Mik
10-21-2009, 03:18 PM
Well, as many of you know, our Dease Lake Hunt for the 2009 season was put to a halt 2 days prior to us heading out! (Darn Indians!) Anyways a quick phone call to an old aquantance and we had the keys to a cabin near Ft.Nelson and we were off to explore new territory.
http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/Kozynest/FtNelson200939.jpg[/IMG]
http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/Kozynest/FtNelson008.jpg
As we arrived in Ft.Nelson, we stopped by the CO's office, suprise,he wasn't there so we proceeded thru town and who do we spot? the CO. We flagged him down for a chat about the area and the roads that were legal to quad as the hunting area was located in the "Muskwa-Kechika Management Access". After a short visit off we went to the forestry office for maps. We arrived Late afternoon on Friday at the cabin and offloaded our supplies. Our thoughts were to drive around & explore the area and we did just that. Sat. morning off we went with our Quads on trailers to a few trails. There was 4 of us in camp. My brother & I headed off and found some great country.At the end of 1 trail we went for a hike.
http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/Kozynest/FtNelson002.jpg
There is some unbelievable country up there. The scenery was beautiful. We hiked into what looked like great sheep country, however we did not see any as the snow came in quite fast and we turned and headed back down.After a long hike we headed back to camp and along the way bumped into a Caribou. We saw plenty of Caribou, however they were all small. No 5 pt. to be had for our camp this year.
http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/Kozynest/FtNelson027.jpg
Mean while our other 2 partners were having a lot of fun on the other side of the mountain. There were some pretty nasty mudholes as we found out later on in the week as we too needed to experience "the fun".
http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/Kozynest/FtNelson161.jpg
Now we are heading home late afternoon and decide that we should quickly check out a side trail. In we go across a huge slide, thru the bush and we pop out near a lake. Nothing to be seen, except for a camp on the other side so off we go back. As we come out of the tree line,into the slide out pops a cow moose, off the quads we go, rifles in hand as it had not seen us. Ranged at 397 Yds. and looking back. Out pops a bull and its a 2 Pt. There in no panic to cross, so we decide my brother will try to sneak up on them thru the trees as I wait in case the shot needs to be made. I had plenty of time to get the spotting scope out and confirm that it was a 2 pt. My Brother sneaks in to with 200 yards. Now the challenge, I tell him to wait as I sneak up. Made it, and now they are heading right towards us. They come up to 105 yds. and now there hesitant, so off goes my rifle and my brothers 7mm and our first moose is down.
http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/Kozynest/FtNelson079.jpg
Meat is in camp, and we still have the rest of the week to hunt. Put a lot of miles on the trucks getting to and from camp to the trail heads. Along the way on the hwy. we saw plenty of moose, caribou,elk and sheep.
http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/Kozynest/FtNelson123.jpg
Future hunting stock.
http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/Kozynest/FtNelson122.jpg
My brother & I spotted a few Mt. Goats so we decided to go after them the next day. Well when we woke up, mother nature midweek, decided to throw a curve ball.
http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/Kozynest/FtNelson147.jpg
We went up anyways, but no luck.
http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/Kozynest/FtNelson200944.jpg
http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/Kozynest/FtNelson128.jpg
Next day we decide to cross a river,no problem as we've done it many times before.Get ready,
http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/Kozynest/FtNelson094.jpg
Set and not go! It seemed like a harmless little crossing, but as he neared the other shore the current picked up really fast and pushed the quad sideways, heading downriver, dangerously!
http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/Kozynest/FtNelson095.jpg
The situation changed quite quickly,now the quad took in water and stalled. Of coarse with the rapids making all that noise it was hard for me to know it had stalled as my brother did NOT PANIC and Calmly tried to steer the quad straight down into the flow of the river.As everybody knows, with the danger of rocks and boulders under the current a quad is much easier to flip over sideways than forwards. Mean while i'm switching my camera into video mode...it sounds kinda funny asking a simple question when hes in trouble,in the water trying to pull the quad out, but at the same time, hes not focusing on the danger and listening to me,working on getting the quad out to safety,thinking what a brother! It took 3 hours to get the quad to run properly and off we went back to the cabin.
http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/Kozynest/th_FtNelson385.jpg (http://s443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/Kozynest/?action=view¤t=FtNelson385.flv)
Needless to say the weather warmed up and most of the snow melted. It was nearing the end of the week and so my brother & I decided to restock the firewood that we had used up at the cabin. Off we go for a road hunt. We fill the truck up with firewood and decide to check out a clearing not far from where we cut the trees. Theres something to be said about a chainsaw and how moose sometimes come into it during rut. Up the road we go,stop, get out for a look and what do you know? A bull moose standing at the edge of a clearing. Now with this tri-palm, 10 pt. regulation, we seen plenty but no big ones that were legal, so our hopes were not that high! heres a picture of a 9 1/2 Pt. that we watched for 2 hrs.
http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/Kozynest/FtNelson057.jpg
Continuing on as we ran out of the truck, towards the clearing, we spotted the moose as it was crossing and coming towards us. All of a sudden, from the right side comes this bigger moose and they were off fighting! We watched them fight for 20 minutes non stop, antlers into antlers and hair flying all over the place. We were 20 yards from these moose and still could not see a tri-palm let alone count tines! Unbelievable. Finally both moose locked and heads down into the ground they were resting, of coarse again we could not see the tines as there were little mounds all over the place. You think in the excitement one of us could remember to turn the video camera on...NO! 5 minutes later there heads come up and the smaller of the bulls snaps one side of his antler off and thats the 1 i'm looking at from 10 yrds. My brother had his eye on the bigger one and BOOM, off goes the 7mm again and the moose drops. This other guy, figures hes winning and now rams the one on the ground, and he gets up and stars to fight, my brother drops another round in the hump and down he goes again. The smaller bull runs off about 20 yrds and then turns and comes again, from the side hes literally picks up this monster and hurls him thru the air, as its twisting in the air he runs up again and whacks the dead bull a 2nd time. Huffing,grunting and salivating it finally backs down. It took us 1 hour to get him to retreat back to the clearing. As we tried to reposition the moose, i guess it caught a glimpse of the antler movement and charged us. This would happen 2 more times, finally I just stood guard as my brother gutted. We found later that there was a cow in the field that now came into view. She wanted no part of this small guy, and was circling, cow calling, around the now dead,gutted,and quartered moose. What an experience.
http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/Kozynest/FtNelson2009140.jpg
Heres a pic of the other moose .
http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/Kozynest/FtNelson2009136.jpg
Meanwhile that same evening, our partners also connected with another bull moose, a 2X3. While walking along a trail up to a marshy area, one of them spots a cow, watches her for a while and then decides to move futher along to take a peek around the bend and this one happens to stand out! BAM! (maybe "Fusion" could tell a better story).
http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/Kozynest/FtNelson084.jpg
Packed out by quad, pretty muddy road, but the meat was clean.
http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/Kozynest/FtNelson092.jpg
http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/Kozynest/FtNelson200939.jpg[/IMG]
http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/Kozynest/FtNelson008.jpg
As we arrived in Ft.Nelson, we stopped by the CO's office, suprise,he wasn't there so we proceeded thru town and who do we spot? the CO. We flagged him down for a chat about the area and the roads that were legal to quad as the hunting area was located in the "Muskwa-Kechika Management Access". After a short visit off we went to the forestry office for maps. We arrived Late afternoon on Friday at the cabin and offloaded our supplies. Our thoughts were to drive around & explore the area and we did just that. Sat. morning off we went with our Quads on trailers to a few trails. There was 4 of us in camp. My brother & I headed off and found some great country.At the end of 1 trail we went for a hike.
http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/Kozynest/FtNelson002.jpg
There is some unbelievable country up there. The scenery was beautiful. We hiked into what looked like great sheep country, however we did not see any as the snow came in quite fast and we turned and headed back down.After a long hike we headed back to camp and along the way bumped into a Caribou. We saw plenty of Caribou, however they were all small. No 5 pt. to be had for our camp this year.
http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/Kozynest/FtNelson027.jpg
Mean while our other 2 partners were having a lot of fun on the other side of the mountain. There were some pretty nasty mudholes as we found out later on in the week as we too needed to experience "the fun".
http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/Kozynest/FtNelson161.jpg
Now we are heading home late afternoon and decide that we should quickly check out a side trail. In we go across a huge slide, thru the bush and we pop out near a lake. Nothing to be seen, except for a camp on the other side so off we go back. As we come out of the tree line,into the slide out pops a cow moose, off the quads we go, rifles in hand as it had not seen us. Ranged at 397 Yds. and looking back. Out pops a bull and its a 2 Pt. There in no panic to cross, so we decide my brother will try to sneak up on them thru the trees as I wait in case the shot needs to be made. I had plenty of time to get the spotting scope out and confirm that it was a 2 pt. My Brother sneaks in to with 200 yards. Now the challenge, I tell him to wait as I sneak up. Made it, and now they are heading right towards us. They come up to 105 yds. and now there hesitant, so off goes my rifle and my brothers 7mm and our first moose is down.
http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/Kozynest/FtNelson079.jpg
Meat is in camp, and we still have the rest of the week to hunt. Put a lot of miles on the trucks getting to and from camp to the trail heads. Along the way on the hwy. we saw plenty of moose, caribou,elk and sheep.
http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/Kozynest/FtNelson123.jpg
Future hunting stock.
http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/Kozynest/FtNelson122.jpg
My brother & I spotted a few Mt. Goats so we decided to go after them the next day. Well when we woke up, mother nature midweek, decided to throw a curve ball.
http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/Kozynest/FtNelson147.jpg
We went up anyways, but no luck.
http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/Kozynest/FtNelson200944.jpg
http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/Kozynest/FtNelson128.jpg
Next day we decide to cross a river,no problem as we've done it many times before.Get ready,
http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/Kozynest/FtNelson094.jpg
Set and not go! It seemed like a harmless little crossing, but as he neared the other shore the current picked up really fast and pushed the quad sideways, heading downriver, dangerously!
http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/Kozynest/FtNelson095.jpg
The situation changed quite quickly,now the quad took in water and stalled. Of coarse with the rapids making all that noise it was hard for me to know it had stalled as my brother did NOT PANIC and Calmly tried to steer the quad straight down into the flow of the river.As everybody knows, with the danger of rocks and boulders under the current a quad is much easier to flip over sideways than forwards. Mean while i'm switching my camera into video mode...it sounds kinda funny asking a simple question when hes in trouble,in the water trying to pull the quad out, but at the same time, hes not focusing on the danger and listening to me,working on getting the quad out to safety,thinking what a brother! It took 3 hours to get the quad to run properly and off we went back to the cabin.
http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/Kozynest/th_FtNelson385.jpg (http://s443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/Kozynest/?action=view¤t=FtNelson385.flv)
Needless to say the weather warmed up and most of the snow melted. It was nearing the end of the week and so my brother & I decided to restock the firewood that we had used up at the cabin. Off we go for a road hunt. We fill the truck up with firewood and decide to check out a clearing not far from where we cut the trees. Theres something to be said about a chainsaw and how moose sometimes come into it during rut. Up the road we go,stop, get out for a look and what do you know? A bull moose standing at the edge of a clearing. Now with this tri-palm, 10 pt. regulation, we seen plenty but no big ones that were legal, so our hopes were not that high! heres a picture of a 9 1/2 Pt. that we watched for 2 hrs.
http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/Kozynest/FtNelson057.jpg
Continuing on as we ran out of the truck, towards the clearing, we spotted the moose as it was crossing and coming towards us. All of a sudden, from the right side comes this bigger moose and they were off fighting! We watched them fight for 20 minutes non stop, antlers into antlers and hair flying all over the place. We were 20 yards from these moose and still could not see a tri-palm let alone count tines! Unbelievable. Finally both moose locked and heads down into the ground they were resting, of coarse again we could not see the tines as there were little mounds all over the place. You think in the excitement one of us could remember to turn the video camera on...NO! 5 minutes later there heads come up and the smaller of the bulls snaps one side of his antler off and thats the 1 i'm looking at from 10 yrds. My brother had his eye on the bigger one and BOOM, off goes the 7mm again and the moose drops. This other guy, figures hes winning and now rams the one on the ground, and he gets up and stars to fight, my brother drops another round in the hump and down he goes again. The smaller bull runs off about 20 yrds and then turns and comes again, from the side hes literally picks up this monster and hurls him thru the air, as its twisting in the air he runs up again and whacks the dead bull a 2nd time. Huffing,grunting and salivating it finally backs down. It took us 1 hour to get him to retreat back to the clearing. As we tried to reposition the moose, i guess it caught a glimpse of the antler movement and charged us. This would happen 2 more times, finally I just stood guard as my brother gutted. We found later that there was a cow in the field that now came into view. She wanted no part of this small guy, and was circling, cow calling, around the now dead,gutted,and quartered moose. What an experience.
http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/Kozynest/FtNelson2009140.jpg
Heres a pic of the other moose .
http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/Kozynest/FtNelson2009136.jpg
Meanwhile that same evening, our partners also connected with another bull moose, a 2X3. While walking along a trail up to a marshy area, one of them spots a cow, watches her for a while and then decides to move futher along to take a peek around the bend and this one happens to stand out! BAM! (maybe "Fusion" could tell a better story).
http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/Kozynest/FtNelson084.jpg
Packed out by quad, pretty muddy road, but the meat was clean.
http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/Kozynest/FtNelson092.jpg