Phil
11-05-2007, 10:11 PM
On Halloween night Direct Hit (Dave) and I left Langley to embark on our LEH moose hunt. We headed for region five in hope of getting an early start on opening morning. All was going as planned until the cut we were hunting was quickly set ablaze by a logging company to burn down the slash piles. This sent us packing in a hurry to great distances to avoid the smoke and soot and in search of new hunting grounds. Fortunately, our pre-season scouting had left us with a number of other options.
Dave was quickly on tracks in the snow and pursued them until exhaustion. I wasn't so lucky but persisted with the search until dark. Our journeys that day took us miles away from camp and provided the same outcome as all of the other hunters we met up with. NOTHING.
That evening we re-strategized and decided that to cover more ground we would go in opposite directions to check remote areas. Luck was on my side that morning but it would take a few hours to show itself. My plan "A" was a flop, so without wasting any time I was off to plan "B". I never made it to plan B as my attention was diverted by a relatively flat green cut that looked promising.
As I parked my ATV I noticed another hunter trying to stay out of my sight in the trees. He was busted and came out to chat. He told me that he had seen moose tracks from last night in the trees but had not pursued them as he was after a doe.
Reluctantly I had a look for myself and was quickly overtaken with the remoteness of this little hideaway. I carried on along a fence that stopped the hunter I ran into. The cut appeared flat from the edge but held many small draws that rolled into one another. I followed a trail for almost an hour over a creek and up and down a few short hills.
As I stepped around a corner looking above me for moose checking their back trail........... there he was 70 yards away. He was hard to miss as his brown coat stood out so obviously from his surroundings.
I popped open the scope, pulled the hammer on my 325 BLR and laid him out in his bed. Another shot to keep him down and a third in the neck to finish him off. The 200 grain polycarbonite tip winchesters broke his sholder and punctured his chest.
Upon inspection I counted him to be a 6x7 measuring 33 inches. Not a monster rack by any means but a memorable hunt none the less.
I attempted to retrieve Dave for help but could only find his tracks trailing deep into the bush. The snow was beginning to fly again so I went to take care of the bull on my own. Dave found a note I had left in a frozen puddle beside his tracks that said "Moose down". We were fortunate to meet at camp as I was preparing to leave on my own to retrieve the moose.
The next nine hours were dedicated to hauling the bull out of the bush but not without celebrating with an appropriately named Moose Head beer. We toasted to the moose and ate a late lunch.
http://s160.photobucket.com/albums/t169/mbspr/?action=view¤t=IMG_0576.jpg
http://s160.photobucket.com/albums/t169/mbspr/?action=view¤t=IMG_0566.jpg
http://s160.photobucket.com/albums/t169/mbspr/?action=view¤t=IMG_0590.jpg
We decided to look for a different route out as crossing the creek didn't look safe with the weight of the bull behind Dave's quad. During the search we were astonished by the untouched terrain. It looked like the land before time.
Around a bend we found three moose, a cow, calf and a 4x4 bull. Despite the setting sun, being somewhat lost and having a full load, the decision was made to drop him. We had now filled both of our tags. Dave and I immediately gutted him and went on our way back to camp with the first moose.
http://s160.photobucket.com/albums/t169/mbspr/?action=view¤t=IMG_0599.jpg
We cut through a ranch and came out onto the Hwy. It was now dark and we had no choice to drag our first kill on the trailer 25km over paved roads to get back to camp. After a quick dinner we were back on the road with the truck and equipment to quarter and pack out the second moose.
By 1:30am that morning our heads were on the pillow only to wake up early and finish what we had started the night before. All of the meat still had to hung and skinned. It was the first moose either of had to deal with and it hit home how much work was involved. We concluded that moose camp requires more than two individuals to get the job done without causing over exertion. This hunt was the type that separated the men from the boys.
http://s160.photobucket.com/albums/t169/mbspr/?action=view¤t=IMG_0603.jpg
Dave and I feel that the success of this hunt was due to being well prepared in several ways. Pre season scouting was number one on the list. A close second was networking with other hunters and people in the area for animal sightings. Third was the willingness to go further into the bush than many other hunters could be bothered. Fourth was having the necessary equipment ready and tested well in advance. Last of all we were physically and mentally prepared for the grunt work.
This hunt ranks amongst the most exciting and memorable ever.
Dave was quickly on tracks in the snow and pursued them until exhaustion. I wasn't so lucky but persisted with the search until dark. Our journeys that day took us miles away from camp and provided the same outcome as all of the other hunters we met up with. NOTHING.
That evening we re-strategized and decided that to cover more ground we would go in opposite directions to check remote areas. Luck was on my side that morning but it would take a few hours to show itself. My plan "A" was a flop, so without wasting any time I was off to plan "B". I never made it to plan B as my attention was diverted by a relatively flat green cut that looked promising.
As I parked my ATV I noticed another hunter trying to stay out of my sight in the trees. He was busted and came out to chat. He told me that he had seen moose tracks from last night in the trees but had not pursued them as he was after a doe.
Reluctantly I had a look for myself and was quickly overtaken with the remoteness of this little hideaway. I carried on along a fence that stopped the hunter I ran into. The cut appeared flat from the edge but held many small draws that rolled into one another. I followed a trail for almost an hour over a creek and up and down a few short hills.
As I stepped around a corner looking above me for moose checking their back trail........... there he was 70 yards away. He was hard to miss as his brown coat stood out so obviously from his surroundings.
I popped open the scope, pulled the hammer on my 325 BLR and laid him out in his bed. Another shot to keep him down and a third in the neck to finish him off. The 200 grain polycarbonite tip winchesters broke his sholder and punctured his chest.
Upon inspection I counted him to be a 6x7 measuring 33 inches. Not a monster rack by any means but a memorable hunt none the less.
I attempted to retrieve Dave for help but could only find his tracks trailing deep into the bush. The snow was beginning to fly again so I went to take care of the bull on my own. Dave found a note I had left in a frozen puddle beside his tracks that said "Moose down". We were fortunate to meet at camp as I was preparing to leave on my own to retrieve the moose.
The next nine hours were dedicated to hauling the bull out of the bush but not without celebrating with an appropriately named Moose Head beer. We toasted to the moose and ate a late lunch.
http://s160.photobucket.com/albums/t169/mbspr/?action=view¤t=IMG_0576.jpg
http://s160.photobucket.com/albums/t169/mbspr/?action=view¤t=IMG_0566.jpg
http://s160.photobucket.com/albums/t169/mbspr/?action=view¤t=IMG_0590.jpg
We decided to look for a different route out as crossing the creek didn't look safe with the weight of the bull behind Dave's quad. During the search we were astonished by the untouched terrain. It looked like the land before time.
Around a bend we found three moose, a cow, calf and a 4x4 bull. Despite the setting sun, being somewhat lost and having a full load, the decision was made to drop him. We had now filled both of our tags. Dave and I immediately gutted him and went on our way back to camp with the first moose.
http://s160.photobucket.com/albums/t169/mbspr/?action=view¤t=IMG_0599.jpg
We cut through a ranch and came out onto the Hwy. It was now dark and we had no choice to drag our first kill on the trailer 25km over paved roads to get back to camp. After a quick dinner we were back on the road with the truck and equipment to quarter and pack out the second moose.
By 1:30am that morning our heads were on the pillow only to wake up early and finish what we had started the night before. All of the meat still had to hung and skinned. It was the first moose either of had to deal with and it hit home how much work was involved. We concluded that moose camp requires more than two individuals to get the job done without causing over exertion. This hunt was the type that separated the men from the boys.
http://s160.photobucket.com/albums/t169/mbspr/?action=view¤t=IMG_0603.jpg
Dave and I feel that the success of this hunt was due to being well prepared in several ways. Pre season scouting was number one on the list. A close second was networking with other hunters and people in the area for animal sightings. Third was the willingness to go further into the bush than many other hunters could be bothered. Fourth was having the necessary equipment ready and tested well in advance. Last of all we were physically and mentally prepared for the grunt work.
This hunt ranks amongst the most exciting and memorable ever.