tinhorse
10-10-2016, 12:00 AM
Well it was a successful leh moose hunt in region 5 for me and my hunting partner who were drawn for Bulls in 5-14. I would like to put a big thanks out to Steven (srupp) as he directed us to a great area and gave some excellent tips to help get our tags filled.
We Got up to williams lake at 1:45 am on saturady the 1st. By the time we gassed up and got out to our zone it was well after 4. We decided to Park on a side road in the dark that showed a swamp nearby on our gps. We tried to catch a couple hours sleep in the truck before first light but since all of our overnight gear was in our other buddies trailer we were stuck in the jeans and jackets we had on. The weather was great this trip but at -4 at night it was a little cold those 2 hours....
We woke up and took a little walk around. We found ourselves in a mainly Douglas fir timber type area with very little moose sign.....after an hour we made our way up to the lake we had previously chosen as our camp destination. Our buddies with the trailer were to meet us there at noon, so me and my partner drove back to the mainline and made our way to a spur road which I had marked out on my gps from google earth as looking very promising. As we drove in there was lots of sign, with tracks all I've the road and willow branches chewed down all over the place. As we went in, we would park, glass and call. Then slowly move on to the next vantage point. We did this until we got to the end of the road. 11:00 hits and we decide to make our way back to the lake to meet the boys with their trailer and all our gear.
Slowly driving out at a spot we were calling earlier a bull is standing in the middle of the road. We hop out as quick as we can. Panicking I fumble around trying to load a single shell into my gun and my buddy can't get his clip in as he was trying to put it in backwards. It was like a comedy show but lucky for us the moose must have enjoyed watching as he stood there frozen. Finally we get our guns loaded up and one shot drops it in the middle of the road.
http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y389/tinhorse1979/image.jpg2_zpsppmwpabv.jpg (http://s1272.photobucket.com/user/tinhorse1979/media/image.jpg2_zpsppmwpabv.jpg.html)
We clean and halve it. Load it up and back to camp we go. We get there and no friends yet. We are an hour late as we had the moose to deal with but where the hell were they? With limited gear we find an existing poll and hang the bull and get it skinned out. We meet a couple fellow hunters also with a bull draw and enjoy a celebratory beer. It was now 4:00 and still no friends showing up. 4 hours late we begin to wonder if they ran into trouble with the truck or trailer on the way in. Luckily we found a higher elevation area 30 minutes from camp that had cell reception. We decide to head there and see if any messages were left. We get up to the hill and find a message saying the got turned around and were just starting to make their way in. Finally our Friends show up at 645. We set camp, make a new game poll, rehang the bull and have a few beers. At 12:30 we are finally set up and ready for a good sleep.
5 hours later we are up and with coffee in hand make our way back to the end of the spur we got the moose on the day before. Before we even get out of the truck I glass a moose 2 km away in a cut up on the hill across from us. We look at the map and figure a way to drive down another road to get up close to where we think the moose will be. As we make our way up to the area where we think the moose was we make note of a deactivated road that looks very promising and that we plan on walking in for last light. We decide to drive a little further as it was 2:30 and we figured it was a little early for the moose to be out in the open slash. We get to the back of the spur and eat a quick bite, and go for a little hike. At 4:00 we start driving back out to the deactivated road, as we round the first corner something black catches my eye.... As I pull up my binoculars I see a nice little black bear all by itself feeding on clover.. I have my bear rag so with a quick quartering away shot he runs 30m uphill then back down 20m before expiring. We quickly tag and gut the bear and get it in the back of the truck.
http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y389/tinhorse1979/image.jpg5_zpse2oxqtho.jpg (http://s1272.photobucket.com/user/tinhorse1979/media/image.jpg5_zpse2oxqtho.jpg.html)
it was now 4:40 and we start to make our way to the intended road once again. We we reach the last bend to take us to the block we saw the moose on in the morning and the road we want to walk my buddy says moose! I grab my binos and Take a look. I say bull! We can see he is bedded down and staring intently at something down the hill. We range him at 650 yards. Way to far to shoot for us so we grab our gear and start a stalk. As we get to 346 yards I stop and take a rest on a perfect gun rest stump. My buddy goes an extra 75 yards. It seemed to take forever as I look through my scope at the moose looking down the hill and every now and then at my partner. Finally I see my partner reach his destination and set up at 275 yards. He shoots and the moose turns, I take aim and let a 140 gr ballistic silver tip from my .280 fly. It hits its mark and moose #2 is down for good. We run up to each other and give high fives. This moose was a little further away but luckily we now had the 1200 feet of rope we didn't have the day before. With only 100 feet to spare we were able to pull the mouse down to the deactivated spur using a block and the truck. From there we got it to the side of the road where we gutted the moose then listed it into the truck. This took a total of 4:15 with most of it in the dark. At 12:30 at night we get back to camp with moose number 2 and the bear.
http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y389/tinhorse1979/image.jpg6_zpsndapay9g.jpg (http://s1272.photobucket.com/user/tinhorse1979/media/image.jpg6_zpsndapay9g.jpg.html)
We Got up to williams lake at 1:45 am on saturady the 1st. By the time we gassed up and got out to our zone it was well after 4. We decided to Park on a side road in the dark that showed a swamp nearby on our gps. We tried to catch a couple hours sleep in the truck before first light but since all of our overnight gear was in our other buddies trailer we were stuck in the jeans and jackets we had on. The weather was great this trip but at -4 at night it was a little cold those 2 hours....
We woke up and took a little walk around. We found ourselves in a mainly Douglas fir timber type area with very little moose sign.....after an hour we made our way up to the lake we had previously chosen as our camp destination. Our buddies with the trailer were to meet us there at noon, so me and my partner drove back to the mainline and made our way to a spur road which I had marked out on my gps from google earth as looking very promising. As we drove in there was lots of sign, with tracks all I've the road and willow branches chewed down all over the place. As we went in, we would park, glass and call. Then slowly move on to the next vantage point. We did this until we got to the end of the road. 11:00 hits and we decide to make our way back to the lake to meet the boys with their trailer and all our gear.
Slowly driving out at a spot we were calling earlier a bull is standing in the middle of the road. We hop out as quick as we can. Panicking I fumble around trying to load a single shell into my gun and my buddy can't get his clip in as he was trying to put it in backwards. It was like a comedy show but lucky for us the moose must have enjoyed watching as he stood there frozen. Finally we get our guns loaded up and one shot drops it in the middle of the road.
http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y389/tinhorse1979/image.jpg2_zpsppmwpabv.jpg (http://s1272.photobucket.com/user/tinhorse1979/media/image.jpg2_zpsppmwpabv.jpg.html)
We clean and halve it. Load it up and back to camp we go. We get there and no friends yet. We are an hour late as we had the moose to deal with but where the hell were they? With limited gear we find an existing poll and hang the bull and get it skinned out. We meet a couple fellow hunters also with a bull draw and enjoy a celebratory beer. It was now 4:00 and still no friends showing up. 4 hours late we begin to wonder if they ran into trouble with the truck or trailer on the way in. Luckily we found a higher elevation area 30 minutes from camp that had cell reception. We decide to head there and see if any messages were left. We get up to the hill and find a message saying the got turned around and were just starting to make their way in. Finally our Friends show up at 645. We set camp, make a new game poll, rehang the bull and have a few beers. At 12:30 we are finally set up and ready for a good sleep.
5 hours later we are up and with coffee in hand make our way back to the end of the spur we got the moose on the day before. Before we even get out of the truck I glass a moose 2 km away in a cut up on the hill across from us. We look at the map and figure a way to drive down another road to get up close to where we think the moose will be. As we make our way up to the area where we think the moose was we make note of a deactivated road that looks very promising and that we plan on walking in for last light. We decide to drive a little further as it was 2:30 and we figured it was a little early for the moose to be out in the open slash. We get to the back of the spur and eat a quick bite, and go for a little hike. At 4:00 we start driving back out to the deactivated road, as we round the first corner something black catches my eye.... As I pull up my binoculars I see a nice little black bear all by itself feeding on clover.. I have my bear rag so with a quick quartering away shot he runs 30m uphill then back down 20m before expiring. We quickly tag and gut the bear and get it in the back of the truck.
http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y389/tinhorse1979/image.jpg5_zpse2oxqtho.jpg (http://s1272.photobucket.com/user/tinhorse1979/media/image.jpg5_zpse2oxqtho.jpg.html)
it was now 4:40 and we start to make our way to the intended road once again. We we reach the last bend to take us to the block we saw the moose on in the morning and the road we want to walk my buddy says moose! I grab my binos and Take a look. I say bull! We can see he is bedded down and staring intently at something down the hill. We range him at 650 yards. Way to far to shoot for us so we grab our gear and start a stalk. As we get to 346 yards I stop and take a rest on a perfect gun rest stump. My buddy goes an extra 75 yards. It seemed to take forever as I look through my scope at the moose looking down the hill and every now and then at my partner. Finally I see my partner reach his destination and set up at 275 yards. He shoots and the moose turns, I take aim and let a 140 gr ballistic silver tip from my .280 fly. It hits its mark and moose #2 is down for good. We run up to each other and give high fives. This moose was a little further away but luckily we now had the 1200 feet of rope we didn't have the day before. With only 100 feet to spare we were able to pull the mouse down to the deactivated spur using a block and the truck. From there we got it to the side of the road where we gutted the moose then listed it into the truck. This took a total of 4:15 with most of it in the dark. At 12:30 at night we get back to camp with moose number 2 and the bear.
http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y389/tinhorse1979/image.jpg6_zpsndapay9g.jpg (http://s1272.photobucket.com/user/tinhorse1979/media/image.jpg6_zpsndapay9g.jpg.html)