When I signed up to 24 Hour Campfire, I never wrote a proper introduction, so if you do not mind I will post it now. Better late than never!
Hello to those of you who are reading my introduction, thank you for taking the time.
I consider myself a very lucky man since I had a privileged childhood with a great father that was an outdoor enthusiast. Thanks to my father, I had a great childhood which set me up for a lifetime of hunting and fishing my two favorite pastimes. My other favorite pastime is Scuba Diving. I have been a Padi Certified Open Water Diver since 1984.
In my youth my beloved father who has passed was the President of a private and exclusive Skeet, Trap and Sporting Clay Club in Quebec, he was also a member of several private hunting clubs. He was on the Board of Directors of the Atlantic Salmon Association. He was also a dedicated Bird dog breeder, trainer and a field trial judge as well as an avid Upland game, duck and goose hunter and a highly skilled Atlantic Salmon Fly Fisherman.
Because my father was a President of the Skeet Club I spent my childhood up to the age of 16 shooting almost every weekend, because of this I became an excellent shot with shotguns and an excellent shot on Ducks, Geese, Ruffed Grouse and Woodcock which we hunted every season over our bird dogs. On an average weekend at our club I would shoot 5 to 10 rounds of skeet and trap. During that period I hand loaded about a case of shotgun shells in 12, 20 and 410 gauges for the weekend shoot, so by the age of 16 I hand loaded more rounds then I care to remember, enough for my lifetime! lol
During Christmas break, we would go down to Savana Georgia where my father boarded his dogs and had them go through more training with a professional trainer. We would shoot Bobwhite Quail during our vacation, and luckily for me, we hunted them over our bird dogs, on Tennessee Walkers that were trained to kneel when you got off them. Then we would go down to Florida and fish. Fond memories and that is when I fell in love with the USA!
Since my father was a dedicated duck and goose hunter I spent most of my childhood shooting ducks and geese as well as upland game. Being from Quebec and because my father owned a Sink Box, I am one of the lucky few hunters that got to hunt out of a sink box. Quebec is as far as I know the only legal Province to use a Sink Box for duck hunting, talk about FUN!
Because my father was a member of several hunting clubs, I also participated in many Pheasant hunts on private preserves and because many of my father’s friends were wealthy people I had the opportunity to hunt ducks and geese on private islands which we flew to in helicopters and Jets. One of his best friends owned a Peninsula on the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland and we would go there to hunt ducks and geese as well. When I was 18 on a hunt there, I was introduced to Jack Daniels for the first time and have had a love affair with JD ever since lol FUN TIMES!!!
Because my father was an avid fisherman, I started fishing at a very early age I even have a picture of myself ice fishing for walleye at 4 years old. In the early days my father would take my brother and I to fly in fish camps which we would fly there in Beaver and Otter Float planes what a blast. So many great memories.
As he became more interested in fly fishing for Atlantic Salmon we would go to the Gaspé in Quebec and flyfish for Atlantic Salmon every summer on world class salmon rivers like the Matapedia, Matan, Dartmouth, York and other rivers. For a birthday present one year my father gave me a Stanly Bogdan Salmon fly reel, for those of you in the know, the Bogdan Fly reel made by Stanley Bogdan is considered one of the best Fly Reels in the world. I used to love casting big dry flies with my favorite rod with the Bogdan reel in them Gin Clear waters and watching Atlantic Salmon hit them, then watching them cartwheel down the river in the fight for their life, more memories I will never forget.
My father was not a Big Game hunter and every weekend while at the various clubs we shot at and hunted at I would look at the giant moose, cape buffalo, caribou and other mounts hanging on the walls and knew then that what I really wanted to do was to hunt BIG GAME and fantasized about hunting big game for many years.
I started hunting moose and deer in Quebec in the early 80’s. I was successful on my first “do it yourself moose hunt” that my friend and I had to paddle a canoe 10 hours to get to and after I hunted deer a few times I realized that the hunting in Quebec sucked so I decided to move out west and the first western province I moved to was Manitoba.
Had a lot of fun there hunting bears, where I bought a Hoyte Super Slam Supreme and was very successful on do it yourself bear hunts I even killed a Giant B&C bear there with it as well as many deer and moose to include a couple of deer and a moose in Saskatchewan. Again all of my hunts were do it yourself hunts
After being there for 11 years I was sick and tired of their winters and being an independent business owner their Corporate tax rate was unappreciated by me. I had friends living in Alberta bragging about their low tax rates, warmer winters and great Hunting, I pulled the pin and moved to Alberta in 2000.
Since I have lived in Alberta I have hunted most of the province and have killed more deer than I remember with my bow and rifles, I even forget how many moose to date some with my bow and most with my rifle. With the exception of 1 guided Elk hunt in Willmore Wilderness Park, all of my hunts have been “do it yourself” hunts and I have filled my freezers every year I have hunted in this great Province.
Another great thing about Alberta is that is it only a days drive to Terrace BC and Prince Rupert where I fish for Salmon, Halibut and Cod. I have fly fished the Skeena, the Copper and other rivers successfully and have caught my fair share of 50+ lbs. Chinook, lots of Coho, Halibut and Cod in the Pacific as well. My best day fishing was off the coast of Prince Rupert where we caught 26 salmon and 35 halibut.
Favorite Place in the World: Florida USA! I love fishing there for Tarpon and Sharks its a fisherman’s Paradise. I also love Scuba Diving there.
Biggest Regret: Not moving to Alberta as soon as I turned 18.
Pet Peeve: Blowhards that think they know it all and Liars.
Religion: Christian, Jesus is my Lord and Savior, Amen.
Favorite Hunting Forum: 24 Hour Campfire by a mile!
Only Wish: I had a second life so I could do all of the other things I have not been able to do in this lifetime!
Favorite Culture: American Culture, I love Americans and the USA, greatest Country and the best people I ever met.
Well that’s me and thank you for taking the time to read my late Introduction.
KB
Last edited by KillerBee; 02/03/23.
