bridger
04-14-2009, 08:16 AM
It was cold that November morning as we sat on our horses overlooking the breaks above the Halfway River. The faint glow in the east was forcing back the darkness; bringing with it a promise of a new day. In the distance coyotes were serenading the new day; signalling the end of the nights hunt.
My good friend Al Stebing and his son Adam and my son Dan and I sat our horses quietly taking in the moment. Each lost in his own thoughts about the coming day. We were hunting mule deer and at the same time keeping an eye out for a couple of big bull moose Al had seen some months before.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/al_and_bull.jpeg
(Al and the antlers from the huge bull)
“Rich, I saw two monster bulls last week,” Al said over the phone. “I was down on the Halfway flats below the ranch and rode right up on two big bulls. The biggest one was huge. He had tremendous palms and a long drop point on his left antler. He had to be over 60 inches wide with lots of points and awesome front ends. I know he’d go well up in the record book. The other bull was also a big and probably a Booner as well. We should have a look for them this fall when they head to winter range along the river.” Little did either of us anticipate the awesome outcome of this casual conversation!
I was thinking back on that conversation when Al broke the silence. “Rich let’s head down the breaks onto the flat along the river,” he said quietly. “If those bulls are around, they may be closer to the river.”
An hour later I could see Al waving me over with a huge grin on his face. The story was there in the snow. Two big bulls had come down off the breaks and were heading down river.
The flat was fairly open, dotted with scattered poplar trees and a few scrub willows, giving good visibility for about 200 yards.
We quietly discussed the best way to proceed. Al had punched his tag on a bull earlier in the season and Adam was too young to have his own tag. Dan at 12 years old had his first tag, but had no experience moose hunting. If these were by chance the bulls Al had seen the previous winter they were real trophies and we didn’t want to screw up on what could be a rare opportunity to bag a record book bull. We decided Al would keep the boys with him and slowly head down river following the tracks. I would stay slightly off to one side watching ahead hoping to spot the bulls.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/big_bull.jpeg
(packed up and heading back to the ranch)
A sense of anticipation was growing in me as we rode slowly followed the tracks. We had gone about a mile when Al suddenly jerked his horse to a halt and yelled, “Wow! Look at that bull—he’s a world record! Shoot ‘im, Rich, Shoot ‘im.”
I wasted no time bailing off my horse and dragging my 25/06 out of the scabbard. I ran twenty yards through some willows to get a better look down the flat. Al was off his horse now, pointing excitedly across the flat. I broke into the opening and I saw a huge bull getting out of his bed barely 100 yards away. My first impression was antlers—that was all I could see. The bull was so awesome I froze momentarily and just looked at him.
“Shoot ‘im, shoot ‘im,” Al yelled again, unable to contain his excitement as the bull broke for the river. Regaining my composure I shot quickly as the bull passed between two poplar trees. I saw the bullet strike right behind his shoulder and knew the shot had been good. The bull turned and ran straight away from us not offering another shot. He ran about fifty yards then stopped his huge head weaving side to side. His antlers were unreal. I again just stood there looking at them, unable to get my brain into action. Suddenly the bull turned and again began running to the river. A loud “Shoot that sucker” in my left ear kicked me into action and a second shot piled him up.
As we walked closer it was obvious that this was a huge bull. No ground shrinkage this time. The antlers were wide with tremendous palms and lots of points. Truly this was a bull of a lifetime.
“Rich, look at this!” exclaimed Al, pointing to a big drop point on the left antler. “It’s got to be the same bull I saw last winter!” We high fived and danced around for several minutes then walked back to get our horses. It was then after searching my saddle bags and day pack that the mental image of my camera still laying on the seat of my pickup in Al’s yard flashed through my mind. Damn one of the few times I had ever left my camera behind and it had to be today. We admired the bull and speculated on the width of this antlers and just how much he would score. One thing for sure; neither of us had ever seen a bull that would equal this one.
With the excitement over, we dressed the bull and hung the quarters and antlers in a tree. We would return the next day with pack horses. We mounted up and started back up river when suddenly Al stopped his horse. He turned toward me with a smile on his face. “Look over there across the river on the gravel bar,” he said. I pulled up along side him. There on the gravel bar, contentedly chewing his cud with not a care in the world lay the other bull. While the smaller of the two, he was still a tremendous bull. Close to 60 inches wide with great palms; he was also a record head. This was mid November and the Halfway had shore ice running about 20 feet from shore and the open channel was filling with flowing ice making crossing it impossible. We had to pass on the bull. He watched casually as we rode by heading up river. What a day this had been!
As I had gotten the bull on the last day of moose season, I phoned our local Conservation Officer, later that evening for permission to pack him out the next day. After describing the bull and giving him the exact location and the details of how we were going to retrieve the carcass he gave me the go ahead.
I pulled into Al’s yard shortly after daylight the next morning, anxious to get going. “Rich,” Al asked, as we headed down the breaks, “I’m sure that bull will go high in the records. Did you bring a tape?”
“I’ve got a 60 inch I one in my pocket,” I replied.” that should do.” “Doubt it will be big enough,” Al grinned swinging into his saddle and gathering up the lead rope on his pack horse.
When we got to the bull, I couldn’t wait any longer. I took the antlers down from the tree and ran the tape across the spread. My 60-inch tape was short! “Are you sure that tape is 60 inches?” Al questioned. “Positive,” I replied.
We loaded the quarters on our two pack horses and top packed the tremendous antlers, threw a tight diamond and headed up the breaks.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/al_sue_and_big_bull.jpeg
(Al & Sue admire the rack)
An hour later we were back at the ranch and Al got a longer tape. “Sixty-three and a half inches!” he practically shouted as he stretched it out. “What a bull.”
With Al’s wife, Sue, recording the measurement, I green scored the antlers. “What’s the total?” I asked as Sue finished the addition.
“227 6/8ths,” she replied, handing me the score sheet. “Impossible” I exclaimed. “It can’t be that big!” “That score will put it right at the top of the Boone and Crockett Records,” I said hardly able to believe it. We added the score up again. Same result. Al and I just looked at each other. Both experienced hunters we knew that we had taken one of the greatest moose ever recorded.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/Buffalo_hunt_049.jpg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=12593&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=10914)
(antlers on display at backcountry)
Sixty days later the antlers officially scored 226 6/8ths Boone and Crockett points making it the second largest Canada Moose ever recorded. Now, over 30 years later that great head still ranks #8 in the all time Boone & Crockett record book.
Although I pulled the trigger and punched my tag my success was due to the generosity of a great friend. I am forever grateful.
My good friend Al Stebing and his son Adam and my son Dan and I sat our horses quietly taking in the moment. Each lost in his own thoughts about the coming day. We were hunting mule deer and at the same time keeping an eye out for a couple of big bull moose Al had seen some months before.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/al_and_bull.jpeg
(Al and the antlers from the huge bull)
“Rich, I saw two monster bulls last week,” Al said over the phone. “I was down on the Halfway flats below the ranch and rode right up on two big bulls. The biggest one was huge. He had tremendous palms and a long drop point on his left antler. He had to be over 60 inches wide with lots of points and awesome front ends. I know he’d go well up in the record book. The other bull was also a big and probably a Booner as well. We should have a look for them this fall when they head to winter range along the river.” Little did either of us anticipate the awesome outcome of this casual conversation!
I was thinking back on that conversation when Al broke the silence. “Rich let’s head down the breaks onto the flat along the river,” he said quietly. “If those bulls are around, they may be closer to the river.”
An hour later I could see Al waving me over with a huge grin on his face. The story was there in the snow. Two big bulls had come down off the breaks and were heading down river.
The flat was fairly open, dotted with scattered poplar trees and a few scrub willows, giving good visibility for about 200 yards.
We quietly discussed the best way to proceed. Al had punched his tag on a bull earlier in the season and Adam was too young to have his own tag. Dan at 12 years old had his first tag, but had no experience moose hunting. If these were by chance the bulls Al had seen the previous winter they were real trophies and we didn’t want to screw up on what could be a rare opportunity to bag a record book bull. We decided Al would keep the boys with him and slowly head down river following the tracks. I would stay slightly off to one side watching ahead hoping to spot the bulls.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/big_bull.jpeg
(packed up and heading back to the ranch)
A sense of anticipation was growing in me as we rode slowly followed the tracks. We had gone about a mile when Al suddenly jerked his horse to a halt and yelled, “Wow! Look at that bull—he’s a world record! Shoot ‘im, Rich, Shoot ‘im.”
I wasted no time bailing off my horse and dragging my 25/06 out of the scabbard. I ran twenty yards through some willows to get a better look down the flat. Al was off his horse now, pointing excitedly across the flat. I broke into the opening and I saw a huge bull getting out of his bed barely 100 yards away. My first impression was antlers—that was all I could see. The bull was so awesome I froze momentarily and just looked at him.
“Shoot ‘im, shoot ‘im,” Al yelled again, unable to contain his excitement as the bull broke for the river. Regaining my composure I shot quickly as the bull passed between two poplar trees. I saw the bullet strike right behind his shoulder and knew the shot had been good. The bull turned and ran straight away from us not offering another shot. He ran about fifty yards then stopped his huge head weaving side to side. His antlers were unreal. I again just stood there looking at them, unable to get my brain into action. Suddenly the bull turned and again began running to the river. A loud “Shoot that sucker” in my left ear kicked me into action and a second shot piled him up.
As we walked closer it was obvious that this was a huge bull. No ground shrinkage this time. The antlers were wide with tremendous palms and lots of points. Truly this was a bull of a lifetime.
“Rich, look at this!” exclaimed Al, pointing to a big drop point on the left antler. “It’s got to be the same bull I saw last winter!” We high fived and danced around for several minutes then walked back to get our horses. It was then after searching my saddle bags and day pack that the mental image of my camera still laying on the seat of my pickup in Al’s yard flashed through my mind. Damn one of the few times I had ever left my camera behind and it had to be today. We admired the bull and speculated on the width of this antlers and just how much he would score. One thing for sure; neither of us had ever seen a bull that would equal this one.
With the excitement over, we dressed the bull and hung the quarters and antlers in a tree. We would return the next day with pack horses. We mounted up and started back up river when suddenly Al stopped his horse. He turned toward me with a smile on his face. “Look over there across the river on the gravel bar,” he said. I pulled up along side him. There on the gravel bar, contentedly chewing his cud with not a care in the world lay the other bull. While the smaller of the two, he was still a tremendous bull. Close to 60 inches wide with great palms; he was also a record head. This was mid November and the Halfway had shore ice running about 20 feet from shore and the open channel was filling with flowing ice making crossing it impossible. We had to pass on the bull. He watched casually as we rode by heading up river. What a day this had been!
As I had gotten the bull on the last day of moose season, I phoned our local Conservation Officer, later that evening for permission to pack him out the next day. After describing the bull and giving him the exact location and the details of how we were going to retrieve the carcass he gave me the go ahead.
I pulled into Al’s yard shortly after daylight the next morning, anxious to get going. “Rich,” Al asked, as we headed down the breaks, “I’m sure that bull will go high in the records. Did you bring a tape?”
“I’ve got a 60 inch I one in my pocket,” I replied.” that should do.” “Doubt it will be big enough,” Al grinned swinging into his saddle and gathering up the lead rope on his pack horse.
When we got to the bull, I couldn’t wait any longer. I took the antlers down from the tree and ran the tape across the spread. My 60-inch tape was short! “Are you sure that tape is 60 inches?” Al questioned. “Positive,” I replied.
We loaded the quarters on our two pack horses and top packed the tremendous antlers, threw a tight diamond and headed up the breaks.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/al_sue_and_big_bull.jpeg
(Al & Sue admire the rack)
An hour later we were back at the ranch and Al got a longer tape. “Sixty-three and a half inches!” he practically shouted as he stretched it out. “What a bull.”
With Al’s wife, Sue, recording the measurement, I green scored the antlers. “What’s the total?” I asked as Sue finished the addition.
“227 6/8ths,” she replied, handing me the score sheet. “Impossible” I exclaimed. “It can’t be that big!” “That score will put it right at the top of the Boone and Crockett Records,” I said hardly able to believe it. We added the score up again. Same result. Al and I just looked at each other. Both experienced hunters we knew that we had taken one of the greatest moose ever recorded.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/Buffalo_hunt_049.jpg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=12593&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=10914)
(antlers on display at backcountry)
Sixty days later the antlers officially scored 226 6/8ths Boone and Crockett points making it the second largest Canada Moose ever recorded. Now, over 30 years later that great head still ranks #8 in the all time Boone & Crockett record book.
Although I pulled the trigger and punched my tag my success was due to the generosity of a great friend. I am forever grateful.