haber
10-11-2013, 09:41 AM
Hey guys, haven't posted on here in ages and figured I would update how the season is going. My family has hunted the cache creek area in 3-17 for 30+ years and over the past 6-7 years we have started to bump into moose once or twice during our week long trip. I've had a few cow or bull draws up there but have always ran into the cow with my bull tag or a bull with my cow tag.
So our group of 4 set out on the 3rd for our week long trip to fill the freezers during open buck season. We aren't trophy hunters so a spiker or 2 point is just fine with us. My buddy tagged out with a nice small 3 point 45 minutes in on the first morning. I got a little 2 point on the second day and my dad got his spike on the third day. The fourth guy in our group wanted a big buck but missed a couple opportunities and settled for a big 2 point on the fourth day.
since I had gotten my buck my buddy and I scoured the mountain for the moose. There aren't many there and it is pure luck to bump into them. I drew a bull tag and was quite eager to fill it this year up there. We hunted hard for a couple days and came across a lot of sign but no moose. At lunch on the fourth day my dad was with his buddy trying to help him get his buck. They were riding a quad trail right by our camp and came across 2 cows. They watched them for 5 minutes and they finally took off. Once they took off a bull ripped across the quad trail right behind them! I had hope and me and my buddy went to where they were spotted followed some tracks and came across some fresh scat. We hiked in and found a nice meadow and called and waited for that afternoon....nothing.
the next day my buddy got called into work and our trailer was out of water. End of the trip. Down the mountain we went I felt dejected and couldn't believe I had missed my opportunity again.
the next day I got a call from a friend who said he was heading up there for his buck. I still had a couple days off work and was pumped to get up there. We hunted that day for his buck and saw next to nothing other than a few does. On the way back to camp I spotted a big black body in the bush....heart pounding slammed on the brakes and couldn't believe what I saw. A nice small paddle bull and he took off into the thick. I got out loaded and crept to where he went in. I peeked around the corner of some trees and there he was standing and facing me. I didn't want to lose another shot and aimed for his neck and dropped him in his tracks! I finally had my region 3 moose!
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y408/haber300/image_zpsf7ca95ef.jpg (http://s1273.photobucket.com/user/haber300/media/image_zpsf7ca95ef.jpg.html)
It was getting dark and we had a lot of work so we headed to camp and decided to the work first thing the next morning. We got him gutted and halved and were starting to quarter him. This is where I got a nice refresher on what my dad has preached since I started hunting 12 years ago. ALWAYS cut with your blade away from you. I was skinning the front half down the spine so we could quarter it with the chainsaw. I was crouching and about half way through skinning my knife slipped and stabbed right into my leg above my knee. Blood started pouring out instantly and I thought I had clipped a vein or artery. I went to the truck and put pressure on it and wrapped it up. Thank god it was just a deep wound and the bleeding eventually stopped. We got the moose loaded up and headed to Ashcroft hospital for some stitching.
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y408/haber300/image_zpsd3b06cdd.jpg (http://s1273.photobucket.com/user/haber300/media/image_zpsd3b06cdd.jpg.html)
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y408/haber300/image_zpsf2b26a89.jpg (http://s1273.photobucket.com/user/haber300/media/image_zpsf2b26a89.jpg.html)
All in all was an amazing trip with a valuable lesson learned the hard way.
good luck to all and have a safe hunting season!
So our group of 4 set out on the 3rd for our week long trip to fill the freezers during open buck season. We aren't trophy hunters so a spiker or 2 point is just fine with us. My buddy tagged out with a nice small 3 point 45 minutes in on the first morning. I got a little 2 point on the second day and my dad got his spike on the third day. The fourth guy in our group wanted a big buck but missed a couple opportunities and settled for a big 2 point on the fourth day.
since I had gotten my buck my buddy and I scoured the mountain for the moose. There aren't many there and it is pure luck to bump into them. I drew a bull tag and was quite eager to fill it this year up there. We hunted hard for a couple days and came across a lot of sign but no moose. At lunch on the fourth day my dad was with his buddy trying to help him get his buck. They were riding a quad trail right by our camp and came across 2 cows. They watched them for 5 minutes and they finally took off. Once they took off a bull ripped across the quad trail right behind them! I had hope and me and my buddy went to where they were spotted followed some tracks and came across some fresh scat. We hiked in and found a nice meadow and called and waited for that afternoon....nothing.
the next day my buddy got called into work and our trailer was out of water. End of the trip. Down the mountain we went I felt dejected and couldn't believe I had missed my opportunity again.
the next day I got a call from a friend who said he was heading up there for his buck. I still had a couple days off work and was pumped to get up there. We hunted that day for his buck and saw next to nothing other than a few does. On the way back to camp I spotted a big black body in the bush....heart pounding slammed on the brakes and couldn't believe what I saw. A nice small paddle bull and he took off into the thick. I got out loaded and crept to where he went in. I peeked around the corner of some trees and there he was standing and facing me. I didn't want to lose another shot and aimed for his neck and dropped him in his tracks! I finally had my region 3 moose!
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y408/haber300/image_zpsf7ca95ef.jpg (http://s1273.photobucket.com/user/haber300/media/image_zpsf7ca95ef.jpg.html)
It was getting dark and we had a lot of work so we headed to camp and decided to the work first thing the next morning. We got him gutted and halved and were starting to quarter him. This is where I got a nice refresher on what my dad has preached since I started hunting 12 years ago. ALWAYS cut with your blade away from you. I was skinning the front half down the spine so we could quarter it with the chainsaw. I was crouching and about half way through skinning my knife slipped and stabbed right into my leg above my knee. Blood started pouring out instantly and I thought I had clipped a vein or artery. I went to the truck and put pressure on it and wrapped it up. Thank god it was just a deep wound and the bleeding eventually stopped. We got the moose loaded up and headed to Ashcroft hospital for some stitching.
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y408/haber300/image_zpsd3b06cdd.jpg (http://s1273.photobucket.com/user/haber300/media/image_zpsd3b06cdd.jpg.html)
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y408/haber300/image_zpsf2b26a89.jpg (http://s1273.photobucket.com/user/haber300/media/image_zpsf2b26a89.jpg.html)
All in all was an amazing trip with a valuable lesson learned the hard way.
good luck to all and have a safe hunting season!