bridger
01-18-2009, 02:45 PM
Letter to Rocky (or how not to hunt Buffalo)
Well, Rocky we sure missed you on the buffalo hunt; sorry you couldn’t make it as the trip was full of adventure. As promised I take pen in hand and forward a full report.
It seemed so easy at first when Gerry and Troy drew buffalo tags for the November hunt. “Won’t be nothin’ to it at all,” I told them when they asked me to go along and give them a hand a finding a buffalo. “I’ve seen lots of buffalo along the Sikanni during moose season probably be back in town for supper the first day,” I went on.
We left town in high spirits and in addition to the three of us we were joined by another good friend Rick. We planned on using snow machines as this was mid November and we expected lots of snow.
When we got to the trail head we were surprised at how little snow there was on the ground. “Going to be tough sledding,” Rick said, looking at all the patches of bare ground showing. “That’s for sure,” I said, “we will just have to make the best of it and go slow.”
We left camp at first light filled with enthusiasm. There was so little snow it soon became obvious that we weren’t going to get back where I had planned to hunt. I was wondering what do to when I remembered a large flat across the Sikanni River that usually held buffalo. Expecting the river to be frozen and easy to cross, we were surprised to find that the river had a 75 foot strip in the middle that was open and running.
“Damn,” I said, “we aren’t going to be able to cross.” “Oh yes we can,” says Rick, “we can cross that little bit of open water easy as pie.”
“How we going to do that?” I asked skeptically. “Nothing to it at all,” says Rick. “Just get back about fifty yards and pin her.” “Your machine will bounce across that open water like nothin, just remember to keep your ski tips up so they clear the ice on the other side.”
Rick could see I had my doubts so he said,” watch this.” He fired up his machine (a 600 Summit and much larger than mine) and hit the shore ice full out and sure enough bounced right across to the other side then turned around and came back. I was amazed!
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/rick_crossing_river1.jpg
Gerry and Troy thought that was a great idea and soon all three were across the river urging me on.
Now, Rocky, you know I have had little experience with snow machines. Don’t own one in fact. For this trip I had rented a small single cylinder Tundra which I was assured “will work out just fine.”
After watching Rick, Gerry, and Troy cross the river I sat on my machine thinking “I am the biggest guy here on the smallest machine, I’ve never done anything like this before, do I really want to do this?” But Rocky, I knew if I didn’t I would never hear the end of it. I could just hear Rick and Troy “the old guy couldn’t cut it”, “time to stay home with the women and children.” On the other hand if I did try it I might end up in Beaufort Sea. However, it did look like fun and so thinking what the hell I wound that Tundra up and hit the ice full speed, my teeth were clenched, my hair straight back, and I had a death grip on the throttle. Shooting across the ice full speed I hit the open water remembering Rick’s advice “sit back and keep your ski tips up.
What a rush that was Rocky; there I was flying across open water on a skidoo. “Wow was that fun or what?” For the first few feet I actually thought I was going to make it. Then the horizon started to lower, then water started coming over the hood, then my skidoo sank. Then there I was floating down the river. Talk about cold! I looked at the opposite shore. Rick and Gerry were doubled over in laughter, Troy was running around in a circle yelling “He is gonna drown, He gonna drown!” I managed to side stroke and the current carried me close enough to the bank that I could grab onto the shore ice. I pulled myself partially out of the water resting on my elbows and yelled to Troy” give me something to grab on to.” “Here grab this,” he said excitedly. I looked up and the business end of Troy’s .300 mag was about an inch from my nose. “Never mind,” I said and managed to pull myself out of water and onto the ice.
Rick and Gerry now were by my side helping me up. As funny as it was we all knew it was serious as the temperature was about -15 and I was soaking wet. We hurried over to a stand of spruce and quickly got a large fire going. Gerry fortunately had both a space blanket and a wool blanket in his pack. I got out of my wet clothes and wrapped up in the blankets. As my feet were really cold I put my boots on. I hung my clothes next to the fire and was pleased to find that Gerry also had some over proof rum in his pack as well. After a few minutes Rick, Gerry, and Troy set about trying to retrieve my skidoo while I warmed up by the fire. Sitting by the fire chilled to the bone I eyed that over proof rum bottle. After a couple of straight pulls I began to feel better and watched as the guys tried to figure out how to get my rented machine out of six feet of water.
I became so relaxed with watching and having a few more shots of rum I failed to notice that one leg of my new $200 skidoo suit was burned off. About the same time I felt my feet getting hot. Rocky as God is my witness I never thought my feet would get so cold that I could burn the soles off my new $250 skidoo boots and not feel a thing. At this point Rocky I had to admit things were not going well. My rented skidoo was under six feet of water, my new skidoo suit was ruined, the soles burned off my new boots and I hadn’t even seen a buffalo. This buffalo hunt wasn’t shaping up real good.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/sikanni_bridge.jpg
Before long the guys using a long pole and a rope had hooked Rick’s machine to my skidoo and pulled it out of the river and on to the shore. They immediately dumped the gas tank and took the spark plug out and purged the water out of the engine to keep the engine and gas tank from freezing solid. In minutes my skidoo was covered with ice and looked like a big yellow ice cube.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/sunk_skidoo.jpg
Darkness was approaching and it was time to get back across the river and head back to camp. Only question was how? I didn’t make it across with a machine and now I didn’t have one. “No problem,” says Rick, “double up with me my machine will get us both across.” ‘I tell you,” Rocky, “I really didn’t want to try that again but I had no choice. We crossed without anymore excitement and were soon back at the lodge.
When we got back to camp we found another of our good friends Adam had arrived to join us. Throughout the night we discussed a plan to 1) get my machine started and back across the river and 2) to find a couple of buffalo. Adam said,” If we build a bridge we can get your machine back on this side provided we can get it started.” “How are going to build a bridge across 75 feet of open water?” I asked noting that the rum bottle was almost empty. “We can take my power saw and cut down some good sized spruce trees run them across the open water then fill them in with small trees and we can get across easy.” “Be best to find a place with less open water though,” he explained. The next morning we found a suitable site just upstream and did get a tenuous bridge built Just as we finished a couple of other guys showed up on quads. “What are you doing,” one of them asked? “We built this bridge to get our machines across the river,” I said somewhat smugly. “I hope your affairs are in order,” he said as they turned to go.
Well Rocky I can report that we crossed the river more or less holding our breath but we made it ok.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/troys_buffalo.jpg
Getting my machine started turned out to be easier than we thought. We spent the day hunting and Troy got a buffalo late in the afternoon. Getting the machines back across the bridge with the buffalo quarters was interesting, but successful.
‘I can tell you straight out Rocky my next buffalo hunt will be on the back of a good mountain horse. A man can get in serious difficulty trying to cross a river on a snow machine.
Signed your friend,
Bridger
Well, Rocky we sure missed you on the buffalo hunt; sorry you couldn’t make it as the trip was full of adventure. As promised I take pen in hand and forward a full report.
It seemed so easy at first when Gerry and Troy drew buffalo tags for the November hunt. “Won’t be nothin’ to it at all,” I told them when they asked me to go along and give them a hand a finding a buffalo. “I’ve seen lots of buffalo along the Sikanni during moose season probably be back in town for supper the first day,” I went on.
We left town in high spirits and in addition to the three of us we were joined by another good friend Rick. We planned on using snow machines as this was mid November and we expected lots of snow.
When we got to the trail head we were surprised at how little snow there was on the ground. “Going to be tough sledding,” Rick said, looking at all the patches of bare ground showing. “That’s for sure,” I said, “we will just have to make the best of it and go slow.”
We left camp at first light filled with enthusiasm. There was so little snow it soon became obvious that we weren’t going to get back where I had planned to hunt. I was wondering what do to when I remembered a large flat across the Sikanni River that usually held buffalo. Expecting the river to be frozen and easy to cross, we were surprised to find that the river had a 75 foot strip in the middle that was open and running.
“Damn,” I said, “we aren’t going to be able to cross.” “Oh yes we can,” says Rick, “we can cross that little bit of open water easy as pie.”
“How we going to do that?” I asked skeptically. “Nothing to it at all,” says Rick. “Just get back about fifty yards and pin her.” “Your machine will bounce across that open water like nothin, just remember to keep your ski tips up so they clear the ice on the other side.”
Rick could see I had my doubts so he said,” watch this.” He fired up his machine (a 600 Summit and much larger than mine) and hit the shore ice full out and sure enough bounced right across to the other side then turned around and came back. I was amazed!
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/rick_crossing_river1.jpg
Gerry and Troy thought that was a great idea and soon all three were across the river urging me on.
Now, Rocky, you know I have had little experience with snow machines. Don’t own one in fact. For this trip I had rented a small single cylinder Tundra which I was assured “will work out just fine.”
After watching Rick, Gerry, and Troy cross the river I sat on my machine thinking “I am the biggest guy here on the smallest machine, I’ve never done anything like this before, do I really want to do this?” But Rocky, I knew if I didn’t I would never hear the end of it. I could just hear Rick and Troy “the old guy couldn’t cut it”, “time to stay home with the women and children.” On the other hand if I did try it I might end up in Beaufort Sea. However, it did look like fun and so thinking what the hell I wound that Tundra up and hit the ice full speed, my teeth were clenched, my hair straight back, and I had a death grip on the throttle. Shooting across the ice full speed I hit the open water remembering Rick’s advice “sit back and keep your ski tips up.
What a rush that was Rocky; there I was flying across open water on a skidoo. “Wow was that fun or what?” For the first few feet I actually thought I was going to make it. Then the horizon started to lower, then water started coming over the hood, then my skidoo sank. Then there I was floating down the river. Talk about cold! I looked at the opposite shore. Rick and Gerry were doubled over in laughter, Troy was running around in a circle yelling “He is gonna drown, He gonna drown!” I managed to side stroke and the current carried me close enough to the bank that I could grab onto the shore ice. I pulled myself partially out of the water resting on my elbows and yelled to Troy” give me something to grab on to.” “Here grab this,” he said excitedly. I looked up and the business end of Troy’s .300 mag was about an inch from my nose. “Never mind,” I said and managed to pull myself out of water and onto the ice.
Rick and Gerry now were by my side helping me up. As funny as it was we all knew it was serious as the temperature was about -15 and I was soaking wet. We hurried over to a stand of spruce and quickly got a large fire going. Gerry fortunately had both a space blanket and a wool blanket in his pack. I got out of my wet clothes and wrapped up in the blankets. As my feet were really cold I put my boots on. I hung my clothes next to the fire and was pleased to find that Gerry also had some over proof rum in his pack as well. After a few minutes Rick, Gerry, and Troy set about trying to retrieve my skidoo while I warmed up by the fire. Sitting by the fire chilled to the bone I eyed that over proof rum bottle. After a couple of straight pulls I began to feel better and watched as the guys tried to figure out how to get my rented machine out of six feet of water.
I became so relaxed with watching and having a few more shots of rum I failed to notice that one leg of my new $200 skidoo suit was burned off. About the same time I felt my feet getting hot. Rocky as God is my witness I never thought my feet would get so cold that I could burn the soles off my new $250 skidoo boots and not feel a thing. At this point Rocky I had to admit things were not going well. My rented skidoo was under six feet of water, my new skidoo suit was ruined, the soles burned off my new boots and I hadn’t even seen a buffalo. This buffalo hunt wasn’t shaping up real good.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/sikanni_bridge.jpg
Before long the guys using a long pole and a rope had hooked Rick’s machine to my skidoo and pulled it out of the river and on to the shore. They immediately dumped the gas tank and took the spark plug out and purged the water out of the engine to keep the engine and gas tank from freezing solid. In minutes my skidoo was covered with ice and looked like a big yellow ice cube.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/sunk_skidoo.jpg
Darkness was approaching and it was time to get back across the river and head back to camp. Only question was how? I didn’t make it across with a machine and now I didn’t have one. “No problem,” says Rick, “double up with me my machine will get us both across.” ‘I tell you,” Rocky, “I really didn’t want to try that again but I had no choice. We crossed without anymore excitement and were soon back at the lodge.
When we got back to camp we found another of our good friends Adam had arrived to join us. Throughout the night we discussed a plan to 1) get my machine started and back across the river and 2) to find a couple of buffalo. Adam said,” If we build a bridge we can get your machine back on this side provided we can get it started.” “How are going to build a bridge across 75 feet of open water?” I asked noting that the rum bottle was almost empty. “We can take my power saw and cut down some good sized spruce trees run them across the open water then fill them in with small trees and we can get across easy.” “Be best to find a place with less open water though,” he explained. The next morning we found a suitable site just upstream and did get a tenuous bridge built Just as we finished a couple of other guys showed up on quads. “What are you doing,” one of them asked? “We built this bridge to get our machines across the river,” I said somewhat smugly. “I hope your affairs are in order,” he said as they turned to go.
Well Rocky I can report that we crossed the river more or less holding our breath but we made it ok.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/troys_buffalo.jpg
Getting my machine started turned out to be easier than we thought. We spent the day hunting and Troy got a buffalo late in the afternoon. Getting the machines back across the bridge with the buffalo quarters was interesting, but successful.
‘I can tell you straight out Rocky my next buffalo hunt will be on the back of a good mountain horse. A man can get in serious difficulty trying to cross a river on a snow machine.
Signed your friend,
Bridger