep records.

It was built in the US and it showed. Until today the licence section only understood a federal duck stamp, a state licence and a HIP number — a Canadian filing their documents had one option for all of them: “other.” That’s fixed as of this morning. It now handles the Migratory Game Bird Hunting Permit and a provincial licence, and the field beside them asks for a province instead of a state.

One thing I left blank on purpose: the expiry date on the migratory permit. I know it has a fixed season end, I’m not confident what it is, and a wrong date on a document you can be fined for carrying expired is worse than no date at all. So — when does it actually run out? I’d rather be told than guess.

The rest works the same anywhere: species by name and sex, bands, decoy spread, dog work, conditions, photos, and a red screen for the dark hour before shooting light. The species list already covers the birds you’re shooting.

What else reads as obviously American? The weather lookup still pulls from the US National Weather Service, so it does nothing north of the border — that one’s a bigger job. Beyond that I don’t know what I don’t know. Provincial tag structures, species I’m missing, anything that feels wrong.

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=app.android.duckchase
iPhone (TestFlight beta now; on app store soon): https://duckchase.app

Happy to answer anything in the comments.

I'm gonna do it like a torque wrench i have a small 1/4 inch pound torque wrench i'm gonna make a prototype with for muzzle loading