moose2
10-04-2010, 11:29 PM
The trip started off like most , my partner Cole ( Combine Pilot) and myself pulling out on to the highway heading north for a 13 day sheep, goat,caribou,moose combo. We barely told each other how many big animals we had dreamed about, when there was a loud bang when the quad trailer tire blew out in the 1st km of our trip. We had some time to talk at the tire shop and then we were on our way again. We decided to target caribou first becuase of the season ending sooner. It took a couple days to locate the main group but we finally found them. The next morning we were all set to head in for the night when I recieved a message to call home. The thing came up that you never want to tell your partner " I have to head home ". I didn't know how long I would be so Cole decided to come back with me. So we took down camp and started on a days drive home 3 days after leaving. Things turned out ok so I called Cole back and said I would be able to go back for 4 days if he wanted. We left our big camp at home and went up light (quads on a deck and back packs). We arived late on Sept 29 which would offer us 1 day of caribou the next morning. We walked about 2 hours and started our hunt. We had seen about 30 caribou and 9 ewes and lambs when we decided to split up and check out bulls in 2 different groups we had spotted. We agreed to meet back at spike camp at dark. All I saw was mature 4 points and smaller so nothing for me. I got back to camp and Cole was cursing, he said you wouldn't believe it. He said " I was starting dinner about 15 minutes before dark when 3 caribou ran right into camp a cow, calf and a big bull. I ran back 30 yards to get binos and my rifle I got back the bull was broadside at 80 yards. Up with the binos it was a beautiful white mained 4x4." So no bull for him either. We headed out the next morning and had a nice grizzly walk out in front of us at a few hundred yards. We set up yet another camp at the truck then Cole went calling for moose in the flats and I went to the mountains where we had seen some rams with scopes 3 days before. I went over the back side of the mountian in hopes of being in a good position If they showed up again. I just crested the ridge when I spotted the tops of a rams horns at 60 yards and he hadn't seen me yet. Great I thought I will wait here till they stand up to feed About 30 minutes went by , then a small one lifted his head , saw me and was on a dead run down hill. I ran to the edge to see five rams all running I changed my direction thinking they would turn back and try to go around the face at there present elevation. I was right they trotted out in front of me at 200 yards. I got the binos up and saw a legal full curl in the group. By the time I got the rifle up they were trotting and changing postions. So it was a game of rifle up /down binos up/down. He finally seperated enough for a 300 yard down hill shot " BOOM " a clean miss I watched the rams go down one mountain and up another with in minutes. I dragged my sorry butt back to camp and told Cole what happened. He said he saw the right moose in the wrong spot and the wrong moose in the right spot. It seemed to be one of those trips. We had supper and a few cold ones and talked stratagey for our last hunting day. Cole said he would try the moose thing again and I would head in one range over in hopes of finding the ram I missed. I lifted the sleeping bag off my head to see day light through the tent " @#$% COLE WE SLEPT IN " We both were off without breakfast to finish our last day. I climbed a mountain right away in hopes of spotting the rams. After about an hour of walking a ridge I did spot some sheep in a valley on another mountain. After setting up the spotter I had found seven rams all different from the previous night. Two were worth a closer look. So down one mountain and up another. I was able to crest a ridge that I thought would offer me a 100 yard shot, but once I got there the rams had moved and were feeding up hill at about 350 yards. I set up the spotter and found a heavy mature ram that was broomed on one side and decided to try for him. I was leary about shooting that distance after missing a closer one the night before. I had no way to get closer and I had a good boulder to rest on. I was just getting ready to shoot when the cloud moved and I had the noon sun pointed at my scope and could not see a thing. About 5 minutes passed and the ram moved into a shadow. Now I could see " BOOM " oh no 7 rams running up the mountain I missed again I thought. Wait a minute now the big one turned and started running down the mountain with six others soon to follow. He stopped at about 300 I let 2 more shots go and finished the deal. I did hit him on the first and the third. I took some pictures caped him and dealt with the meat . It took me about 4 hours to walk back to camp and I arrived a half hour before dark. We had a relaxing night with a few drinks and packed up the next morning for another day of driving. So a trip that had some rough spots came together on the last day. I harvested a nice ram that was broomed on the left, and had a broken lamb tip on the right. He was 36" with 14" bases. I am really happy with him.
MIKE
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/Alaska_hi_way_2010_009.jpg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=20583&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=13763)
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/Alaska_hi_way_2010_008_3.jpg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=20610)
MIKE
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/Alaska_hi_way_2010_009.jpg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=20583&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=13763)
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/Alaska_hi_way_2010_008_3.jpg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=20610)