Chironomid_16
12-22-2009, 09:51 PM
After countless hours of preperation, we were on our way to Pink Mounting to set up camp. Joining me on my second, but first bison hunt holding the tag were my hunting partner who drove over from Fort Mac, my dad who flew up from the Kootenays, and my childhood friend now living in Dawson Creek. After setting the wall tent up and getting things squared away for morning, we were relaxing, reminiscing, and talking about a plan for morning.
http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy297/chironomid_16/Tatonka/Tatonka09115.jpg
Being in this area last year on a successful bison hunt, I had a pretty good idea on where we had to be for morning. The first day was spent travelling in on sleds, glassing the hillsides for game and looking for fresh sign. We saw 67 elk and fresh bison tracks, things were looking up. Later on in the afternoon we spotted 3 good bison bulls at the top of a distant mountain, the rest of the day was spent trying to find a trail that led us closer to the mountain the bulls were on, we eventually found a spot that would leave us a 3-3 1/2 hr hike for morning. Back at camp that night we were discussing what had to be done if the bulls were still there, got our packs together, had a few beers and hit the hay. Day 2 arrived and we found ourselves hitting the trail an hour before light and we were spotting at day break, to find 32 elk grazing in the exact location we had found the bison the day before. An hour later without finding any bison, we decide to head further up the drainage to see what we could find, not 20 minutes later, there are 2 bulls 600 yds from the trail, hearing the sleds, they slowly made there way to the treeline. Grabbing a vantage point proved to be useless with the amount of bush that covered the valley floor. Moving on further up the trail and grabbing another vantage point found us a lone bull about 800 yds away, making a stalk with the wind in our favor, we got to within 400 yds and had to watch this magnificant beast walk away as there was no way to stalk him through the open meadow. A quick bite to eat and some bullshit stories we headed up the trail some more to find an amount of tracks that I have not seen before. Spotting a group of 12 an hour hike away, my hunting partner and I were on our way up the mountain, to find the wind swirling every which way. We couldnt go to the left, they would see us. We couldnt go to the right, we would pretty much have to step on them to see them. Just then I glassed the valley floor to find 18 Bison grazing in a meadow, down the mountain we come, jogging down the trail 3 km, then easing up when we thought we were close to their location. The wind was right and after poking around some, we were within 400 yds of the herd. Closing the gap was slow as to not be seen by the 36 eyes in the herd. I got to a tree about 120 yds from the biggest lone bull and let the 300 wsm bark, the bull turned, ran towards us, cut across in front and I hit him again, standing in awww as the whole herd grouped up, let us take a few pictures and dissapeared like ghosts into the timber. Giving the bull some time, I walked in to find him bedded 30 yds away, just getting into position to finish him, he spotted me, got out of his bed, up on both hind legs and started charging, a quick reaction and a head shot at 15 yds, he turned and expired 40 yds away.
http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy297/chironomid_16/Tatonka/Tatonka09042.jpg
http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy297/chironomid_16/Tatonka/Tatonka09068.jpg
http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy297/chironomid_16/Tatonka/Tatonka09064.jpg
After a few quick photos, 3 of us started skinning an quartering as my dad lite a fire, daylight went and the headlamps came. 2 hours later, 4 quarters, backstraps and tenderloins were loaded in the skimmer, all packs on our backs and head strapped to the back of one of the sleds we were on our way back to camp, a slow, cold but well worth trip back, considering I had just shot the biggest animal I will ever shoot in my life. The temp dropped to -36 the night I killed and to -40 the night after.
Thanks to all the tips and pms from hbc members especially tomahawk and jamie from Pink Mountain, whom I finally got to meet, the wall tent was a very enjoyable adventure, there is nothing I would have changed about our hunt, these tents are bullet proof.
Lyle if your out there, it was great meeting you and your partners, enjoyed the company of your dad in the tent throughout all of saturday, he has many stories and is a very knowledgeable man. Hope to bump into you another day out hunting. Please pm me if you read this, I cant find your hbc name.
http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy297/chironomid_16/Tatonka/Tatonka09100.jpg
Happy Hunting,
chironomid_16
http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy297/chironomid_16/Tatonka/Tatonka09115.jpg
Being in this area last year on a successful bison hunt, I had a pretty good idea on where we had to be for morning. The first day was spent travelling in on sleds, glassing the hillsides for game and looking for fresh sign. We saw 67 elk and fresh bison tracks, things were looking up. Later on in the afternoon we spotted 3 good bison bulls at the top of a distant mountain, the rest of the day was spent trying to find a trail that led us closer to the mountain the bulls were on, we eventually found a spot that would leave us a 3-3 1/2 hr hike for morning. Back at camp that night we were discussing what had to be done if the bulls were still there, got our packs together, had a few beers and hit the hay. Day 2 arrived and we found ourselves hitting the trail an hour before light and we were spotting at day break, to find 32 elk grazing in the exact location we had found the bison the day before. An hour later without finding any bison, we decide to head further up the drainage to see what we could find, not 20 minutes later, there are 2 bulls 600 yds from the trail, hearing the sleds, they slowly made there way to the treeline. Grabbing a vantage point proved to be useless with the amount of bush that covered the valley floor. Moving on further up the trail and grabbing another vantage point found us a lone bull about 800 yds away, making a stalk with the wind in our favor, we got to within 400 yds and had to watch this magnificant beast walk away as there was no way to stalk him through the open meadow. A quick bite to eat and some bullshit stories we headed up the trail some more to find an amount of tracks that I have not seen before. Spotting a group of 12 an hour hike away, my hunting partner and I were on our way up the mountain, to find the wind swirling every which way. We couldnt go to the left, they would see us. We couldnt go to the right, we would pretty much have to step on them to see them. Just then I glassed the valley floor to find 18 Bison grazing in a meadow, down the mountain we come, jogging down the trail 3 km, then easing up when we thought we were close to their location. The wind was right and after poking around some, we were within 400 yds of the herd. Closing the gap was slow as to not be seen by the 36 eyes in the herd. I got to a tree about 120 yds from the biggest lone bull and let the 300 wsm bark, the bull turned, ran towards us, cut across in front and I hit him again, standing in awww as the whole herd grouped up, let us take a few pictures and dissapeared like ghosts into the timber. Giving the bull some time, I walked in to find him bedded 30 yds away, just getting into position to finish him, he spotted me, got out of his bed, up on both hind legs and started charging, a quick reaction and a head shot at 15 yds, he turned and expired 40 yds away.
http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy297/chironomid_16/Tatonka/Tatonka09042.jpg
http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy297/chironomid_16/Tatonka/Tatonka09068.jpg
http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy297/chironomid_16/Tatonka/Tatonka09064.jpg
After a few quick photos, 3 of us started skinning an quartering as my dad lite a fire, daylight went and the headlamps came. 2 hours later, 4 quarters, backstraps and tenderloins were loaded in the skimmer, all packs on our backs and head strapped to the back of one of the sleds we were on our way back to camp, a slow, cold but well worth trip back, considering I had just shot the biggest animal I will ever shoot in my life. The temp dropped to -36 the night I killed and to -40 the night after.
Thanks to all the tips and pms from hbc members especially tomahawk and jamie from Pink Mountain, whom I finally got to meet, the wall tent was a very enjoyable adventure, there is nothing I would have changed about our hunt, these tents are bullet proof.
Lyle if your out there, it was great meeting you and your partners, enjoyed the company of your dad in the tent throughout all of saturday, he has many stories and is a very knowledgeable man. Hope to bump into you another day out hunting. Please pm me if you read this, I cant find your hbc name.
http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy297/chironomid_16/Tatonka/Tatonka09100.jpg
Happy Hunting,
chironomid_16