TyTy
01-07-2011, 05:48 PM
After catching up with my hunting party, we had our first dawn hunt on Oct.16, We each had a Elk, Moose LEH group, mule & whitetail tag.
Day 1,
Dawn Hunt started off early and real dark... I manged to immeadiately harppon my side view mirror off on a wind fall tree top, steering into it while dodging a large pothole. being day one it was day 1, it didn't bother me so much as it does now.
5 Minutes later we pull down a spur and have a 40+ inch bull moose running parallel 10 feet beside the truck. I stopped, and he stopped. We all bail out... Buddy has his sights on the hogs head, but is bewildered with the rush of the situation and doesn't pull the trigger!
O well,
1/2 hour later, i'm walking though a cut thinking about the Elk tag I have in my pocket, and how its there for opportunity; and I see Elk 400m away. Cows...with a big bull! steady the binocs, and yes, 6 points a side. There are 3 satellite bulls are uphill, but between me and the heard, with the big guy is protecting his harem, and heading for the timber. Had to try and cut them off, risking being spotted by the smaller bulls. Made the best of it, but no dice. Busted by a smaller bull. they all spooked. In hind sight, i should have just let them reach the timber and try another time.
good first morning.
Cow call for moose in evening but nothing.
Day 2.
Spotted a raghorn bull running in circles in front of us first minute hunting. couple whitetail does.
One buddy has to go head home. He is local to the area.
We go high for mule deer, but not high enough. 18 mule does, 2 whitey does, 1 white buck that dashed, and a 2 point mulie buck I passed on. watched him @ 150 yards for 15min, it was temping, but it was still early in the hunt. buddy's scope came off..
In the evening I stalked up on a moose I heard feeding, but couldn't see. I was 25m from it, waited 15 min for it to walk out in front of me. It was a cow. watched her till dark - 45min. no bulls.
Day. 3.
Sleep in. I hunt the morning, Buddy sights his gun in.
We hunt high again for mulies in the afternoon/evening, but no dice. I spot a Big silver tipped Grizzly digging in the rocks about as high and steep as a bear could possibly climb @ the top of and draw. Same draw these mulies got spooked the day before. Huge and beautiful looking bear, gray in colour with a big winter coat.
New plan for dusk, we split up and i spot elk 30 seconds later about 600-700m away, and they spot me. i see a cow... and a bull! Buddy comes the same way and they spot him too. anyways, I can see a solid 5 points a side, but can't see a 6'th from the distance. I tell buddy to hike down the road, but he is too noisey (way too noisey) in his boots, so i suggest he go without his boots. From my first experience, i know they are skittish, and we are already busted and he ends up down the hill with no shoes the elk spooke all the way down the valley and i can't stop laughing because he has left his shoes behind and is now hunting bare foot.
Day 4.
The plan was to hunt the morning and then head to the hot spings in the after noon. We hike 7km up a road. I spotted a smaller moose with my bincos about 700m away, on a hillside with lost of red-ossier and aspen-willow-birch. I pass, being its noon and he is very far away. Buddy says he is going for it.
2 hours later i'm watching him stalk above the animal below the cliff face, on top of the bluffs. He hiked up a dry debris slide to the tree line, through the thick stuff then along the rocks to circle around the moose on the high side. He said he tried to cow call it out, but no dice. the moose winded him, but didn't spooke. next I heard his gun, and see no more moose, then the moose re-appears cartwheeling down the hill. more shots, lots of cheering and yelling! 2pm
smaller 4X4 moose. This moose never heard of the rut, didn't smell in the least! no ticks, a fine coat, lean. but 700m pack out. took 2 of us a day and a bit to finish the job.
found 3 nice sheds like this one on this hillside
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/Moose_Shed1.JPG
some butchering homour :mrgreen:
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/Moose_Pelt_Head.JPG
Day 5.
retrive rest of moose. hot springs.http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/Moose_Head1.JPG (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=20894&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=13991)
Day 1,
Dawn Hunt started off early and real dark... I manged to immeadiately harppon my side view mirror off on a wind fall tree top, steering into it while dodging a large pothole. being day one it was day 1, it didn't bother me so much as it does now.
5 Minutes later we pull down a spur and have a 40+ inch bull moose running parallel 10 feet beside the truck. I stopped, and he stopped. We all bail out... Buddy has his sights on the hogs head, but is bewildered with the rush of the situation and doesn't pull the trigger!
O well,
1/2 hour later, i'm walking though a cut thinking about the Elk tag I have in my pocket, and how its there for opportunity; and I see Elk 400m away. Cows...with a big bull! steady the binocs, and yes, 6 points a side. There are 3 satellite bulls are uphill, but between me and the heard, with the big guy is protecting his harem, and heading for the timber. Had to try and cut them off, risking being spotted by the smaller bulls. Made the best of it, but no dice. Busted by a smaller bull. they all spooked. In hind sight, i should have just let them reach the timber and try another time.
good first morning.
Cow call for moose in evening but nothing.
Day 2.
Spotted a raghorn bull running in circles in front of us first minute hunting. couple whitetail does.
One buddy has to go head home. He is local to the area.
We go high for mule deer, but not high enough. 18 mule does, 2 whitey does, 1 white buck that dashed, and a 2 point mulie buck I passed on. watched him @ 150 yards for 15min, it was temping, but it was still early in the hunt. buddy's scope came off..
In the evening I stalked up on a moose I heard feeding, but couldn't see. I was 25m from it, waited 15 min for it to walk out in front of me. It was a cow. watched her till dark - 45min. no bulls.
Day. 3.
Sleep in. I hunt the morning, Buddy sights his gun in.
We hunt high again for mulies in the afternoon/evening, but no dice. I spot a Big silver tipped Grizzly digging in the rocks about as high and steep as a bear could possibly climb @ the top of and draw. Same draw these mulies got spooked the day before. Huge and beautiful looking bear, gray in colour with a big winter coat.
New plan for dusk, we split up and i spot elk 30 seconds later about 600-700m away, and they spot me. i see a cow... and a bull! Buddy comes the same way and they spot him too. anyways, I can see a solid 5 points a side, but can't see a 6'th from the distance. I tell buddy to hike down the road, but he is too noisey (way too noisey) in his boots, so i suggest he go without his boots. From my first experience, i know they are skittish, and we are already busted and he ends up down the hill with no shoes the elk spooke all the way down the valley and i can't stop laughing because he has left his shoes behind and is now hunting bare foot.
Day 4.
The plan was to hunt the morning and then head to the hot spings in the after noon. We hike 7km up a road. I spotted a smaller moose with my bincos about 700m away, on a hillside with lost of red-ossier and aspen-willow-birch. I pass, being its noon and he is very far away. Buddy says he is going for it.
2 hours later i'm watching him stalk above the animal below the cliff face, on top of the bluffs. He hiked up a dry debris slide to the tree line, through the thick stuff then along the rocks to circle around the moose on the high side. He said he tried to cow call it out, but no dice. the moose winded him, but didn't spooke. next I heard his gun, and see no more moose, then the moose re-appears cartwheeling down the hill. more shots, lots of cheering and yelling! 2pm
smaller 4X4 moose. This moose never heard of the rut, didn't smell in the least! no ticks, a fine coat, lean. but 700m pack out. took 2 of us a day and a bit to finish the job.
found 3 nice sheds like this one on this hillside
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/Moose_Shed1.JPG
some butchering homour :mrgreen:
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/Moose_Pelt_Head.JPG
Day 5.
retrive rest of moose. hot springs.http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/Moose_Head1.JPG (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=20894&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=13991)