FOREST AND STREAM 
71(j 
Truth About Northwestern Quebec Game Conditions 
Submitting the Inside Facts Regarding this Virgin Hinterland and the Results Gleaned from the Initial Season’s 
Experience in Opening it to Sportsmen. 
ORTHWESTERN QUEBEC, 
namely that portion above the 
Upper Ottawa and north of 
the Height of Land, a Hinter¬ 
land for the first time made 
accessible with the operation 
of the National Transconti¬ 
nental’s new steel, actually 
comprises an area of approximately 100,000 sq. 
miles. Let that sink in to start with. It is 
full of hundreds of lakes and paddleways, many 
of them absolutely unmapped as yet. Last year 
(1914) readers will recollect my introducing the 
Bell River (Nottaway route) District. The fol¬ 
lowing are the inside facts obtained after a sea¬ 
son’s cruising and work in establishing camps 
and opening up territory. Owing to unfair 
statements made by some sportsmen, a defense 
of myself and the country is in order. 
The Bell River District, taking in the Bell 
itself, Shabogama, the lower Bell, the Nottaway 
itself, the through route to Rupert’s House on 
James Bay, and the unlimited fishing and cruis¬ 
ing waters east from the northeast Arm, stand 
forth as unsurpassed in the north for cruises, 
comprising a variety of white water of the real 
kind, the pick of routes to the Bay (having as 
its longest portage one three-fourths of a mile) 
and in the northeast section dozens of lakes and 
streams full of the genuine red-spotted, square¬ 
tailed speckled trout that never before even saw 
an artificial fly. The fish take any fly avidly, 
frequently three at a crack, in the hottest 
weather of July and August. 
Three years ago a report reached the Quebec 
Government of the splendid moose territory 
north on the Bell River waters; so favorable 
was this that the present Minister, then an or¬ 
dinary member of the House, sought to lease 
territory there. 
In October last year (1914), I found condi¬ 
tions such as this earlier report would have in- 
dictated, but the fall of 1914 was one of bright 
days, clear nights and dfy weather, whereas in 
the recent season (1915) we had nothing but 
steady winds and rain from September 13 right 
through until November, with only a rare clear 
night that was sufficiently still enough to at¬ 
tempt “calling.” The rivers and lakes were bank 
full. When I say that the Minister of the De¬ 
partment of Colonization and Game himself 
cruised ten days through one of the known 
moose areas of Quebec in September and early 
October and did not in that time see any fresh 
game sign, it will indicate to all fair-minded 
sportsmen that conditions were such throughout 
the whole north that hunting was most unfavor¬ 
able. 
All through the summer months moose were 
almost daily seen on water right through from 
Shabogama northward, but so soon as a heavy 
By S. E. Sangster, “Canuck.” 
frost (August 25-26) rotted water feed they be¬ 
came invisible—why? My guess is that, be¬ 
cause of bad fires in 1914 they sought other sec¬ 
tions once the water feed rotted; likewise it is 
manifest that in the burnt areas lying north¬ 
east down the Bell and Shabogama and where 
now the second growth is commencing to spring 
up, in another year or two moose will again be 
found in large numbers throughout the entire 
year. The first parties we put in the North 
Camps, not knowing the sudden change that had 
occurred within five days, but as soon as we 
found every bull’s track was heading south, the 
guides at once were put after them to locate 
where they were going, and so soon as this was 
found (which, needless to remark, took us some 
days), we at once put all sportsmen in this 
newly located district and, without exception, 
all who stayed there their reserved time and 
hunted at all either killed moose or else missed 
their chances. 
I frankly admit that, owing to absolutely un¬ 
foreseen conditions, the northern territory, 
down the Bell, this season proved a disappoint¬ 
ment and a failure for hunting. Whether due 
to the unfavorable weather conditions, to high 
water or to the 1914 burning of sections thereof 
to the east I cannot say, but what I wish to 
emphasize is that all summer conditions through 
July and August gave us no advance inkling of 
the sudden departure of the moose at the end 
of August. As I have stated, we look for a 
return of autumn feed conditions in another 
year or two,-but for 1916 anyway, and-until such 
time as I know they are there to stay the year 
around, we have abandoned so far as moose are 
concerned any intention of hunting the north¬ 
ern areas of the Bell. I may add that similar 
occurrences have happened in Ontario’s Height 
of Land region, where summer finds any num¬ 
ber of moose on almost any lake, but in Octo¬ 
ber they are gone elsewhere. 
In all fairness I ask readers to remember that 
this territory is immense, some 100,000 square 
miles in extent and that this was the first year 
opened, hence the mistake was made of count¬ 
ing entirely on the northern section and it took 
us this year to sack the country out and accu¬ 
rately locate just where the game homed, for 
here, unlike more settled districts, there is noth¬ 
ing to prevent their travelling hundreds of miles. 
Where the Moose Home. 
Fortunately, while the northern cruising and 
fishing areas were such a disappointment for 
autumn hunting, we did find south of steel, in 
Senneville and contiguous townships near the 
watershed, one of the greatest moose haunts 
outdoors in Canada to-day. The northern edge 
of this lies not over fifteen miles from steel as 
the crow flies and only eighteen miles by way of 
Natagagan Lake south from Natagagan cross¬ 
ing of steel, but this entails a seven mile carry; 
consequently the best and easiest access is via 
Amos, forty-three miles west of Nottaway Sta¬ 
tion, from where one can directly reach the 
moose streams and lakes by motor boat. 
That this southern section will prove a moose 
country and fully bear out my predictions is 
amply verified by sportsmen whom we have put 
in there. 
As opposed to the unfair and unreasonable 
attitude assumed by a few sportsmen of the 
arm-chair kind, I would mention those who got 
heads, which include Messrs. Laughrey and G. 
H. Loucks, of Scottdale, Pa.; Mr C. E. Burk¬ 
holder, Seville, O.; Mr. M. J. Finet, 205 W. Mon¬ 
roe St., Chicago, Ill.; Mr. A. Osborne Mayer, 
Waterville, N. Y.; Hon. John Rex, Norristown, 
Pa.; Mr. Harry Lampert, Xenia, O. The above 
sportsmen, without exception, were enthusiastic 
over this new southern moose area, over their 
guides and equipment. 
As stated above, the earlier parties were dis¬ 
appointed with some reason as the game had 
left the northern sections, but these I have of¬ 
fered to supply with complete outfits and guides 
and put them in the new camps now building 
next season without cost to them, providing they 
are in any reasonable way disappointed or fail 
to have a chance to get heads. 
Now that this new southern district has been 
cruised and carefully sized up and found to have 
been for years a natural moose country, with 
all kinds of feed and shelter and no burnt sec¬ 
tions, things will be operating smoothly in 1916 
and sportsmen will run no chance at all of find¬ 
ing such conditions as we unwittingly ran up 
against the initial year. That I can promise. 
The foregoing briefly sets forth the actual 
truth regarding this new Northwestern Trans¬ 
continental Country of Quebec. I am frank to 
admit the mistakes made, which could not, owing 
to the very immensity and virginity of this Hin¬ 
terland, be avoided. I am enthusiastic over the 
unrivalled cruising and fishing attractions of the 
Bell River District, as also the summer photo¬ 
graphic opportunities at moose, beaver, otter and 
fox and I am also ready to stake my reputation 
which, after eleven years of handling many hun¬ 
dreds of outers for all kinds of outings in Can¬ 
ada, has stood without a blemish, on this moose 
district in Senneville Township, where we have 
arranged to build camps and where for 1916 all 
efforts will be concentrated. 
The Askigwog district will mea c ure fully up 
to my prediction and, likewise, the Bell River 
waters will find equally great favor with cruis¬ 
ers and trout enthusiasts looking for virgin fields 
and who are not of the “rocking-chair” section 
of outers. I rest the defense confident that an¬ 
other season’s results will clinch this accurate 
and conservative summary of the situation. 
