Moose Hunting Trip Lac Allard Quebec

Moose Hunting Trip Lac (lake) Allard

It was the first week-end of September 1977 my brother- in-law Jean Marie said we should go out hunting at Lac Allard. It’s the last week-end for fishing and the opening of the moose hunt. Lake Allard was a 30 minute flight in. I said I’ll ask Madeleine if it’s okay to go. Oh boy she said, are you crazy, no and you can’t go out fishing our hunting. I said I’ll be very careful and Jean Marie said that he will do everything. He’ll prepare the camp and all I have to do is lay on my lawn chair, listen and watch. Yes I had broken my ankle a month ago. I had a big cast up to my knee and was on crutches. We had a couple of days to get ready. I told Jean I’ll give you a positive answer to-morrow morning. I knew that I would get a yes and my chances were pretty good.

The next morning I called Jean Marie and told him that was a big yes. He replied and said great. I booked or flight last night. We have to be at the plane no later Than 6:30 AM.

It was exactly 6:30 AM we were at the lake and the Beaver float plane was ready. J.M. and the pilot tied the 16 ft. cedar canoe onto one of the floats and then load our baggage aboard. Oh yes not to forget my lawn chair. J.M. asked me how did you convince Madeleine. I replied, remember one of those first books we bought on “ how to hunt and call moose” The one that Paul Emile Goyer wrote. Well in that book just about at the very end. There’s a part that’s addressed to all the ladies saying that “ never try to stop your loved one from going on a moose hunting trip” That is one of the worst things a women can do their loved ones. J.M. laughed and said yes I don’t think I would have thought about giving that as an answer.

Up and away we were like I said about a 30 minute flight and it should be a little less as we had a tail wind. Twenty minutes later we are over Lac Allard. It’s about 5 miles long and about a half a mile wide A few good points and sandy beaches and a nice looking lake for moose hunting. J M said to me that; point there at the middle looks good. I said yes, okay with me, I won’t have to walk too far. That’s where our pilot dropped us off and up and away he went. I said to JM if I ever get rich one of these days, that’s what I want to buy a Beaver with floats Look at him climb. There’s a lot of power in that engine.


I noticed a couple of old moose tracks on the sandy beach, maybe a week or two ago. I said to JM it looks like a cow and a bull. Which it was. I tried to help JM a bit, but he said no I can do it myself and if you fall you may break the other ankle. I said okay; give me a hand with the lawn chair. I was set about 100 feet from JM and this for a reason. A moose or any wild animal is always curious to new and unfamiliar sounds. So they try to sneak up to see what’s going on. My job as JM said was, he wanted me to watch and listen.

Around noon everything was in place and JM was making us a snack with a good cup of coffee that he had in his big thermos. The weather was beautiful and pretty calms a few wrinkles on the water. I said to JM we are the only ones on the lake. Did you see anyone? No, and not even a campsite or cottage on this lake. I guess it’s to close to the mine Q. I. T. and the railway track. JM said that we will start our little moose show around 3PM with nice little calls, nothing to loud. If we have to, we will do that in a couple of days. I asked how long are we here for? I asked the pilot to come and pick us up next Thursday or before if they we were to get bad weather.

It was 3 PM and JM with his hip waders on and was doing the cow moose walk and as usual and then the cow in heat urinating in the water. Yes he had brought me my dry twigs that I cracked just before he started his walk into the water. As he came out I cracked a few more twigs. We listened for about 10 minutes and not a sound. He bent down in front of the lake at one foot distance and gave the soft calling sound that sounds like a mosquito, waited a few seconds and repeated the same call. We waited and listened and let me tell you I was comfortable on my lawn chair. I even had a pillow and blanket. A half hour later he did the same call and no louder. He asked me; did you hear any echo. No not at all. It was close to 5PM when he gave another couple of calls but a little louder, no echo.

JM whispered to me and said I’m going to walk over to the other point and sit there for a while. I’ll be back around dark and you; no walking around. Don’t worry about me your just like your sister.

It was calm and not a sound to be heard. I picked up my 30.06 to make sure that it was okay. So all I had to do was sit and relax. I said to myself, I had not planned to do the moose hunt this fall and here I am and more than that I’m also on a fishing trip.

It was close to 7PM and starting to get dark, I could barely see the other side of the lake, I could see JM coming and THEN. I heard splashing sounds in the water and it was regular. Not to loud but I could hear it clear and it was getting pretty dark. It was on the opposite of JM. I picked up my rifle, took the safety and aimed in that direction with my finger off the trigger, I think my whole eye was in the telescope. It was about 250 feet from me, it was big I could see the head, the moose a big bull, but and I say but, you don’t shoot when your not sure. I still thank the lord today. It was a moose head in a canoe with two guys paddling on lake.

They stopped to talk with me and they also taught that they were alone on the lake. We talked for a few minutes; I told them that they scarred the hell out of me. They left us a couple of rabbits for a pack of cigarillos. We only smoke cigarillos after the moose is down and with a nice shot of cognac.

Remember what I said “you have to no what your going to shoot at and that 100% sure before you aim and pull that trigger”.


We had a light supper and hit the sack at 8:30 PM. JM said it looks like bad weather coming in and to-morrow is Sunday and the last day for fishing. We have to go fishing and nothing is going to stop us.

The next morning I was up at 5AM. A little wind for the northeast and we could hear the little drops of rain falling on the tent. At daybreak I was outside listening and trying to see if anything was around. It was 7:30 AM all was quiet and nothing in site. JM was making breakfast and it looked like we were going out fishing for the day. The lunch box was ready.

Attached the 4HP motor to the canoe, all the baggage, rifles and our way to south end of the lake. When we flew over I saw a nice river with a few rapids. It was 10AM when JM pulled ashore; he took his fishing rod, tackles box and rifle and said I’m going to fish down rapids. I said I’m going to fish from the canoe; there are too many rocks for me to try and walk around here. I’ll try it about 100 feet above the first rapid. That’s okay, but be careful.

After getting everything in place and seated comfortably. I gave it my first cast and yes I had one and nothing small, it jumped about three out of the water and what a fight. I knew after seeing it jump like that, that it was a “Ounananish “ we call them in French it’s a “landlocked salmon”. It took me a good ten minutes too bring it close to the canoe. I heard JM yelling, I got one and it’s something big, I yelled and said me to. It was a nice size landlocked salmon a 8 ½ lbs. A beautiful fish. We fished for a couple of hours. We did a lot of catch and release. We kept 12 landlocked salmon, weighing from 51/2 to 12lbs. and we kept 20 nice speckle Trout, weighing from 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 lbs. This was great and it was time to get back to our moose hunting.

It was 5PM when we got back at camp. Nothing seemed too have moved around here. No moose tracks. JM said I’m hungry and I think were in for an excellent lunch and dinner. With this rain I’m cooking a couple of speckle trout and I'll cook them outside the tent. I replied that was a what I was thinking also. We will also bury the left over. Not to leave any greassy smell around for that big bull.

That was a great supper, those trout melted in our mouth and with a bottle of white wine it was still better. JM said, no calling to night, but if it’s nice tomorrow we will give it our best shot. Tomorrow morning we will start our show very early. I said okay. It was around 10PM and the rain has stopped and the wind had died down. It was time to hit the sack.

During the night we could hear two wolves howling to each other. It seemed that they were on each side of the lake. This went on for a good hour or more as I fell asleep on their howling.

Monday morning and I was up at 4AM. Had a look outside. It was bitch black, nice and no wind. JM got up and said I fell asleep on the howling of the wolves. That a means that theirs something around and their interested in it. I guess the same thing as we want. We had a light breakfast, no toasting or frying and the left over coffee.

At 5:45 daylight had started to appear. JM with his hip waders on and me with my dry twigs. The show began. I was well installed on my lawn chair. About half an hour after his two soft calls, we got an answer, but it was soft and far. It was the call of a cow when she’s either with her calf or the bull. It sounds just like the owl call, not three times but two hoot, hoot. We waited a good hour and the repeated the two soft calls. It was noon and know answer. JM said if she’s with a bull, we have to do everything we can to convince the bull that I’m a cow in heat. We had a little snack and waited.

It was 3:30PM and JM gave two longer soft calls and we waited. I was hardly breathing; I could hear everything, even a bird landing on a branch. I heard a CRACK, a loud crack at the same place JM was the night before, out on the point. We didn’t move, we listened and watched. It was and I still remember like It was yesterday. They were coming around the point and straight for us, non stop. The cow in front and the big bull about 20 feet behind her. JM had his rifle up and ready, he was just waiting for the bull or cow, either to move from one side or the other. The bull was in the open, I say 300 yards, POW. The bull stopped, the cow looked at the bull, the bull turned to his right, walked about 15 feet and fell down on his right side. The cow headed straight for the bushes yelling the call that cows does to keep her bull with and this until she was far enough that we could not hear her anymore. It was done and yes my heart was going at 150 miles an hour. We shook hands and JM took off for the bull. Yes me behind hopping on my crutches. What a sensation and what a trip even on crutches.

I helped JM even if he did not want me around. As he opened the stomach to empty it, I held the legs. JM said that’s all were going to do for now. I will cut it up in quarters tomorrow and I’ll call the dispatch to pick us tomorrow afternoon.

We were out the next afternoon. I say it again what a trip. Both hunting and fishing on crutches. The antlers measured 52 inches. A beautiful and healthy bull. What a trip.

Snowmobiling & Ice Fishing in Northern Quebec & Labrador.

Snowmobiling & Ice Fishing in Northern Quebec & Labrador 2004

It was a sunny and beautiful day up in Schefferville. I was up early that April morning and with a nice day like this I could not just stay around the house. I asked my wife Madeleine. Do you want to go fishing with me today? She asked, what is the temperature outside. At exactly 7:45 AM that morning on the outside thermometer it was +9* Her answer was as fast as I gave her the temperature, she said YES. We had a good breakfast, packed a lunch, thermos with tea and one with coffee.

Out to the garage I went, hooked up the sled to my 580 Artic Cat. The ice cutter, tools, lines bait were always ready. Gave a couple of cranks on the Tundra, Madeleine’s snowmobile, hopped on my snowmobile and away we when. It was beautiful; the white snow was changing to grey as the days were getting a lot warmer. At certain places there were spots of tundra also a little water on top of the ice. But there was no danger as the ice was still a good four feet thick.

We had travelled for about an hour when I thought about a place that my good buddy Serge had told me about. I stop and talked to my wife about his place. She said have you ever been there before? I said no, but the way Serge explained it to me I’m pretty sure that I’ll find the place. Anyway with a nice day like this we can fish anywhere on that lake and I bet your bottom dollar that we would catch at least one fish. This lake is huge and called Ashtray Lake. She said how far
from here? A good hour and a half. Okay let’s go.

A half hour later I was on Ashtray Lake and I remembered my buddy saying that from here it was exactly one hour, also he told me always stay on the left side until you hit a small creek, the portage is on the left side of the creek. Cross the portage and once on the other lake, head straight for the other side. Make your holes about 150 feet from shore. You will notice that there is not much water under the ice, about three to four feet max. That is where they are, in three too four feet of water, at this time of the year. It was 8th. Of April 2004.

As we travelled about another half hour, I stopped and looked and about a mile away on the middle of the lake was a herd of caribou. A few standing but most of them laying on the ice. As we continued and getting a little closer to the caribou, they all got up and started running, one behind each other and in a straight line. We counted 42 of them and the speed they were running meant that they were in good shape. They headed straight into the portage that I was taking. Yes the small creek on the right side.

The portage was not open, no one had been here this year, no old snowmobile tracks. We had no problems going through as the snow was soft and Madeleine made the trail up with the Tundra. Once on the other side I could see the place exact that my buddy told me to go and try. Also this was a pretty big lake and a lake with no name. It was Serge’s secret lake. He said that there was monsters (big fish) here.

It was around 11 o’clock and we had managed to get six lines into the water. Yes the ice was still 4 feet + in thickness and when I looked into the 10 inch in diameter hole, blocking the sun with my two hands, I could see that there was about 4 feet of water under the ice.

It took 15 minutes and we had our first laker (lake trout or grey trout) and a nice size about 10 pounds. I caught the first one so Madeliene was really watching the lines now. Yes, she got one and the same size as the one I caught about 10 pounds also.

The bait that the natives use and only that, as bait, to catch big speckle or lake trout is the grey sucker. They cut them into stripes about 5 inches long and one inch in width. They use a huge hook and attach the bait in a way that the fish cannot pull it off. They sometimes tie it on. They use 100 lbs test green line. When the line (still line fishing) is in the water and attached to a big enough tree branch, laid across the hole, there is a loop in the line. Reason is when the fish takes the bait, it has time to swallow the bait and hook before the line is tented. Which means that the hook is stuck in the throat of the fish. No way they will lose their fish.

It was noon and four nice fish caught. I gathered a few pieces of dry wood, lit a fire and toasted our ham sandwiches. Madeline had the tea and me the coffee. Madeleine threw her sandwich aside and ran for one of the lines that was moving. I sat and watched. Heck, I lost it she said. It was a big one. I said yes, they all say that, they always lose the big one. She said no, it was big. She laid on the ice looking into the hole, she yelled, I see it, it’s huge and it’s biting the bait, I got it, I can’t pull it out through the hole, it’s to heavy, help me, pull it out. I stood beside her and watched, I said no it’s your fish you pull it out. I can’t it to heavy. So I had to give in and pulled her fish out. It was heavy and lucky we had a 10 inch in diameter hole. Yes she caught the big one that day. It was 25 lbs. exactly. It’s the one on the picture on the front page of my blog that I’m holding.

We fished for another hour and caught two more, one was 15 lbs and the other 18 and half lbs. Then we said all good things have to have and end and packed up and headed back to Schefferville.

My buddy Serge passed away two years ago and I thank him still today for the great place he told me about. His Secret Lake.

I tell you snowmobilers, fisherwomen, fishermen and hunters this is a place that all of you should try, even in the winter time, like I said from the middle of March up to the first week of May it’s something.

A One Day Moose Hunt on Lac Boucher 1977

It was in late September and my brother-in-law Jean M and I were on another Moose hunting trip. This time we decided to charter a 206 Cessna and go to a different place. A place called Lac or Lake Boucher, 35 miles northeast of Havre St. Pierre. It’s a pretty big lake with a couple of islands on it.

Everything was aboard and on our way. It was a nice sunny and cool day. As we approached the lake JM asked Germain the pilote, if he could at least make one trip around the lake. That he did, I said to JM, that island there would be great. Were not to far from the mainland. JM said yes to the pilote and down we went.

We untied the canoe, unloaded and found the exact place to tent. Someone had camped here before. It was close to noon when we finished. Had a little snack and yes a small snooze at least for an hour.

It was around 2pm and all was quiet not a sound to be heard. JM said I think we’ll start the show now. The weather and all is perfect. I’m ready I said.

JM had his waders on and I had gathered a few dry twigs. I started breaking a couple and JM started his moose walk and then the cow in heat urinating, lifted his feet slowly out of the water and on to shore. I cracked a few more twigs and both listened for about 3 minutes. Not a sound. JM gave the soft and short cow call. Did this the same call about 10 minutes later. Not a sound, I whisered to JM it’s to quiet. He nodded his head in a yes manner. We listened and waited, not a sound.

The little island that we were camped on was approximately 500 feet long by 100 feet wide not more than that and all it had on it was black spruce and a very few birch trees. It was flat with sand and rock beach all around. We were calling toward the mainland about 800 feet away.

The tent from our calling ground was halfway 50 to 60 feet. The trail from us to other side was 4 feet wide. From where we were we could not see the tent.

It was close to 4:30 PM JM had just given the first long call of the cow in heat. I heard the echo hit 3 times, which was good. It still was silent, not a sound.

It was 4:40 PM and I heard something heavy walking in the water on the left side of us towards the mainland. JM also heard it as he looked at me with eyes as big as fifty cent pieces. We did not move an inch. We listened for a good half hour and not a sound, not even a little cracking sound. We didn’t move, we waited.

It was getting pretty chilly as the sun had gone down. I looked at JM and made some sort of movment letting him know that I was going to the tent to put a bit more warm clothes on.

I picked up my 30.06 and started to walk slowly looking at the ground to make sure that I did not step on some twigs. I could see the tent through the bushes and to my great surprise the big bull was about 25 feet on the other side of the tent. What a huge bull and what a rack (63”) Up game the rifle safety off, one knee on the ground and pulled the trigger. It was faceing me and looking me right in the eye when I shot. The bullet struck it on the right side of the chest and came out its back just behind the right shoulder blade. The heart was split it two. All it did was make a half left turn and fell to the ground. I think JM was beside me in a split second. My heart had no time pump fast as everything happened so fast.

JM and I shook hands and tapped each other on the back. We said it’s a trophy and our hunting is already over with. Now we had to work. It took exactly 2 hours and all hind quarters were laid on a rack that we had made.

It was time for a glass of cognac and a good supper with a bottle of red wine. For super, the menu was a few slices of moose liver cooked with bacon and onions. Not to Forget the mashed potatoes and mushrooms. Man was that delicious. We hit the sack that night close to midnight. That was a fast hunting trip. But it was a great one.

The next morning we called the dispatcher to find out if he we get us out in the afternoon. Okay there was no problem. As we got all our equipment and moose meat out on shore. We decided to take a canoe ride to the mainland and see what it looked like. It was pretty windy so we did not want to go to far. As we approached shore JM said don’t move look to your right and yes another bull moose had it’s head out of the bush with his nose up in the air. Trying to smell us. Without
moving we watched him for a good five minutes. He was also a healthy looking moose.

We headed back to the island and waited for our plane. I shall say it again, what a wonderful and short hunting trip that was and I have a lot more to tell you in my next stories.

If any of you outdoor sportswomen and sportsmen are interested in a caribou hunt or salmon, trout fishing trip. I'm your Booking Agent. My services are to guarantee that you have a great and successful trip with anyone of the best outfitters in Northern Quebec or Labrador.

Winter Caribou Hunt 1975

Winter Caribou Hunt 1975

It was a cold morning, it was 8 am. We were boarding a bush plane, Otter and on our way to a caribou hunt. My buddies Andre, Julien and brother-in-law JM. It was the 23 Feb. and a minus -23 outside. We had no choice we had to go this morning; the plane was chartered for today and only bad weather could cancel this trip. We were all well dressed with good warm clothes, snowmobile suits and boots. Each our packsack, lunch and a thermos of coffee for the day. It looked like a beautiful day the sky was blue.

We had been flying for a good 2 hours, no tracks and no caribou insight. Yes I forgot to introduce our pilot Jean Charles, 10 years experience as a bush pilot. I asked him where are we heading? Lake Vital they saw a big herd there yesterday.

A couple of hours more flying and nothing in sight. The pilot looked back at us and said we will have to think on going back. One, the gas is getting low and about 5 hours of day light left. He said, 15 minutes more. I said look caribou tracks. The pilot made a 90 degree to the left and over on the second lake he landed. There was a herd of over 200 heads, they were standing there looking at the plane.

Jean Charles said, first if you guys do this fast we still have time to head back home, if not and it takes to long we will be sleeping in the bush at -30. What do you want to do? Yes that was cold and very cold to sleep outdoors without a sleeping bag. We looked at each other and said we came hunting and that’s what we are going to do. We told the pilot we will do this as fast as we can..

We had landed the Otter a good ¾ mile away. To close would have scared the caribou off. I said 200 caribou; it was more than 500 caribou. Out of the plane and got those snowshoes on so fast and away we went, but not Andre, Andre is not an outdoors sportsmen, he takes his time and is very slow. He yelled, you guys go ahead I will fallow behind with the camera. We said okay, take your time. We were heading for the point of wood about 1000 feet away; we could not see the caribou. I said that they won’t be far from that point. JM and I had to run if we wanted to keep up with Julien, he was 6’4” 200lbs and skinny and those long strides he was taking kept us running.

Once at the point we were all pretty well disappointed, the caribou had advanced a good 1000 feet or more and were just about ready to enter the bush. They were a good 2000 feet from us; I said shoot up high and into the bush just ahead of them. They each had 30.06 rifles and I had my 32spl. They shot; the herd turned around and yes heading right straight for the point and us. That’s happens when you shoot like this, in the bush ahead of them, is the echo they hear in front of them and makes them instinctively turn and head in the opposite direction. The herd was heading straight for the point and for us. I was laying face first in the snow and no moving at all. They were 500 feet away and still coming for us. JM said get ready their 200 feet away. Up we got and let me tell you they were at 150 feet, they all stopped and looked straight at us or in our direction. I aimed the biggest one looking at me and bang, in the neck and down it went. I shot my second one. I yelled stop we are only allowed 8. I counted 1. 5… 7, one missing, but before I finished my phrase, bang, bang two shots and two caribou down. (the pilot had a license and took the extra one)

I heard the pilot starting up the otter engine, taking off and came and landed beside us. He got out and said it’s too late to head back home; we will never make it before dark. You have a choice sleep outside at minus 30 or it will cost you $80.00 more for the charter. There’s a hunting camp 20 miles away, we can stay there for the night. No one argued about that.

We fixed up the caribou, then dug up holes in the snow with are snowshoes, and buried our caribou. This would help keeping the meat fresh and not freezing over night. We brought back with us 3 hearts and 2 livers, this was for supper.

It was starting to get pretty dark and not much time to get to that cottage. I hope that there’s a stove and wood. I was starting to feel the minus 30 it was very cold. I could see the hunting camp as we approached and yes it looked like a big and nice cottage.

We landed and Julien was the fist out and said I’m going to light the stove. The pilot asked if we could help him take out the two batteries. I have to keep them inside the cottage, warm, if not this plane won’t start tomorrow morning. We also covered the nose of the plane with a canvas tarp. Jean Charles said it’s up to -35 and I think that it may be more in a couple of hours.

Julien had the oil stove going and the wood stove. It was so cold inside that linoleum had curved up. We had to be careful not to break it. There was a bottle of Vat 69 0n the table ¾ full and over half of that was frozen solid. You can imagine how powerful the non frozen part was. This was a very nice cottage, 4 bedrooms, living room and big kitchen and washroom. Blankets, pillows and everything, but no food, yes a box of Kellogg’s cornflakes.

JM was the cook and yes caribou heart and liver plus a shot of Vat 69, powerful stuff. The meal (meat) was great, we talked for about an hour and then to bed. Yes we could hear the wind. The pilot Jean Charles’s got up and said I’m going to check the tarp and tie it down more. I asked, do you need a hand? No thanks I’m okay. When he got back he said I don’t want to discourage you guys but were here for a couple of days for sure. There’s a big storm out there.

Let me tell you that it was a storm, you could not even go outside, the wind was so strong. I prayed that we don’t run out of fuel oil because there was no more wood and no more food. We slept 4 nights in that warm cottage and thank god we did not decide to sleep outside.

The third day was nice with that beautiful rising sun; we help the pilot place the batteries back in place. I hope this thing starts this morning, I want home I told myself. We had to cut the ice around the skies as there was slush that had accumulated after the landing. Jean Charles was hoping that we did not chip a piece off the skies. He said: they cost $10K’s a pair. Off we were and back to Havre St. Pierre, back home. Everyone seemed happy to get back home.

This was all in 1975 the way we hunted. Today you don’t hunt like that anymore, unless you have your plane. Today is the American plan in some outfitter camps. Everyone travels buy snowmobile with a guide. All you have to do is shoot it. The rest is all done by the guide. But it’s still pleasant to experience.

I can book you any time in March and April for a good winter caribou hunt. Well it’s a 5 days snowmobile adventures guided by local native, living their culture, includes also, ice fishing big lakers, rabbit snaring, ptarmigan hunting and just relaxing. Cook, snowmobile and guide all included.