Flinch
10-29-2008, 08:30 PM
Well, I am finally getting around to posting the story of this years trip north. Like several others, the flavour of the year was getting my dad out, and spending some quality time with him.
The other guys who usually make the trip couldn't make it this year, so it would be just dad and myself. He had never done a trip that far up north, or that involved before, so he was pretty excited. Fortunately he is retired, so he had plenty of time to organize all the gear and get things packed.
After 2 days of driving and setting up camp we were finally hunting, well at least quading around, showing dad some amazing country.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/2008_Summer_328.jpg
On the third day of hunting, we were quading up the trail to go hike into a side valley when a cow and bull caribou came out of the woodwork. The bull was no monster, but legal and I was only too happy to have dad put something on the ground. He did.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/2008_Summer_310.jpg
The next day we figured we would take it easy and do a bit more hunting from the quads or go for a cruise in the zodiac, but we did not get very far. We spotted a cow and calf moose from about 400m., so we closed the distance on foot. She started calling, and a bull started answering. Perfect, except it sounded to us like the bull was on the far side of the valley about a km away, and she was slowly starting to walk that direction.
We took off, still on foot, to a point another 400m up ahead that would give us a better view of the valley. We got there, but there was nothing in sight and the calling had stopped. Thinking the two had hooked up across the valley, I just called for a few minutes then gave up. It was probably -6 or -8 and we were dressed for quading not running. We were sweating up a storm. I suggested dad stay put while I walked back to get one of the quads.
Of course when I got back to where the cow and calf were originally, they were there with a decent bull. And of course dad had the gun because I wanted him to be the shooter! I was 400 yards from my gun and the same distance from dad and his gun, but about 75 m from the moose. I could see dad stripping off layers up the road, so I started waving like a madman trying to get his attention and not the attention of the moose.
After what felt like 3-4 minutes dad noticed me and started trotting my way. After covering about half the distance he realized that his shells were in one of the jackets he had taken off to cool down. He ran back for the ammo, but I was having a bird because the bull was coming up the bank towards me and was now only about 20 m away. All I could see were tips of his antlers. When dad finally arrived, the cow and calf were starting to move off and the bull started moving away too. He hit the open meadow, giving me the first confirmation that he was legal, and once again dad made good on an 80 m shot.
So much for taking it easy that day.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/2008_Summer_338.jpg
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/2008_Summer_361.jpg
cont.
The other guys who usually make the trip couldn't make it this year, so it would be just dad and myself. He had never done a trip that far up north, or that involved before, so he was pretty excited. Fortunately he is retired, so he had plenty of time to organize all the gear and get things packed.
After 2 days of driving and setting up camp we were finally hunting, well at least quading around, showing dad some amazing country.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/2008_Summer_328.jpg
On the third day of hunting, we were quading up the trail to go hike into a side valley when a cow and bull caribou came out of the woodwork. The bull was no monster, but legal and I was only too happy to have dad put something on the ground. He did.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/2008_Summer_310.jpg
The next day we figured we would take it easy and do a bit more hunting from the quads or go for a cruise in the zodiac, but we did not get very far. We spotted a cow and calf moose from about 400m., so we closed the distance on foot. She started calling, and a bull started answering. Perfect, except it sounded to us like the bull was on the far side of the valley about a km away, and she was slowly starting to walk that direction.
We took off, still on foot, to a point another 400m up ahead that would give us a better view of the valley. We got there, but there was nothing in sight and the calling had stopped. Thinking the two had hooked up across the valley, I just called for a few minutes then gave up. It was probably -6 or -8 and we were dressed for quading not running. We were sweating up a storm. I suggested dad stay put while I walked back to get one of the quads.
Of course when I got back to where the cow and calf were originally, they were there with a decent bull. And of course dad had the gun because I wanted him to be the shooter! I was 400 yards from my gun and the same distance from dad and his gun, but about 75 m from the moose. I could see dad stripping off layers up the road, so I started waving like a madman trying to get his attention and not the attention of the moose.
After what felt like 3-4 minutes dad noticed me and started trotting my way. After covering about half the distance he realized that his shells were in one of the jackets he had taken off to cool down. He ran back for the ammo, but I was having a bird because the bull was coming up the bank towards me and was now only about 20 m away. All I could see were tips of his antlers. When dad finally arrived, the cow and calf were starting to move off and the bull started moving away too. He hit the open meadow, giving me the first confirmation that he was legal, and once again dad made good on an 80 m shot.
So much for taking it easy that day.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/2008_Summer_338.jpg
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/2008_Summer_361.jpg
cont.