2007 Bison Hunt

[Caveman]

Day 1, Saturday November 3, Dad and I head north to Pink Mountain on my long awaited Bison draw in 7-57B. I had made contact with Jamie, JMac from Huntshoot, who offered me some maps from her draw three years ago. We called her and met for lunch in 150mile and had a great visit. A couple friends of hers that had also been there before were to be up there as well and could likely help if needed. Dad and I carried on our trek only to get into a nasty snow storm just north of Williams Lake which lasted well into our trip through the Pine Pass. We must have come across three dozen vehicles in the ditch. We spent the night in Chetwyn and the temp was a cool -6c, which was great because it wasn’t snowing any more.
Day 2, In the morning we headed out for Pink Mountain and the weather was perfect. Also through Jamie, I had made contact with a lady named Shelly who had a few cabins to rent. I had contacted her a couple months previous so believed everything was set up. Unfortunately when we arrived there was no cabin to be had. Needless to say I was not very impressed because I didn’t come prepared to camp out because I was to have this cabin rented. In her defense Shelly did give us a couple options. One being a cabin that someone had built down the road about a half click but we had no cooking supplies and dad wasn’t crazy about spending the night with a packrat or squirrel that had taken up residence. The second was an old trailer that had everything except an operational furnace and water. Anyways we decided to look at other facilities and then do some scouting for the afternoon, since my draw would open tomorrow. We found a nice little cabin at Sasquatch Crossing just north of Pink Mountain. It cost us a little more but it had everything, except the water froze up over night, but the managers more than made up for it when they invited us for supper on them and proceeded to get the lines thawed out.
Day 3, brought a full day of driving different roads looking for fresh sign, over what we had seen the day before. We ran into Dave and Dan, Jamie’s friends from Williams Lake and visited briefly and exchanged notes. No one had seen any fresh sign other than the droppings that we put them on from the previous morning or so. Unfortunately since we were not staying at Shelly’s this would be the last time we would run into them. At the end of day 3 we found some sign that a small herd of bison had spent some time along a side road leading to a well sight. Here, we ran into another pair of hunters. It turned out to be a member from HuntingBC and his son who also had a tag. WhiskeyJack and Brandon were also aware of the sign in the area so we decided to team up for a common goal. Because of cell service in the area it was easy to keep in touch. We all knew we were in the right area and it was just a matter of catching up with the herd, but this was not to be today.

[Caveman]

Day 4 brought some hope that we were close. We found a meadow with sign from that morning. The temperature was -13c and some of the droppings were showing no signs of freezing and they had spent several days in the area. Brandon had quaded up a skid trail with fresh tracks hoping to catch up with them and I walked through the meadow hoping I could catch them feeding in the meadow out of sight of the road or trails, neither which panned out. After a get together we decided that Brandon and I would walk into the meadow and try to figure where they might have gone. When we got to the bottom of the meadow we discovered that about four animals had headed toward another possible clearing. We decided to follow and walked and listened for a couple hours. We came to an opening along a small creek, which we had glassed the afternoon before from about a km away and were not quite sure what we were going to do now that it was getting to be later in the afternoon. I checked my GPS and we had traveled in on the tracks about 6.3km. through the trees, but knew we had a shorter way out from the spot we had glassed. A quick call to Brandon’s dad and we decided to carry on for a bit longer. As we carried on along the tracks, not more than three hundred yards from where we had made the call, I spotted a bison at about 75yds. I got Brandon’s attention and we waited for the animal to present a shot. He turned broadside and I squeezed one off just behind the right shoulder, behind the elbow from my 30.06. The bull stopped in his tracks and faced us. I crouched down and moved to my left to get a second shot. Brandon said to me that he had a shot and asked if I wanted him to help out. I said, “No, look for second one” Again I placed a shot right where the first one went. The bull turned away from us but didn’t go more than a couple steps. I could see a stream of blood pouring out of the bull but he wasn’t going down. I told Brandon that I was going to get an angle for a third. I moved over a few yards and the bull again presented a broadside shot, but this time I decide to go for the neck. I placed a shot just I front of the shoulder, in the neck and the big bull dropped in his tracks as is he had the carpet pulled from under him. He was dead before I could even walk up to him. I had never imagined how big one of these things were and now we had gone from the problem of finding one to a new problem of how we were going to get him out. We called again and told WhiskeyJack that we had a bull down but we were going to need some tools. We directed Jack to the skid trail we had glassed from and told him how to get to us. We started to field dress the bull with my knife and wait for a saw etc. I’ve done lots of Bull Moose and they are relatively easy compared to one of these. That evening we managed to get him dressed, skinned around the hinds and rib cage opened. I left a shirt hanging in a tree for the night and we started to walk the 3.5km out to where we had Whiskey Jack park and started to plan the rest of the removal for tomorrow.
Day 5. The following day about 10am we broke trail into where the bull lay in the -13c temp and continued on the work of skinning and quartering. We took one trip with the quarters loaded on the quads and then the second to retrieve the hide, head and whatever meat we could remove from the ribs. It was 5pm before we had everything out to the road on the trucks. It was a full day, but worth every minute of it. One bull was down but another to go. We decided that I would put another day in with Brandon and Jack to try to help Brandon get his before dad and I headed home.
Day 6 Brandon and I spent the day after a light snowfall to find some fresh tracks, but to no avail. We quaded for miles on back roads and trails, walked several miles in the snow but not a fresh track to be found, but we did find another area that a herd had spent a lot of time. Unfortunately I had to head home the next day, but we had put a game plan into Brandon’s head for the next morning, but that will be a story that WhiskeyJack and Brandon will have to tell.
It had been a great hunt!! Thanks to all who helped out and the new friends I have made.
Pictures to follow guys but you will have to be patient

[mark]

Right on buddy, that should make up for the lack of moose meat this year! Now head out and whack a mulie!

[newhunterette]

Sounds so amazing - sounds very cold too - i look forward to the pictures - story of the trip was incredible - thank you

[Caveman]

Right on buddy, that should make up for the lack of moose meat this year! Now head out and whack a mulie!

Mark, I still put a couple hundred pounds of moose in the freezer as well, from my dads LEH in Oct. The wife doesn't think I need to be looking for a deer, but he'll be a wall hanger if I squeeze one off, trust me!!

[One Shot]

Thanks for the story, now we wait for your pics.

[hunter1947]

Good on you for getting a nice bull ,lots of meat for this year and next. Congratulations.:cool:

[Brambles]

Pictures to follow guys but you will have to be patient


What forum did you think you were posting this on, we arn't known for out patience, GIT THEM PICTURES NOW:biggrin:

[Caveman]

What forum did you think you were posting this on, we arn't known for out patience, GIT THEM PICTURES NOW:biggrin:
I know, I know!!! I had some camera issues and the pics are on the internal memory of the camera and the USB cord is at work. And as everything else it is not a regular USB cord. I'll stop in today and grab it if I can.

[gameslayer]

Way to go Caveman, Sounds like a good trip once you got your sleeping arrangments figured out. You better post them Pictures or start drawing a bison with 3 holes in it and a guy with a big friggin smile or I sense a ban coming. :wink:

[Caveman]

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c247/cavemn94/2007%20Bison%20Hunt/000_0020.jpg
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c247/cavemn94/2007%20Bison%20Hunt/000_0019.jpg
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c247/cavemn94/2007%20Bison%20Hunt/000_0023.jpg
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c247/cavemn94/2007%20Bison%20Hunt/000_0024.jpg

[Caveman]

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c247/cavemn94/2007%20Bison%20Hunt/000_0028.jpg
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c247/cavemn94/2007%20Bison%20Hunt/000_0015.jpg
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c247/cavemn94/2007%20Bison%20Hunt/000_0016.jpg

[WoodOx]

Picture issue again! I wonder if Marc could look into this problem? A little annoying, but oh well.

No pics no problem - them beasts often all look alike anyways. Congrats on the kill Greg - some fine eating!

[Sharkey]

Great story! Bison meat is VERY lean. Can't wait to see photos!
~D

[Caveman]

Try this link

http://s28.photobucket.com/albums/c247/cavemn94/2007%20Bison%20Hunt/

I'm not sure why I see them in the post, but the link should work.

[Sharkey]

WoW! Good job!
~D

[sako75]

Congradulation on a getting your bison looks like fun. I am leaving to go on my bison hunt it opens Nov 20 I am looking forword to it. Any words of wisdom would be appreciated.

[Caveman]

Congradulation on a getting your bison looks like fun. I am leaving to go on my bison hunt it opens Nov 20 I am looking forword to it. Any words of wisdom would be appreciated.
Where's your hunt? Maybe I can steer you right where to go.

[WoodOx]

Awesome dude - are you going to mount it?

Ive seen shoulder mounts done, has anyone ever seen a Bison done euro style with just the skull? (then tan the cape)

[stickbow]

Good Job Caveman

[Caveman]

Awesome dude - are you going to mount it?

Ive seen shoulder mounts done, has anyone ever seen a Bison done euro style with just the skull? (then tan the cape)

The euro mount and tanned hide for the recroom was where I was leaning, but my dad wants to see it mounted. So at this point it is still in the air. I have put in for this for sixteen years so it could be my last chance, who knows.

[ianwuzhere]

wicked- nice job!!
do u know how many bison draws are issued a year?

[WoodOx]

Im gunna look for a pic of a euro mounted one, ill post a link if I find it - I think it would look real cool.

[WoodOx]

http://www.gwskulls.com/assets/images/Bison.JPG

VS

http://www.macstaxidermy.com/BigGame/sh.bison.jpg

looks nice

[Caveman]

http://www.gwskulls.com/assets/images/Bison.JPG

looks nice
Thanks Andrew! That does look cool, but you're not making the decision any easier.

[Caveman]

wicked- nice job!!
do u know how many bison draws are issued a year?
I just checked......There were 297 draws released between 7-57a & 7-57b

[WoodOx]

Well I ran the two mounts by my girlfriend, and she says the euro one looks too much like a small texas long horn. Depends upon the look your goin for, definatley no mistaking what it is with a shoulder mount!

[Will]

Way to Go Greg ! Simply Awesome ! :p

Well worth the 16 year wait I'd bet......of course I'm sure you'd do it again tommorrow...well maybe after the back rests up abit anyways ;)

Big Congrats on the Hunt of a "Lifetime" ! :cool:

[GrizGuy92]

Nice job! I'd love to get a bison but I don't want a whole 1 maybe a quater lol

[Caveman]

Way to Go Greg ! Simply Awesome ! :p

Well worth the 16 year wait I'd bet......of course I'm sure you'd do it again tommorrow...well maybe after the back rests up abit anyways ;)

Big Congrats on the Hunt of a "Lifetime" ! :cool:
In a heart beat, Rick!! And yes the back does need a bit of rest. The good news that my partner that was out there with me was twenty years my junior, and I had not problems keeping up with him, maybe alittle the other way, eh Brandon :wink: At the very least he was as sore as I was when it was all over, but as my story eludes to, his work wasn't finished yet.

[Caveman]

Well,after talking to the taxidermist, I've decided this bull I'll do the euro mount and have the hide tanned for a rug for the hardwood in the recroom. $1200 bucks for the shoulder mount. If this was a trophy classed bull I'd go for it, but I think the rug will look great too. Tanning is not cheap either. $14.00 per sqft., so I may even be trimming it down a little because that's a pretty big hide.

[Scobo]

Now that is cool! Way to go Caveman!

[jimh]

Looks like you had fun. Bison was the only LEH I've ever got in twenty years so when I got my bull it was definately going on the wall. The back piece of hide that wasn't used for the shoulder mount was tanned and was 41 sq.ft. by itself. Eight years ago it was only $12.50 a ft but it does add up. LOL If you do get the whole hide tanned let me know how many sq ft it is . Very curious what it would have been if I had done that. Which ever way you decide to do it you can always tell yourself you'll do it the other way with your next bison tag. At least that's what I do.:biggrin:Jim

[Thunderstix]

Try this link

http://s28.photobucket.com/albums/c247/cavemn94/2007%20Bison%20Hunt/

I'm not sure why I see them in the post, but the link should work.

Very nice Buff! Looks very much like ours...cannot wait to eat it.

[Jelvis]

Man does time fly, it was like yesterday when Caveman was going hunting for his leh bison and now it's 2011 already where does time go?
Jel . ( Good memories from 2007 ) Bison on the horizon .......................... Where's Will gone?