Count every item
Confirm rods, coolers, personal bags, food, motors and shared equipment before the aircraft departs.
The field guide
LIVE WELL
AT CAMP.
A careful first hour, a clean camp and a deliberate hunt make the week safer and better.
Your first hour
LAND.
SEPARATE.
CONFIRM.
A departing party may be boarding the aircraft that brought you in. Keep incoming and outgoing gear in separate piles, identify your bags before the plane leaves and locate the camp Garmin inReach immediately.
Clearly mark every item with coloured tape and your party name. Remove exposed fishing hooks before aircraft loading so pilots and ground crew are not injured. If low water requires hip or chest waders for your location, Wesley's will tell your group before departure.
Locate communication
Find the inReach, verify charge and review check-ins, non-urgent messaging and SOS use.
Learn the systems
Review fuel, boats, motors, generator, water, stove, chainsaw and camp-specific instructions.
Set up clean
Secure food and trash immediately. Do not leave fish remains or food waste near camp.
Fuel discipline
LABEL FIRST.
VERIFY TWICE.
Wesley's supplies straight gasoline. Generators use straight gas. Chainsaws use mixed gas. A personal two-stroke outboard requires oil mixed at the engine manufacturer's specified ratio; for the common camp setup, use 50:1 only when that is the motor's required ratio.
Supplied fuel
Keep straight gas clearly labelled and separate from mixed fuel. Never add two-stroke oil directly to a container unless the entire container is being dedicated and labelled for that mixture.
Do not guess
Two-stroke oil may tint the fuel and can leave an oily residue after a small sample evaporates, but colour, smell and residue are not definitive tests. Labels and known handling history are the reliable identifiers.
Isolate it
Do not put uncertain fuel into an engine. Set it aside, mark it “unknown,” contact Wesley's on the inReach and use a clearly identified container instead.
On the water
BALANCE
THE BOAT.
Two hunters per boat is ideal—one forward and one aft. Three may be possible only when the boat's capacity, the load and conditions allow it. Every person must wear the properly fitted life jacket they brought.
- Many camp boats are 14-foot Lunds. A 9.9 hp outboard is the practical fit.
- Heavier motors—especially a 15 hp four-stroke—can make the stern difficult to balance. Place the fuel tank forward as directed.
- Someone in the group should understand basic small-engine troubleshooting. Booked hunters receive motor and generator instructions in the hunting pocketbook.
- Follow the capacity plate, motor rating, load limit, weather conditions and all current boating and hunting laws.
Camp systems
KEEP IT
RUNNING.
Remote equipment is dependable only when everyone treats it deliberately. Slow down around engines, axes, chainsaws, stoves, docks and water.
Food & wildlife
Store food and trash securely. Clean fish away from sleeping areas and dispose of remains as directed—never beside camp. The only serious bear problem Wesley's has experienced followed fish remains left in the tent area.
Cabin power & water
Run the generator morning and evening to maintain the refrigerator and freezer. While it runs, charge the water-pump batteries. Cloudy fall weather, freezing temperatures and damaged shoreline lines can interrupt running water.
Composting toilet
Use only the provided toilet paper and bulking material exactly as the camp instructions direct. Keep excess liquid, wipes, sanitary products, trash and chemicals out. Close the lid, keep the vent unobstructed and report problems—do not improvise repairs.
Remote-bush rule
SLOW IS SMOOTH.
Chainsaw injuries, burns, cuts and falls are more serious when the nearest road and hospital are a flight away. Wear proper protective equipment, work with a partner, maintain stable footing and stop when tired, rushed or unsure.
Never leave a fire, stove or anything cooking unattended. Check Ontario's current forest-fire and Restricted Fire Zone information before lighting an outdoor fire.
Watch fires and smoke before travelling
Wesley’s monitors summer fire activity while preparing camps. Fall travel still depends on actual conditions: the month alone is not a guarantee of clear skies or safe access.
NASA FIRMS satellite fire map helps you view detected hotspots. It is not permission to light a fire, an evacuation map or a substitute for local instructions. Use Ontario’s current fire information for restrictions, and confirm conditions with Wesley’s and Pickle Lake Airways before departure.
Hunt deliberately
FRESH SIGN.
RIGHT WIND.
SLOW WORK.
Hunt early and again through the late afternoon. Look for firm ridges, fresh sign and shorelines where moose drink. Keep moving until the sign is current, then call with the wind in mind. Moose hear and smell exceptionally well.
- Go out in pairs and carry radios or satellite communication.
- Keep chips, clattering paddles and strong cooking smells away from hunting clothing and quiet setups.
- A steady generator or outboard sound does not normally end a hunt; abrupt RPM changes and careless human noise are more likely to alarm wildlife.
- Fishing for walleye and northern pike can be excellent. Carry the correct licence and follow the current zone rules.
- A wolf/coyote or small-game licence is optional; it does not replace the need to follow all seasons, firearm and harvest rules.
Essential legal checklist
KNOW BEFORE
YOU LOAD.
This is a reminder—not the law itself. Every hunter is responsible for the current Ontario Hunting Regulations Summary and all firearms, boating and tag requirements.
Hunter orange
Wear the required solid hunter-orange garment and head covering during the applicable gun season. Confirm current specifications in the regulations.
Load legally
Know when a firearm is legally loaded, how it must be transported and stored, and the restrictions on discharging from watercraft. Do not rely on camp conversation for the rule.
Carry them
Carry the licence summary and the tag or registered-guest documentation that applies. Conservation officers can and do check remote camps.
ONE BUTTON
FOR LIFE SAFETY.
For a life-threatening emergency, activate the Garmin inReach SOS and follow the response team's instructions. Then contact Wesley's through the provided emergency number or inReach when possible. For a non-life-threatening problem, message Wesley's first so a safe aircraft and care plan can be coordinated.
Guests are responsible for medical evacuation and other extra flight costs. Travel insurance that includes emergency medical evacuation is strongly recommended. There is no cellular service at camp; satellite text, the inReach or a guest-supplied Starlink Mini are the realistic options.
When a moose is down
PLAN THE
RECOVERY
BEFORE THE SHOT.
The ideal harvest is at the shoreline, where the moose can be field dressed, quartered and loaded into a boat. Do not take a shot in terrain your group cannot safely recover from—especially late in the hunt.
- Field dress promptly; quarter or debone only as legally permitted.
- Keep meat clean, remove the hide as appropriate, use clean game bags and maximize airflow.
- Hang quarters in shade where wind can circulate. Use a tarp above for weather or sun protection without wrapping the meat and trapping heat.
- Message Wesley's when a moose is down. If temperatures are unseasonably warm, coordinate an early flight and refrigerated storage; additional aircraft or storage costs may apply.
Before pickup
LEAVE A
FRESH START.
Weather and aircraft timing can be uncertain, but camp cleanup cannot wait. Finish early, stage the load and be ready when the aircraft arrives.
Clean completely
Wash and put away camp gear, remove food and fish remains, and carry every piece of trash out on the plane.
Secure and drain
Pull boats up, tie them securely to a tree or approved anchor and remove the plugs so rainwater drains.
Charge and place
Charge the inReach and leave it in its designated, easy-to-find location for the arriving party.
Leave two to three days of margin after the trip, carry extra food for weather delays and choose flexible commercial flights. Remote floatplanes cannot fly safely in every condition.