"Alberta Elk Hunt Overload" Thanks Dad

[Springer]

Well where do i start , Is it with the planning we do all year for a New Adventure in a new area, Is it all the Truck & Trailer issues that i had that kept telling me to Turn around, Is it how difficult it was losing my Dad while we were on the Hunt.....

Hmmm lets just dive in and see how it plays out.

I have been blessed to have 2 real Good friends from B.C. that have hosted me over the years on hunts that i would not have ever been able to do without them. When i look up on the wall in the man cave at the photos when i was much younger , The Mounts and memories behind them I so appreciate being able to partake in them and make those Dreams a reality.
I also know if Geoff never pushed me hard and been there to Coach me i doubt they would be up on the wall, Other than Luck should it have gone that way.

So during last years Caribou hunt up North we started talking about it....Text messages through the year and some phone calls i started to make a plan.

If both Geoff and Sepp were bowhunters we would have hunted out in Eastern Alberta in an area that has been good to me. But Sepp was not versed in it enough so i had to pick a Non Draw area that was general 3 Point.
I checked an area out this Spring that i was curious about and went to scout it out and look for sheds. I never found any Elk Sheds but i did find a few whitetail Antlers. The snow was to deep yet so i mostly found a place to camp for the upcoming Fall. I was told my the landowner that i would have soul permission because he had Hunters squabbling in the past and would prefer if i picked a week that would work for us.
We compared schedules and figured the Sept 17th opener would be a good time, so a Place and time was picked.

About 2 weeks before Go time i figured i better dig out my holiday trailer to get it ready for the road. This is where it started that lights wouldn't work and my truck had issues as well now with further electrical. I was still working and did not have much time to look at it...Long story short $900 later my lights worked again but they wouldn't guarantee there would not be reocurring problems with it...Oh Great.
Also my Dad who lives in BC was really going downhill but he was in the best hands he could be in Hospital. I had been out 6 weeks earlier to see him and had intentions on going back again after this hunt was over and i was back home and unpacked with meat in the deepfreeze should we get lucky on some Elk or Whitetail or Bear...
So Groceries were packed the water topped up , bearings greased etc i should be ready to go.
My last day of work ended at 5:00 pm and i hit the road for the North of Alberta...
all seemed to be going ok , the sun went down when it was supposed to but the guy that pulled up alongside me on the highway pointing at my trailer to notify me my lights were no longer working in the dark !!
F Sakes . Luckily the next town was only a couple Km so i pulled in to check fuses etc and each time i replaced it the damn thing burned out again. I was livid. Something was telling me to spend the night , turn around and go home in the daylight and let the Boys down and tell them i was sorry and not to bother to come ...
I did a FB post and so many friends encouraged me to keep going and not throw in the towel...

I got up the next morning with a different outlook and carried on.Making it to camp late afternoon. I got the weedeater out and prepped an area to park the trailer that was not knee high in grass and weeds.
2 hrs later camp was setup comfortable for when the Fellas arrived . I was enjoying a Cold Pop when a truck pulled in with 3 hunters all decked out in Camo. Apparently they were hunting the same area as well on the private land but knew about me going to be there. With a quizzical look i asked , do you have your timing right because i was promised to have this spot to myself and my friends this week. They said , well we have been hunting here for years and guess what ....Their camped on the edge of the field where the Elk come out in the evening , gets better they drive their trucks and side by sides around there as well. F F F !! here we had planned all year , i told my Pals we would be the only ones here and now these Morons that are to lazy to camp away from the prime area pull this . It Gets better , theres 2 more fields with 2 more groups of hunters camped in those prime spots and driving in and out. This is the part where you keep your cool and keep the landowner out of the squabble.

An hour later with about 3 hours of daylight the boys show up grinning from ear to ear . We shake hands share a Cold one then i give them the great news followed by apologies , Thinking this trip is a Bust and again that maybe i should have turned around and went home that morning...But with their positive attitude and oh well we will make the best of it.
They get unpacked and we get our stuff together for an evening hunt we grab our packs and head out on foot to watch another area at the far end of the field.
we watch 3 different spots in the field as the sun starts to set.....and the Elk start to emerge. Geoff spots 3 bulls so he gives them a Cow call or two and here they come , Holy smokes on a string to !!!!! That is until the Ass Clowns pull their truck out into the field because that is how road hunters do it. Well the Elk decide its not worth that lonely elk call if theres a truck involved.
Last light comes and we regroup for the walk back to camp.
Sepp found an Elk shed and Geoff realizes he's pretty darn good on the diaphragm call.
We get back to camp, break out I-Hunter and devise a plan for tomorrow morning....

[Rhyno]

This is gonna be good!

[IronNoggin]

Phil: First, Sincere Condolences on your Dad. Please extend those to your Family & his friends.
Heard about that through the grapevine, but decided to hold off until you were to the point of posting about it yourself.
I can understand some of what you are going through.
Lost my Mom just a couple weeks ago.
Stings Like hell. :sad:

Second: I am looking forward to this tale unfolding...

Regards,
Matt

[Springer]

Thanks fellas, I will continue this evening when im back home...appreciatte the condolences Matt.

[srupp]

Hmm just 2 good friends from BC .? Sniff Sniff
Great adventure sorry and condolences regarding Clint.l
Elmer

[Springer]

Im not sure if it was the smell of the coffee percolating , The bacon and eggs , my snoring or that Geoff and Sepp never even slept that night but it did not take them long to be sitting at the table already dressed in the days Hunting clothes but the chatter was full of excitement and energy from the two BC athletes but they were raring to go.
This wasn't their first rodeo as their packs were ready, water bottles full and headlamps on their brow.
For me i still had my doubts of any luck at all with the strangers that were camped so close. Another look at I-hunter and we knew there was a chance at seeing or hearing Elk as we headed across the combined fields , through the standing Barley and into the Poplar mixed with Aspen and Willows.
The timing was good as we hit the cropland fence line with sun just starting to peak up from the East. Geoffs Mews sounded like Cow Elk to me, Obviously with all his practice at home that was driving his bride up the wall at home were perfected so there was no need to ruin it with mine.
Nothing answering yet as we tiptoed the field edge . The Whitetails had carved out some great trails from the bush into the fields and the Bears had been here for some time as the barbed wire fences had shown repair from many years of them ruining it. The bear Poop looked like perfect cylindrical logs that any Granola Cruncher would have mistaken and picked up as a Power bar. It didn't even looked processed , more like it had just past right on through the digestive system and never stopped until it hit the ground for its final resting spot. This was intriguing for me as there are no Bears in the Ag fields where i live. The muddy sections we encountered showed the variety of sizes of Bears that lived here......But for now they were safe as we were looking for The Famous Wapiti that lived in this area.
So far nothing but we continued on sounding like 3 Cow Elk heading back in from the evening feast.
We crossed the fence into the bush line when we heard our first distant Bugle a long ways off......Was it the real thing or was it other hunters playing the same game as us.
As we followed the fencleine inside the bush it was getting quite wet and we looked for a detour around the waterhole. Geoff let out a Bugle or two then we heard it ! Something was coming across the water in our direction. Was it Moose or was it Elk? either way we better ready. Sepp got as close as he could to waters edge as the splashing was still coming, man don't shoot it in the pond i thought to myself....I looked at the time on my phone and thought this is going to be great we will have all sorts of time to kill and quarter this Elk and get back to camp with lots of time left to keep hunting later.....
All our hearts were Pumping faster , we strained our eyes through the Willows and couldn't see it. It was getting louder , Splish Splash , anytime now......Geoff Says there it is , Sepp where ?
Then it emerged from the ponds tall grass , The longest Whitest neck you ever saw with a Beak ???? Ha Ha we near pissed ourselves as we wondered if Sepp would close his Elk tag on the Largest most Beautiful Swan we had ever seen !!!

The Bugles from the North of us sounded desperate and artificial as heck, The Bugles to the West of us more distant but more convincing and far away still.
The bush opened up to some Pasture for cattle surrounded by Tall Poplars. We sat and listened ( I rested) then it was time to carry on, after all this Hunt was for the Boys , i am just the cameraman right now and Host, just along for the ride, er i mean the walk.
We often referred to I-hunter , what an excellent hunting tool within our I-Phones for so many things. The river was ahead , the Elk had gone quiet, the sun was out , lets go check it out.
I have to say this was one of the most Beautiful falls i can remember and the river valley was so gorgeous in its Fall colours of Yellow, Orange , green and Red. I felt blessed to be alive and enjoying the time of my life with my Pals.
We dug into our packs and enjoyed the lunch we packed , some snacks and a Drink. We were in no hurry to kill something right away so we enjoyed the Moment. After all they were giving my legs a break how could i complain....
We may as well wait and let the Elk call us for once because overdoing it ourselves may just shut them up....
They pulled their Hats over their eyes and it was time for a Siesta. I wasn't quite there yet , I still felt pressure of helping these guys close their tags.
I thought about Dad and hopefully i would have some photos and stories to tell him in another week after the hunt was over and i made my trip to Lac La Hache to see him . I was going to join my two Sisters as they had a week booked as well and we could all hang out together . I denied the condition Dad was in, after all the Tough Old Cowboy always bounced back. He Kicked cancers ass twice , his Heart pills were working and the effects of recent strokes would improve in good time.

https://i.imgur.com/bEOKJEf.jpg
https://imgur.com/bEOKJEf

[Springer]

The Beautiful Weather sure was a treat , But getting pretty darn warm. The Elk were still quiet and these guys full of piss & Vinegar just eager to keep exploring. We burned some more boot leather and kept on exploring this new area.
It was the Rut why were the Bulls not talking. We ended up sitting patiently again along a fence line in the Bush. It was getting into late afternoon and we enjoyed the sounds of Nature , My phone started buzzing in my Pocket, It was my Wife , then my Sister , then my Boys....Man you guys i can't talk right now. I will call back from camp im hunting and im not the quietest talker, guys with hearing aids tend to be like that im told...

Then Geoffs ears perked up like Spock from Star trek, Hear that ? what , Listen , Sepp smiles then this time i hear it. The break is over for the Elk and the herd Bull lets out another and so does Geoff. With thick bush in front of us how are we ever going to be quiet. The slight breeze was in our favour and in our face. as i followed Geoff he kept mewing . We proceeded on Cow talking as we walked then stop for a few minutes . This went on for an hour as we slowly progressed .
Funny how you don't feel the rose bush needles in your legs when your mind is on winning this game. Geoff talks Cow elk and so do the other Cows were now hearing ahead of us and around us. It didn't seem like we were getting close to them because it was so thick we could not see them. Now were finding Rut sign the trees are all rubbed in here , the scrapes on the ground and smell of Bull Elk urine is strong. The herd Bull ballers and man does his voice make the hair stand up on the back of my neck. I live for this stuff, If you have been there you know what i am talking about. were now somehow in the middle of them, Im following along behind Geoff Camera rolling , then Oh No battery dying , Nooo Dang it . I want to save what power i have for the kill shot if there is a Kill shot. Then its power dive and the camera is done.....OK don't panic enjoy the hunt, nothing i can do except break out my cell phone... I start recording on it trying to keep up with Geoff but not to close that i spook the Bull wherever he is...Then the light comes on, geoff stops , and i say my Camera is dead , his reply , what do you want me to do with this funny look on his face.....Give me the spare camera i put in your pack, he smiles , Oh ya takes his pack off quick tosses me the camera and we carry on.
This Brute is Screaming hard and is not letting up. Then Crash Crash , there goes the Satellite Bull 30 yds away with the Herd Bull hot on his heels. Its not long and he comes back for his Cows but he let his guard down. Geoff is already leaning on the aspen and the rifle echoes putting that well placed shot into his Neck !!!!!! No way Holy F, F, F.
It was so thick and me at 45 yds away i never saw him . We walk up to the Stone Cold Dead Bull and the Hooting and Hollering begins. High fives etc. I let Geoff soak up the Moment on his first Rocky Mountain Bull Elk. He lifts his head and we count 6 on one side and 6 on the other. The Body is enormous and i think Holy Smokes that going to be a lot of packing of a lot of weight. Sepp joins in and he says Ok Phil , who's hiking the 10 km back to camp for the truck and who's staying to quarter this brute.

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Its a no Brainer i am no where near as skilled as these two veteran Butchers. I have maybe an hour of light with no idea where camp is exactly in this foreign area so i pull out I hunter we set some waypoints and off i go.
It was very much dark by the time i got back to camp as fast as i could, I should check my messages that are coming in but i have to get the truck and try to find my way back and get as close as i can to the Bull.

I pack the small cooler with cold beer and Pop and water some food and away i go ,I got to the drop point where they took the first load and my phone buzzes again....OK i have time i better check messages they will be here soon. Theres a list of calls and messages , the latest is Condolences to our family from my Cousin ?? WTF did Dad die ? I call my brother and ask him. He says sorry bro did no one call you, I said all yes but i never answered i was sort of busy. OK thanks we will talk later....One last thing what time did he pass. He 4:08 pm.... Thanks Bro...So many things going through my head right now and i try to play tough but the tears start flowing. I remember Geoffs Bull started calling at 4:30 and I know Dad's Spirit had a big part of it and im convinced he was there with me and guided us to this Bulls hideout.
The boys appear out of the darkness with their headlamps and smiles... Then they ask me whats wrong. Well my Dad passed away this afternoon. The console me and say were leaving first thing in the morning Phil , We got an Elk and were happy with that. I say well you know what That would disappoint my dad if i threw the towel in early , theres nothing i can do and we have 2 More Elk to kill before i am letting you guys go home....

We crack a cold one , This ones for you Clint Miner....

[IronNoggin]

Well done & very well written Phil.

I will hoist one to your father this afternoon.

Regards,
Matt

[nature girl]

Great story and great memories with your friends. Its so neat when the trees get certain colors to.
Sorry about the loss of your dad.

[Springer]

Thanks Matt & Nature Girl ...but theres more..

We got back to camp and stuffed the bags of deboned meat into the coolers with some frozen jugs of ice water and closed the lid.
There may or may not have been some alcohol consumed that evening. I followed up on some text messages and phone calls with Family . My son Blaze was sheep hunting south of us in the mountains with a friend and the smoke from the South of the border somehow managed to make its way this far North so he asked if he could come up and hang with me for a day, What a good son , he knew how i was feeling.and left first thing in the morning to meet up with us.
Geoff and Sepp decided to do some exploring and give me a day to sort things out and be with my Son. Man i respect these guys !!
We had a good sleep in, a Big Breakfast and then the boys decided to go do some scouting for us. Blaze and Ryan showed up around 10:00 we had a visit and then went for a hunt ourselves . It was a good day, we talked with lots of Cow Elk but couldn't get any Bulls to come check us out. We heard a couple but with the extra Road Hunters around they were a little wise to it.
We gathered that evening , had some Drinks , some laughs Talked about the Group of Whitetail Bucks that were seen sharing the cropland with the Bears, and i had my first feed of Stone Sheep !! man what a treat.

That day the BC'rs found an awesome old Deadhead Elk that was chewed a bit but still showed his respectable but tight frame. We paired the two side by side and the genetics in this area were obvious. Tomorrow It was Sepp's turn and Blaze and Ryan headed for home. Thankfully Ryan left us his cooler just in case we may need it should we get another one .......

https://i.imgur.com/LHRuGZu.jpg

[Springer]

We knew there were more Elk to be found , this was a big area. All we had to do was get into the river valley behind the Road Hunters camps , after all we wouldn't have to compete with them.
It wasn't Until Noon when Sepp's Bull answered Geoffs Bugles. Of Course it had to be on the very top of the river banks when Bull came to the challenge. All that long range practice was not necessary on this guy as he decided to come charging into the challenge at a mere 30 yds. Sepp pulled the trigger and when the Lead met flesh and passed through the other side he was dead on his feet . The Bull gave his life up easily but he wasn't going to make it easy for us . He went for cover at the Bottom of the river bank. Unfortunately he broke his Left main beam on the fall. No Way !! Another Bull down and lots of time to get him back to camp. Phil .....Ya I know go get the truck.LOL. I marked the location and headed for camp . Of course load the cooler with Cold drinks and food as this was going to be a Steep climb up the river bank with heavy packs. They searched for the broken piece but in that rats nest it was like a needle in a haystack.

I managed to get the truck about 300 yds from the meat drop .I grabbed my empty pack and headed to the pinpoint. I just got it loaded up when i heard voices and here comes the Athletes again...Grinning all the way.

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We soaked in the moment had a Cold Beer , told lies then hopped into the truck on those Comfy seats. You all know that feeling after a hard day of hunting.
The Deboned meat was stuffed into the remaining Cooler space and packed on ice and the lids squeezed shut...
There was still enough daylight and they offered to make supper that evening so i buggered off for a little alone time and maybe connect on a Bear or one of this Whitetail Bucks that were ritually coming out.
Sepp dropped me off at the end of the road and wished me luck. I walked to the same spot Geoff called the 3 Bulls the first night then down the fence line . I set my Montana Cow decoy up in a low spot but visible to anything coming out except other hunters...It seemed to be getting dark very early when i realized i was still wearing my prescription sunglasses dang it.... Like Clockwork the Bucks started to emerge but without proper vision i couldn't decide if the biggest was worthy of trying to shoot. I also didn't want to make a bad shot so i watched them through my binos. as best i could and enjoyed the moment. A couple Cow Elk came for a visit but when they got close enough to wind me they of course turned around and headed back from where they came. Between elk calls and the decoy which is like a magnet to them.
I walked back in the dark fulfilled with my evening sit to a great meal and great company ..Tomorrow was Elk Hunting day again...this time for Pop's.

Oh remember at the beginning of this thread i spoke about a shed that Sepp found. Well its possible it may have mysteriously attached itself to the broken beam .....Sepp does not know about this bizarre thing happening but when he comes back in November i bet he finds out ....

https://i.imgur.com/Amc2cWv.jpg

[Springer]

I wonder how this story ends.... Is it possible there will be a third Bull killed to add to the mix. No way not 3 Bulls in 4 days... Besides the coolers were full where would we put the meat.....hmmm

[IronNoggin]

LOL! Left Hanging...

[Springer]

Okay where was I , Oh yeah its my turn....
It had been another great night in camp, Elk tenderloin, Good Company and good stories. I was Happy and so relieved that the Fellas had closed their tags . The pressure was off. We could find a Whitetail for them maybe ....But oh no their revved up to try for another Elk....I was already Content and i normally am used to coming home empty handed...The echoes of Geoffs Bull still were in my head and i thought hmm, You never know it could possibly happen...

I always have the coffee pot set on the burner the night before and my alarm set 20 minutes before i intend to get up. The buzzer went off on my phone , I had a Great sleep due to the generator running all night and my cpap machine keeping me from snoring. The coffee was lit and i hopped back in the fart sack for another few minutes of sleep.... Well i wasnt going back to sleep with the thought of putting another set of antlers on the wall. I got up and whipped up another breakfast for us and we enjoyed a Baileys and coffee with it...
Sepp said he would hang out in camp today but drop us off at the access gate and keep i

his cell phone near by for the possible message " Need Help Got a Flat Tire"...code for Game down.In the darkness we headed for a different spot a little further down the river valley and try our Luck..It was the third week of Sept we were sure to hear some bugles. All was quiet and the sun rose like it always did but nothing but birds singing and Range Cows wanting to follow us around ...
Again it was the most incredible views of the Valley so we burned some boot leather doing some exploring. still nothing. The odd jet boat drifting the river with the same hopes as me. They may have had better luck if they shut their motors off while using their thunder bugles....We sat on the river valley ridge just taking it in listening for rifle shots but nothing....

https://i.imgur.com/H3w86u4.jpg

[Springer]

Geoff lets out a Bugle and we think we get a reply but we don't push it and overdo it. He says you know that sounds further down the valley , like where Sepp shot his. We put our packs on and headed North. Up and down the steep banks and through steep bush. I spot a cow heading up the river bank so we make our way that way maybe a lead Cow ??? but we only saw the one. We take another break and have a drink of water and a snack. we watch another river boat drift on By blowing his horn.....a few minutes pass and we hear a bugle in bottom, Man i wish those river boaters we give it a break....Geoff says that Boat is long gone , I think that was the real thing. It's 12:30 , middle of the day Geoff Bugles and so does the Bull somewhere in the Bottom. They play back and forth with each other . We get to the crest of the river bank and can hear him somewhere below us in the thick Bush.We park our asses behind some small bushes and wait for him to make the next move . Geoff spots movement and picks him out. I say he better be decent because im not packing a Dink Bull up this River bank man....
Ok i can see movement now and he gets into an opening enough to see parts of His muddy body, You could tell he had been wallowing in his Rut Craze. Okay he's moving into a small clearing and i see he's a tight 6x6... Yes my mind is made up and i take the safety off the Ol 270 . Patience Phil we have all day. My heart is thumping i can see a clear path straight downhill to his shoulder and tell Geoff to plus his ears .....Kapow. This Bull absolutely drops on the spot and does not even flinch.
I am stunned and Geoff Grins . We absorb the moment and then try to devise a plan on getting to the bottom safely. I send a message to Sepp with a Pinpoint " Need help got a Flat tire"...
We put our packs on and zigzagged down to the bottom taking the long way but safe way... We encounter a Wallow that has seen a lot of traffic ... we each decide to split up and find a Game trail and see if we can find him...

Its been 15 mins and Geoff hasn't found him and neither have I . Im baffled and i look way up to the ridge trying to figure out where i shot from and i tell myself you have gone way to far.... With a tear in my eye i say Dad , I need a hand help me out please...then that spiritual voice says just go another 30 yds up on that crest of the hill the trail leads right up there.....No way Dad im to far , Trust me son , follow the trail its not far now.
Ok lets do this , I get to the crest and I can smell him, the ground is pawed up in a 6 foot circle and the large poplars totally raked by antlers , I look to the left and there he lays , surrounded by willows and thorny Rose Bushes ....No Way
I look up to the sky and say Thanks Dad i know your still there for me . must have got an eyelash in my again as i get some tears again. I call out to Geoff and in a couple minutes he shows up with a 4 point Muley shed. His Big grin was priceless.

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We prep the area and cut the bushes down so we can work on what looks like a European stag with its small tight rack. Its not 50 mins when here comes Athlete number 2 with a Big smile, some Cold pop and some snacks....He gives us a hard time about not having this brute cut up yet... I do what i can while these boys start the gutless method and before long the deboned meat is in cheesecloth bags and into our packs. somehow we got it all stuffed in and i also have the Head and antlers on my shoulders. Im still blown away how professional these guys are with a knife .. They leave me in the dust but somehow i got to the top and took another look behind me from where we started and where we ended up killing him now were back up top the ridge.

https://i.imgur.com/6v1Mvhr.jpg

[Springer]

Before long were back to the truck and we crack a Cold one. Meat is loaded and we head back for camp..

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Back in camp we realize theres no more room in the Coolers and we said we would figure it out if we got another one. It was supposed to get down to +2 so we hung the meat on the meat pole for the evening.
We enjoyed another feast at the trailer and relived the success. We could have hunted Whitetails for a couple more days but where would we stuff them...
The road hunters that were camped where the Elk come into the fields continually drove by rubber necking our camp to see if we got anything. So with some chuckles we put the racks and the deadhead in the box of the truck and backed it closer to the road to rub it in...We had killed 3 Bulls behind their camp all within about 1 km of each other. What a sweet feeling especially looking back that i almost threw in the towel but all my Hunting pals encouraged me to keep going and Don't Give up. man I Love all of those guys and their support.
I also want to Thank geoff for pushing me Hard and further , He honestly is my Coach when it comes to these rewarding Hunts and i give him credit for " The Alberta Elk Overload"..

https://i.imgur.com/QdGyuXZ.jpg

See you soon Fellas as Theres many hunts to do together ...

I also want to Thank Sepp for being with me very step of the way on our Caribou Hunt last year , You worked your ass of for me my Friend and i will always feel indebted to you..

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Cheers.

[j270wsm]

Awesome write up of a great trip. Sorry for your loss.

[IronNoggin]

Well worth the wait Buddy!
One fine tale, and a rather cool spin with your Pa reaching out to you to guide you to that elk!
He'll always be along your side Phil, especially so when enjoying what it is we do.

Many Thanks for the share!
Matt

[fuzzybiscuit]

Thanks for the story and pics Springer. What a fantastic hunt!

[Walking Buffalo]

HBC, where I get my dose of Alberta hunting stories! :mrgreen:

And a good reminder to listen to our inner voices.

Great story Phil, thank for sharing.

[Springer]

Thanks Dale. Yes Message boards aren't as active as they once were. With Social media and Facebook and Instagram theres less action here . Those ways of sharing are Easier and fast to send an Instant photo..
Whether there are those that are spiritual or not , This trip was one like i never experienced. The couple " Shiny Coins" i found were also a sign for for me. Believer or not .
I reflected not so much on the Loss but being thankful for the memories of my Father and the times we shared together. We never stop learning as we get more Birthdays under our belt.

[Leaseman]

Great read and pictures Phil!

Thanks for sharing! :cool:

[Springer]

Thanks Mike. I took my Dads brother out yesterday and Got him a Grain fed Moose. Tomorrow were looking for an Elk for my son. He wasn't with us yesterday due to his crazy seasonal work schedule , But hope we can find another for him Tomorrow or by the end of this Month....Will post pics if we get one..

https://i.imgur.com/TlzBjHG.jpg

Cheers.

[srupp]

Just leave the cowboy boots off the list of footwear for hunting and fishing..lol
Great adventure buddy..thanks for bringing us along..
Cheers
Steven

[Springer]

Thanks Steve. Actually the only thing i asked for were that particular pair of Cowboy boots...
A couple more add ons to the Alberta Adventures. My friend Deb Mcdougall got a Nice Bull Moose with a little help from a Friend , You met her and her husband briefly years ago i think.
Also Linkins Birthday party was the Alberta Youth pheasant Hunt..

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[srupp]

Well done Phil...nice bull..and lots of fly tying material..happy birthday L.
Cheers
Steven Susan Ebony

[Springer]

I did a couple Capes for my Granddaughters and the others will get used on the Bumpers for training with Stash the "Wonder Springer".

[Springer]

Well the Hunting Adventures continued.....Yes its over and maybe even a guy can enjoy some sleep-ins now.
We never connected on Aarons Elk locally but had fun trying.....Whenevr we could find a small herd and get them cornered it was on land that did not allow Hunting. They get a lot of pressure so i understand why.

Anyway Blaze and i planned a 6 day trip of Hunt'n and Kill'n. We planned on doing 2 days on the Eastern edge of Alberta / Sask border . Steve R you may recognize the background. By the end of day 1 we killed a couple small Bucks then headed through the night to the Hog Ranch...

https://i.imgur.com/SqG4YRM.jpg


https://i.imgur.com/ykG5b0Q.jpg

[Springer]

We headed to a friends Hog Ranch that is a half section of property with lots of cover and places for them to hide. There was a couple Bull Elk in here apparently as well but we never did see them , only their tracks. They also have a few deer inside the high fence. We took our archery tackle with us on this hunt to make it more challenging .
A couple things we learned is , Holy smokes are Hogs destructive to the area they live in , We both did complete pass throughs on our Hogs and that never killed them right away so they were fed another broached each. The Ranch at Twin creeks has 3 cabins included that are provided for your stay as well. They also had a walk in cooler to hang our Piggies. We will return with small group again to do this.
I wanted a Hog to mix with my Wild game so it was half the reason we went.

https://i.imgur.com/Tia75gW.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/FabvqCM.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/oBCL1Or.jpg

[Springer]

We got our Hogs shot and skinned then permission to stay at the Ranch with a Cabin while we looked for Whitetails in an area my brother lives. Its on the fringe of farm and forest land . Blaze was looking for a wall hanger , i was looking to fill a tag , but not with a complete dink. He passed up the one i shot and ended up going home empty handed . Lots of smaller Bucks on this trip were given a pass. The snow was knee deep so the stalk and retrieval with the calf sled was a pile of work but very rewarding...

https://i.imgur.com/vmoHVpv.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/dtMWoFl.jpg

[Springer]

The Truck was definitely loaded Heavy again for the ride home. We got some Thumbs up and thumbs down on the long drive home.....Now to get em all cut up and in the freezer. My Hog is done and i can't wait to try it....

https://i.imgur.com/wHdsKUF.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/EOryuNd.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/566OMtX.jpg

I am grateful for the freedom the Outdoors provides , especially during this Covid Pandemic. I am also grateful for the opportunities out there to be able to partake in a variety of Hunts provided in the Canadian Provinces.

Cheers.

[IslandWanderer]

That's awesome! Looks like a productive trip. In future you might want to have a deer sitting in a lawnchair in the bed so it looks like it's just going for a ride.

Edit: to be clear I'm supportive of you not hiding your deer. If someone doesn't like it they can take a hike.

[Springer]

Ha Ha , Good tip Islandwanderer.. We had the coolers along to put quarters of meat in but the temperatures were perfect for keeping them whole , so we stuffed duffel bags etc into them.

[kennyj]

Thanks for sharing your hunting adventures and photos.
What a great season!!
kenny

[daniel73]

Nicely composed article. welldone

[Linksman313]

Thats some good looking Alberta Chuck