Going to Points North Saskatchewan

Im leaving for there tomorrow....Are there alot of bugs there? I can handle them but what should i expect this time of the year? It sounds swampy

If memory serves me correct, not quite yet, but they're getting ready to hatch. Then you'll want to live a tupperware bowl, with a sure seal lid.

Bring longs sleeves, long pants, a bug hat and duct tape.

Sounds just like Kapuskasing....

Been there too, and yes it does...

Have they hatched yet? Let me know when the family pet has to be leashed, not because you fear it running away, but because you fear the bugs carrying it away...

Yes, we have bugs up here. Bring some bug repellent. I am sure you must have some laying around your home. Just tuck into your suitcase. Honestly, I am always amazed at some of the questions asked by Canadians who are moving "out west". Do we give the impression that we live like heathens, wallow in swamps, live in bogs, or crime infested cities. That we pack guns, live in shacks, and eat hog fat three times a day? Have I left anything out?

Dog sleds, igloos, moose soup, beaver tail stew, Mounties roaming the streets on horseback...

I'm sure I missed some too...

Two words. Black flies. No repellent works. You are a blood donor. Don't worry about the mosquitoes til it warms up. Your blood should be regenerated by then as the black flies don't like the heat.

Jeez! You're from Sudz, man! Hell's got nothing on a blueberry blackfly....

Ya, blueberries. Wouldn't have them without black flies.

Johnny, you are going to earn your blueberries this year.

It's too early in the year for bugs to be a concern, but if you can handle the summer bugs around Sudbury there's nothing in northern Saskatchewan that'll surprise you. I've been fishing up there in early June many times and had no issues with insects. There's probably still ice and snow around too, depending on how far north you go. I've seen bits of lingering snow in shadowed areas on some of those trips.

Oh, dude, sorry, I didn't know you were from Sudbury. Guess now that I think about it I may have seen it in some thread or something. Ya, so, bugs up there, should be what you're used to, just maybe a bit bigger.

'cept up there, the horseflies let go when you smack them....

Yea the bugs are bad here, i was thinking more along the lines of some crazy bear attack lol.

Thanks for all the replies everyone

No need to worry. A polar bear can eat you all....


...Try not to look like a seal.

Points North, Saskatchewan is up in the Canadian Shield, so the scenery and wildlife
will be very familiar to someone from Sudbury that's been up around Thunder Bay,
minus the roads and most things associated with modern civilization.

Take pills for Diarrhea 'till you get use to the water. Even a cup of coffee made with the
local water can get you until the zoo in your belly gets use to things up there. Closest
cities (what we call cities) are Flin Flon or Prince Albert.

Lots of wild rice to foul up outboard motors, but good eats if you get in with the right
crowd of locals. I worked through the North of Saskatchewan for many years, and the
"barter system" is in full effect due to the distance from anywhere to buy stuff beyond
the "Northern Stores."

If you're heading into a city, spread the word, and you'll get requests to bring back the
stuff that is either unavailable in the Northern Stores, or just too cost prohibitive to
buy like Watermelons, Bananas, a Shower Curtain, hauling in (or back) outboard
motors for service....& so on & so forth. Doing this comes back to you in spades.

Edit to add:

This is sound advice too. Animals are there to be eaten, not petted.

Last edited by Ron in Regina; Apr 13th, 2010 at 07:10 PM..Reason: Added the last sentance & picture.

no bugs apparently ill be right up there (wolastan lake area)close to the NWT border, gonna get me some bear footage

freggin flatter in saskatoon than manitoba here

Nice province so far.... I didnt see no dog running into the horizon from last week yet, but the care driving down the road as i landed can still be seen

Deefinbaker airport has that professional feel about it

although the french fries i bought with my chicken burger arent that great : /

K my flight to Points north might be cancelled, soooooo

Saskatoon, country bars... tell me where there at? I wanna do the honky tonk stomp tonight...

Guess you haven't been to Regina, it's even flatter there.

But the North is really nice, (I think), I probably know each tree by name, at least in the Western part. Jack and pickerel fishing should be good, probably grayling too. Blackflies can be quite localized, all the years I spent up there there were places with none, and places like Stony Rapids that would be overrun with the damn things, they seem to like areas with running water. Horseflies get quite big, I actually saw one a second before I hit it in the Single Otter, and over the engine noise I even heard it go "smack". They, unlike mosquitoes, like it when its hot, but like mosquitoes, they're everywhere They also bite hard, I had one bite me in the back through a wool sweater and t-shirt.

I dunno 'bout you, but I always travelled armed, either with my .45 or 30.06, or both, but I had the constant risk of possibly being stuck in the bush somewhere for a long period of time, can't be too careful around bears. Of course a .45 would only scare one off, but its better than nothing.

BTW, the photo in my avitar was taken at Kasba Lake, on the corners of the Territories, Manitoba and Sask, we had just come from Points North, and were returning there for fuel, then back to Minneapolis.

Saskatchewan and Manitoba are probably the best provinces in the country for geographic diversity if you like fishing, hunting, canoeing, exploring and such without having to spend a pile of money, (Ontario and Quebec would be just as good except for their governments). I love the North, and trappers, commercial fishermen, mining companies and tourists paid my wages, I would do it all over again in a heartbeat if my wife, and body, would let me.