Northern B.C. Father-Son Remote Moose Backpack Hunt Tagged Out

[Magnum_Willys]

What an adventure !   Son and I took an 18 hour drive up from Longview to Smithers, BC, then 90 Minute ride on an 8 passenger prop plane with 6 other hunters  into roadless area landing on a trappers field, then a 30 minute jet sled ride to outfitters remote log cabin.  Son and I transferred  to a float plane for 35 mile flight to a remote lake, then headed out with guides and backpacks following morning to hunt and camp in the high plateaus for moose and caribou.
We had a german-canadian for a guide and his assistant was a young chap from New Zealand.  Both very entertaining.

Day 1 & 2 we saw small caribou and moose.  It was pre-rut so not much was moving.

[Magnum_Willys]

Day 3:  We woke to heavy 20mph winds and bitter cold.  It had been 96 at home when we left.  We had a breakfast of hot coffee and oatmeal we began glassing from in front of tents.   I had to put heavy wool socks over my Kuiu gloves to keep hands warm.  It started snowing a bit.  We spotted two cows below us.  After thoroughly glassing a couple miles out below us we headed up the plateau.  About a half-mile from camp our guide spotted a moose 2 miles ahead.  He watched it for 10 minutes not sure what it was.   With my Swaro I could tell it was a monster.  The antlers weren’t moving for several minutes and guide wondered if it wasn’t a dead bull then I saw it move and we began our two mile stalk. 

Son  kept ranging the bull with our laser rangefinder and we got within 1000 yards and then 700 yards and couldn’t get closer and still see him so guide tried calling him. No response as we were a week early for the rut.  We backed up and dropped further down the hill and looped around to a closer spot and then other guide spotted him at 350 yards.  Son and I both found small wrist sized trees to lean against. The 20 mph wind was blowing them and the rest was not good. Son could only see its head and I had broadside shot but a shaky rest.  After 5 minutes we decided to get a better position and then the bull moved ahead. Son  got back on him and I waited for his shot.  His 338-378 roared and the bull took off.  I touched off immediately but only saw his back half.  Son felt real good about his shot.  I  was 50-50 about mine but knew it would be in the back half of the bull if I hit it.  Guide said he heard both shots hit.  I wondered.  We tried to visually mark where the bull was and confident we would get it one guide went back for the Guides packs and we headed down to look.

We  got to where guide thought the bull had been standing and looked for 20 minutes and found nothing but one set of tracks headed down but no blood. Were we in wrong spot?  Son headed back to find his shooting spot to wave us in right direction. We didn’t see him from where we were so after 20 minutes we headed back to find him. He had found guide coming back and with his help we found and flagged the shooting spot.  We looked back down to about where bull had been - whew - we had been searching the wrong area - too low.   We made a beeline 350 yards to where bull should be.  Nothing. We looked around for 30 mins.   Fresh tracks lead from where bull was and ran straight down hill and were same tracks we spotted earlier 400 yards below.   No blood.   Very Discouraging.  The Guides went to follow the tracks and we searched more around the area.   We started to lose all hope.  With the strong wind and poor rests maybe son missed? He didn’t think so.  We now had been looking for three hours. The guides returned after following tracks for nearly a mile. Nothing. We were out of ideas and got our stuff together to head back to tents to make plan B with gut wrenching thoughts of monster that got away.  The Guide wandered off 60 yards away to take one last look.  “Hey! Look what i found”,  he yelled.  The bull! We scrambled down and there it was feet up head in the ground. I had walked within 30 yards of it and somehow missed seeing it and Guide had done the same.  We had been looking for antlers.  It hadn’t gone 70 yards. Maybe 50 downhill .  Wow!!!  Son had hit it perfect at 350 yards and my backup shot in the backhalf was where I thought it would be.  A heavy palmed 50 inch trophy Bull !  Whew !!!!!!!   We had gone from euphoria to gut wrenching disappointment to elation .  Finding the Bull made the entire adventure a success regardless from that point on. 

We had a 5 mile pack with a cripes load of moose meat.  We got back 3 miles to the tents at 9:30 pm with headlamps.  It took four of us two days and two trips with heavy packs to get all the meat out.  Though grizzly’s were in the area they didn’t bother it.  One of the other hunters at a nearby lake saw 13 grizzly.  We slept with rifles loaded next to us in the popup tents.

Day 4 was packout and day 5 R&R.  The outfitter flew in and picked up the meat .

Day 6 and 7 – Chased some moose and caribou but no shooting opportunities.

[Magnum_Willys]

Day 8 – We woke at daybreak to scout for the bull we had seen the night  before.  It was nowhere to be found.  We had oatmeal mixed with cocoa for breakfast . Son went on short hike and saw a small bull moose.   I spotted a small bull and cow  on the lake shore 3 miles away.   About 9 am a bull walked into the clearing below the tents about 1000 yards.  It wasn’t a giant but still a nice bull.  Guide thought maybe wait but I was thinking I would regret passing it up.  After some thought I decided to wait for a day.  Son  told me, “if I was your age and had never gotten a bull I would shoot it.”  We watched it disappear into heavy timber.   I remembered what the hunter from Texas had told me on the flight out: “Get your first Bull on the wall then worry about getting the big one.”   I was regretting letting it go and decided if I got another chance I would be thrilled to shoot it.    We hiked a half mile along the plateau and spotted a herd of 5 mountain  goats at 300 yards but no moose or caribou. Son glassed back below camp and said he saw that morning bull again.  I said, “lets go get it”.  We made a plan to sneak up - it was about a mile out. We had the wind in our favor and made quick time to get within 1000 yards then began stealth mode. Son kept ranging the area bull was.  We couldn’t see it till we got to a small knob at 220 yards.  Guide spotted the bull and I crawled up to shoot over my pack. After two quick shots I had my first moose - he was a nice bull with a huge beard. Young bull but a trophy.  We had a much shorter pack –just over two miles.   Two of us took loads down and then all four finished up the next day. 

Day 9 – Pack and look for Caribou.
Day 10 & 11 – Fly Back to Outfitters Cabin, then jetsled trip to plane, and fly back out to Smithers, then 12 hour round trip up to Iskut to pickup meat, then 18 hour drive back home.

Awesome trip.   Most of our gear held up fine.  Little 2 lb. KUIU packs were great meat haulers.   Great Memories !

[Magnum_Willys]

Few more Pics...

[Lunchbox1981]

Wow awesome write up.  Great photos and even better trophy's and memories.  Congrats on a amazing trip!

[RadSav]

Moose antlers in the water is one of the coolest pictures I've seen in a long time!  Love that type of country.  What camera were you packing?  Maybe just the guy behind the camera, but those are great photos!

Sounds like the ultimate father/son experience.  Congratulations

[bowhunterforever]

Awesome write up and pics Thanks for sharing

[boneaddict]

Fantastic photoshoot.    I so want to do that.  I have the Alaska experience and the Shiras experience, now I need the Canadian one.   Very nice Father/son adventure.  I wont ever forget mine with my Dad.

[Skyvalhunter]

Very nice write up, pics and animals!! Who was your outfitter on this?

[starbailey]

Very nice story. Thanks for sharing.
I leave for BC Friday for my own moose-caribou adventure and your story sure got me pumped.

[boneaddict]

Goodluck Star!

[MLBowhunting]

Wow what a adventure

[Magnum_Willys]

What camera were you packing?   

Thanks !  Yea I carried a heavy full-sized Nikon D90 except for the day my son got his bull - of course.  heh.  We took a lot of iphone pics but the iphone just can't match the nikon.

[Magnum_Willys]

Very nice story. Thanks for sharing.
I leave for BC Friday for my own moose-caribou adventure and your story sure got me pumped.

You should see a lot of moose - the rut was just starting the day we left.  They weren't in it at all yet.  It was tough with hot weather and no rut - the moose would move into the timber in the first hour and not come out til the last hour and when you are a mile plus away it just was very tough to get within shooting range - we got the only two we had a chance at.

[starbailey]

It was just great to see the country and success. I cant wait!
Mine is a horseback hunt. The first time hunting off of horses since 05. I try to stay away from those things during my hunting trips as I deal with them every day while home. But they will be great to have around if I'm able to kill one of those big ol moose.
 Thanks again for sharing your story.