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Thread: 2021 A Story of elk, moose and deer.

  1. #11
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    Re: 2021 A Story of elk, moose and deer.

    I have to apologize, I am having some problems with the new iPhone updates and the screen responding. A piece of the story did not paste while i was pasting the images. I have corrected it so for those that have already read it give it another read and it will make better sense. Thanks
    If the world is warming why are there so many new snowflakes?

    If we are all equal why do you demand special treatment?

    You can not comply your way out of tyranny.

    Fire them ALL!

  2. #12
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    Re: 2021 A Story of elk, moose and deer.

    Great story and pictures, congrats and thanks for sharing

  3. #13
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    Re: 2021 A Story of elk, moose and deer.

    Onto the moose extravaganza


    After another 12 days of work oct 2 was finally here. We had 3 antlered moose permits in a decent zone, we had the area fairly dialled in having enjoyed 6-7 yrs of success there. The moose came there to rut from far and wide. We had taken 9 bulls from the “bull hole” during the first week of October. I had a hunch the moose were in trouble. After finally sleeping in for the first time in months it was time to pack everything in trucks and trailers, and atvs and atv trailers we hit the road. We stopped along the way to put out some good karma by helping folks that had lost there trailer off the ball and bent the jack and were unsure how to go from there. Always put out the good karma.


    We arrived and loaded everything on atvs and trailers for a week in a non industry highway vehicle restricted area. We were loaded heavy like a bus in Middle East. We had to search for a new spot to camp as the previous years spot allowed to much wind to hammer on us while we tried to sleep. 3 days of no sleep while wall tent roofs are billowing, stove pipes are pulling out of stoves,and pegs are ripping out wears you a bit thin. We had just enough time to set up before dark and settle in. We all slept like dead fall. The new spot was so nice and sheltered we didn’t know when we woke up how windy it already was everywhere else. We split up to glass the main valleys and call down into the bull hole. Good luck hearing the response on a day like today. We through once or twice above the wind we could hear antlers crashing but it could have been trees blowing over too. We split up so I could go with my son on the leeward side of the valley and try calling there and check the sole camera I have in the area. It was a bit quiet. No moose on this cam, just elk and deer. Hmmm? Maybe our success had taken its toll on the bull moose population?


    1 cow moose is spotted this on this day by the evening. Hmm?


    The morning of day two found us back on a vantage point over looking the large valleys. There was very little wind. It will be a good day to call. As it starts to get light out I let a loud cow moose call rip. I here grunting. Oh ya. We finally spot the bull and he is one of the most impressive moose I have ever seen. He’s a Jim Shockey moose. 55-60 inches, filled in fronts and the paddles tip outwards to lend him the impressive width. He is about 1.2 ks away. He heads are way smashing trees and grunting. Then all hell brakes loose. We more grunting and antlers smashing together over and over and over. There was now at least 3-4 bull moose grunting down there and the big bull was headed the way of all the real moose, in between our calls. He was getting pulled in two different directions. Too many moose, could there be such a thing. The bull is walking back and forth down there and he is hung up at 800-900m.
    The bush is still alive with grunting and fighting. Brother in law Ryan want to sneak down in there and kill one of the bulls fighting. We stay up on top and keep eyes on the big bull and continue to call. Maybe he hill still commit to coming in. He is too impressive to takes our eyes off him. As we are watching and listening a mid 40s bull appears at 600m,and another one about the size or a tad smaller at about 400. With the VX5 CDS 3-15 those shots are double with our gear, but we are both still hopping the monster comes in so Brandon holds fire. We here a shot from the valley bellow and then another one but neither of the 3 bulls fall. There must be more moose down there. We give it about 1/2 hr and Ryan comes back with a grin, big bull down, and in an easy spot to access. He was with a cow and 2 other young bulls. So that’s at least 6 bull moose spotted in 1 morning. Nice. We process the bull with the gutless method. He is full of holes and bruises from fighting and a few tines are broken. He is about 47 wide and has beautiful fronts. An impressive animal. It still early in the day so I elect to haul him out to the enclosed trailer 30kms away rather than make a new game pole. We see a few deer and elk on the way out.



    Last edited by Husky7mm; 12-22-2021 at 03:00 PM.
    If the world is warming why are there so many new snowflakes?

    If we are all equal why do you demand special treatment?

    You can not comply your way out of tyranny.

    Fire them ALL!

  4. #14
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    Re: 2021 A Story of elk, moose and deer.

    Day three I could only hunt with Brandon till mid day as he had to pull out for a day to attend school and play a critical football game. The school rule is if you don’t attend school the day of the game you don’t play. It was starting to snow and there was a lot of logging trucks out on the resource roads and there service is poor. It’s was with mixed feelings that I saw him off. But he was able to get a call out when he got to the trucks and another when he got home. That afternoon I spotted a very impressive bull elk but he was at least 2ks away and it was 1/2 hr till dark. I spotted a nob way off in the distance figured if I got there I could shoot from there. When I arrived from my almost run the hill was still to far from the elk to make the shot and the bull was no longer in view. Oh well, tomorrow’s another day.




    Day 4 We awaken to a foot of snow. We were looking for elk until Brandon was back and then we would help him with his moose again. We could not find that big bull elk back but we did find some cows. I was glad to see the elk population was rising. I am so tired from the pace I feel like I may fall a sleep without warning. We all have a snooze. Everyone is tired. We awake in time for an afternoon hunt.


    Late afternoon Steve and Cam spot a 30 inch bull way across the valley bedded with a cow. Cam is off on the 2.5 k stalk. About 45 mins later we see the bull jump up, we here a shot and the bull runs into some bush with the cow and does not come out with her. We make the huge detour around to the other side of valley with atvs and trailer to tag team this thing, we gotta hurry cause I am meeting Brandon at 11 pm to ride. Back in with him.
    We make quick work of the bull. I am happy the 1/4s are about 20% lighter because he is only likely a 2.5 yr old. I lots my favourite knife in the snow but I found it back with my Finger FFS. Should have went for stitches.
    I had just dumped the last 1/4 into the enclosed trailer when Brandon showed up, I was sure happy to see him safe as the loggers where going 24 -7 on the resource roads. It was still snowing and the roads we’re sloppy. Don’t tell mom, ok.
    Back at 1 am and everyone is sleeping. Good idea.


    Day 5 dawns bright and clear, only Brandon and I are up for hunting. We head up to a vantage point and are welcomed by terrible winds. We spot a bull 2 ks off in the bull hole. He is eating. He won’t hear the calls in this wind. We begin the huge stalk. It’s a long shot and a trudge, as we loose sight of him. I am unfamiliar with the block he is in. We keep heading for land mark but when we arrive it looks a lot different. Maybe he is in the next valley over and the lay of the land is playing tricks on me. We’re all the way over here already. We trudge but shortly after we come across fresh tracks. We follow. It takes us into a stand of black spruce with a natural lick in it. I was so enthralled with the find I completely missed the huge bull moose that rose up out of the ground and started running away. “BULL” whispered Brandon. I stopped him with a cow call and plugged my good ear. He shouldn’t have stop, and it cost him his life.


    This was one of the bulls that spotted on day 2 that was fighting. He was full of holes and bruises. He must have been laying low to heal up. His meat was excellent though.


    We now have a 4 k walk back to camp to get the atvs. That bull was over a 6k ordeal. I was tired but happy. He died in a newer cut block so with minimal cutting we can get right two him. It still only early afternoon so I hauled him out to the enclosed trailer while everyone else broke camp down. We were headed for home. We want to get everything cleaned up and and go elk hunting in my elk spot.
    The snow melted and turned the roads into gumbo nightmare. 30ks of the atvs pinned to the max to get up and down those muddy hills with overloaded trailers. Over heating, rain gear mudmare. FFS… Just about took the fun out of it. Lucky I am stubborn and have a short memory.




    Last edited by Husky7mm; 12-22-2021 at 03:43 PM.
    If the world is warming why are there so many new snowflakes?

    If we are all equal why do you demand special treatment?

    You can not comply your way out of tyranny.

    Fire them ALL!

  5. #15
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    Re: 2021 A Story of elk, moose and deer.




    More stories to follow.
    If the world is warming why are there so many new snowflakes?

    If we are all equal why do you demand special treatment?

    You can not comply your way out of tyranny.

    Fire them ALL!

  6. #16
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    Nov 2009
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    Re: 2021 A Story of elk, moose and deer.

    Great read and congradulations on the beautiful animals!

  7. #17
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    Jun 2018
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    Re: 2021 A Story of elk, moose and deer.

    Amazing!! Great story and awesome bulls!!

  8. #18
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    Re: 2021 A Story of elk, moose and deer.

    The rest of the season




    We spent the next day , cleaning, power washing gear and atvs. 35 gallons of mud was removed from my driveway. Mudappoluza. Time was also spend cleaning 1/4s, dropping meat at the butcher and boiling skulls. So thankful to have had a day off for this. It was a mountain of work.
    The next day we went elk hunting. There was still a bull calling ( the growler) but he would not come in to my call and Brandon was back in school, who knows if he could have convinced him otherwise. We headed towards the bull to try for an interception. Calling as we went with cow and calf sounds periodically. I looked back down the seismic line we had just traveled down and saw a brown object about 300m away. Close inspection revealed its was a cougar. It looked nervous and may have seen us move. I got prone and let one rip just as it was about to turn. The cat was facing us and it made a small target at 300m. It did about an 8 ft back flip in the air and was gone. Yes, Good chance of a hit! As cougars had killed almost all the big bucks in the area, shooting one needs no question.
    I found blood within meters of where the cat flipped, but it didn’t seem get better the further we went. And definitely no lung blood. It was walking logs so it appears to have 4 good legs too. Dam it. About 250 m in the blood is still pretty good so not all hope is lost. We stop for a piss and some water and the thing blasts out from under the bows of a spruce tree away from us but I can’t get the rifle on it do to thick under brush. Mostly I just see tail above the brush. There is no more blood after this. Dam it. We do a bunch of loops and grids, nada. It would have been very satisfying to have taken a cougar this year but it wasn’t in the cards. We hiked into a few elk bedding areas the rest of the day but did not locate the elk. It was time for Ryan to go back to BC and me to go back to the grind. It would be almost a month before getting out again as I got shipped off to a camp job on the cold Lake air Weapons Range.


    That is a cool place. I saw herds of caribou, moose, packs of wolves and huge whitetail regularly. There is no hunting on the base. Not even with a draw. Man I wish there was.


    More to come.

    Last edited by Husky7mm; 12-24-2021 at 03:39 PM.
    If the world is warming why are there so many new snowflakes?

    If we are all equal why do you demand special treatment?

    You can not comply your way out of tyranny.

    Fire them ALL!

  9. #19
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    Re: 2021 A Story of elk, moose and deer.

    Some really nice looking animals. Beauty elk.
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  10. #20
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    Re: 2021 A Story of elk, moose and deer.

    Missed this one last year. Well done. Those are some great animals.

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