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Thread: My Hunting story (my longish story of a short hunting career)

  1. #1
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    My Hunting story (my longish story of a short hunting career)

    10 years ago I moved from Vancouver Island to Prince Rupert. I have fished my whole life and coming to Prince Rupert was a dream for fishing. I met and married my beautiful wife and we have two amazing children.


    I never hunted growing up. I didn’t have anyone in my family who hunted or even talked about it. Growing up in Nanaimo the only hunters I knew of where “rednecks” from either Cedar or Lantzville. Little did I know how wrong I was.


    My father-in-law is an avid hunter. He has hunted his whole life with his father and close friends. I was invited to Topley BC on Thanksgiving in 2014 to see what all the fuss was about. That year I shot a bunch of grouse and a few rabbits and needless to say I was hooked. The next year I booked off 2 weeks of work and went moose hunting with my father-in-law, his hunting partner, and a group of retired men who knew more about the outdoors then I could learn in 30 years. Immediately I could tell hunting was more than the harvesting of animals. There is a certain comradery that you can’t find anywhere else in this world.


    On my first night of hunting in 2015 my father-in-law had a surreal conversation with a bull moose. That moose came into the a meadow with just minutes of legal light left. With rifle in hand I shot that moose and he piled up only 30 feet from where he was shot. I have never felt anything like that in my life. Shock, admiration, grief, and this feeling of pride. I have helped provide for my family and friends.


    Over the next few years I hunted Topley with the same people. Always learning, always trying to extract as much information as I can from anyone who would put up with my constant barrage of questions.


    In 2018 I went with 2 friends from work to Haida Gwaii for some deer hunting. Besides seeing some of the most beautiful land you can imagine we also harvested some deer. It was great practice for scouting, gutting, and then processing.


    Fast forward now to 2019. I was lucky enough to get an LEH draw for Bull Moose in 609. I was so excited to be out there again with my new companions and hunting family. As the summer pressed on our plans started to change. One of the best people I know was diagnosed with cancer and all of a sudden our trip was up in the air. I never considered going moose hunting without my "hunting group". They had every single piece of equipment you could ask for including a Suburban with a flat sled in the back with two winches. That “goat” would show up to the downed moose and as if it were magic it would be inside the goat and heading to camp where it would then be winched up for skinning.


    When we would get back to camp I would do everything I was told. Cut here, skin this, clean that. I had learned so much in the last few years but now the idea of doing all of this alone was very intimidating to me. So intimidating in fact that I cancelled my two weeks off this year. If it wasn’t for my wife being so supportive and pushing my out of my comfort zone I wouldn’t have dreamed of going. She pretty much forced me to call her Cousin who has very limited hunting experience to have someone with me. One phone call and a few shifts booked off we had a plan. I would take my trailer he would take my father-in-laws Polaris Ranger (that he so gratefully loaned to us) and we would hunt for only 5 days. Leave Prince Rupert October 15th and hunt until the 20th Morning and back to work on the 21st. We got to Topley in the evening, unpacked our gear and did a quick drive in the Ranger for some scouting and maybe a grouse or two.


    The next day we got up much earlier than need be and was in position for first light. Unlike in years before I was determined to hunt every single second of legal light. We worked hard that day. We called (or what may have resembled calling) in the morning and pounded the ground during the afternoon in hope of finding a moose on the move. As we headed back that night we had put a good 12 hours of hunting in. I was exhausted. That night I had multiple conversations with my old hunting family who gave encouraging advice for the next day. One person in particular who was bow hunting there a few weeks before told me to go call in a certain meadow off of the lake. "Get in early in the dark and call for half hour before daybreak...Patience is a virtue"

    The following day we were awake at dark drove the back road in the Ranger and headed to a recommended calling spot. My sister-in-law harvested a moose in that same area just 1 year before. We got out of the Ranger and started calling. Nothing. Calling some more. Still nothing. After about 45 minutes of calling we decided that we would get back in the ranger and move towards a newly cut slash only a few hundred meters away.


    I take a right into the slash and start heading up a small incline. My plan was to get to the top of the hill and glass for the next 30 minutes for any sign of life.
    We just pull up to the top of the hill and on my left 50 yards out was a moose standing there (heading to where I was calling. Or at least that’s the story I am sticking with) Moose! I tell my cousin. I think it’s a cow. We pull 10 more feet forward and stop to get a look. BULL he almost shouts. Engine off. I calmly look at my cousin and say okay “Lets get ready because as soon as I open this door he’s going to be on the move." I bust out of the side by side and rifle up in what feels like a millisecond.


    He’s on the move but doesn’t seem to be in any rush. I did what I am sure many hunters have done in the past. I panicked… I shot a beautiful warning shot over his shoulders that must of stunned him. He stopped for only a second and looked at me. I am sure he was mocking me for those few moments. Chamber another round and BANG. I seen his body lurch, shoulders go up and now he’s really on the move. I track him with my rifle waiting for him to come to a stop. About 100 yards away he stops. I ready myself for a final shot but he falls down. I look to my cousin and we give each other a hug. I think we did it!


    We plan to give the moose at least 15 minutes before we head towards it. I pull out my phone and stare at it blankly. I want to share this moment with everyone who has gotten me here today. The first call was to my wife. She got me here, she got me started. “We got one one. We got a moose” …”F*** off you did” she says. I tell her I need to go and the next call goes to my Grand-father-in-law, then father-in-law, and then every single person who has helped me to this point. All the conversations were the same. 30 seconds of conversation with praise and then a hint of laughter. “Now the work begins”


    We walk up to the moose and I see some red bubbles coming out of his side. Lung shot. I look at this animal and have a gratification that only a few of us could understand.
    That’s when it hit me like a pile of bricks. No one is here to point what to cut, what not to cut and most importantly no goat to magically bring this animal back to camp in one piece. I take my hunting experience and get to work. I had all the tools In my arsenal, I knew what I needed to do and now it was just a matter of execution. Needless to say two hours later we had two halves of the moose inside the side by side and heading back to camp.


    Over the next few hours we had it hung, skinned, cleaned of all hair and ready for inspection. There was two other guys who had an LEH in 608 that where at the camp with us and they were instrumental in the final stages of cleaning.

    Later that afternoon my Grandfather-in-law and his hunting partner of 50 years show up. Its inspection time. First we have a drink of Yukon Jack as is tradition with these men. Then one glance over to the hanging meat and I was immediately told that this was the first moose he has seen hanging with his "socks" still on. Okay I feel much better now, it wouldn’t be right if I didn’t learn something new. Take the 4 quarters down socks off and back up they go (also a little higher than before)

    As dusk fell and libations started flowing it hit me. I am a hunter. I called that moose. I shot that moose and I harvested that moose without any of my mentors. I was no longer a spectator in the hunting community, in fact the complete opposite. I took someone who was just as excited as hunting as I was in 2014 and shared my knowledge. Except it isn’t just my knowledge, It is information passed down from generation to generation. It is that knowledge that keeps our community alive. It is the willingness of a 70 year old man to show a 20 something year old man all that he knows in hopes of preserving our tradition. The same tradition that has helped nourish our species since the day of our time.


    My wife sent me a video the next day of my 6 year old with his Christmas wish list. “I want a rifle, not a big rifle but a little rifle that isn’t too loud. I want it to shoot real bullets.” There is no moose, no harvest that could make me more proud.

    I want to thank my wife again, and encourage all of you, especially people my age with young kids and a family to thank their wife. I know I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her.

    Thanks everyone
    Last edited by madshawn; 10-24-2019 at 07:33 AM.

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  3. #2
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    Re: My Hunting story (my longish story of a short hunting career)







    upload pictures to get link









    free photo upload

    SOCKS ON!



    First Moose in 2015

  4. #3
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    Re: My Hunting story (my longish story of a short hunting career)

    Quote Originally Posted by madshawn View Post

    Seeing how clean these quarters are brings warmth and happiness to my heart

  5. #4
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    Re: My Hunting story (my longish story of a short hunting career)

    wow...thanks for that share!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    and as far as sock go, I see many experienced hunters that forget to skin around the ankles and cut the feet off first...love all that hair and bone chips in their meat I guess.....you are now officially way ahead of the game...(pun intended)
    Last edited by wideopenthrottle; 10-23-2019 at 01:47 PM.

  6. #5
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    Re: My Hunting story (my longish story of a short hunting career)

    Congratulations on the bull! Awesome feeling when you make the calls and it pays off

  7. #6
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    Williams Lake, BC Canada
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    Re: My Hunting story (my longish story of a short hunting career)

    Hmmmmmm congradulations..you my friend are a moose hunter..and you can kill.you have learned the lessons , implemented the advice of friends and familly, and you had the courage to actually go...and try..
    Thank you for sharing.
    Srupp

  8. #7
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    Re: My Hunting story (my longish story of a short hunting career)

    Thank You for all the kind words.
    Last edited by madshawn; 10-23-2019 at 05:21 PM.

  9. #8
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    Re: My Hunting story (my longish story of a short hunting career)

    Very good looking quarters and an excellent young bull for the freezer. well done! I didn't get out for moose this year but with the stories Ive been reading lately I am already planning for next year.

  10. #9
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    Re: My Hunting story (my longish story of a short hunting career)

    Well done, great write up, congrats.

  11. #10
    Join Date
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    Re: My Hunting story (my longish story of a short hunting career)

    Quote Originally Posted by madshawn View Post
    Thank You for all the kind words. I should mention I did make one mistake looking back. I should not have chambered a round inside the side by side before opening the door. At the time I didn't even think of the legalities of it. I just chambered and opened the door in what felt like 1 quick motion.

    Thanks again

    nice job weaving the past, present and future into your hunting experience, well done

    chris

    ps. good on you for mentioning it......and call it a hunch - everyone here cringed when you 'jacked a shell' in your vehicle...........
    Last edited by whognu; 10-23-2019 at 03:23 PM.

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