Share the Tale of your most memorable hunt [Archive]

Bassett

06-30-2010, 02:52 PM

Oct 31 - Set up.
Finished paking left at aroun 9:30-10am
Well on our way to our hunting area my dad got a bit mixed up and missed the right turning and we ended up all the way right in the town of peace river. Asked one of the ambulence drivers there for directions and we got pointed into the right direction. So we got back onto the road and headed to our regular hunting camp spot, but it was taken. So we went to a farmers house (we hunt his land) and asked if we could hunt his land and alsowe asked if there was an where close so we could camp. He welcomed us onto his land so we set up camp. It was now 6pm. Being the first time out in ur new tent we had to attach all the ropes ect ect... The famers dad came and gave us a hand, thanks! Lucky me got to shovel and rake our camping spot. But it was worth every shovel. Once our camp got set up we were leaving the kitchen set up for tomorrow.
The farmer started to show us some of the bucks and elk on his land and boy was I excited! There was a 5x5 whitey, 6x6 whitey, split brow whitey, double split brow whitey... BUCK FEVER!

Nov 1 - Opener.
The alarm went off at 6:00 and I was excited. The farmer took us to a place were the elk were crossing but no luck. We waited and waited there till 10am and decided to come back the following morning. So we set up the rest of camp kitchen then got wood and chopped and stacked, then ate. Its not 4:45. Not much of an evening hunt but we saw 5 whiteys and 1 buck jump the cutline and exit the field. Dad and I decided to walk back from the field along a road and to camp, then a big rustle in the bush 30 yrds away got the heart pumping a wee bit. But then the wolves and coyotes started, they really started. Then we topped off the night with a nice dinner. Not much of a moose opener but none the less it was fun.

Nov 2 - On the prowl for my moose
Me and dad went one way, our buddies went the other. We got on the trail of a cow moose with what looked to be like twin calfs. (I have a calf tag!!) We followed it and followed and got closer and closer but no luck. Were ever the moose were headed the coyotes would be howling in the same direction. That took up the morning hunt. Breakfast time and need more wood for our hungry stove. Our evening hunt lead us to a place that we call "the strips". It gets its name because theres strips of alfalfa. Our buddy shot a coyote at 250yrds, pretty impressive shot. We saw lots of moose track, but nothing thats living. We decided to go back in the morning.

Nov 3 - Got my first moose!
We were driving back into the strips when my dad spotted a cow moose. This was around 7:30am. Too early to shoot yet, but it was a cow not a calf. We parked the truck and made a stalk on it to try and see if she had a calf with her but luck will have it, she was a lone cow. My dad and I decided to walk the eastern side, our buddies would walk the western side. We saw a few bear tracks Arent they supposed to be hiberating??? ANYWAYS we looked down a few strips and my dad grabbed my arm and said look, get ur gun ready. We got a bit closer for a better look. Proped my gun up on a hay bale and waited to see if the moose that was standing was a calf or the bedded one was a calf. Turned out to be the standing one. What felt like hours was actually only 3 minutes to determine the calf was the calf... I took aim waited for a better shot angle and BOOM took a quartering towards me shot. The calf started to run slower and slower (about 10yrds, not far) and started to get limper and limper and BOOM I shot again and he fell like a sack of bricks!!! Got on the radio and said calf down. High fives from my dad and it was a long shot 240yrds im guessing. But then the cow was hovering over my well.. her calf. So dad and I loaded our guns just in case. We never thought we'd live to see the day that we had to watch our back for bears and our front for cow moose!!! Didnt take long to get the truck, gut, load the calf and get back to camp. This is actually quite a big calf! Turned out later on in the week when we skinned it I hit both shoulders. Kinda sucks but we'll do our best to save the meat. We got back out for deer and elk in the evening. We called and called for elk but nadda. We also saw wolf track and another set of bear tracks! Oh and I spooked a grouse and it came full throttle at me and nearly took off my head! Then we made a walk to a coulee but no luck there, only more howling and cackling. We walked back on the field and at 307yrds, pitch black we noticed a huge buck making a scrape! Definatly a 160+ too bad it was after legal light!

Nov 4 - Elk crossing
We went back to were the elk were crossing and spotted a cow before first light. We watched her and 2 more cow elk crossed. We got set up and saw more and more elk. It went like this my dad was whispering to me "cow, cow, cow, cow, cow, BULL!" So we both get a good look, bout split second but the bull had really long main beams but only had 2 points on each side. He gets to live to see another day. In total we saw 15 elk and 1 bull. But prior to us getting up there their herd bull got shot monterous 7x6, yet to see pictures. The herd is outta wack. So for the evening we decided to let that area settle and head to the coulee. W waited and waited but no luck. Just before legal light cewas over we head heavy crashing so we got a close look but 2 nice whitey bucks startled each other thats all.

Nov 5 - 6x6 elk down! Congrats papi!
Dad and I headed back to the crossings while the other 2 headed to some fields and the strips for deer. We got set up but forgot our chairs haha. Oh well. We waited about 1hr then legal light was now upon us. 30 mins later a bull step out. My dad said " Big Bull" So I take a look through my binos and darn I wish I had a elk tag at this moment!!! Dad held off for a better shot and he turned quarting away and BOOM! The elk is slowly trying to limp away then it falls but is now hopping back out into the cutline. So my dad tried to shoot for the neck of the bull trying to put it out of its misery but he missed. So we try and walk up to him being careful but by the time we got up to him he was done. We counted the points and hes a big 6x6!! Congraulations dad! This is his second elk his first was last year. But next year the elk is mine! WOO! So we decided to walk back to see if our buddies were on their was to picking us up. They explained their morning and we told them ours, they were excited. They never saw a elk before Nov. 4!! So he got the privalege of gutting haha. The shot was 295yrds!!! WOW! He hit 1 lung and top of the heart. So dad and I are tagged out for this trip. Never wanted to go for our deer since we wanted the young girl that was with us to get one. The evening was a nice relaxing evening for dad and I but for the others, they never even saw a deer.

Nov 6 - Skinning, adventure on another farm
We never headed out we had a lay in for the morning but up bright and early was our buddies hoping for a decent buck but they got to see a wolf instead too fast for them to get a shot off. It was a big black one. The farmer will deal with him now, he hates them buggars! Dad and I went and got more wood, met up with our buddies and the morning was over. We skinned the elk and moose and headed to another farm. While we were driving to a place on their farm we got stuck... Our buddies walked the rest dad and I contacted the farmer and he said he'll bring a cat. When I saw the thing it was like a goliath! I said "Dad..." yes son. "Whats he planning to do with us with that thing!!" Dad said " Well he can Pick us up, chew us, and spit us out like a tomatoe if he wants to!" So thanks to the farmer we got out! But no deer. Where the heck are they??? We saw only 1 mulie while we were there it was a buck. I could count the whiteys on my fingers, not good! So the girl was skunked... She said oh well, the seasons just begining!

Nov 7. Packed up and headed home, 5 hours and 30 minutes later we arrived in edmonton.

tikka_stainless

06-30-2010, 04:13 PM

sounds like a pretty awesome trip Basset. id have to say my most memorable trip was elk hunting near the rockies last year. brought the 5th wheel a hour n an half from Fox to the berland river. the next day we headed to our treestands on an old pipeline. after being talked into going into a different stand then one i originally chosen, i sat down, waited and saw nothing. and less then 300 yards away (In my originally chosen stand) dad shot a cow elk. so being a little choked i missed out on my first elk by a bad decision lol, we got it skinned out and back to camp before dark. the next day was spent walking up and down old cutlines and grown in logging roads, and along the berland. we didnt see anything unfortunatley. the next day i decided to sit in the famed elk stand. well turns out that the elk stand quickly turned into more of a bear stand with the precence of a gut pile. fortunatley i have a bear tag. soo, after walking to the stand, first thing we see is a cub sitting in my tree....and the unimpressed sow on the ground. so we back out for a few mintutes and come back, so, im a little on edge as i quickly climb up my tree so i can get a false sense of security haha. so after waiting several hours, i hear something walking behind me, i turn around expecting to see the sow with her cubs again, turns out it is a lone bear :sHa_shakeshout:
after he walks around under my tree and begins to walk away without presenting a shot, i chirp and hope for the best. to my surprise, it worked!, he turned around, cautiosly walked toward the base of my tree, puts his front paws on the tree, now i am half expecting him to try and climb, and im getting ready to yell, but, luckily, he got down and starting walking quatering away, and at exactly 13 yards i took the shot, he ran 40-some yards, and i had my first bow kill last year in september with my diamond edge. even though it defintaly is not the biggest bear in the woods, im stil proud of it.
oh, and the bear had a little black ear tag, it said- AFW 0287 ? any idea what it means?