Ptarmigan

I know you don't need a guide in Quebec for small game but that area in Quebec may be a zone where you need to go thru a guide to hunt anything. In any event it is a long way to go to shoot small game.

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Originally Posted by Couliewalker

I hunted in northern Quebec and I didn't need a guide.Back when there were caribou.All gone now. They went from a million animals to 5000 overnite.I was there only for the birds but if I didn't want to sleep in a snow bank I was forced to buy the caribou package.
The problem with Ptarmigan is that they are not around until winter.Makes it impossible to use a dog.
I shot some on the ice Rd mentioned,however ,hunting on that Rd is frowned upon if not totally not allowed.There is no room for parking.It was -38 that morning.I have called every outfitter I could find in N Quebec and N Manitoba that claimed to offer ptarmigan hunting.Didnt find one that would book me just for ptarmigan.They wouldn't guarantee I would see any.They are often shot as incidentals during a big game hunt.In that regard we are way behind other countries that see the value in bird hunting.

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They add the requirement for a guide to hunt small game, or fish North of the gate just in the last year or two.

As for hunting Ptarmigan, I just walked the edges of the frozen rivers and creeks, look for tracks or their eyes and beaks in the snow.

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Originally Posted by Muskyhunter

I know you don't need a guide in Quebec for small game but that area in Quebec may be a zone where you need to go thru a guide to hunt anything. In any event it is a long way to go to shoot small game.

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Here is the text from the Quebec hunting guide. I will enclude the whole section just because it is short. Section of note is marked with ***.
Specific rules applicable to non-residents
A non-resident is not obliged to possess a hunter's certificate
to obtain a hunting licence or an attestation to hunt wild turk
ey. He may
hunt indiscriminately with a firearm, a crossbow or a bow the species deemed to be game. However, he must use the hunting
implements authorized for each of the species
according to the hunting periods in force.
A non-resident is subject to certai
n restrictions concerning the purchase of hunti
ng licences and access to certain territories
or hunting
areas according to the game hunted.
The restrictions ar
e indicated below.
◦******************
All species:
A non-resident who wishes to hunt north of the 52nd parallel
or east of the Rivière Saint-Augustin in the southern
part of Area 19 must use the services of an outfitter,
although these services need not
necessarily include lodging.
◦****************
Moose
: A non-resident is subject to the measure that applies to the area licence He is also subject, in the
same way as a
resident, to the rule whereby he must purchase his licence before
midnight on the date indicated if he wishes to use it during
the
firearm hunting period. Furthermore, he is not permitted to hold a
female moose hunting licence (random draw). In order to hunt
moose south of the 52
nd
parallel, the non-resident must use at least two servic
es offered by an outfitter, including lodging, or
hunting in a controlled harvesting zone (zec) or in
a wildlife reserve, except in the following cases:
◦
he is a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police or
the Canadian Armed Forces and perf
orms his duties in Québec
or lived in Québec immediately befo
re establishing his residenc
e outside Québec for the performance of his duties;
◦
he is a member of a diplomatic mission
or consular post established in Québec
, including as a member of the service
personnel;
◦
he is accompanied by a member of his immediate family wh
o is a resident who holds a va
lid or expired moose hunting
licence, provided, in the latter case, that it was issued between April 1 and March 31 of the current year. Members of the
holder’s immediate family are his grandparents, parents, brot
hers, sisters, spouse, children and grandchildren, and the
children and grandchildren of his spouse.

The ice road from Smooth Rock Falls to Moosenee, your not allowed to hunt on. I asked and you cant according to them, the rules show the ice roads facebook page.

I've had good success Ptarmigan hunting. Only 5500km from Ottawa ;)

In Quebec I was east of zone 22 ,their were hundreds of non residents like me caribou hunters from the 5 outfitters in that area.Mirage being one .No guides required,maybe it's changed since the caribou outfitters closed up a few yrs ago.
In Ont, the ice Rd doesn't start till you cross the river at Otter Rapids.You can hunt south side .Smooth rock falls to fraserdale 74 km.Cross over Abitibi canyon and its 53 kms to otter.Or from Fraserdale go west to Little long dam which puts you north of Kap.

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Originally Posted by Couliewalker

In Quebec I was east of zone 22 ,their were hundreds of non residents like me caribou hunters from the 5 outfitters in that area.Mirage being one .No guides required,maybe it's changed since the caribou outfitters closed up a few yrs ago.

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Yes the new rule is only a couple years old, and any outfitter you use would be your guide service.

Just a normals day drive��

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Originally Posted by MDR

I've had good success Ptarmigan hunting. Only 5500km from Ottawa ;)

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Couliewalker

In Ont, the ice Rd doesn't start till you cross the river at Otter Rapids.You can hunt south side .Smooth rock falls to fraserdale 74 km.Cross over Abitibi canyon and its 53 kms to otter.Or from Fraserdale go west to Little long dam which puts you north of Kap.

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They are that far south?

Been up there to check out the dams once, fun little loop from Moonbeam around to Kap, it is crazy how this little town pops out of the bush.

I know that they used to shoot a lot of sharpies behind the house near Moonbeam, most often just after a storm when the wind blew them in.

Colder the winter the further south u find them
1933 34 their is documentation they were as far south as Matheson.I was told this 20 yrs ago from landowners that were around then and claimed to have shot them.I took it with a grain of salt,then I read it in a MNR 1955 publication.
Sharpies range overlaps but are found further south.They will migrate south with colder weather.Ive seen and shot them just outside Timmins and I Falls.