Explain, experience, explore – that’s New Outdoors
Megan Postol 03.12.25
It was a mild spring morning in Ontario as I perched on my hunting stool, jumpy with anticipation as the sun gently rose over an overturned pasture. I was there with Rob Argue, hunting guide and owner/operator of Eastern Canadian Outfitters and New Outdoors, and videographer Clede Spooner. The three of us were cozily squished inside a pop-up blind waiting for roosted turkeys to descend and begin their slow waddle in our direction.
It was day three of a quick weekend trip North to Canada for the New Outdoors turkey clinic, an immersive educational experience that combined learning about turkeys and turkey hunting and then applying that new knowledge in the field.
I was joined that weekend by my friend Zsakee Lewis, who was a few years deep into her own journey of learning about the outdoors and hunting. Lewis is based in Staten Island but travels frequently for hunting and fishing.
As a longtime whitetail deer hunter, turkey hunting had never quite been on my radar. I wasn’t around anyone who hunted turkeys much (with the exception of my brother, who hunted lightly for a season or two) and didn’t know the first thing about it. So, when the invitation came to attend the turkey clinic, I jumped at the opportunity.
New Outdoors is the educational, beginner-focused arm of Eastern Canadian Outfitters. The goal is to introduce newcomers to the outdoor lifestyle, with an emphasis on teaching the skills involved in hunting and fishing. Argue, the brain behind New Outdoors, has dedicated his entire life to the outdoors. Even before Eastern Canadian Outfitters officially launched in July 2010, his career was always centered around the outdoors. Argue was a Conservation Officer for 20 years, owned an archery pro shop for 7 years, and was Director of Operations and Outreach for the Quality Deer Management Association of Canada for 3.5 years before shifting into guiding and owning two hunting and fishing lodges for the past 12 years.
Eastern Canadian Outfitters operates from 3 locations: Lac Mer Bleue, Lac Camachigama, and leased properties in Eastern Ontario, providing hunting and fishing adventures for hundreds of clients annually. Over the years, Argue noticed a trend of people who wanted to try hunting or fishing but either didn’t know where to begin or had tried modestly and wanted to upgrade their knowledge and skills. New Outdoors was established to fill that gap. Argue wanted to build on the pillars of Explain, Experience, and Explore to help newcomers to hunting and fishing learn about it and gain skills that they could take with them.
One of the programs of New Outdoors is the Turkey Clinic, which Lewis and I traveled to Canada to participate in. The first day was purely educational. Argue covered all aspects of turkey hunting, including turkey identification, habitat, decoy setup, and more. We tried different types of calls and got to put our hands on different decoys. We scouted areas we would hunt the next day. We set up one of the blinds. We saw turkey tracks and other signs. After a long day of learning, we finished up at one of the local pubs, where, of course, I had to get the poutine. When in Canada, right?
The alarm clock came early the next morning, and Lewis and I rolled out of bed and sleepily pulled on our camouflage. Argue picked us up well before sunrise, and off we went to wait for gobblers. We broke into several groups, with each turkey clinic attendee being paired with a guide, which is how I ended up watching the sunrise from the blind with Argue and Spooner.
The sun rose, and the birds descended from where they had roosted the night before. We called and waited eagerly for them to get closer. But, despite Argue’s best efforts, the only turkey that came our way was one lonely hen.
The morning crept on, the sun lifted higher in the sky, and the temperature rose in unison. We waited. And waited. And waited. It was almost time to pack up for the day. Suddenly, from our left, down over the hill where Lewis was positioned with her hunting guide, shotgun blasts rang out. Smiles spread across our faces as we realized Lewis had probably just harvested her first turkey. Argue texted the guide to confirm, and then we gathered our things to walk back to the truck. We were eager to get to Lewis and see the turkey she had bagged.
Congratulations filled the spring air as Lewis showed us her bird and told the story of her hunt. Many smiles and pictures later, it was time to head back to New York. I crossed the border full of new knowledge and anticipation for the turkey season ahead.
When May came, I implemented all I had learned in the New Outdoors Turkey Clinic and had filled both of my turkey tags within the first week of the season. It was so exciting to bring those gobblers home. And it fulfilled exactly what Argue has set out to do with New Outdoors: to equip people with new hunting and fishing skills, so that they can confidently enjoy the outdoors.
