You didn't miss it. I didn't post on it this year. I just figured that after so many years of posting that people were getting tired of it. Actually, this year was the BEST ever. But let me start here. In 2018 our guide, Stephanne, who we had every year since 2004 committed suicide. It was devastating to us. I once told him I wished he were my son. At any rate, this year, 2019, I was met at the airport by this small framed young man, 24, and he introduced himself as our guide. I can't begin to tell you how skeptical I was. Actually he turned out to be the most fun person for a guide you could hope for. He outdid himself trying to please There was LOTS of snow. Some places there was almost 3 FEET of it. The only disappointment this year was the food. Oh, it was OK, but nowhere near as good as it has been in the past. The cook was new and the first night, before dinner he announced himself as being the best in the world. He was going to prepare meals like we have never seen before. It was ALL gourmet style and we are just plain meat and potatoes folks.

But to get to the hunting itself. As usual I hunted with a Savage 99. This year as last, it was with a 99 EG topped with a Ziess. My wife hunted with her tried and true Ruger American in 7mm-08.

On the first morning I shot a nice spike, BY CHOICE. My philosophy has changed as I age, now 75. And I happen to love to eat deer meat. Also on the first morning my wife shot a nice fat 100 pound doe.









On day 2, we both saw deer but nothing to shoot at.

Day 3 my wife was sick so she slept in. About 10AM the guide drove past my stand on his 4 wheeler. He said he was going back to the lodge to see if Nan was OK. An hour or so later he came back and Nan was on her machine. It had snowed hard during the night but it was now near noon and the snow had let up. Off they went. At 1PM I was on foot in a swamp when I heard a shot. Nan had shot a nice 5 pointer almost 4 MILES from me and she couldn't believe I heard the shot. Today all I was were deer that saw me first. Nothing for me





Day 4 came and again it snowed all night. The guide said he was taking me to the high country. Nan came out just to be out. She had both her deer. We had driven in 4 wheel drive for over an hour when a nice buck crossed the road. I got out with rifle in hand but didn't take a shot. We continued up and this is what we saw.. It was drop dead breath taking but NO DEER or tracks. Road became impassable even with 4 wheel drive







On the way back, he dropped me at on of my favorite tree stands and after about 3 hours of sitting, the SAME buck I saw earlier crossed. This time he didn't make it.

Sorry to hear of the loss of your friend, but I am happy to get to read this report. I look forward to it every year. Beautiful photos! Congratulations on another banner season.

If it hadn't been for you, I wouldn't have posted.

LBK..you know I look forward to this post every year as well!

Glad you guys had a great time!

A fer more pictures.

The last day as I was sitting in the tree this doe kept coming in. I mean literally. She would come in and leave. I would grunt and within 5 minutes, there she was again and again in the SAME spot. Grunt, bleat, or just wave a white hanky she would come.



Ladder stand I shot the spike from



Picture of my buck as he lay.



10/15 minutes after I shot the buck, I was back in the tree stand eating lunch. I left my pack and rifle 127 yards up the trail where the buck crossed, I looked up and this big doe was standing right next to my pack and rifle.



View from the dining room while we waited for the plane to get us of the island.



Wife playing with the deer.

That is a place I read about many years ago.
Great story, and pics.
Always wanted to go there.
The story I read, told about stalking deer on the beach where they ate seaweed that got washed up.
Thank you. I pray you have many more memorable trips.

Thank you for your post. I to have read about it and watched hunting shows on it. I would love to go some day. I am sorry for the loss of you friend.

I look forward to reading about this next year and years to come.

I have hunted the beach and aside from the novelty of it, doesn't do much for me. I mean, with glasses you can see deer a half mile away. The kelp is an important source of winter food for the deer. I prefer hunting the woodlands. It's just me,

I think I would like the woods hunting as well.

Don’t think we tire of this trip, LBK!! We WAIT for you to post about this trip!

Congrats to you and nan on another great north country adventure.

Yeah, you're doing something we all wish we could do....

Not ashamed to live vicariously!

Thank you for posting. Look forward to your report every year. Anticosti is a true whitetail hunters destination trip. Would love to go some day just to experience it.

Excellent story and great pictures. You are blessed to have a wife that will hunt with you!!

Hey, Pard, there’s others here that much enjoy and appreciate your postings on your annual hunting there. Well done and much appreciate your taking the time to share with us.

Great pics.

Sounds like a fun hunt, and congratulations on your successes. I've read about Anticosti since I was a kid, and it looks like a very neat place. Love your choice of rifle too.

I sure enjoy this every year for sure .

Very nice!

Some things are very strange about the internet. It seems to be full of the wrong things. Full of things most of us just wish would go away. Thanks to all who have replied to this thread. Thanks to CrimsonTide for initially PM'ing me and setting this in motion. Thanks to each and every one of you for the kind words and encouragement. I like the real deal in everything. You guys are the REAL DEAL. The ones that make the 24 what it is.

LBK your Anticosti report is one the highlights of the hunting season for me.

Glad you all had a great trip and I am sorry to hear about your friend.

Hunting Anticosti Island is a unique experience. Always glad to read about it and see the photos. Good stuff.

RS

I knew I wasn't the only one who looked forward to your report!

Thank you.

Great story and photos. Nothing like hunting with your spouse. My best hunting partner ever.

Thanks LBK. I am one that also looks forward to this report. Looks like a great place to hunt and you get to do it with your lovely wife.

I am very happy for you and proud I can call you a friend.
All the best to you and yours and look forward to 2020!!!!

Great report! Congrats on the deer..

Congrats and thanks for sharing!

Congrats on what was a great trip

Please keep posting. I always look forward to this.

Sorry about your friend. Glad your wife and you are still in health to keep this up!

Thanks all. We appreciate the kind words. This trip keeps us going. We look forward to it .

I always look forward to this report! Thanks for sharing.

Yep me to Scott. Thanks for sharin longbeardking, hope I'm still killin. Bucks when I'm 75!! Great work gristle!!

Thanks for sharing both your success and the sadness of your trip. Glad you had a good trip,

Dale

Congrads, some Nice Pics Buddy!

Steven, First time reading your annual report, but thoroughly enjoyed it. Hope you post again next year. I've been wanting to get there myself since the mid '70s. I think it's about time to cross this one off the list. Mind if I ask which outfitter you've been using?

Yep always look forward to this report. Have also always wanted to hunt the Island. Glad to see you and the Wife still hunting. Hope I can still do it at that age. Love the old Savage.

LBK: I’m just one of the many who really enjoy the annual Anticosti trip. Thanks for posting.

I'm new here, well I've been registered here for 8 or 10 years but not active. I love these kind of posts. I hope to read your next adventure there next year.

Just wanted to say how much I enjoyed the OP's post.

Kept looking for this years report, so thanks Crimsontide for taking the time, and thanks LBK for another great story. Just one of many looking forward to the 2020 report.

Right back at you, Jim. I tell my wife everyday that she could have done better. I am just a plug that keeps on working so I can afford things in my "golden years" I always took the easy way when I was young. I am a slow learner,

Don't cross it off. If you are looking for monster trophies, three are "NICE" deer there and NONE that I have shot, or my wife for that matter, would we have passed on anywhere else. We use Sepaq Anticosti and have since 2003. The only complaint was the food this year and during the summer Sepaq people went on strike This "cook" was in love with himself and wasn't worth a dam. We survived though.

You guys are all great. I enjoy posting this and worry some may think it is just a brag fest and I assure it is NOT. In NH I could hunt all season and not see a deer and walk a LONG way to do it. I love my wife hunting with me and it would never keep her interest if all I did was hunt home. We see on average 20 deer a day. And to do it you can either spot and stalk or sit. Either way you WILL see deer. Having my wife hunt is like hunting with a kid. At the end of the day I love listening to the stories she has to share. AND she hardly ever misses what she shoots at.

LBK, sorry to hear about Stephanne. That had to take some wind out of your sails.

Trust me, it did.

Thanks for sharing , Anticosti is a special place. Look forward to reading about your trip every year.

I am sure your heart was heavy with the passing of your friend. I am glad you took the time to post this, I look forward to it every year.

Sorry to hear about your friend. Also glad you posted this, we all look forward to your Anticosti hunt report, as well as other people's hunts here. We might not say anything but it's always enjoyable to share in other peoples success. Looking forward to next years already.

I also look forward to this thread each year. The island is on my bucket list.

Steven,

I was beginning to worry as I haven't missed your annual report since I've been a member. So sorry to hear about Stephanne, but glad you could salvage the trip. So how tasty was that spike?

Dave

Fantastic LBK, congratulations to you & Nan, again, from Deb & I !!

Longingly wait for this post every single year.

Astonishingly beautiful scenery, 2 great people enjoying what they love !

Yes, this is so true !

As you know, I too, am so blessed.

We all are........................................ Just need to take the time to realize it.

LBK thanks for posting this I always look forward to it as well. Very very sorry to hear about your longtime friend!

Great pics and beautiful scenery as usual. Such an awesome tradition you have an awesome wife.

Congrats!

Thank you sir.

Longbeardking,

I look forward to your Anticosti story every year--partly because it's always great to hear about a husband and wife that hunt together, and partly because I hunted there in the in fall of 1989. It's a wonderful experience, and your stories and and photos always take me back. Thanks!

And honestly, sometimes I think I bore people. Some folks live and hunt in very picturesque parts of the United (divided) States and have HUGE gorgeous deer. While NH is a pretty place, hunting is a dying past time and is becoming less popular. Though the island deer are not monsters I have never, and I have said this before, killed one that I would have passed on in NH. PLUS, I don't think my wife would be as eager to go if we hunted all season without seeing a deer. Like taking a kid fishing for trophy fish only. Sometime you have to fish perch to keep a kid interested. Anticosti is a mecca of beauty. Then this year, with the loss of Stephanne and seeing the girl he fell head over heals for hunting there with the guide she ended up marrying didn't sit well. It's all just me i admit, but I almost said nothing this time around. Thank you all for the encouragment and understanding.

LBK...you pretty well summed it up.Hunting should be about the experience, and the company you keep...not about the horns. I promise you some of my most memorable hunts were when small deer were taken the hard way, in places less picturesque than Anticosti! I told you once I often dreamed of sneaking around the woods on Anticosti with my red plaid jacket and my model 64 Winchester 30-30!

Ive been fortunate to have done a lot of hunting...but I never did THAT!

Thank you for the fine post!!!

Every one of those deer is a trophy. Scaled by environment, desire of a predator to hunt, the unique pleasure of hunting with your spouse, and the pleasure of reliving all these pleasures and more each and every time a venison dinner is prepared. Congratulations sir. Many would write a blank check for what you have done.

Well said. Nothing wrong with taking a spike. It’s your harvest that you worked so hard to get. Hunting is about being in nature and what brings YOU joy, not what other burly men say is what they would do.

I passed on a 4 point this year. I instantly regretted my decision, but it was too late to get a safe shot off (then horizon). My pride got in my way, and me freezer is empty this year.

And sometimes I feel ashamed of myself for even entertaining the thought about not posting of the hunt. It seems on some of these forums the topics don't wander too far and the outdoors, hunting, and fishing stories/shares seem to bring the absolute best out of the woodwork. I get to share thoughts with like minded individuals. Thank you all.

I don't remember in which magazine I read about this magical place...I was a young kid. 9, 10 maybe. I'm not sure what the draw was for me then, but I know now. And I'm very glad you share it with every year.

Thank you again for doing it. Now...we need this snow to melt so we can get after those turkeys!!

TOUCHE !!!!!

Hey... they don't call you the Long Beard King for nuthin!!

My son calls me the Jake Whacker.......................:D I have been know to kill a jake or 3

I always enjoy the report. Thanks for posting again.

That's a real compliment coming from you. Thanks.

I look forward to your post every year, too. I wish you many more in the future.

I have enjoyed reading your Anticosti story's for years. Please keep writing them.

All you guys make it worthwhile. I'll try to come up with something and post away. Thanks all.

By now you know how much those on the Campfire look forward to you post. I also miss Cowboy. He guided me many times. When I fell and broke my Encore he loaned.
me his personal rifle to use. At that time he wasn't guiding yet. He was the horse wrangler only. When I tagged out he would hitch up a horse and we'd take pictures and toast sandwiches on the side of the Rat river. I don't take many pictures anymore. Don't know why. I did tell the head of operations on the island that the new cook should consider taking up truck driving as an occupation. Hope this year the French Frenchman comes back to guide.

I also very much look forward to your reply. You're getting to be very much an old friend. I messaged Gabriel on facebook about his coming back, and he said he would be definitely be back.

Thank you for posting it.

As always LBK, a great read and a post I look forward to every year. Congrats on the deer, very sorry about your friend

Love seeing this each year. Congratulations and thank you for sharing!

Geez guys, thanks for all the encouragement. I appreciate it and so does my wife.

I enjoy your stories. It is nice to hear from someone else who appreciates the island.

Anticosti is an amazing place. I was there last September / October and will there early next October. I was also at Chicotte with the VTT / ATV option. The food was OK. The folks in the prior week got the short end of the stick because there was a strike and the hunters were stuck in camp with only the kitchen open (no hunting). My guide was Gabriel (Gabe) and he was pretty good. It looks like he was your guide. We went into the thick woods woods and were able to get close to a couple of deer (no clear shots before they took off) and later on came within a dozen yards of doe in thick cover. A few people also saw some moose at the northern end of the territory.

The bad news about Anticosti is that the deer herd is significantly down at least according to a study

http://www.msn.com/fr-ca/actualites/quebec-canada/d%c3%a9clin-marqu%c3%a9-des-cerfs-de-virginie-sur-l%c3%aele-danticosti/ar-BBZAird?li=AAgh0dy

I attaching an English translation

Nonetheless I am looking forward to next fall.

We had absolutely no shortage of deer. I hunted October 2003 and made up my mind then never to return. We saw nothing but does then with the exception of one buck. The bucks really don't start moving until mid to late November. Yes we had Gabe. He is a moose and bear guide. This was his first time with deer hunters. I really liked him. I asked that he use the time allotted to me so he could hunt with my wife. Actually he spent most of the time with her. He made the hunt fun and we demanded nothing of him. He is coming back this year and he KNOWS we think he is the best. I like hunting for the deer instead of just picking one out to shoot or not to shoot. As it was, we each saw at least 20 deer per day. Mostly bucks. We are already booked and paid for next year. I just turned 75 yesterday and still feel like a 30 year old.

Great story and pics!

Sorry to hear about your friend.

My hunting partner (aka "The Mrs.") and I are in our 60's. Your stories and photos are an inspiration to us, and remind us that the best may be yet to come, Lord willing. By the way, my wife is also pleased with her Ruger American in 7mm-08.
Thank you.

I cut this out of a magazine years back and Scotch taped it to the frame of a picture of my wife and a moose she shot back in 1992

" I love to hunt alone. It is FAR more satisfying and rewarding to have done it all by one's own efforts and skill...EXCEPT when my wife can accompany me."

I look at this often and realize I have a great one.

Kudos to you as well. May the both of you have many more hunts to look forward to.

I was at Chicotte during the strike in Sept. They brought in managers non union from off the island to keep the place running. The one at Chicotte had been a guide in past years at Chicotte and knew me from then. Told me to take a pickup and hunt wherever I wanted in their territory. After hunting there 26 times he wasn't concerned that I would get in trouble. Everyone hunted. Take was down. They tried their best with food and housekeeping. .Word I received was that they would shut down and refund money rather than operate again during a strike. They did refund a substantial amount to compensate

Thanks for the input, Joe.

Sooooooooooooooooooooooooo, the wind got pretty much taken from my sails this morning. I have been "keyboard" friends with a fellow from Canada pretty much for the last 15 YEARS. We share a great many common interests, but 2 in particular are the love of the Savage lever gun and deer hunting. Well, this covid 19 thingy seems to be really taking it's toll on folks. Maybe it's my age, but I just can't wrap my head around this self inflicted fear. Sure, take the needed precautions, but don't let it consume your life. At any rate, something President did or said regarding 3M and Canada rubbed this guy the wrong way and for that I am truly sorry but for him to say that American hunters and fisherman maybe shouldn't come to Canada because the welcome wouldn't be a warm one. I believe there is way more to this covid 19 thing that meets the eye. Sorry for the rant. We WILL put this behind us and move forward once again.

Angry at the USA and not at China makes a lot of sense. Good Grief

F

Lets see if there is a season there this year before we get too excited. A resurgence of the virus in fall or if it is prolonged into September, it will probably close the island down for the season. I do not know about you but I would hate to be at Chicotte if it flairs up. As for the Canadians, relax. Intemperate words go away and tempers will cool. Besides, 3M, despite Trump, is continuing to supply masks to Canada. 3M has been able increase the US supply from 3M China. But on the other hand I used to work for 3M and worked extensively with 3M Canada, so I can probably cover my bases.