Cast and Triple Blasts at Harvest Lodge - The Canadian Experience
Check out this incredible adventure from The Canadian Experience TV! In this episode, Ty and Jake head up to Manitoba to Harvest Lodge to partake in a "Cast & Blast" adventure, and boy did they have a heck of a trip! From field hunting mallards, Canada geese and snows, diver duck hunting in the marsh, upland hunting in the woods to non-stop walleyes on the Waterhen River. This is certainly an episode you won't want to miss!
Full episode from Harvest Lodge, and written blog can be found below!
Watch the Full Episode From Harvest Lodge Here!
Waterfowl Hunting in the Heart of Canada
One of the first memories that pops into my mind when it comes to hunting is waterfowl. Thoughts of getting all the decoys together, hooking up the boat and driving to the lake with the dog are memories close to my heart. This kind of hunting is a social event with a friend, sibling or parent. An event where you don’t have to sit still or be silent, which are definitely good attributes for young hunters.
In my home state of Minnesota waterfowl were very prevalent when I was younger. We always seemed to get a limit and have lots of action each hunt. That is not the case anymore. Yes, the waterfowl population fluctuates enough some years to get a few great hunts, but it’s still not like the good ol’ days.
A destination that has always been on my bird-hunting bucket list is Central Manitoba. Seeing pictures of geese and ducks stacked up from that region is enough to get any bird hunter’s heart pumping. That dream came true this past season when my friend Jake Wallace and I made our way to Harvest Lodge, located along the shores of the Waterhen River just south of the small town of Waterhen, Manitoba. Harvest Lodge sits on the border of the Mississippi and Central Flyways which has the most unbelievable waterfowl migrations. Canadian geese, snow geese, puddle ducks, diver ducks, field hunting or hunting over water all in one area; does it get any better? It’s a waterfowl hunter's dream times ten!
If that isn’t enough, during this trip, we put in some time hunting grouse and hooking into some fantastic walleye fishing. Harvest Lodge has about anything you want to hunt, and the fishing is lights out too. The goal of this trip was to do as much as possible in four days.
The First Hunt of the Trip - A Hunt to Remember
On the day we arrived, we stopped in to visit with the lodge owners, Jon and Karissa Warkentin and figured out our game plan for the week. Then we checked into our extremely comfortable cabin, or should I say house? The cabin consists of a full kitchen if you want to bring your own food, a living room, a full bathroom and very comfy bedrooms.
After settling in we headed out that evening to do some field scouting for the first morning hunt. The sheer number of birds we saw in the fields was hard to grasp and pushed our excitement even higher for the morning hunt.
Getting up a few hours before light, grabbing a quick snack and jumping in the truck brought back those youthful memories, as well as my appreciation of setting out decoys. However, setting up layout blinds and a couple hundred decoys in a field situation was new to me but one I enjoyed.
As we lay there waiting in anticipation, the sky started to lighten, and the sounds of the calling geese began. The level of their holler only increased the brighter the sky became. The sky was filled with Canadian and snow geese with intermittent flocks of mallards. There were moments of watching what seemed to be a tornado of birds as they swirled above us looking to set their wings.
Jake and my dream were coming true as we unloaded on flocks and watched them fall, only to reload and get ready for the next huge flock that seemed only minutes between rounds. The sky was black with waterfowl as far as you could see as they came off the lake heading to the field. As the morning went on the early migration to the fields was coming to an end as they settled into other fields. All we could talk about was the mind-blowing experience, which led to the realization of doing it again the next morning.
Incredible Walleye Fishing on the Waterhen River
The last leg of our trip was to experience the incredible walleye fishing on the Waterhen River. When you’re talking about a river that is connected to Lake Manitoba, you just know it’s going to be great. Pitching 1/4-ounce jigs with a paddle tail or minnow-style soft plastic into the slow current are the only techniques we used, and it equated to more walleyes than we could count. The average size and power of these fish were impressive. The fishing on the Waterhen River is worth a trip in itself. Catching hundreds of quality walleyes each day is why many travel to Manitoba.
Unforgettable Hospitality at Harvest Lodge
If all that isn’t enough, the unforgettable hospitality, lodging and meals at Harvest Lodge are 5-star and first class all the way. Jon and Karissa run the lodge and operation as if you were part of their family.
Harvest Lodge truly does offer it all. If you are looking for mind-blowing waterfowl hunting, miles and miles of extremely great grouse hunting opportunities, as well as some of the best walleye fishing Manitoba has to offer; wrap all that with fantastic lodging and meals then Harvest Lodge is the place for you.
Jake and I experienced most of what Harvest Lodge offers, but I definitely need to come back to target their world-class trophy bear and deer hunting. I truly love hunting geese, ducks and grouse and fishing for walleye, so you know I’ll be back. If you are like me, you need to do yourself a favour and give Jon and Karissa a call. It will be a trip of a lifetime and one you will want to repeat year after year!
For more information on Harvest Lodge, please visit www.HuntHarvestLodge.com
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26-392 PTH 276 Waterhen, MB R0L 2C0 (204) 628-3491 Website