dakoda62
08-27-2013, 08:39 AM
Trip of a lifetime
We left Kelowna on Aug 12 to make our way to Tetsa River Outfitters at mile 375 on the Alaska highway, stayed a couple of days in Ft St John with family. Arrived the day before the hunt on Aug 14 to meet with the outfitters Doug and Beth Cobbet. We were ecstatic to find out the other people that would have been going in with us had cancelled, so it would be just the 2 of us. Morning of the 15th saw us pack and saddle up 10 horses. uneventful ride into camp for 3 1/2 hrs crossing the Tetsa river, a few beaver dams and creeks. arrived in camp around 2:30, rained most of the way in. Aug 16 hunted around camp at at a nearby ridge, saw tracks and such but nothing to shoot. arrived back in camp late afternoon cows and calf had been hanging around camp most of the day, which as it turned out was a daily occurence sometimes 3-4 moose, as there is a natural lick just below camp. Aug 17 went out by horse for 13 1/2 hrs beatiful area some very promising areas, but again no animals. Aug 18 BINGO. just finshing breakfasts first cup of coffee, my partner had left the main cabin to use the out house and what should appear at the lick, a nice young bull. Bang 1 moose down from the sundeck no less. 33" full velvet.
weather for the most part was cool so gutting and deboning was no big deal, still had to deal a lot of blow flies though. Moose was fully deboned, cleaned, in bags and hung by noon. Then the work really began as all guts and bone had to be taken out of camp and dropped in the next valley, as grizzly are a real problem in the area. Next day saw us take off on our own, looking moose, elk and grizz, as Stewart had an LEH tag. didnt see any thing. Beth and Doug road back to the highway with the meet to put in the freeze we had brought with us. Aug 20, the cabin we stayed in has a large window that overlooks the meadow and lick, alarm goes off at first light, Stewart rools over looks out the window and guess what, yep another bull, 1 shot again 50" full velvet, Stewart was still in his underwear lol.
pretty much a repeat of the first debone, bag and hang,then ride and pack out the innards. The last few days were spent looking for elk and grizzly with no success. The meals that Beth prepared were without exception the best i have ever had in hunting or fishing camps, fresh homemade bread, pies, cookies etc full course meals absolutely top notch. Tetsa river camp and outfitters was established in 1942. We heard 1 plane and saw 1 helicopter the entire trip. Doug and Beth have been hunting their entire lives and are extremely knowledgeable of every aspect of hunting, and game care.
http://s1138.photobucket.com/user/dakoda62/library/Tetsa%20River
We left Kelowna on Aug 12 to make our way to Tetsa River Outfitters at mile 375 on the Alaska highway, stayed a couple of days in Ft St John with family. Arrived the day before the hunt on Aug 14 to meet with the outfitters Doug and Beth Cobbet. We were ecstatic to find out the other people that would have been going in with us had cancelled, so it would be just the 2 of us. Morning of the 15th saw us pack and saddle up 10 horses. uneventful ride into camp for 3 1/2 hrs crossing the Tetsa river, a few beaver dams and creeks. arrived in camp around 2:30, rained most of the way in. Aug 16 hunted around camp at at a nearby ridge, saw tracks and such but nothing to shoot. arrived back in camp late afternoon cows and calf had been hanging around camp most of the day, which as it turned out was a daily occurence sometimes 3-4 moose, as there is a natural lick just below camp. Aug 17 went out by horse for 13 1/2 hrs beatiful area some very promising areas, but again no animals. Aug 18 BINGO. just finshing breakfasts first cup of coffee, my partner had left the main cabin to use the out house and what should appear at the lick, a nice young bull. Bang 1 moose down from the sundeck no less. 33" full velvet.
weather for the most part was cool so gutting and deboning was no big deal, still had to deal a lot of blow flies though. Moose was fully deboned, cleaned, in bags and hung by noon. Then the work really began as all guts and bone had to be taken out of camp and dropped in the next valley, as grizzly are a real problem in the area. Next day saw us take off on our own, looking moose, elk and grizz, as Stewart had an LEH tag. didnt see any thing. Beth and Doug road back to the highway with the meet to put in the freeze we had brought with us. Aug 20, the cabin we stayed in has a large window that overlooks the meadow and lick, alarm goes off at first light, Stewart rools over looks out the window and guess what, yep another bull, 1 shot again 50" full velvet, Stewart was still in his underwear lol.
pretty much a repeat of the first debone, bag and hang,then ride and pack out the innards. The last few days were spent looking for elk and grizzly with no success. The meals that Beth prepared were without exception the best i have ever had in hunting or fishing camps, fresh homemade bread, pies, cookies etc full course meals absolutely top notch. Tetsa river camp and outfitters was established in 1942. We heard 1 plane and saw 1 helicopter the entire trip. Doug and Beth have been hunting their entire lives and are extremely knowledgeable of every aspect of hunting, and game care.
http://s1138.photobucket.com/user/dakoda62/library/Tetsa%20River