It’s hunting season again, but this time of year always reminds me of one special fishing trip. This is the story of Three Prancing Reindeer, One Really Big Muskie, and Four Not-so-Lucky Bow Hunters from Iowa…

We thought October in Ontario was going to be cold and gloomy. What we got was sun and relatively warm mid day temperatures - almost like summer – most of the time. We met our camp neighbors quickly and every evening we turned out for a gathering that featured dinner, cards, and cold brew on the screened porch until we were too tired to keep our eyes open any longer. Needless to say, we really hit it off. 

Fishing was pretty good and we boated a few really nice muskies around the 50-inch mark. Smallmouth bass and bunches of northern pike kept us busy in between muskies. Bow hunting, however, was not kind to our new-found friends from Iowa. Morning after chilly morning they would wake-up way before first light and head out by boat to their designated positions in deer stands placed meticulously throughout the forest. Each evening about an hour after dark they’d hear us rumbling into camp giggling and spouting great fish stories, only to be forced to tell us that they had no luck at all. They didn’t even see a deer.

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