Elk hunting season with firearms, which opened in some areas last weekend, will be very different for many fans who saw their campsites burned to the ground during this summer’s historic wildfires.
“There are sure to be emotions during this year’s hunt. It will be completely the opposite of what we had before, but we are rolling up our sleeves,” says excited Éric Lavoie, whose hunting camp located in Desmeloizes, near La Sarre, was completely destroyed.
The latter will therefore bring a trailer that he will install a little further away and will have to travel morning and afternoon by mountain bike to his hunting place.
A similar situation occurred for Jeanne Neveu-Delage, whose hunting camp she had had with her partner for more than ten years in the territory of Lake Bill, north of Normétal, in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, was completely destroyed by flames.
Jeanne Neveu-Delage’s new temporary setup north of Normétal for hunting this year, after her hunting camp was reduced to ashes following this summer’s forest fires. Photo provided by Jeanne Neveu-Delage
However, they managed to build a temporary shelter that they can use while they wait to rebuild their little corner of paradise.
“For us, hunting is really a family thing so it certainly won’t be the same. We won’t be able to bring as many people and we may not be able to stay as long, so it’s definitely difficult,” the hunter explains.
“My partner’s father is blind and the camp was completely adapted for him, so it will surely be more complicated for him,” he adds.
Jeanne Neveu-Delage, here with her father-in-law, Guy Bluteau, in front of what remains of their hunting camp. | Photo provided by Jeanne Neveu-Delage Photo provided by Jeanne Neveu-Delage
An uncertain hunt
Although they will still be able to make traps, hunters should expect a less successful season due to raging fires.
METERme Neveu-Delage fears that the presence of logging companies collecting burned wood and creating new trails will harm the animals due to noise and the changing environment.
“Will the hunt be good?” We will know in due course, but the truth is that it is a fear,” confides the fan of this sport.
The moose remains the most coveted animal for many big game hunters in Quebec. Wildlife reserves are prime areas to try to thwart. stock photo
“This is our meat of the year. Food is becoming more expensive and is not of the same quality. We do our own butchery and we know that we eat quality meat. It is true that we can go to the supermarket, but it is far from being the same both in economic and health terms,” he adds.
The Ministry of the Environment, Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks points out, however, that it is still too early to evaluate the full effects of the forest fires on the moose hunting season.
However, certain effects must be considered in sectors highly affected by the fires.
“Relocating animals away from heavily affected areas is another potential impact that could have the effect of reducing hunters’ hunting success in burned areas,” Daniel Labonté, a publicist for the ministry, said by email.
More than a camp
For many hunters, their camps are not only a place where they go hunting, but also a box of memories.
Éric Lavoie’s little corner of paradise, his hunting camp in Desmeloize, before it was reduced to ashes during this summer’s historic forest fires. Photo provided by Éric Lavoie
“The memories we had there were incredible. My daughter was starting to walk and she was with us at the camp, today she is 25 years old. “There are a lot of photos and memories that have disappeared,” says Éric Lavoie.
“Rebuilding the camp is one thing, but rebuilding all those memories, I don’t think I’ll live long enough for that,” he added.
Forest fires in 2023
Since the 1970s, Quebec has never seen more than two million hectares of forest burned in a single year in its territory.
In 2023, a staggering 5.2 million hectares will disappear, representing a territory slightly larger than Costa Rica, or more than 100 times the island of Montreal.
According to the latest statistics from the Ministry of Public Security, more than 25,000 people have been evacuated since June 1, some of them more than once.
