johnk
10-13-2010, 07:43 AM
On Oct. 4th we left our home in Alberta to return to Tunkwa Lake Resort, my old stomping grounds, to meet up with some old friends and celebrate my 50th, BC style!
After an overnight stop in Merritt on the 5th to catch up with Fred/Joan, new owners of Nicola Valley Outdoors (formerly Powderkeg) and after a good night's sleep we made the short trip to Tunkwa on the morning of the 6th. We had the cabin all set up in early afternoon and met up with our friends from VI who had been there for 4 days already trying to cash in on their bull moose draw in 3-18. After hearing their stories of 4 days of hunting and only seeing the odd cow, I decided I had better take them to my honeyhole that evening.
I was very optomistic by the fact that we had to buck up 8 blowdowns on the way in which meant no one had been in there for a couple weeks. We parked 300 yds. shy of the small slash we were going to hunt. Upon reaching the slash we glassed down to the bottom where the moose were usually feeding and immediately spied a cow and calf feeding together.....no wait.....it was a cow moose and a huge muley doe feeding next to each other!
To make a long story short, Island Boy #1 went down the left side and I took Island Boy #2 down the right side. We got halfway down the cutblock when we set up behind a tree and I started cowcalling and was answered immediately with a soft grunt from the timber. According to #1 (who was close to the treeline) every cowcall was responded to and we translated his sign language to mean the bull was moving up through the timber. One more cowcall and he came out to the edge of the block and stopped at 200 yds. The young bull was very accommodating, especially since the missed first shot forced him to turn from quartering towards us to a perfect broadside stance. I am not a judgmental person so I won't even guess why the next two shots missed also at 200 yds. with a 7MM WinMag but I'm guessing some serious Buck Fever came into play! For the record, the shooter sighted in his rifle in Logan Lake upon his arrival. We did spend the last 15 minutes of light looking for blood just in case but none was found.
So the plan was to return the next morning with all four visitors to hunt the slash and make a more detailed search for a blood trail just to satisfy my concern for the moose and because it would kill me to leave an injured animal out there. Well Isalnd Boy #1 and #3 arrived before us and went tromping into the slash. They got less than 100 yds. down the slash and spooked a larger bull and cow out of the treeline, across the slash at a gallop and gone! Believe me, they got raked over the coals for that one!
That was to be the end of their chances for cutting their tags but they did manage a big bodied 3X3 muley the next morning.
That night we had dinner and drinks for my 50th with several locals coming by to offer their condolensces! Whiskey flowed and hunting stories rolled!
Got the chance to meet face to face a fellow HBC member. Big Mike is a mountain of a man(I think I could take him....not!) and was just leaving as we were arriving!
It was great to get back to the area and the hunting pressure was almost nonexistent, at least where we were hunting. There were lots of dry cows spotted which leads me to wonder if the number of LEH's issued for bulls needs to be reassessed. Either way my hotspots seem to be flourishing which was good to see.
Thanks to Al at the resort for setting us up and I'm sure they will be busy in a few days with the whitetail does open and Immy season gearing up! Good luck to all hunting 3-18/19. There seems to be lots of game moving in the higher elevations so give Tunkwa a call and book a cabin while some are still available, 250 523 9697
Regards,
John
After an overnight stop in Merritt on the 5th to catch up with Fred/Joan, new owners of Nicola Valley Outdoors (formerly Powderkeg) and after a good night's sleep we made the short trip to Tunkwa on the morning of the 6th. We had the cabin all set up in early afternoon and met up with our friends from VI who had been there for 4 days already trying to cash in on their bull moose draw in 3-18. After hearing their stories of 4 days of hunting and only seeing the odd cow, I decided I had better take them to my honeyhole that evening.
I was very optomistic by the fact that we had to buck up 8 blowdowns on the way in which meant no one had been in there for a couple weeks. We parked 300 yds. shy of the small slash we were going to hunt. Upon reaching the slash we glassed down to the bottom where the moose were usually feeding and immediately spied a cow and calf feeding together.....no wait.....it was a cow moose and a huge muley doe feeding next to each other!
To make a long story short, Island Boy #1 went down the left side and I took Island Boy #2 down the right side. We got halfway down the cutblock when we set up behind a tree and I started cowcalling and was answered immediately with a soft grunt from the timber. According to #1 (who was close to the treeline) every cowcall was responded to and we translated his sign language to mean the bull was moving up through the timber. One more cowcall and he came out to the edge of the block and stopped at 200 yds. The young bull was very accommodating, especially since the missed first shot forced him to turn from quartering towards us to a perfect broadside stance. I am not a judgmental person so I won't even guess why the next two shots missed also at 200 yds. with a 7MM WinMag but I'm guessing some serious Buck Fever came into play! For the record, the shooter sighted in his rifle in Logan Lake upon his arrival. We did spend the last 15 minutes of light looking for blood just in case but none was found.
So the plan was to return the next morning with all four visitors to hunt the slash and make a more detailed search for a blood trail just to satisfy my concern for the moose and because it would kill me to leave an injured animal out there. Well Isalnd Boy #1 and #3 arrived before us and went tromping into the slash. They got less than 100 yds. down the slash and spooked a larger bull and cow out of the treeline, across the slash at a gallop and gone! Believe me, they got raked over the coals for that one!
That was to be the end of their chances for cutting their tags but they did manage a big bodied 3X3 muley the next morning.
That night we had dinner and drinks for my 50th with several locals coming by to offer their condolensces! Whiskey flowed and hunting stories rolled!
Got the chance to meet face to face a fellow HBC member. Big Mike is a mountain of a man(I think I could take him....not!) and was just leaving as we were arriving!
It was great to get back to the area and the hunting pressure was almost nonexistent, at least where we were hunting. There were lots of dry cows spotted which leads me to wonder if the number of LEH's issued for bulls needs to be reassessed. Either way my hotspots seem to be flourishing which was good to see.
Thanks to Al at the resort for setting us up and I'm sure they will be busy in a few days with the whitetail does open and Immy season gearing up! Good luck to all hunting 3-18/19. There seems to be lots of game moving in the higher elevations so give Tunkwa a call and book a cabin while some are still available, 250 523 9697
Regards,
John