We stopped here just north of Grand Rapids, back in 1996 we fished here for a week. Camping here, no phone, electricity, just walleye.  mosquitoes and awesome sunsets. The stones of course are white because of the limestone and the water is blue to the bottom.

We drove 9 hours to Thompson and then 3.5 hours to Leaf Rapids and the trees never seemed to end. Miles and miles of spruce, water and rock.

Just north of Grand Rapids visibilty was near to zero fires were burning right along the road. Earlier in the day the highway was closed due to visibilty but the Firefighters had some undercontrol so smoke was lifting. Large dozzers and huffs were working to clear trails for the water trucks and to clear a non-burning area.

 

First photo of the trip we are headed for Leaf Rapids to a fly-in spring bear guiding job. Here pelicans feed just below the rapids at St Martins Junction . Fishing is great for some one!!

We headed for Brandon to drop of the frozen hides for Tony and Tims Rugs and Seths full body mount. Scott will flesh, salt and dry the hides before they go off to the Tannery . Hopefully return will be in early September. Scotts turnaround from receiving till the hunter receives them is less than 1 year.

Mike McDonald takes this 5 ft black. Mike has hesitations of hunting a bear with a bow, many stories of all the disasters that happen in the woods. After 3 nights he takes the shot and puts this Manitoba Black bear to the ground. Way to go Mike we knew you could do it!!

Every year we visit the Medicine rock on the Birdina Trail offering tobacco to the little people and Native spirits of the area.

Jason had a problem with these boots weighing 10 lbs and choose not to carry them back home to Arkansas in hopes his wife would allow him to purchase a new lighter pair for this falls hunting.
 season.  We will keep these boots for future hunts if anyone might wear a boot of this SIZE!!

It is amazing how some people never get a wet foot and then others are soaked to the hip. John here experienced this when carruing Seths bear out of the swamp. He seemed to always be at the wrong end of the stick/pole when a bear was being retreived.

Gooslings on a side road and ofcourse Judy needs a photo. A quick turn around and we get up close, grab the camera and snap snap, the goose and gander are really upset we are near. The 8 little fellows swim across the ditch water and we turn and walk back to the truck. Most of the Dugouts in the area have atleast one pair with gooslings on the shore.