J.D. Potié
DAVIDSON April 14, 2019
On April 14, around a dozen Pontiac residents gathered at the Magnum Outfitters Lodge in Davidson, to listen to stories about encounters with some of the rarest, most majestic and sometimes dangerous animals in our ecosystem.
Presented by Fort-Coulonge native Joseph Gougeon, the event consisted of a storytelling session where he delved into some of his most memorable first-person experiences with wild animals in the region.
From black bears, to wolves to mountain lions, Gougeon has seen it all. With countless stories about contacts with over 20 different animals, audience members listened attentively and asked questions, which Gougeon was always quick to answer.
One of his stories was about a man from Davidson who essentially domesticated a family of black bears surrounding his property. According to Gougeon, the man fed them, entertained them and hung out with them to the point where he could distinguish them by their different personality traits.
Another featured a time where he stumbled upon a gigantic moose standing at arms-length of him, which could’ve been a potentially life-threatening situation if not handled properly.
“When you get two or three feet from a moose, they know you’re there,” said Gougeon. “And the first thing they do if they feel anything touch them, they kick you. And they’ll kill you pretty quick, they’ll break you in half.”
According to Gougeon, the most memorable wildlife encounters are ones that come with either close proximity to an animal, the rare ones and those with deadly predators like bears and mountain lions.
“Any time you see a pileated woodpecker, an eagle, a hawk or some animals like that it makes your day,” said Mongeon. “It makes you feel blessed when you see that. But sometimes you have encounters that are really special and they’re more memorable.”
Along with the stories, Mongeon gave various pieces of advice to audience members educating them on the right things to do when encountering a wild animal, especially a predator in its natural territory.
With an active hunting culture in the Pontiac and the region’s proximity with the outdoors, the storytelling session was a great way for residents to learn more about something that lives in their backyards.
“The people get to learn about the animals,” he said. “We don’t have any young people here today unfortunately. But, at the venues where they have young kids, they’re just enthralled. Instead of playing on their Xbox or computers they’re learning about real experiences in the bush. We do have a big hunting culture in the Pontiac.”
Whether it was not to interfere with their space, or to look at them with your eyes before motioning with your head, the idea was to show that people can interact with wildlife, when done responsibly.
Last April, Gougeon received a grant from the Canada Council for the Arts offered to certain Metis people, supporting his project to visit sites where his most memorable wildlife experiences and second hand stories happened and assemble a manuscript about it.
A former call center employee, Gougeon feels like he’s finally landed his dream gig – going into the bush and telling stories about his experiences.
“I was always interested in writing a book about my experiences in the bush,” said Gougeon. “I asked them for a leave of absence, which they refused. So, I left.”
Now, instead of spending eight hours per day strapped to a computer desk, Gougeon spends his time walking through the region’s forests creating memories and telling those very tales to the public.
Through his work with his upcoming book, his travels have brought him back to a lot of his most vivid memories about times spent with his uncles either hunting or simply hanging out at the cottage with friends.
“It’s nice to remember these special encounters.,” said Gougeon. “It’s not everyday you see a mountain lion. I’ve known a lot of trappers who can’t say that they’re ever seen a mountain lion or a wolverine. I feel fortunate that I have.”
