SS's 2018 season

[Sitkaspruce]

I thought I would start a season post instead of a time by time post. Hummed and hawed about it for a while, but after reading all the excellent sheep hunts in August, the successful youth and adult hunts in September and the Elk and Moose adventures so far, I thought maybe these posts could get us back on track as a hunting site.

Anyways, the season started with a bunch of us getting an Atco trailer for a song and fixing it up for our ice fishing shack. After the rest of the gang put in the blood, sweat and tears into her, we had a Le Chateau on the ice. 6 ice fishing holes, 4 beds, diesel heater (burns approx. 5 gallons for a weekend at -15 with more than enough heat), wired for a generator that supplies power to the lights, 32" TV, DVD player and small appliances. Home away from home....keeps the beer cold on the floor and the rest of the room warm and comfortable.

https://i.postimg.cc/Vs2CNQ9n/IMG-4260.jpg (https://postimg.cc/RqQFPYDZ)

https://i.postimg.cc/7ZkJg3WL/IMG-4262.jpg (https://postimg.cc/jLMjT7KV)

https://i.postimg.cc/XvNZPV3S/IMG-4263.jpg (https://postimg.cc/gx5kXbnN)

https://i.postimg.cc/mrdcf02c/IMG-4259.jpg (https://postimg.cc/p9FVKcjx)

https://i.postimg.cc/hPx7zyMw/IMG-4261.jpg (https://postimg.cc/ppWd3BwY)

I only got to fish out of it once this season as work and other commitments kept me at home. We caught fish, drank beer, whiskey and scotch, watched moves, told BS and had fun!! This winter, when we get her back on the ice, we are adding skirting, a couple vents for air movement and a shitter. After years of sitting on a lawn chair beside a fire on the ice, this is heaven, especially when it is cold and the wind is blowing.

Off to do some work, will add to this post over the next few days!

Cheers

SS

[moosinaround]

Where you find that stove? New or used? Interested in one myself!

[IronNoggin]

Will be following this one!!

[Springer]

Awesome Shack. we dod lots of ice fishing here in Central Alberta so i can totally relate to that palace, especially with Bunks and heat..Great thread .

[bigneily]

That is so cool .

[RJHunter]

That's some serious ice fishin, very cool!

[Bustercluck]

That's a nice shack!

[Harvest the Land]

Never seen an ice shack with its own distribution panel - simply f_ing awesome man!

[BRvalley]

Nice shack, looks like slave?

It’s a shame the sleeper hut scene isn’t more popular in BC, nothing like catching fish in bed all night

Looking forward to following the rest of the thread

[srupp]

Hmmmm AMAZING..well done indeed.
Steven

[Sitkaspruce]

Next was to be spring bear as a buddy was relativley new to hunting (has shot two WT bucks in three years...lady luck rides with him for deer) and wanted to chase bears. But between a very late spring, lots of snow into late april, a wet spring/early summer (Peace Gumbo is like nothing else, especially in the spring), work, holidays and life, we just could not get together for even an evening hunt.....piss poor excuses for a dedicated hunter....but it happened.

That same shit also got in the way of getting my cameras out. That would come later.

Every year Alberta friends and I go chase salmon, usually in my old stomping grounds, but this year we wanted to try Rupert, so plans were made. Accommodations and moorage were booked, research was done, date was set for July 4-12, some new gear was bought, old boat was sold, new boat was bought, gear was retied, new line for the reels and our plans rehashed over and over as the excitement of exploring and fishing a new area grew.....we were like kids in a candy store.

Until

The government and their mismanaging fisheries arm closed chinook fishing in Rupert from sometime in June until July 8...…..shit!!! Of course we found out around June 10th or so.....now to scramble to find a place to stay at my old fishing grounds.....

Off to hockey.....will add a lot more tomorrow.....maybe....

A few will look like this

https://i.postimg.cc/cHcTqbRj/37030219-10156540835969282-6887480173717880832-n-1.jpg (https://postimg.cc/BLX2HNwc)

Cheers

SS

[Sitkaspruce]

Nice shack, looks like slave?

It’s a shame the sleeper hut scene isn’t more popular in BC, nothing like catching fish in bed all night

Looking forward to following the rest of the thread

BR

It is Slave. It is crazy out there, first year I went, there was 68 "shacks" in the one area, and there is 3-4 other areas just like it on the lake. The shacks range from old 15' travel trailers up to 40' cabins with porches and wood stoves. Last year there was around 55 "shacks". We have a guy who comes out with his tractor, hooks up the shack, tows it off the lake and stores it at his place, then reverses the process in the early winter, once the ice is set. All we need to do is select the location and set it up.

Pretty sweet set up!!

Cheers

SS

[ratherbefishin]

Heck of a deal,here on the island the lakes( at lower elevations) rarely freeze so ice fishing is something I never tried .My nearest thing to a ice fishing shack is my hunting trailer,a cargo trailer outfitted with a kitchen and folding bunks to accommodate taking the quad .I have always wanted a cabin,but concerns of vandalism precluded that,besides we can take the hunting trailer to anywhere we want.Still would like a cabin though..

[Jordan f.]

That looks like a dream ice fishing home!

Truly jealous!

[Sitkaspruce]

So with our change in plans, we scrambled to find suitable accomodations and moorage. Once that was done, all we had to do was wait for father time.

THE TRIP

So we have been doing this trip for 5 years and before that,
when I lived up there, we would meet up and fish together. Good times.

This was no different, except we had a new boat. The old 21.5' 623 Campion "Prairie Oyster" was sold to a local island guy and the new boat, 24" Sea West "Island Girl", was going for her test run with her new crew.

https://i.postimg.cc/65YJyQdm/IMG-1338-1.jpg (https://postimg.cc/WhFfyTYG)

The day we are to leave, the check engine light comes on on the 2016 Chev 2500 Duramax, off to the dealer.....DEF heater went, apparently is a PITA with the engines. Back out an hour and all good, just about ready to head out and the light comes back on....back to the dealer. Apparently the pump was not building up enough pressure, told to drive it and it would build back up again. So off we go, leave Edmonton at 5 pm.

Just outside Valemount, the check engine light comes back on and after a quick google, we realize that we are now on a timer. 120km at unlimited speed, then another 120km at 106 then 120 at 89 then 120 at.....6!!! We try to top up the DEF at Blue River to see if that happens, no change. At Clearwater we try another recommendation: disconnect the battery terminals for 5 min....nothing. We get to Kamloops at 330 am with 20 km left on the 106 speed. I suggest we head to Merritt as they open at 0730 and will likely have less customers, so off we go. Just outside Kamloops, the truck shifts to 89 max speed, good thing there was lost of down hills!! Get into Merritt around 5 and we wait until they open. A quick talk with the service manager and we are in at 0830 and out by 1000. They replaced the whole system, including the faulty pump and gave it a 10 year warranty as these are an ongoing issue. Amazing service from a small town dealer! What I don't understand is WTF would they put a limited KM on an emission system that has nothing to do with the actual engine. I could not image this BS kicking in when coming down from Whitehorse or Dease.

Anyways, no more issues and we arrived a few hours later than planned.

....thanks to Airbnb, we found a pretty nice spot with some great views

https://i.postimg.cc/BvHMp6XJ/IMG-4970.jpg (https://postimg.cc/CZMGLwG2)


The next 7 days were another great fishing trip. Took minimal time for getting blood in Island Girl as we found springs right away. Over the next 7 days were put limits of springs, snapper, hali and ate our limit of fish on the boat and at night We were early for coho, so no hoe's came home with us. We caught 18 hali, released 4 between 55-85 lbs and some small chickens, ling were tough this year, boating 7. Yelloweye were in the usual holes and a limit came home with us.

https://i.postimg.cc/zvX7qFpf/IMG-5013.jpg (https://postimg.cc/2bMhwvsp)

https://i.postimg.cc/gjSDjLBH/IMG-5068.jpg (https://postimg.cc/y3R9rxKD)

https://i.postimg.cc/5tpnmH2h/37027458-10156540834909282-5857520387339845632-n-1.jpg (https://postimg.cc/WDFGN1r8)

Cheers

SS

[Sitkaspruce]

https://i.postimg.cc/5yDPFZ2j/37043818-10156296016150856-4542955336121712640-n-1.jpg (https://postimg.cc/bSH07Vbj)

https://i.postimg.cc/zfqxWw8w/37086490-10156296252750856-5439960587331174400-n-1.jpg (https://postimg.cc/681Vxv7T)

https://i.postimg.cc/g0cfdbXP/IMG-1410.jpg (https://postimg.cc/VJT7BTW7)

https://i.postimg.cc/B6XkL5BY/IMG-1420.jpg (https://postimg.cc/LYFNG17L)

https://i.postimg.cc/fbH1RqmS/IMG-1392.jpg (https://postimg.cc/cKnFDmDd)

Cheers

SS

[Sitkaspruce]

https://i.postimg.cc/Y0vn0pkJ/37065447-10156296016570856-1780102590860623872-n-1.jpg (https://postimg.cc/bSjHFfZT)

https://i.postimg.cc/K8H6Dsp7/IMG-1447-1.jpg (https://postimg.cc/PC1VtKjN)

My favorite place to fish....

https://i.postimg.cc/YC6XhDKq/37055944-10156296017370856-7012259423322112000-n-1.jpg (https://postimg.cc/215dtwSP)

Some of the other fishing competition

https://i.postimg.cc/d3wp0MDF/IMG-5102.jpg (https://postimg.cc/k6YfjpxY)

https://i.postimg.cc/vZ1P1Xyg/IMG-5009.jpg (https://postimg.cc/rDkG31KM)

Cheers

SS

[Sitkaspruce]

https://i.postimg.cc/P584fxb1/IMG-5106.jpg (https://postimg.cc/YvMgbtsS)

https://i.postimg.cc/GhfK1YDc/IMG-5088.jpg (https://postimg.cc/4mzV6YwM)

This whale put on this tail waving slapping show for 5 minutes.

https://i.postimg.cc/wTj4zgbk/IMG-4979.jpg (https://postimg.cc/t78NtQb1)

https://i.postimg.cc/jd3gdmpY/IMG-4983.jpg (https://postimg.cc/pp8YsGVs)

https://i.postimg.cc/y8wL096f/IMG-4978.jpg (https://postimg.cc/w1Q5p1mJ)

Cheers

SS

[Sitkaspruce]

https://i.postimg.cc/h4rZNfMj/IMG-4996.jpg (https://postimg.cc/qgNG3BPV)

https://i.postimg.cc/PrJycKP3/IMG-5071.jpg (https://postimg.cc/mtx71Y3C)

Enjoying our catch....noting like fresh fish on the boat

https://i.postimg.cc/PrtnXD8D/IMG-1375-1.jpg (https://postimg.cc/5jkRp6g9)

https://i.postimg.cc/CLfrVLc8/36882342-10156285538975856-7087976320906297344-n-1.jpg (https://postimg.cc/CzSsGYTM)

https://i.postimg.cc/bvSKCH47/IMG-1362-1.jpg (https://postimg.cc/yJBQW91j)

Cheers

SS

[Sitkaspruce]

One evening, we saw a few eagles flying off one point, so we trolled over to see what was going on. Counted 11 on the point and trees, when we rounded the point, there was 28 eagles from immature to adults sitting on the rocks or in the trees. Never seen that many eagles in one place on the ocean.

https://i.postimg.cc/gj3M8gXD/IMG-5005.jpg (https://postimg.cc/K3vryr5k)

https://i.postimg.cc/TYq7PHX2/IMG-5109.jpg (https://postimg.cc/2VyFcG6g)

https://i.postimg.cc/8zpyfB1R/IMG-5117.jpg (https://postimg.cc/6yPVDZ4q)

https://i.postimg.cc/X70146mD/IMG-5118.jpg (https://postimg.cc/NLpkkSg1)

https://i.postimg.cc/6QrfRmm3/IMG-5122.jpg (https://postimg.cc/67QZxYwJ)

Cheers

SS

[Rattler]

Wow great fishing adventure...thanks for sharing. Looking forward to rest of your season...

[Sitkaspruce]

Finally trip had to end....our last night and on the run in, we had another great view

https://i.postimg.cc/JhVQsLKv/IMG-5128.jpg (https://postimg.cc/jDcf1Bp4)

Boat fished awesome, has a ton more room that old boat, cruises great with the 333hp, is pretty good on fuel and best...has a place for people to lay down.

Trip home was uneventful and soon we were busy cutting, vac sealing and freezing.

https://i.postimg.cc/JhVQsLKv/IMG-5128.jpg (https://postimg.cc/jDcf1Bp4)

https://i.postimg.cc/RF5KK4ck/IMG-20180714-123636.jpg (https://postimg.cc/7C95yvt9)

https://i.postimg.cc/gkkRvMZ2/IMG-20180714-140530-1.jpg (https://postimg.cc/c62rWBhp)

We bought a travel trailer this summer and spent a few weeks getting used to sleeping off the ground and enjoying our time camping and exploring BC and Alberta. We had a trip planned for the last week of Aug, first week of Sept travelling the EK, WK, OK, Caribou and PG......but then these damn things called fires started and off went my wife and the holidays were out on the backburner.

But there was blessing in disguise there...….

Cheers

SS

[Sitkaspruce]

Where you find that stove? New or used? Interested in one myself!

Sorry Moosin, missed your question. Found it on Kijjii. Brand new for $125 including the hose kit. We were looking for a heater and stumbled across this one. It is a very efficient little unit and once it gets going, you have to turn it down to low or it will cook us out.

Cheers

SS

[HarryToolips]

Great pics, looks like you guys really know how to fish.....

[corywilson13]

Wow - looks like you and your crew have an excellent annual fishing trip. I’m sure many on here, including myself, are more than slightly jealous. Looking forward to hunting pics to finish your 2018 season.

[Sitkaspruce]

Due to being busy with life, I finally got my cams out in late June.

I had 4 out, where I usually run 8-9, again, just not a lot of time.....and again, a piss poor excuse....people you need to find the time to do the thing you enjoy doing and make you happy!! You only get one shot at it, so do what you can.

Anyways, here are a few picts from the summer

https://i.postimg.cc/DfYTXjsn/EK000113.jpg (https://postimg.cc/8sW98bt0)

https://i.postimg.cc/CL9T5R8N/EK000179.jpg (https://postimg.cc/QHgnnx09)

https://i.postimg.cc/cHFPSCZf/EK000182.jpg (https://postimg.cc/S2zgLynK)

https://i.postimg.cc/J0gCC0mG/EK001127.jpg (https://postimg.cc/2L4K4z1D)

https://i.postimg.cc/Xv0RKtQB/EK000520.jpg (https://postimg.cc/2129r9pC)

Cheers

SS

[Sitkaspruce]

The cams had the usual squads of does and fawns, cows and calves and sows and cubs and all looked good through the summer.

Not sure what this guys was carrying but he didn't stop to show and tell. I didn't find any evidence of any thing dead, so it must have come form a distance

https://i.postimg.cc/9MmsKZ3W/EK000623.jpg (https://postimg.cc/kVHjtVXZ)

This guy was interesting, a legal bull after Sept1 but only a 2.5 year old, Only saw him a couple times on camera.

https://i.postimg.cc/WbFP6G6r/EK000136.jpg (https://postimg.cc/ppH7PnSX)

One of the bulls that I was after

https://i.postimg.cc/wjJKm9cd/EK000626.jpg (https://postimg.cc/3kKbM5cL)

And one of my target bucks if he stays around. he was at the same place last year as a 6x5 now he is 5x6......

Last year

https://i.postimg.cc/RhxmLyXF/PICT2079.jpg (https://postimg.cc/R6d2Msr5)

This year

https://i.postimg.cc/287T1FbN/EK001418.jpg (https://postimg.cc/sv158W4T)

There is lots of bucks this year: lots of 2.5-4.5 yo bucks. I have some others I will post up later.

Cheers

SS

[HarryToolips]

^^^^^ Very nice critters....

[Sitkaspruce]

Sept rolls around and opening day found me walking through the bush in the rain and snow. I found one rub and not a lot of sign. The same the next day.

Sept 5 I decide to head out to a spot that I have shot elk in past, but for some reason this year did not out up any cameras. The area was pretty much a blow down mess with lots of old age spruce and aspen blowing down over the past 6 years. But the elk hang out in this stuff and if there, they can be hunted.

I get off work and run home to pick up my gear....and realize that I had left my cell back at the office....so run back has me thinking in my head....1630 now, leave at 1645, an hour drive to the spot, and a 30 min hike to the area...dark at around 2030....should be prime time by the time I get there.....or do I go tomorrow right after work....wife at fires, nobody at home....I can go both nights!!!

Get the spot and note that someone has driven a truck down the old access cut line, flattening the spruce, alder and aspen trees in cutline. The weird thing is they drove out....how did they get in as there is only an overgrown logging road (25+ year old) at the back end of the block....I follow the cut, looking to see if they had killed anything back there. When I get to my access trail, the truck tracks kept going. I was curious as to where they had come from and why, but wanted to hike into the old wallow to see if there was any sign. Get to the wallow and am happy to see that it is still a barnyard....smell, tracks and mud on the trees and brush. This site used to be a big water hole/wallow and I have video of bulls screaming, wallowing and basically making a mess at this place in the past. But then we had a 100+ k wind storm one year and all the spruce blew down, covering most of it. Now that the branches have died and broke off, the elk are back to using it.

https://i.postimg.cc/tT2hf4JL/IMG-1667.jpg (https://postimg.cc/G8T8TrkQ)

https://i.postimg.cc/Fz60rCjp/IMG-1678.jpg (https://postimg.cc/5QwXp3KQ)

As I get to the wallow, l start chirping, waiting and listening.....after 10 minutes I sneak down a trail that allows me a little better view. After another 10 minutes of watching and listening, I decide to get a drink and let rip with a bugle. I take the pack off and as I go to open it up, I hear thumping and a branch break. I looked over and saw legs coming down the trail about 40y away. I grab my gun and wait, at 30y I can see he is a bull....but how big?? Has to be at least 3 on one side.....with my heart going from 50-100 in a second, I wait as it is thick in there. At 25 he steps out behind a spruce and stops dead as he could not miss seeing this guy standing there with the gun pointed at him...1...2...3...4....drop the crosshairs on his neck and squeezed the trigger. Hit with a 270 wsm 140 gr TSX at ~3140.....he dropped rather quickly. First animal shot with a Barnes TSX, not much to look at or compare as it hit the neck bones, cut the jugular and kept going into the next quarter.

As he lay

https://i.postimg.cc/PfS4V28P/IMG-1681.jpg (https://postimg.cc/7bT0f19k)

A young 4x5 with a broken tine.

A toast to the elk gods!!

https://i.postimg.cc/Gttk1ns9/IMG-5256.jpg (https://postimg.cc/GT0BkNK1)

https://i.postimg.cc/WbK7Tz8V/IMG-5249.jpg (https://postimg.cc/KRPT5ZCp)

A quick text for help, snap some pictures and got to work quartering and boning him out.

Help arrived at the truck and I started to pack out the front shoulder....did I mention that the area was covered in blowdown....and that the area looks completely different in the dark.....It is approx. 400m from the wallow to the cutline.....in a straight line. What usually takes me 30 min to walk in took me an hour to do a stumble, climb, turnback and crawl over until I got to the cutline.....then another 500m to the truck. The help brought another pack fame and the game cart. We head back in and once we get to the trail, I start to hang flagging.....did I mention that it was florescent green....roughly the same colour as the surrounding vegetation......don't ask....I heard about it for the rest of the night. Just as we got back to the elk, it started to rain.....I finished the quartering job while the boys packed the quarters a third of the way...and bitched about the ribbon and it's colour....it's all I had!! Anyways, we managed to get all the meat to the game cart, load it up and drag it out to the trucks. This game cart has now packed out two elk and numerous deer, pretty good back saver!!

Shot the elk at 1830, home 0300 and would not trade it for anything!! Was a blast and another great hunt!

I never did find out where that truck came in from, will head back there this weekend to see and to see of we can find another elk in the area.

Freezer is full!!

Now on to moose...…..

Cheers

SS

[Salty]

Livin large up there Ken thanks for bringin us along :) Awesome thread as usual.

[Rattler]

Nice bull Ken...and yeah lime green can be hard to see...lol

[todbartell]

good stuff thanks for taking the time to post up.

[Sitkaspruce]

Now that the unglate season is competed, I will bump this back up...

Sept 28 and it is time to chase moose with great friends. We did an annual trip for 5 years; great friends that met while volunteering for the local fire department and had a passion for hunting. 4 rookie moose hunters and myself as the teacher, plus two dads from other provinces who came to spend time with their sons. Over those 5 years, we put 5 moose on the ground. Then families started to grow and time became limited. This year we all managed to make it...except the dads

Sept 28 rolls round and we are off.....and what a great trip it was!!

Some great scotch and whiskey was drank, some awesome catch up stories from our time way from each other (we are now spread out from VI to Manitoba), some amazing laughs and food fit for a king was consumed. This is the reason why we get together and remain friends even when we are apart.

Oh yeah, and we hunted moose, every day!! We had an amazing hunt, with 1-3 bulls being seen every day and lots of answers to our calls. From day one we were into moose and we had a blast!! Some of the best highlights were the anticipation of waiting for the other groups to get back so we could listen to their adventures of the day!! And there was lots!!

Oct 4th rolls around and me and Jeff are off on another adventure, heading back to a newly discovered area to see what we can find. We hike down to the creek and do some calling; after 30 minutes of no response, we decide to cross the creek and head up hill, following a faint trail that weaved up through dense thickets of spruce/pine/aspen. We gain about 250m in elevation and soon hit the snow line, where we find moose tracks going up down and sideways.

As we get near a bench, the tracks become heavy and there is moose sign everywhere. At the crest of the bench we see a natural lick and there is trails coming in and out of it from all directions. At the lick, we notice fresh broken ice and muddy water flowing into a few tracks....ELK!!!! We quickly follow their tracks in the snow as they head off sideways along the bench until we get to an opening. I chirp a few times over the next 15 minutes with no response. The wind had been blowing straight up hill while we were climbing, so that might have spooked the elk. Jeff went back to the lick and set up while I switched from elk to moose.....

After my first love sick cow call, we had a cow bawl back and some crashing off to our right and below us. Another cow call and another cow bawl back....she has a bull and she doesn't want him to leave....so we quickly started side hilling as the wind started blowing across the slope. We moved about 150m and started to get set up. Jeff snapped off a branch from a tree he was using as a rest and all hell broke loose.....

[guest]

Terrific Thread Ken.
As usual well done on your part.
Thanks for the share and way to go on a great 2018

[Sitkaspruce]

Crash, crash, crash.....two moose Jeff yells as the crashing continues as the moose move off below to our right. I didn't see anything, but the crashing told me there was something down there.

We give it a few minutes and I whispered to Jeff that I would give a cow call and see what happens.

Another love sick cow call and immediately a grunt....cow call....grunt...I look at Jeff and smiled....the bull hadn't seen us, he just followed the cow as she broke off.....

Another call and he grunted back, but he was moving away with the cow....interested, but not leaving his girlfriend.

Hmmmmm...so what do you do in this situation...you appeal to his vanity.....

Out came the scapula and I went full on bull challenge!!! I raked the brush, stomped my feet and grunted. No answer at first, so I repeated and he grunted, then he went full on Challenge accepted!! He raked his antlers and grunted as he came back....I challenged every time he did and he got pissed! We set up and got ready.

Soon I caught a flash of antlers in the bush and concentrated on the spot.....soon the flash became a bull moose, or parts of a moose. I watched and as he walked into my scope at about 70 y, I quickly looked at his bottoms and saw 3...I looked over at Jeff and hand signaled that he had 3 on the bottom. For the next few minutes, he would approach then stop behind some bush, grunting all the time. When he hesitated, I would grunt and he would start coming forward. He stopped again in front of brush and neither of us could get a shot....finally he started again and when he walked between two clumps of brush, I put a 140gr TSX into him at 40y. He dropped on the spot, completely disappearing.

Jeff and I shared a look and I said to keep watching the spot as they can and will get up and take off for places unknown.....after 5 minutes and no sign of anything moving, we started to approach where he was last standing...…

And this is what we saw.....

[Sitkaspruce]

https://i.postimg.cc/fbMhDJKt/IMG-5318.jpg (https://postimg.cc/gxt7Kc1m)

https://i.postimg.cc/FH54CPkx/IMG-5321.jpg (https://postimg.cc/fJKpJfK3)

https://i.postimg.cc/JzNWfbbC/IMG-5323.jpg (https://postimg.cc/nXh579R3)



https://i.postimg.cc/gc7d8cYQ/IMG-5322.jpg (https://postimg.cc/QVcRr3KJ)

https://i.postimg.cc/26cYHrnq/IMG-5324.jpg (https://postimg.cc/ygZ2xqQB)

[325]

Absolutely incredible! Thanks for sharing

[Kopper]

Awesome bull! Congrats on a good season.

[Skeena Shooter]

Awsome good job!!

[Rattler]

Whoa...what an awesome bull Ken!!! Congrats and thanks for sharing.

[avadad]

Sweet bull!

[Knute]

Thanks for a great share, some awesome animals on the ground, outstanding fishing trip, what a season!

Excellent photos really help in telling the story.

[downsouth204]

Right on, and you can always step outside and have a fire on a sunny warm day!

[RJHunter]

Great write up, sounds like an awsome season. Congrats!

[Husky7mm]

Wow! What a bull! Thanks for sharing. The fishing look amazing too! A great yr so far.

[Arctic Lake]

Nice bull Sitka . Taken in what looks like great moose country ! Great pic taken !
Arctic Lake

[IronNoggin]

Excellent report & pictures as usual Ken!
Not too often you see one with FOUR on a front palm!
Well Done all round Buddy!

Cheers!
Nog

[Sitkaspruce]

Thanks all for the comments!!

As we stood there looking at the bull, we knew we had a lot of work a head of us....and we needed help!! Bull was a 10x11 with 5x6 on the fronts including double drops.

https://i.postimg.cc/mrbyKZxX/IMG-1776.jpg (https://postimg.cc/rDP4rkwx)

https://i.postimg.cc/wMtVFWK9/IMG_5326.jpg (https://postimg.cc/9whZQYFk)

We snapped a bazzilion pictures and rolled up our sleeves...Jeff gave me a hand on the gutless until I got the front off, then he had to start the hike back to the quad and drive 20 k to get cell service for help...and his cell was dead so he had to borrow mine!

While he off getting the strong backs and week minds, I started the process. He was a huge bull and was awkward moving around. While Jeff was gone, I managed to get everything off except one front shoulder, neck and back strap....I just could not get him rolled over for the other front shoulder.

One side done

https://i.postimg.cc/hvH0Y9gT/IMG-5342.jpg (https://postimg.cc/bS9bDSZw)

Since I was in prime Grizzly country and have had run ins before with them, I was on hyper alert. I sang, yelled Hey bear and whistled a lot....looking over my shoulder and my loaded gun within a couple steps at all times.

After a few hours, I could hear the help coming. They had managed to find an old cut line that got the quads within leg burning distance. Once the boys arrived, we snapped a few more picts and started the packing process to the gas powered help.

https://i.postimg.cc/nVNHmnPV/IMG-5345.jpg (https://postimg.cc/G9JwwnR6)

Soon the last bag was off to the quads and all that was left was the head and antlers. I hunt by the "code" that the last to come out is the antlers and have lived by that most of my life. It was my turn, as the oldest and the successful hunter, to bring them out...….

[Sitkaspruce]

The pack out was fun....packing out 120 lbs or more (just a guess) of bone over blow down and brush was a challenge for this guy with bad knees!!

https://i.postimg.cc/vZcZdVFv/IMG-5349.jpg (https://postimg.cc/TKv6VhPy)

https://i.postimg.cc/SNQKDPg3/IMG-5350.jpg (https://postimg.cc/JtgmhpV5)

It took us an hour to get the two loaded machines down to the road and the truck, then back up for a second load and repeat. Finally we had all the moose in the truck and were enjoying a cold one....or two!! A 30 min ride home and some more cold ones were enjoyed while we got dinner going! Once we were cleaned up and settled down, the Kill Bottle came out.....Gibsons 18 year old Venerable….

The next day we were back at it for our last day, with again a couple bulls giving us some action, but too big or too small. I have a love hate relationship with the 2/3/10 rule. I dislike it because you have to count before you can squeeze the trigger and there is always the question in the back of your mind when ever you do squeeze the trigger....did it have the right amount of points....and I love it because I can hunt every year and not wait for a draw. There is a bit of a movement up here from some of the locals and out of towners to have the season put on LEH. I am totally against it because LEH has never increased the moose population and reduces hunter opportunity to get out and hunt moose. Habitat, Pred control, poaching, unregulated hunting, trains and vehicles and ticks kill more moose than hunters do, yet we still blame us as the reason for moose numbers being down. End of my rant!! LOL

Took a few pictures after it was all hung and cooled down

https://i.postimg.cc/tC3rcMZg/IMG_1787.jpg (https://postimg.cc/9rftR1B3)

https://i.postimg.cc/0QXnpTBt/IMG_1784.jpg (https://postimg.cc/KkLtbHFL)

https://i.postimg.cc/76ZXJHmG/IMG_1789.jpg (https://postimg.cc/t18FLj0p)

Any guess on spread???

[LBM]

Congrats on a absolute dream bull.

[IronNoggin]

Any guess on spread???

Not even going there except to say Enough Alright! :grin:

Even better than I first thought!

IncrediBULL!! :mrgreen:

Congrats Ken! Hell of a fine one.
And btw, I strongly concur with your "rant"!! :wink:

Cheers,
Matt

[tomahawk]

Great 2018 SS!!!! Fishin and huntin gods were with you, love the rack on that moose, points, points and more points and those twin drop tines .... awesome!!

[Arctic Lake]

Again great story and pictures ! Back to camp have some eats and then a few drinks just good stuff ! Memories for a lifetime !
Arctic Lake

[358mag]

Originally Posted by Sitkaspruce http://huntingbc.ca/forum/images/shades_of_green/buttons/viewpost-right.png (http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?p=2055217#post2055217) Any guess on spread???
Ok How long is a rope ???
Great Bull Moose and even a better write up !
Thanks for posting

[kennyj]

Fantastic thread!! Thanks for sharing your fishing and hunting adventures with all those great photos.
VERY COOL antlers on that moose.
Keep up the good work.
kenny

[180grainer]

Awesome adventure and great pictures. Thanks for sharing. Just one question.....do you have a phuking job cause man it looks like you spent your entire year hunting or fishing, not to mention being able to afford it.... :)

[HarryToolips]

A helluva season and incredible bull moose, congrats..

[mpotzold]

Congrats!
Great photos & write up.:smile:

Reminds me of a similar country hunt north of Germansen from Oct. 72 .
There was no LEH until the 80’s when the Omineca model was introduced. Always been a firm believer that cow & calf season should never be allowed in general.
Evidently the model has failed miserably.

A joint effort hunt by LT, RM & I. As a group we agreed to only 1 moose per trip. A group of moose were fighting on a swampy mountain flat- LT chose the biggest. I could have shot a big one that ran by me within yards. Could see the blood from its nose.
Our guess –over 1000 lbs-took the 3 of us at least 3 trips to carry him to camp. The huge antlers ended up in Italy.

The moose-(I’m 6’1” & 200 lbs)-
http://i361.photobucket.com/albums/oo52/cariboo_2008/Morris_1972.jpg

[Arctic Lake]

Wowzer ! Mpotzold That's a dandy moose ! Do you have any other pictures of that bull ? Rack went to Italy, Oh geeezzz !
Arctic Lake

[mpotzold]

Wowzer ! Mpotzold That's a dandy moose ! Do you have any other pictures of that bull ? Rack went to Italy, Oh geeezzz !
Arctic Lake

Unfortunately we took very few photos those days. This was unusual because the moose was so huge. There is a photo of LT also sitting on top with his feet dangling in the air.
Definitely the biggest moose we ever saw dead or alive!;)

[Sitkaspruce]

Awesome adventure and great pictures. Thanks for sharing. Just one question.....do you have a phuking job cause man it looks like you spent your entire year hunting or fishing, not to mention being able to afford it.... :)

LOL!! Yes I have a full time job and a great wife......and that job allows me to bank OT as well and lets me do what I love to do when I want to do it!! Life is way way too short to worry about the cost or time to do these things. I live by the motto of "you cannot put a price on the things you love to do....so just got do them" My wife always gives me the "eye" when I start the discussion about our yearly plans, but she enjoys the bounty and the freezer full every year. Trick is that I spend nearly the same amount of time with the family as I do with my passions...give and take...

The fishing trip is a yearly event and I get to catch up with friends from our old town we lived in. The hunting is all local and allows me to spend time in the outdoors without a lot of costs (not that I worry about that)


Forgot to mention, while we were packing the bull out, we came across a fresh piece of antler. It was from another bull moose and was approx. half a pans with 9 points on it. There was some light blood staining and the break was fresh. We figure that the bull on my back and this one had had a tussle and the one guy lost half an antler and didn't get the girl.....hence the reason he came back to my challenge.

Spread is 54.5", will put a tape to it for a rough score next week or so as I am curious.

We split the meat between us and from the estimates of bag weights and the fronts and hinds at the meat locker, we ended up with approx. 450 lbs of meat. Not a bad haul!!

It was a great trip and we now plan to get together every two years.

Now onto deer hunting season......let the fun begin!!!

[Ourea]

Great write up SS and wonderful bull.
Never been a moose guy but totally get the rush.

Keep pumping the content on this site, it's well needed.