SUAFOYT
02-01-2009, 10:39 PM
Let me first apologise to those that want field pics of animals like I do. It was -35 and nothing was operating- especially my hands.
We left on the 17th and the following 3 days the temp reached a high of +16C. Crazy! We saw no elk or sign of elk anywhere. Tomslake, Groundbirch, Sunset Prairie, and Taylor. The private land that we had reserved through the ministry had no sign at all and the one owner said he hadn't seen anything since October. We saw moose and lots of deer, mostly mulies and some nice bucks. Some of the moose had lost one side of their antlers and others still had both. The snow was not deep at all and the conventional wisdom up there was the natural forage was of real good quality and so no need for them to hit the hay bales. I believe that the gasfield activity has to have something to do with game patterns. The activity, no matter where we went and at what time was crazy busy. Trucks and equipment and noise non stop.
On the 23rd we decided to try around Chetwynd, Hudson's Hope and out through Charlie Lake. It was finally cooling off and it couldn't get anything but better as we still hadn't had a single elk sighting. On that day we saw 117 deer, 22 moose and finally at Bear Flats, elk. We counted 90 in various herds and they were all on the side hills in the sun. This private land thing is a nightmare IMO. You almost have to hunt with a land map, phone book and a cel phone. Then you have to make contact and make damn sure of the landowner's real intent even if you think they have given you permission. And the elk have to be patient as well. We made contact with 2 owners and got permission. By this time it's 2 pm and we are hanging in for the night bite. I go onto land that is on top of the side hills, and my wife and our youth hunter are on a different piece. I catch 2 moose bedded down in the brush so work away from them. I catch some movement and 60 yds away are 2 cow elk. They haven't seen or scented me but must have heard me as they just walked away. I had no shot as way too much brush in the way. At dark I'm picked up and I learn that our youth hunter has made a tactical error. He and my wife spotted 1 cow bedded on a hillside across a draw from them. 200 yard head shot. My wife tries to get him to work with her into some cover and see if there are any more and a better shot. Too many hormones and 15 years old. He tries the shot off hand and to no one's surprise but his he misses. Upon checking he discovers several other beds. Lesson learned.
We decide to come back at first light on the 24th and give it a last try as we have to leave that day for home. We figure if nothing by 11 am we're outta there. I start the truck in the AM and it's a balmy -38. By the time we get to Taylor it's -42 and the palm trees are out. We spot a small herd on a side hill where we have permission to hunt. My wife is 5'2" and decides she'll only hold us back so the youth and I start the stalk. It's as steep as a cow's face in spots and I'm carrying extra weight (my gut) and it's a slow process. Part way up we spook a moose that breaks uphill and that pushes the elk higher. After 1 1/2 hours we finally spot 2 elk right at the top. One is zoned on us so we stay to the downhill side of the draw and try to get closer. We get within maybe 200-250 yds and I tell the young guy to get to a rest and when he gives me a thumbs up to have a go. The small tree I was going to use as a rest was no good as brush in the way. I'm now on my belly crawling over the brow of the hill and have a shot at one. Matt misses his first shot as do I. His 2nd hits and this is the highest one. It starts cartwheeling down the slope and the others stampede downhill right toward us. Good thing. Another shot from me and the other one is down.
Matt's father arrives and after high fives starts the real work. Matt and I go all the way back to get a meat saw and some water as we're thirsty as hell. I thought I was going to die on the trip back up. I'm too old for this. After much grunting and cursing we have the animals quartered but now we have to get them all the way down to the highway. We drag them to the brow of a hill and start pushing them over. They go a little bit at a time and it takes forever to get them within 600 yards of the truck. At 7 pm and -35 we finally have to tarp them and give up. We have some frostbite setting in and my fingers and nose hurt like the devil. We're all completely spent.
We come back the next AM with a couple of loaned snowmobile toboggans and drag them up to where we had left the elk. 2 hours later they're in the truck and we're on our way home. We skinned them out at home and the meat is in real good shape. Don't know that I would like to do it again but anyone who says a private land elk hunt is a turkey shoot is full of it!
At the centre of this photo at the middle top you'll see a utility pole. The elk were at the clear patch at the top.
http://i438.photobucket.com/albums/qq108/suafoyt/IMG_0732.jpg
This is the gruesome 3some pushing the quarters over the hill.
http://i438.photobucket.com/albums/qq108/suafoyt/IMG_0736.jpg
Almost there- I'm the ugly brute in my favourite MEC fleece. I keep asking them to use me in their product catalogue but they always say no for some reason.
http://i438.photobucket.com/albums/qq108/suafoyt/IMG_0746.jpg
Self explanatory
http://i438.photobucket.com/albums/qq108/suafoyt/IMG_0729.jpg
http://i438.photobucket.com/albums/qq108/suafoyt/IMGP0040.jpg
Balmy weather at Charlie Lake
http://i438.photobucket.com/albums/qq108/suafoyt/th_MVI_0710.jpg (http://s438.photobucket.com/albums/qq108/suafoyt/?action=view¤t=MVI_0710.flv)
Over they go
http://i438.photobucket.com/albums/qq108/suafoyt/th_MVI_0738.jpg (http://s438.photobucket.com/albums/qq108/suafoyt/?action=view¤t=MVI_0738.flv)
Finall done
http://i438.photobucket.com/albums/qq108/suafoyt/th_MVI_0744.jpg (http://s438.photobucket.com/albums/qq108/suafoyt/?action=view¤t=MVI_0744.flv)
Hope this wasn't too wordy but informative. Cheers.
We left on the 17th and the following 3 days the temp reached a high of +16C. Crazy! We saw no elk or sign of elk anywhere. Tomslake, Groundbirch, Sunset Prairie, and Taylor. The private land that we had reserved through the ministry had no sign at all and the one owner said he hadn't seen anything since October. We saw moose and lots of deer, mostly mulies and some nice bucks. Some of the moose had lost one side of their antlers and others still had both. The snow was not deep at all and the conventional wisdom up there was the natural forage was of real good quality and so no need for them to hit the hay bales. I believe that the gasfield activity has to have something to do with game patterns. The activity, no matter where we went and at what time was crazy busy. Trucks and equipment and noise non stop.
On the 23rd we decided to try around Chetwynd, Hudson's Hope and out through Charlie Lake. It was finally cooling off and it couldn't get anything but better as we still hadn't had a single elk sighting. On that day we saw 117 deer, 22 moose and finally at Bear Flats, elk. We counted 90 in various herds and they were all on the side hills in the sun. This private land thing is a nightmare IMO. You almost have to hunt with a land map, phone book and a cel phone. Then you have to make contact and make damn sure of the landowner's real intent even if you think they have given you permission. And the elk have to be patient as well. We made contact with 2 owners and got permission. By this time it's 2 pm and we are hanging in for the night bite. I go onto land that is on top of the side hills, and my wife and our youth hunter are on a different piece. I catch 2 moose bedded down in the brush so work away from them. I catch some movement and 60 yds away are 2 cow elk. They haven't seen or scented me but must have heard me as they just walked away. I had no shot as way too much brush in the way. At dark I'm picked up and I learn that our youth hunter has made a tactical error. He and my wife spotted 1 cow bedded on a hillside across a draw from them. 200 yard head shot. My wife tries to get him to work with her into some cover and see if there are any more and a better shot. Too many hormones and 15 years old. He tries the shot off hand and to no one's surprise but his he misses. Upon checking he discovers several other beds. Lesson learned.
We decide to come back at first light on the 24th and give it a last try as we have to leave that day for home. We figure if nothing by 11 am we're outta there. I start the truck in the AM and it's a balmy -38. By the time we get to Taylor it's -42 and the palm trees are out. We spot a small herd on a side hill where we have permission to hunt. My wife is 5'2" and decides she'll only hold us back so the youth and I start the stalk. It's as steep as a cow's face in spots and I'm carrying extra weight (my gut) and it's a slow process. Part way up we spook a moose that breaks uphill and that pushes the elk higher. After 1 1/2 hours we finally spot 2 elk right at the top. One is zoned on us so we stay to the downhill side of the draw and try to get closer. We get within maybe 200-250 yds and I tell the young guy to get to a rest and when he gives me a thumbs up to have a go. The small tree I was going to use as a rest was no good as brush in the way. I'm now on my belly crawling over the brow of the hill and have a shot at one. Matt misses his first shot as do I. His 2nd hits and this is the highest one. It starts cartwheeling down the slope and the others stampede downhill right toward us. Good thing. Another shot from me and the other one is down.
Matt's father arrives and after high fives starts the real work. Matt and I go all the way back to get a meat saw and some water as we're thirsty as hell. I thought I was going to die on the trip back up. I'm too old for this. After much grunting and cursing we have the animals quartered but now we have to get them all the way down to the highway. We drag them to the brow of a hill and start pushing them over. They go a little bit at a time and it takes forever to get them within 600 yards of the truck. At 7 pm and -35 we finally have to tarp them and give up. We have some frostbite setting in and my fingers and nose hurt like the devil. We're all completely spent.
We come back the next AM with a couple of loaned snowmobile toboggans and drag them up to where we had left the elk. 2 hours later they're in the truck and we're on our way home. We skinned them out at home and the meat is in real good shape. Don't know that I would like to do it again but anyone who says a private land elk hunt is a turkey shoot is full of it!
At the centre of this photo at the middle top you'll see a utility pole. The elk were at the clear patch at the top.
http://i438.photobucket.com/albums/qq108/suafoyt/IMG_0732.jpg
This is the gruesome 3some pushing the quarters over the hill.
http://i438.photobucket.com/albums/qq108/suafoyt/IMG_0736.jpg
Almost there- I'm the ugly brute in my favourite MEC fleece. I keep asking them to use me in their product catalogue but they always say no for some reason.
http://i438.photobucket.com/albums/qq108/suafoyt/IMG_0746.jpg
Self explanatory
http://i438.photobucket.com/albums/qq108/suafoyt/IMG_0729.jpg
http://i438.photobucket.com/albums/qq108/suafoyt/IMGP0040.jpg
Balmy weather at Charlie Lake
http://i438.photobucket.com/albums/qq108/suafoyt/th_MVI_0710.jpg (http://s438.photobucket.com/albums/qq108/suafoyt/?action=view¤t=MVI_0710.flv)
Over they go
http://i438.photobucket.com/albums/qq108/suafoyt/th_MVI_0738.jpg (http://s438.photobucket.com/albums/qq108/suafoyt/?action=view¤t=MVI_0738.flv)
Finall done
http://i438.photobucket.com/albums/qq108/suafoyt/th_MVI_0744.jpg (http://s438.photobucket.com/albums/qq108/suafoyt/?action=view¤t=MVI_0744.flv)
Hope this wasn't too wordy but informative. Cheers.