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Thread: Realising the hunting season of my dream: sheep, grizzly, elk, moose (heavy pics)

  1. #51
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Cranbrook, BC
    Posts
    1,159

    Re: Realising the hunting season of my dream: sheep, grizzly, elk, moose (heavy pics)

    WOW, thanks for the pics. Great story to go along with it too. Season of dreams for sure!
    You can take the man out of the wilderness but you cant take the wilderness out of the man.

  2. #52
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Victoria,BC
    Posts
    6,398

    Re: Realising the hunting season of my dream: sheep, grizzly, elk, moose (heavy pics)

    What a great season! Thanks for taking the time to post all the Awesome photos.
    kenny
    I love it when the seasons change.
    Fishing to Hunting.

  3. #53
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    I'll just keep being..
    Posts
    3,026

    Re: Realising the hunting season of my dream: sheep, grizzly, elk, moose (heavy pics)

    Yeah good entertainment! Looking forward to October....
    "Our arrows will block out the sun!" "Then we shall fight in the dark!" K.L. Government is not the solution to our problem, it is the problem. R.R. “One of the great mistakes is to judge policies and programs by their intentions rather than their results.” M.F. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClJ...fYFveARiWyqjQA

  4. #54
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Barriere
    Posts
    434

    Re: Realising the hunting season of my dream: sheep, grizzly, elk, moose (heavy pics)

    My feet and legs are hurting just reading your story.

  5. #55
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    Quesnel
    Posts
    708

    Re: Realising the hunting season of my dream: sheep, grizzly, elk, moose (heavy pics)

    Thanks for sharing your detailed hunt. I enjoyed reading it.

  6. #56
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Maple Ridge, B.C.
    Posts
    438

    Re: Realising the hunting season of my dream: sheep, grizzly, elk, moose (heavy pics)

    Thanks for sharing. Great story! Great photos and video!
    MDRGC
    BCWF
    NFA

  7. #57
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Dawson Creek, BC
    Posts
    968

    Re: Realising the hunting season of my dream: sheep, grizzly, elk, moose (heavy pics)

    When I started my research on sheep hunting I read so many awesome stories of late season sheep hunts and how the weather is a major factor. For the last two years I wanted to do such a hunt and this year I booked enough time off for late season sheep hunt in the event I wasn’t successful in August. With a grizzly LEH tag I decided to focus my October hunt for a grizzly bear but I also had a moose, goat and sheep tag in my pocket. To harvest a moose he would seriously have to be a real trophy.

    I had 12 days to do my hunt and since my schedule didn’t work with friend I did a second solo mountain hunt. There are not many things in life that stops me and going solo wasn’t an excuse to stay home. After a tough August hunt with bad weather I was very motivated to head back for the high country.


    October 2

    Excited like a kid on Christmas Eve I loaded the truck and left home mid morning. I was ready to discover some new country, work hard and push my limits again to have a hunting trip of a lifetime and hopefully to be successful this time. I had all the required gear to be comfortable, safe, and warm to face what Mother Nature would throw at me.

    Before I left I had a great discussion with my father.

    Dad: "You’re nuts to go freeze your butt in the mountains and alone for what, a bear or a sheep!!!"
    Me: "Ya Ya you know it’s my thing and I see it as a challenge. By the way don’t tell mom I’m going solo. "
    Dad: "Why?”
    Me: "Are you stupid!! She’ll keep you awake since she won’t fall a sleep and keep you awake at night for 12 days."
    Dad: "Oh never taught of that, I guess will keep that between us for now.”

    Half way between Fort St John and Fort Nelson the mountains to the west were covered with snow and there were a couple inches of snow on the side of the highway. I was very happy to see that but my father kept telling me how crazy I was to go hunt in the mountains at that time of the year.



    Disappointed to finally be in the Rockies just after sunset, there was a fair amount of snow on the ground. I didn’t want to set up camp in the dark so I set up my mountain tent on my quad trailer. It’s a good thing I upgraded my sleeping bag for a winter bag, the night was cold I’d say about -15.


    October 3

    After a cold breakfast I loaded my gear and went out to explore the area.



    I hunted an area I’ve never been into until then and I’m still amazed how beautiful the area is. During my preparation I discussed with many hunters, some from the forum, on how to hunt grizzly bear, general areas to hunt, weather conditions, techniques etc to educate and prepared myself for such a hunt. One hunter said sometimes grizzlies in October like to come on cow moose calls hopping to get the calf. Every one I talked to said if I wanted a grizzly I had to spend time where moose or elk hunting is done every year since they learned to spend their fall in such valleys to find hunter remains. Such strategy would increase my chances at finding a grizzly which is very logic once you think about it.



    Shoot straight or eat track soup.

  8. #58
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Dawson Creek, BC
    Posts
    968

    Re: Realising the hunting season of my dream: sheep, grizzly, elk, moose (heavy pics)



    At the highway some hunters informed me the previous day it was snowing heavily and it was amazing to see the mountains covered of snow. For my first day of hunting I check an area with a few marshes in a small valley. A very nice spot and the scenery was amazing, caribou and moose foot prints were every where in the fresh snow. I scouted the area without seeing any game and nothing answered to my moose calls.




    Shoot straight or eat track soup.

  9. #59
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Dawson Creek, BC
    Posts
    968

    Re: Realising the hunting season of my dream: sheep, grizzly, elk, moose (heavy pics)

    I headed back for the truck in mid afternoon to set up my base camp, a Cabelas Outfitters tent. I had two small camps as neighbours who were moose hunting, they didn’t see any moose that day as well. My hunt is just starting and it’s already hard for everyone, the other parties in the area were not seeing anything or getting answers to their calls since they arrived. It’s not my first hunting rodeo and I told myself don’t get discourage that easily since there’s 10 days left and anything can happen.





    October 4

    I placed my Kuiu pants and other clothes on a chair in front of my heater overnight. While eating my breakfast I went outside to send an OK SPOT message and to my surprise when I got back inside it smelled like something was burning. That’s when I realised I accidentally tipped the chair on my way out on my heater and my clothes was burning. Only my pants burned, I was so mad at myself for destroying my new mountain pants that I used for only 10 days so far.



    I wasn’t a happy guy!!! It’s a good thing I wore some jean while driving up north because I had to continue my hunt in jeans. Yep cotton pants, the worse fabric for such a hunt since it doesn’t stretch, it’s heavy and practically doesn’t dry. I reflected on my situation and realised it wasn’t worse than the pioneers sheep hunts back in the day.

    I went back in the same wallow/valley taking a different path in thick bush. I was walking in the footprints of a cow moose that was followed by a bull moose, sign that the rut was on and I saw a wolf foot print too. My goal for the day was to alternate overlooking the opening in the marshes while moose calling to hopefully bring in a grizzly or a bull. An unproductive day, didn’t heard or see a thing.


    Shoot straight or eat track soup.

  10. #60
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Dawson Creek, BC
    Posts
    968

    Re: Realising the hunting season of my dream: sheep, grizzly, elk, moose (heavy pics)





    October 5

    I spent the day hunting a different area with swamps and marshes, an area I think should be productive hunting moose. For people who don’t know me I’m the type of hunter who reflects where the animals like to hide when they’re not active or the pressure is high and I enjoy finding remote pockets that are dirty and tough to access. It’s a strategy that works for me but it involves a lot of hard work. I try to think like the animal I’m after and how they behave according the various conditions present during the hunt.

    Late morning in a small trail I finally found my first grizzly track in the remaining melting snow.




    I walked here and there while cow moose calling without any answers and didn’t see any moose. I tried to position my self correctly at each location to have a good view and stayed put for good length of time to see if a moose would come in without calling or to intercept a grizzly. An other tough day and the day was hot melting the snow at a fast pace everywhere. Since I wasn’t seeing any game and the other hunters in the area were not having any action too, I decided it was worth to go for a short 4-5 day sheep hunt. The grizzly that made the track could be far away at this point and maybe with luck I would face a grizzly during my sheep hunt hike. Also I had to take advantage of the good weather to go camp on a mountain and the hot days wasn’t prime condition for a grizzly/moose hunt.

    Shoot straight or eat track soup.

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