Thunderstix
11-05-2007, 10:05 PM
Ok, it not only pains me to write this but also it embarasses me to a great extent. When I moved here I was so stoked as I was going to be the Hunting King, but alas I am only the Jester! I have hunted hard since Labour Day weekend with only some recurve shot grouse to show for it...although that was fun. I have wandered on foot for 92 kms on my GPS and I actually did not turn it on since mid October so I can assure you I am up to about 125 kms on foot. Spent the majority of my time on the Tetsa River. Ideally you need a quad or jetboat up here but you can still get an elk or moose without one but quite a bit harder. Truthfully, I guess it is only right that I pay my dues up here. I paid my dues back in Rupert and was rewarded with countless successful hunts, although ultimately all my hunts are successful...I am just hungrier after some of them, especially lately! I was booked to fly from Muncho lake with 5 friends into the Gatho River on September 20th, but as I am sure you saw on the news the twin otter crashed this summer thus cancelling our hunt. That little setback did not deter me as I never give up. So on goes my saga: I did see one 5 point elk (I hunted mostly with my 17 year old son), and had many encounters with moose with my bow which I would not trade for anything, except for the last encounter which was on Highway 77 (to the Northwest Territories) or the 317 as it is known around here due to the fact it is on 317 mile of the Alaska Highway. I found my self driving down it for the first time and decided after 20 mins to turn around and go back. I saw a dirt road and thought I would pull in and turn around there. Lo and behold there was a perfect 2x2 bull moose standing 70 yards down the steel gated dirt road. I backed out and parked about 150 yards up the highway, grabbed my recurve and ran back down, only to find the moose was now standing at the gate. I got to 25 yards and we had a stare down for about 1 minute or so. The whole time his kill zone was obscured by the 10`` dia steel gate piping. He ran off and I went to my truck trembling. The next day I found out you only have to be 15 meters off the center line on highway 77....DOH! Yep, I could have shot him with my old .375 H&H right where he stood....DOH again! I certainly had erred on the side of caution....the moral is make sure you read and reread the regs as you may get a pleasant or not so pleasant surprise.
Now, the real reason for this thread is my trip this past wekend to the Badheart area of Alberta. My friend Peter was my Hunter Host on his family property (don`t know the acreage but major). I saw 25 whitetail does and fawns on Saturday and some pretty substantial Mulie Bucks (draw only), but no Whitetail bucks. Went on Sunday morning, put a stalk on a herd of elk (we had one cow tag), but did not get one. Went to the next oat field and there was a whitetail buck in the middle. I snuck along the bush and then crawled the last 10 yards through prickle bushes in order to get a rest on a stump. He must have seen me at the last minute because he took off running. I missed the first shot but he dropped like a rock on my second shot. As I was walking towards him he jumped up and ran into the bush. I walked through to the other side, he popped out, I popped him and now I have meat and pictures. We paced it off to where he dropped the first time and it was 215 yards. It sure deceiving with the slight undulations of the field as we both thought it was maybe 130-150 yards at first. I did hit him far back as I did not lead him enough. Not sure I would attempt that shot again, and certainly not If it was that far again. Sorry to ramble but I just had to get that all out.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/Mike_s_Whitey1.jpg
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/Mike_s_Whitey.jpg
Now, the real reason for this thread is my trip this past wekend to the Badheart area of Alberta. My friend Peter was my Hunter Host on his family property (don`t know the acreage but major). I saw 25 whitetail does and fawns on Saturday and some pretty substantial Mulie Bucks (draw only), but no Whitetail bucks. Went on Sunday morning, put a stalk on a herd of elk (we had one cow tag), but did not get one. Went to the next oat field and there was a whitetail buck in the middle. I snuck along the bush and then crawled the last 10 yards through prickle bushes in order to get a rest on a stump. He must have seen me at the last minute because he took off running. I missed the first shot but he dropped like a rock on my second shot. As I was walking towards him he jumped up and ran into the bush. I walked through to the other side, he popped out, I popped him and now I have meat and pictures. We paced it off to where he dropped the first time and it was 215 yards. It sure deceiving with the slight undulations of the field as we both thought it was maybe 130-150 yards at first. I did hit him far back as I did not lead him enough. Not sure I would attempt that shot again, and certainly not If it was that far again. Sorry to ramble but I just had to get that all out.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/Mike_s_Whitey1.jpg
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/Mike_s_Whitey.jpg