Karl
09-28-2013, 10:44 PM
So finally getting around to posting our late august moose hunt to the northern region of our great province.... always been a reader on the site and not much of a poster but thought this one was worthy site material. I will try and keep it short because as we all know a week long trip could involve a novel at the end of the day! so i will keep it to the 2 most memorable days to date in my hunting career.... being this was my first trip up north i was way very eager to get up there and start checking out the terrain. we had some help from a friend on area and what not but really we were kind of going in a little blind, seeing as we had never gone into this area prior. anyways after getting up there and spending a day or two hiking and kicking around the area we were coming up quite discouraged. not seeing much sign of animals in the area was a little upsetting. we had some knowledge of a hiking trail to get us out of the mainstream area full of 'regulars' to the area and your basic quad/road hunters. me and my brother decided to take to the trail monday and try and get into some prime realestate! as we got into the trail about 7K or so we realized we had a ways to go.... we knew the area we wanted to get to (after searching trusty google earth) that area was about another 10-15K away! heading back to camp that evening reality started setting in that even if we did pack in the tents and whatnot a 20+K hike in with a moose down at the end would be a nightmare between 2 guys to pack out if you wanted to get out the whole animal! getting out of the trail and back into camp we met up with our friend Jon who had been checking out the area on his own that day and ran into a couple of the 'regulars' who he got to talking to about the trail we were on and our destination we wanted to reach.. the two old timers told him about a quad trail that would get us right into where we wanted to go... not having any idea this was an option we were now on our way to gettting somewhere and a game plan was sparked! starting off on the trail was great we were all in high hopes and fired up!!! getting down the trail a little ways our eager spirits got a little bit of a shock as we came across roadblock after roadblock we had to get around.... put it this way it took us a little over 6 hours to travel 20 kilometers! im sure others on this site have been on these adventures!!!! on the quad in we realized we were heading in the right direction as the country started to change in our favor as well as a lot more fresh track being seen!! Moose and Grizzly!! getting close to our google earth destination we were all in awe as we rounded the corner into the valley!
http://i1350.photobucket.com/albums/p777/karl264/DSCN1102_zpsa88488b7.jpg (http://s1350.photobucket.com/user/karl264/media/DSCN1102_zpsa88488b7.jpg.html)
the country was unlike i had ever been in and it was truly breathtaking taking it all in as we went along the trail.................... anyways skipping ahead a little we reached where we wanted to be and set up a little camp and prepared to go explore for the evening hunt... we headed up the trail about 6K or so on the quads and we all decided it was time to get off. all of us being hike in hunters the quads were not natural to us and we had all agreed some walking would make us sane again!!!! now walking along the trail being in the quiet and in the valley was just unbelievable... seeing lots of sign and just getting that feeling! yes all of us know 'the feeling' that something just feels right.... as someone put it on their moose thread the stars seemed to align and the moose gods were smiling down on us.... ending our hike back at the machines we were in good spirits that the next day would be spent glassing the meadows or heading up high to look around.... quading back to camp we kept our eyes peeled on the trail looking to see if anyone had crossed since we had ridden down.... Jon haulted up ahead of us and got off to show us a couple of fresh elk tracks that had shown up right over top of our tire tracks. we were on top of a hill that led into the valley out of a group of trees we had been riding through. we decided to get off and walk down the hill where the tracks had gone. the three of us lined up and headed down..... neering the bottom was where the rest of everything that happened will be in my mind forever.... (as we all know that feeling aswell!!!) if everyone has been reading thus far and hasnt just skipped to the pictures this is where my story gets interesting!!! Jonny quickly turns to us and "whisperyells" and points MOOOOOOSE!!!!!! there he was standing broadside approx 70 or so yards in the middle of the gorgeous meadow we had been through earlier! as we all know that feeling it felt like the next few minutes were about a few hours in time! he looked so perfect set in the habitat we were in! anyways!!!! an agreement was made earlier that day that the first shot would go to my brother! as he got into position i was still just amazed that all this was happening after beeing up there for awhile not seeing anything.... then all of a sudden this massive animal was standing before us... (im sure many have had that feeling before aswell!!!) anyways the usual after waiting for the shot what seemed like an hour (But was of course a matter of seconds) it happened!!! BOOOM! the shot went off and the moose dropped like a sack of bricks!! it was picture perfect like the shots you see on the hunting shows!!! all of us were just shocked at the happenings in the last few seconds/minutes turning to one another to give the usual cheers and high fives!!!! we walked cautiously up to the moose as he was not quite done yet my brother put one more in the boiler room and that was all she wrote!!!! anyways i wont go on much more but leave the story to say...... it was 20 after 8 that evening and we had our work cut out!!! after everything was dealt with (deboned.. bagged up... hangin in the tree) it was just after 3 am.... (not to mention the wolves howling as we gutted!!!) the next day the pack out on the machines was again pretty hectic but at the end of it how satisfying!!!! going in all that way to harvest one of i believe to be the greatest big game animal on the planet.
Me and my brother with our moose!!!
http://i1350.photobucket.com/albums/p777/karl264/DSCN1144_zpsb880d6a0.jpg (http://s1350.photobucket.com/user/karl264/media/DSCN1144_zpsb880d6a0.jpg.html)
The shooter! with his bull!!!
http://i1350.photobucket.com/albums/p777/karl264/DSCN1147_zps4d0b8dd3.jpg (http://s1350.photobucket.com/user/karl264/media/DSCN1147_zps4d0b8dd3.jpg.html)
The three happiest guys on the planet that day!!!
http://i1350.photobucket.com/albums/p777/karl264/DSCN1159_zps7b998fac.jpg (http://s1350.photobucket.com/user/karl264/media/DSCN1159_zps7b998fac.jpg.html)
More Pics of the country....
http://i1350.photobucket.com/albums/p777/karl264/DSCN1205_zpsce1d284e.jpg (http://s1350.photobucket.com/user/karl264/media/DSCN1205_zpsce1d284e.jpg.html)
one of the most memorable hunts ive been on.... all making it even better being with my brother!! so cool!!!
happy hunting!!
Karl.
http://i1350.photobucket.com/albums/p777/karl264/DSCN1102_zpsa88488b7.jpg (http://s1350.photobucket.com/user/karl264/media/DSCN1102_zpsa88488b7.jpg.html)
the country was unlike i had ever been in and it was truly breathtaking taking it all in as we went along the trail.................... anyways skipping ahead a little we reached where we wanted to be and set up a little camp and prepared to go explore for the evening hunt... we headed up the trail about 6K or so on the quads and we all decided it was time to get off. all of us being hike in hunters the quads were not natural to us and we had all agreed some walking would make us sane again!!!! now walking along the trail being in the quiet and in the valley was just unbelievable... seeing lots of sign and just getting that feeling! yes all of us know 'the feeling' that something just feels right.... as someone put it on their moose thread the stars seemed to align and the moose gods were smiling down on us.... ending our hike back at the machines we were in good spirits that the next day would be spent glassing the meadows or heading up high to look around.... quading back to camp we kept our eyes peeled on the trail looking to see if anyone had crossed since we had ridden down.... Jon haulted up ahead of us and got off to show us a couple of fresh elk tracks that had shown up right over top of our tire tracks. we were on top of a hill that led into the valley out of a group of trees we had been riding through. we decided to get off and walk down the hill where the tracks had gone. the three of us lined up and headed down..... neering the bottom was where the rest of everything that happened will be in my mind forever.... (as we all know that feeling aswell!!!) if everyone has been reading thus far and hasnt just skipped to the pictures this is where my story gets interesting!!! Jonny quickly turns to us and "whisperyells" and points MOOOOOOSE!!!!!! there he was standing broadside approx 70 or so yards in the middle of the gorgeous meadow we had been through earlier! as we all know that feeling it felt like the next few minutes were about a few hours in time! he looked so perfect set in the habitat we were in! anyways!!!! an agreement was made earlier that day that the first shot would go to my brother! as he got into position i was still just amazed that all this was happening after beeing up there for awhile not seeing anything.... then all of a sudden this massive animal was standing before us... (im sure many have had that feeling before aswell!!!) anyways the usual after waiting for the shot what seemed like an hour (But was of course a matter of seconds) it happened!!! BOOOM! the shot went off and the moose dropped like a sack of bricks!! it was picture perfect like the shots you see on the hunting shows!!! all of us were just shocked at the happenings in the last few seconds/minutes turning to one another to give the usual cheers and high fives!!!! we walked cautiously up to the moose as he was not quite done yet my brother put one more in the boiler room and that was all she wrote!!!! anyways i wont go on much more but leave the story to say...... it was 20 after 8 that evening and we had our work cut out!!! after everything was dealt with (deboned.. bagged up... hangin in the tree) it was just after 3 am.... (not to mention the wolves howling as we gutted!!!) the next day the pack out on the machines was again pretty hectic but at the end of it how satisfying!!!! going in all that way to harvest one of i believe to be the greatest big game animal on the planet.
Me and my brother with our moose!!!
http://i1350.photobucket.com/albums/p777/karl264/DSCN1144_zpsb880d6a0.jpg (http://s1350.photobucket.com/user/karl264/media/DSCN1144_zpsb880d6a0.jpg.html)
The shooter! with his bull!!!
http://i1350.photobucket.com/albums/p777/karl264/DSCN1147_zps4d0b8dd3.jpg (http://s1350.photobucket.com/user/karl264/media/DSCN1147_zps4d0b8dd3.jpg.html)
The three happiest guys on the planet that day!!!
http://i1350.photobucket.com/albums/p777/karl264/DSCN1159_zps7b998fac.jpg (http://s1350.photobucket.com/user/karl264/media/DSCN1159_zps7b998fac.jpg.html)
More Pics of the country....
http://i1350.photobucket.com/albums/p777/karl264/DSCN1205_zpsce1d284e.jpg (http://s1350.photobucket.com/user/karl264/media/DSCN1205_zpsce1d284e.jpg.html)
one of the most memorable hunts ive been on.... all making it even better being with my brother!! so cool!!!
happy hunting!!
Karl.