safarichris
01-31-2010, 05:46 PM
We had radio contact with Cold fish Lake and somebody there had a wood chip from a power saw cause a bad eye infection. The only way up to Cold Fish was by skidoo, and nobody had ever done the trip in the winter. The infection was getting worse and needed help.
I loaded up a small Elan skidoo with snow shoes and gas, pulled a dog sled behind with a power saw, more gas and some food. I was going to see if I could make it there in the dead of winter.
I left in the early morning and followed the Spatzizi up as far as I could. There was very thin ice in spots where springs came into the river, a person had to be very alert. There were a couple of times I was a little worried. Like when I would hit a spring flowing into the Spatzizi with very thin ice. I knew if I ever went through, that would be the end of the machine and possibly me. Several times, I had to roll the Elan on it’s side and run the ice and slush out before it froze I then hit the saddle horse trail and followed it. There were lots of hills to climb, which I used the snowshoes on to pack a trail up. Then I unhooked the sled and make a run at the hill. When I made it would then go back, and pull the sled up by hand and get back on my way. Very time consuming, but the little Elan was the perfect machine, as it was light to kick around.
. Anyway, I made it to Cold Fish Lake and I was steaming with sweat after fighting drifts and timber for 12 miles. I had about 8 miles to go up the lake to camp, but for the mean time, all I I wanted to do was dry out a little and took my parka off. The sun was out, and the weather had warmed up a little.
While I was sitting on my machine worried if I had enough gas to make Cold Fish camp, I heard a commotion. Here came a moose out of the timber only yards away from me, with three wolves hanging on to it’s side and flank. Several others were not far behind, right on the moose's heels. They crossed the entire lake at the lower end, and went up into the timber on the other side. I figured everything has to eat and since I did not have a rifle, there was little I could do. I then fired my motor and went on up the lake to camp. When I arrived, they were very glad to see me. We had to get his guy out to a hospital and have his eye looked at immedietly. That first night in camp was full of excitement. There was a red setter dog that belonged to somebody there. He was put out to do his business before turning in for the night. This dog did not want to go outside, and had to be physically thrown out.
It was less than a minute. We heard a commotion with dogs growling and dogs yelping. We opened the cabin door, and saw this red setter streaking through the night from cabin to cabin with a huge wolf hot on his heals. If the wolf could have got him lined out, he would probably have got him down. But the red setter was so fast on his feet, that all the wolf could get, was a mouthful of hair. This dog was scared to death, and could not even hear our calls to get his attention. The dog finally saw us, and ricocheted off the cabin door trying to get in. He almost broke my legs, he moved so fast into cabin. Dove under the bed and would not come out for one whole day.
I held the gas lamp up while this other guy raised a rifle to shoot the wolf. He was not using his normal shooting eye, as it had a large patch over it from the wood chip. The Wolf stood there thirty feet in front of the cabin door while the first, second and third shots were fired.
The wolf did not move one inch as the bullets hit right along side of him in the snow and right between his legs. The wolf was totally disgusted about losing the dog and just walked away with a mouthful of red hair.
This red setter had gobs of hair missing from his sides and back end. The Dog did not stay out very long from then on when he needed to do his business. He never left your legs.
The next day, another storm was brewing, and a small light plane landed. The pilot asked if he could spend the night and try again tomorrow to make it through the mountains to Dease Lake. All pilots were more than welcome to stop over in bad weather. The next day, I asked him if he would fly me down to the other end of the lake to see if I could see any wolves from the moose chase erlier. I knew the moose was down someplace and wanted to see if I could pick him out. Wolves seldom give up on a chase; especially in the winter when they need lots of meat to sustain them. When we got to the end of Cold Fish, the moose had apparently come back out on the lake after I had left. The wolves had killed him there, right out in the middle of the lake. I counted twenty-five wolves all lying around the moose, a few were eating. When they heard the plane coming up the lake, they all ran for the timber. It was quite a sight seeing that many wolves in one pack. I noticed a pure white one that was a large adult wolf. The pilot then dropped me off at camp, and flew out. He was heading North, and must have made it through the mountains, because he never showed that evening.
Later, we were able to get a plane in, and the injured guy was flown out to hospital to have his eye looked at.
It did not take but a couple of days, and the wolves had him totally cleaned up.
It’s amazing how wildlife always heads for water when threatened by wolves. Unfortunately, they cannot figure out that in the winter, the lakes are frozen over and consequently usually lose the battle. I have witnessed several moose fighting wolves. If they would just stand their ground, they would have a better chance. That nanny proved that, she weighed only 150 lbs compared to a moose that weighs in at about 1400 lbs. I went back to Hyland Post a couple of weeks later and spring had almost arrived. At least in the lower part of the Spatzizi. There was one heck of a lot of snow left in the high country. It would take a while longer to see any bare ground.
I loaded up a small Elan skidoo with snow shoes and gas, pulled a dog sled behind with a power saw, more gas and some food. I was going to see if I could make it there in the dead of winter.
I left in the early morning and followed the Spatzizi up as far as I could. There was very thin ice in spots where springs came into the river, a person had to be very alert. There were a couple of times I was a little worried. Like when I would hit a spring flowing into the Spatzizi with very thin ice. I knew if I ever went through, that would be the end of the machine and possibly me. Several times, I had to roll the Elan on it’s side and run the ice and slush out before it froze I then hit the saddle horse trail and followed it. There were lots of hills to climb, which I used the snowshoes on to pack a trail up. Then I unhooked the sled and make a run at the hill. When I made it would then go back, and pull the sled up by hand and get back on my way. Very time consuming, but the little Elan was the perfect machine, as it was light to kick around.
. Anyway, I made it to Cold Fish Lake and I was steaming with sweat after fighting drifts and timber for 12 miles. I had about 8 miles to go up the lake to camp, but for the mean time, all I I wanted to do was dry out a little and took my parka off. The sun was out, and the weather had warmed up a little.
While I was sitting on my machine worried if I had enough gas to make Cold Fish camp, I heard a commotion. Here came a moose out of the timber only yards away from me, with three wolves hanging on to it’s side and flank. Several others were not far behind, right on the moose's heels. They crossed the entire lake at the lower end, and went up into the timber on the other side. I figured everything has to eat and since I did not have a rifle, there was little I could do. I then fired my motor and went on up the lake to camp. When I arrived, they were very glad to see me. We had to get his guy out to a hospital and have his eye looked at immedietly. That first night in camp was full of excitement. There was a red setter dog that belonged to somebody there. He was put out to do his business before turning in for the night. This dog did not want to go outside, and had to be physically thrown out.
It was less than a minute. We heard a commotion with dogs growling and dogs yelping. We opened the cabin door, and saw this red setter streaking through the night from cabin to cabin with a huge wolf hot on his heals. If the wolf could have got him lined out, he would probably have got him down. But the red setter was so fast on his feet, that all the wolf could get, was a mouthful of hair. This dog was scared to death, and could not even hear our calls to get his attention. The dog finally saw us, and ricocheted off the cabin door trying to get in. He almost broke my legs, he moved so fast into cabin. Dove under the bed and would not come out for one whole day.
I held the gas lamp up while this other guy raised a rifle to shoot the wolf. He was not using his normal shooting eye, as it had a large patch over it from the wood chip. The Wolf stood there thirty feet in front of the cabin door while the first, second and third shots were fired.
The wolf did not move one inch as the bullets hit right along side of him in the snow and right between his legs. The wolf was totally disgusted about losing the dog and just walked away with a mouthful of red hair.
This red setter had gobs of hair missing from his sides and back end. The Dog did not stay out very long from then on when he needed to do his business. He never left your legs.
The next day, another storm was brewing, and a small light plane landed. The pilot asked if he could spend the night and try again tomorrow to make it through the mountains to Dease Lake. All pilots were more than welcome to stop over in bad weather. The next day, I asked him if he would fly me down to the other end of the lake to see if I could see any wolves from the moose chase erlier. I knew the moose was down someplace and wanted to see if I could pick him out. Wolves seldom give up on a chase; especially in the winter when they need lots of meat to sustain them. When we got to the end of Cold Fish, the moose had apparently come back out on the lake after I had left. The wolves had killed him there, right out in the middle of the lake. I counted twenty-five wolves all lying around the moose, a few were eating. When they heard the plane coming up the lake, they all ran for the timber. It was quite a sight seeing that many wolves in one pack. I noticed a pure white one that was a large adult wolf. The pilot then dropped me off at camp, and flew out. He was heading North, and must have made it through the mountains, because he never showed that evening.
Later, we were able to get a plane in, and the injured guy was flown out to hospital to have his eye looked at.
It did not take but a couple of days, and the wolves had him totally cleaned up.
It’s amazing how wildlife always heads for water when threatened by wolves. Unfortunately, they cannot figure out that in the winter, the lakes are frozen over and consequently usually lose the battle. I have witnessed several moose fighting wolves. If they would just stand their ground, they would have a better chance. That nanny proved that, she weighed only 150 lbs compared to a moose that weighs in at about 1400 lbs. I went back to Hyland Post a couple of weeks later and spring had almost arrived. At least in the lower part of the Spatzizi. There was one heck of a lot of snow left in the high country. It would take a while longer to see any bare ground.