The Hermit
10-02-2016, 10:51 AM
After 6 years since our last draw, my partners and I finally won an LEH for two moose this year. After lots of planning and preparation we set out from the rock on Sept 22 headed north. After catching a few zzzz in the truck we arrived at our intended camp site on the morning of the 23rd and got camp set up.
That evening we went for a short walk and did some calling and listening but it was warm and the calls weren't carrying very far and we heard nothing for our efforts. The next morning we went back to the same spot and gave another call and got an immediate response from a long way off. So later that evening we went back once again and a bull with a cow showed up and came in really quiet.
They must have winded my partner because she gave a huge snort [I can relate :-P] and they moved into the wind and directly toward me! The cow bolted. He was about 50 meters and very nervous. All I could see was his head so before he departed for the trees I decided to take my first ever head shot. Shot him in the eye! Bang flop! He is no monster but I can assure you that the backstraps are tender and delicious!
I was using my dad's pride and joy 1955 Winchester Featherweight .308 and 165gr Barnes TSX hand loaded with Varget. I reworked and brought this rifle back to better than new condition and have been babying it for years. I finally decided it should get back to work. It got a couple bumps and bruises. The last animal that dad killed with it was a moose and I'm sure he is smiling down from the heavenly hunting grounds!
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/Moose36.jpg
After getting him cleaned up, skinned out and hung on a meat pole we took a break for a half day. It was raining pretty steady most of the time but finally got cooler the next couple days. We hiked into a lake that has produced for my partner for over 30 years but the trail was strewn with deadfalls and essentially impassible... I stopped counting at 75 big trees across the trail... we didn't have enough gas for the chainsaw for that job! We tried three other lakes with no better luck... how things can change in six years!
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/MeatPole.jpg
So next we drove around and explored some of the new clear cuts that are close to lakes and marshes with no moose love. In fact all we managed to do was get the truck stuck not once but twice! Apparently Michelin Snow and Mud tires SUCK, and it didn't help that the 4x4 crapped out! So thanks to the guys in the pick-up that pulled us the first time and the friendly logging truck driver that went out of his way to haul us out the second time!!! All in all we farted around trying to dig that damn truck out for over 14 hours! ERRRRRR
Anyway it was starting to warm up again so we packed it all up and headed home. Meat is fine at at the butcher! Good trip and good times!
That evening we went for a short walk and did some calling and listening but it was warm and the calls weren't carrying very far and we heard nothing for our efforts. The next morning we went back to the same spot and gave another call and got an immediate response from a long way off. So later that evening we went back once again and a bull with a cow showed up and came in really quiet.
They must have winded my partner because she gave a huge snort [I can relate :-P] and they moved into the wind and directly toward me! The cow bolted. He was about 50 meters and very nervous. All I could see was his head so before he departed for the trees I decided to take my first ever head shot. Shot him in the eye! Bang flop! He is no monster but I can assure you that the backstraps are tender and delicious!
I was using my dad's pride and joy 1955 Winchester Featherweight .308 and 165gr Barnes TSX hand loaded with Varget. I reworked and brought this rifle back to better than new condition and have been babying it for years. I finally decided it should get back to work. It got a couple bumps and bruises. The last animal that dad killed with it was a moose and I'm sure he is smiling down from the heavenly hunting grounds!
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/Moose36.jpg
After getting him cleaned up, skinned out and hung on a meat pole we took a break for a half day. It was raining pretty steady most of the time but finally got cooler the next couple days. We hiked into a lake that has produced for my partner for over 30 years but the trail was strewn with deadfalls and essentially impassible... I stopped counting at 75 big trees across the trail... we didn't have enough gas for the chainsaw for that job! We tried three other lakes with no better luck... how things can change in six years!
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/MeatPole.jpg
So next we drove around and explored some of the new clear cuts that are close to lakes and marshes with no moose love. In fact all we managed to do was get the truck stuck not once but twice! Apparently Michelin Snow and Mud tires SUCK, and it didn't help that the 4x4 crapped out! So thanks to the guys in the pick-up that pulled us the first time and the friendly logging truck driver that went out of his way to haul us out the second time!!! All in all we farted around trying to dig that damn truck out for over 14 hours! ERRRRRR
Anyway it was starting to warm up again so we packed it all up and headed home. Meat is fine at at the butcher! Good trip and good times!