Outdoors in Muskoka Ontario

Bill Anderson was raised in Huntsville Ontario and grew up hunting and fishing alongside his father, and grandfather. He remembers when Muskoka wasn’t such a glamorous holiday destination, and there were more loggers than cottagers in Gravenhurst. Hiking outdoors with a rifle, crossbow, or rod (and sometimes all three) is an Anderson family tradition that hardens the boys into men by subjecting them early to the awesome power of nature.

Muskoka Outdoors recounts Bill’s experiences with all of the most popular northern Canadian pastimes, and that includes seasonal hunting and fishing, and also hiking, sledding and cross country skiing in the winter. Above and beyond the action components, Bill’s blog gives him an outlet to share personal stories, like the birth of his daughter.  He keeps readers informed with up to date moose tracking reports, recent cougar sightings, wild turkey tag regulations, and blueprints for ice fishing huts.

But Bill Anderson is not as much of a local yokel as I wish he was. He’s not the type to drive into town with fish guts on his pants and a gun rack in his truck, but almost. You’ve seen guys like him filing red gas cans at Petro stations when you pull in for directions. He’s a big fish in a small pond and floats a couple of boats. Do you ever wonder what his life is really like? Is it simply awesome? What’s it like to live out on the lakes all year long? A post like Sweet Spots answers that question, nicely. That entry is also a passionate piece of self reflection on the man behind the blog.

Bill embraces blogging because it gives him the ability to recount his stories. Though he humbly insists he’s not a good writer, his writing is fine, and his photos are great. Put together his photo journalism is winning friends and influencing people as his readership grows. And that’s because he lives the subject, and qualifies as an expert in this popular niche.

Having an aesthetically pleasing website with lots of interesting content is important, but Bill’s advice to new bloggers is to take advantage of technology and join blog indexes and similar social networks, and spend some time everyday reading and leaving smart comments on other people’s blogs.

Muskoka Outdoors is a sexy tackle box stuffed full of sweet bait that’s informative and sometimes provocative. Bill says it’s important to ask questions in your posts, and respond to reader comments. He always replies, even if the comments are bad. “Remember, we live in a country where differences in opinions are valued. Agree to disagree and thank them for their comment.”

Muskoka Outdoors is great reading for everyone – the writing isn’t limited to fishing trips and hunting expeditions but rather its the real accounts of a man who enjoys these sports, and takes pride in his family and being a father. It’s an inside look at life in one of the most beautiful parts of Canada.