Since January 25, Sépaq Anticosti has had a new director. This is Éric Harnois, already well known in the game reserve world. With his experience, skills and ability to quickly decipher the needs of hunting enthusiasts there is no doubt that he will be a great asset to the organization.
He held the position of director of the Mastigouche Game Reserve for 12 years. He knew how to develop this area in such a way that it received a very high level of visitors compared to the other reserves in the network.
“It’s a big challenge for me after my time at Mastigouche and as I progress professionally, it’s a bit like the peak of my career,” explains the director in this first interview with the journal since his tenure.
“What interests me is to develop even further this unique area that defines Sépaq Anticosti and to continue the excellent work of my predecessors. Of course, I also include the development of the Parc national d’Anticosti in my approach.”
Last February he discovered the island of Anticosti for the first time.
“Honestly, I’ve discovered a more beautiful setting, far beyond what I expected. You really have to see it to believe it. You often see pictures, but that’s nothing compared to seeing the whole thing in real life. It’s a huge area to explore.”
Mild winter, early spring
For all hunting enthusiasts, the question always remains the same: how are the deer doing after the winter?
“I could see the vastness of the area as we walked to the Bell River pavilion. We drove 600 kilometers and only saw part of it.
“During our trip we saw several hundred deer that were very active and we thought they were in excellent health. They had no trouble getting around. They jumped happily.
“The winter wasn’t harsh, even the islanders tell us that the winter wasn’t harsh. Snowfall levels were less than usual.
“Besides, spring was pretty early. We were told that it was exceptional to cover such a distance in early May. Usually you have to wait until the end of May. In the eastern part of the island there was no snow at all.
Although this is his first experience in this field, Éric Harnois can count on the experience of the members of his team.
“I don’t know the deer behavior as well as the people who live on the island,” he said. Several said they were surprised that the males’ antlers had already started to grow. This is another encouraging sign for hunters.”
Looking at the photos he sent us, we could see that spring was approaching and the image of the Vauréal falls was as puffy as ever.
Improve accessibility
“Personally, I have a long-term vision to make this environment even more accessible,” says the director. For this reason we have increased the number of holiday cabins. Also, in certain pavilions, such as Rivière Chaloupe, we will install solar or other systems to reduce our environmental footprint by reducing the turnover of the generators.
The director invites people who would like to travel to the island to inquire at Sépaq Anticosti about the remaining opportunities for hunting and vacations, whether within the European or American plan. For more information: sepaq.com/sepaq-anticosti.
New salmon offer
From this morning at 9am you can try your luck and book a salmon fishing trip at two new facilities in the Sépaq network. These are the Rivière-Madeleine river in the Chic-Chocs wildlife reserve in Gaspésie and the Chaloupe river in Anticosti. In the Madeleine River it is possible to book day fishing. For more information on availability and pricing, please contact Sépaq specialists at 1-800-665-6527.