With the Ontario moose tag allocation being what it is I figure I am going to have get creative to secure a bull tag. Looking at the WMUs the obvious places to get a tag are also the most remote (makes sense). This basically cuts it down to 1A, 1C, or 1D. 1C actually has a small bit of road access via the Windigo Road heading NW out of Pickle Lake. Other options would be to use the fly-in services of an outfitter to an outpost lake somewhere in one of the units.
Being a bit of a stubborn knucklehead I think that drive or fly-in is probably too easy and if this is going to be done it needs to be epic. First part of making this epic is to convince the wife. Up until now I have managed 4 or 5 day off the grid trips without too much issue from her. Being old school i don't have a Spot or Inreach and so far she has been okay with this. This will be different so I told her to get me a Garmin Inreach Explorer+ as i expect this to be a 14-18 day trip (She said okay but make sure to bump up my life insurance before I go!). Not really a big a deal as I have done 1000s of miles like this in my checkered past (did both the Severn and Albany from source to mouth). That was a few decades back but hey who's counting.
As a concession to my age (50 something and because it's way too much work otherwise) I intend to use my 12'8" Zodiac with a 15HP Yammy on it - this is sort of blasphemous as up until now I have only used the canoe or kayak for hunting on a trip like this. The Zodiac has 6 chambers and is virtually unsinkable and it is easy to repair in the event something does go wrong. It also has a 1600 lb payload - enough for me, moose and gear. So doing some research on line I think my best bet is to put in on the Kabinakagami about 25 or 30 miles north of Calstock. Based on trip reports i am pretty sure I can get the Zodiac in and than also pretty sure I can run every rapid between there and the Albany. Once at the Albany (100 river miles or so from the put in) the north side of the river is 1D - the promised land!
Tentative plan is apply for a tag (anticipate failure). Shoot up there this summer and try the Zodiac on the river. Apply again next time around once I am pool 1. Based on group sizes I should get a tag within 1 or 2 seasons. Than head up for the rut in 2020 or 2021 and pull off an epic.
Oh the things my mind gets up to once my deer tags are filled.
