Another Milestone for Thunderstix'x Son!!!

[Thunderstix]

I have been mum about this as I was waiting for my pictures to accompany the story. We went to my favorie little island on the Skeena River on opening day (Oct 20th). We scared up moose with in 5 minutes but did not get a look at it. We slogged our way through a ton of brush etc and scared up two more but did not see them clearly as they hightailed it into the thickness. We met up with the other father/son team and they had a bull less than 30 yards away in the alders, but were reluctant to shoot in case of deflection. We then set off again and hunted the area they had seen the bull in but to no avail. I said to Justin that we would maybe just hunt our way back to the boat on the other side of the island and go somewhere else. I just happen to look down stream towards the next island and I saw something dark in the bushes at the edge of the river bank. It was probably nothing I said to myself (we were about 800 yards away at this point) but put my spyglasses to my eyes regardless, and lo and behold, it was the butt of a moose. We began to run down the beach and within 4 or 5 minutes we were as across from it as we coukl be. Justin found a good log and got a rest. We still did not know if it was a bull or not as it had walked into the bush and we could no longer even see it. 20 seconds later out it steps to feed and it has horns!!! Holy crap we are excited. Justin has my .375 H&H, shooting 300 grain Nosler Partitions with 75.5 grains of WW-760 in his hands. I tell him to take his time and when he is ready, shoot it behind the front shoulder (:biggrin: Just kidding, I never said "front" shoulder). He said he was ready so I said go ahead. He shot and I watched the moose lurch and then 7 seconds later he fell over out of sight. We had about 10 high-5's. I wondered how far it was so I pulled out my Yardage pro 800 and it was 246 yards! Pretty good shooting! Right through the bottom of the heart. I then went off to cross to the other side of the island for the Zodiak while he waited there and watched just in case. When I got to him with the Zode it broke down (throttle linkage broke) and we had to paddle like mad to get to the moose (actually had to semi portage 2 channels). We gutted the moose and then paddled back across to our own island, tied up the boat and then walked back across so we could see the highway. We then flagged over another boat and they took us back to the boat launch. We came back the next day and got our moose.
HOLA! Is it ever tender!!!!
I am going to try and fill my own tag during the November 16-20 Bow Only.
In less than one year he has taken his first deer, mountain goat, and now moose.
http://www.hunt101.com/img/337584.jpg

[Marc]

Hey Mike, that's awsome. Glad to see someone connecting on moose. He's racking up the animals for sure. You live in some awsome country and I wish I had the same opertunities on Vancouver Island but I guess it just means I get to do a little travelling every year.:mrgreen:

Marc.

[brotherjack]

Congratulations! Man, I gotta get out and hunt one of those things someday...

[MB_Boy]

Great story Stix.......and a great year for your son!!

Pass on the congrats and thanks for sharing!!

[Ronforca]

Congrats Justin.Looks like you trained him right Thunderstix.

[Thunderstix]

It was a pretty exciting day to say the least and a bit stressful with the boat in that way and light fading fast. We were just assembling the saw to make a fire for the night when the other boaters came by.
Marc, if you enjoy being soaking wet all day and picking devils club thorns from your flesh then you should travel up my way:biggrin: . Personally, I would not know what to do without those two factors.

[ruger#1]

wow thunder you can keep those devils clubs. that is a nice story. looks like your son is filling your freezer, you better sit back and have a rest.

[Thunderstix]

looks like your son is filling your freezer, you better sit back and have a rest.

It's about dang time!!!

[Marc]

Well if that was an invitation you never know. I've got probably another 10 years of living in BC before I retire from the Navy and my wife makes me move back east, so I'd like to see as much of BC before I have to leave.

If you'r talking about rain let me tell you, living on Vancouver Island I know what it's like to be soaked to the bone hunting in the fog. We don't have clubs foot but we've got our share of black berry vine patches that'll rip the flesh off your bones.:mrgreen:

Marc.

[Thunderstix]

Well if that was an invitation you never know. I've got probably another 10 years of living in BC before I retire from the Navy and my wife makes me move back east, so I'd like to see as much of BC before I have to leave.

If you'r talking about rain let me tell you, living on Vancouver Island I know what it's like to be soaked to the bone hunting in the fog. We don't have clubs foot but we've got our share of black berry vine patches that'll rip the flesh off your bones.:mrgreen:

Marc.

We are soaked "in" the bones, not just "to" the bones like you Islanders.
Of course it is an invitation! You are welcome up here anytime. I have a spare bedroom and there is always room in the bush for one more. Really, that goes for any one on here.

[Elkhound]

Wow, an invation to everyone.....you have 1 spare room and so far 82PMs to come next year. Good job. Can't wait for my kids to be able to go out hunting. And yeah......you have spent how many years supplying the food. His turn to put some in the freezer is a good thing

[rollingrock]

A good story! I've never hunted on any those islands, but I could imagine how it looked like...such a vivid story.

[greybark]

:biggrin: Well done Son of Thunderstix , That extra effort you made to field dress your moose was first rate .


REMEMBER -- Keep Your Fingertab On --

[Thunderstix]

:biggrin: Well done Son of Thunderstix , That extra effort you made to field dress your moose was first rate .


REMEMBER -- Keep Your Fingertab On --
2 friends of mine were not so fortunate last week. they shot one shortly before dark and it ran into the bush. I am not sure of the details, but I do know they did not gut it. The next day, I am not sure of what time, they found it and gutted it. Was pretty smelly. Deboned the meat etc to avoid bone-sour etc. The next day they checked the meat and it was spoiled. I can just imagine how they were feeling.

[Thunderstix]

A good story! I've never hunted on any those islands, but I could imagine how it looked like...such a vivid story.
Did you hail from up this way?

[fester]

Congrats little thunderstix

Great pic Thunderstix

as an aside to this story

My wife and I headed out around noon of the day after they got the moose to try to assist with the recovery and about 45 mins from town blew a tire
so we spent a good half hour in the muck changing it and decided to not press our luck and head home
right threw the sidewall destroyed the tire


what is hunting without devils club and sopping what?

[lip_ripper00]

good story give him apat on the back and a harty handshake for me. well done!

[K-1]

"Father and Son" can't get any better then that!!!!

[todbartell]

nice bull, that's a great story

good caliber too ;)

[Freshtracks]

Thunderstix it's great seeing your hunting partner Justin is dropping them like flies. Can't beat a special team like that.;-) Just think of all the many more years ahead ... awesome.

A big congrats to Justin for making good with that .375 H&H ... a nice display of marksmanship with dad's 'thunderstix'.

Now what's he going to do for an encore before the seasons over? :p

[bsa30-06]

congrats guys, sounds like you guys are having an awesome year.

[Darren]

LIke Mark said, we get a fair bit of rain here on the Island, but I have been to Prince Rupert a few times and it is WET! I was there once not last Feburary, but the Feburary before, and it was sunny for 5 days in a row, must have been a new record lol. Thunderstix probably remembers the week I am referring to. But really, It rains an incredible amount up that way!

[Avalanche123]

Nice job Thunderstix! I can attest to your experiences as I've lived here (Terrace) and hunted for a number of years. This year despite a fair amount of effort my freezer is still empty but that is ok. I've only actually seen one bull this season but he was a bit too far (I only bowhunt).

As the open season for moose closed yesterday, I had a family of four wolves come in on the gravel bar I was on. They didn;t see me and it was great to see them interact. It appeared it was the mother with three of her cubs.

Now it is on to mule deer and the moose open bow season.
Good luck with the bow hunting!

[Thunderstix]

Good luck to you as well. Good to see another "local" on here.

[Ride]

Its always good to see the young guys having success. It is disappointing how many younger people i don't see out in the bush anymore. When i was growing up i was always out with the old man hunting, fishing etc. And there were a lot of kids out there doing the same. Now its a rare day to see kids out with their parents in the outdoors. Good on you. And congrats on that fine moose.

[Sikanni Stalker]

awesome!!!!!!!!!! a great start to manyyears of great memories.

[3kills]

thats awesome...a couple good years for him....

[goathead]

Great job Thunderstix and Justin.Man I just love the way you guys hunt. adventure makes us all tougher.You live in A great part of the province with great game.Congrats again