The wolf that ran across the road for the last time.

[Grizzlykiller]

Had the opportunity to help out the moose herd in a big way last week. Was heading up the road early in the morning to do a week long moose hunt.

Had made it about 37 miles out of town and this black wolf trotted across the road right in front of me. My rifle was stashed in the gun case and out of reach but my partner was right behind me and his was a bit more available.
 The wolf ran about 30 yards into some willows and stopped to watch us go by. It thought so anyway. I stopped and jumped out and waved to my partner to hurry up and grab his rifle. He said later he thought I'd seen a bear. I pointed to this wolf watching us from behind these willows and he was not convinced it was a wolf because there are a half dozen cabins scattered along that section of the road. I assured him no one was going to poke their head out call for Blackie anytime soon. The wolf looked like a deer as it crossed the road and told him to just shoot the thing. So he did. He still hadn't gotten a real good look at the thing until we walked up to it and was asking are you sure that it's not a dog? I said that ain't no dog. It wasn't




 A black male that crossed the road for the last time. No idea what he weighed but I'm in the blue shirt and weigh 180 and Joe is 195 and we both are 6 feet. Maybe 135-140 lbs? More? I don't know. He gave me the skull and he is making a rug out of the hide and away we went to continue our moose hunt.

[rasbo]

nice wolf..would love to shoot one

[Grizzlykiller]

So it was back on the road. We park the trucks at mile 85 and drop the machines and ride another 48 miles to our camp site on the tundra.
 This year it was his turn to shoot the moose so the only real criteria was it had to be a pretty rack. He's not too concerned about spread or points he just likes them to be fat and pretty.
We made it into our campsite by about 7pm and set up the tents and got squared away.


Our plan was to spend the next day looking over the countryside to see what kind of bulls we could find. This one was about 400 yards from camp the better part of the week. He was with 4 cows when we showed up and 5 days later had 7 and was pretty content. We guessed he was maybe 52 to 54 inches but didnt fit the description of what we were after so we avoided him as best we could.


We were able to locate 6 bulls the first day out and ended up killing one of them 3 days later after looking the country over pretty hard. We ended up putting on 280 miles over the weeks time. He rides a Yamaha 700 Grizzly and I ride a Polaris 600 Sportsman and we both pull Pac-Rat trailers. We both took in 40 gallons of gas and ended up with about 7 gallons left over.
 I was hoping to kill a grizzly bear after we killed the bull but came up short on that. Saw a legal bear that was maybe 3 miles away and working some berries over but he was moving a little too quick to make any headway on him so we didn't bother.
 We went back to to the area where we'd seen the largest bull from the first day and he had gained a smaller 55 or so inch bull for company along with 6 cows.
 He was the 12th bull of the trip and fit the pretty definition.




The bull was not the largest body wise that we've killed but he was still quite chubby. The rut was just starting start and smelled all pissed up. I love the smell of pissed on moose almost as much as pissed on elk. Really nothing quite like that rutty smell. And don't ever let anybody tell you those horny old bulls taste bad. It's all in the first two hours after you kill him that determines how he is gonna taste. If the hair never touches the meat then there is no rut taste. Simple.
 Anyway the bull was a fine specimen. 61 inches and a nice addition.
 On the way out I had an added bonus of finding a nice Musk Ox skull. He is a genuine stud and I may have to get him measured. I may have a picked up trophy on my hands.



We saw a pile of ox on the trip and there seems to be some real nice bulls running around the hills.
Overall it was a fairly good trip with minimal need for aspirin. I did break the yoke off my transmission 14 miles from the trailhead on the way out so we hooked my winch cable to Joe's axle and we tugged it out the rest of the way. I had front wheel drive but it was like trying to ride a bull. One wheel wanted to pull left and the other wanted to pull right and I was Flex Armstrong by the time I got to the truck.
 
So there is a stop at ebay in my future to locate a yoke. Overall a pretty good trip.

[bearpaw]

looks like a great adventure...

[PolarBear]

Man, you are klling me!!!  Awesome, thanks for sharing!

[rasbo]

good write up..what a bonus finding the skull...

[Billy]

Cool story, thanks for posting.

[Shootmoore]

Excellent write up and pics!  Thanks for sharing the hunt with us.

Shootmoore

[Gringo31]

Great story!

Thanks for sharing it.

[markts]

Awesome adventure and story-Thanks

[woodman]

Congrats! This is a great story and pics to start the day with, adds to the variety here.

[blacktailer]

I always look forward to your posts Grizz.  Man you are living life right!!! Great pics.   

[boneaddict]

No doubt.   Love the update/story and pics. 

[Ray]

Great report.

[buckhorn2]

Nice story and pictures an adventure we all dream about.

[JackOfAllTrades]

I am in total aw..     I'd kill to go on a trip like that.  Kin I come huntin with YOUOUOU??? Please? Pretty please?

What a cool hunt. Thank you for the photos and write-up.

-Steve

[MikeWalking]

Oh man what's that pain in my chest??  Missing time in the Brooks

thx for the post

[SkookumHntr]

Awesome!

[NWBREW]

What a great write-up and awesome trip.  That would be my dream hunt right there.  Congrats

[wapiti hunter2]

I know the area well.  Spent three summers there flying in helicopters doing geology.  Got three bulls myself. 54-60 inches.  We camped at the runway on the Kougarock River for two summers and at Iron Creek for one.  I've been wanting to go back and take my son to get him a moose but $$$ is always an issue and I read that the Seward Peninsula moose have some tooth issue that is reducing the herd. Know anything about it.  I spent a whole afternoon with a herd of muskox in the Kougarok River headwaters.  Something I will always remember.  looks like you had a great trip.  the wolf was a great bonus. 

[denali]

WOW    great pics and story      never been to AK, need to go!

[carpsniperg2]

wow! great story and pics. thanks for sharing

[KDume]

Looks like you guy's had a great time living the dream! You look familiar, won't mention your name but does one of you sell or used to sell beer & wine?

[Grizzlykiller]

 Hey thanks for interest in our hunt. I lurk here quite regular and rarely post or get involved but in the interest of adding some variety I figured I'd contribute something.
Yes the Seward Peninsula moose herd is and has been experiencing a tooth issue. Mostly grizzly bear predation during calving but wolves have followed Caribou onto the Peninsula and have made a dent also with their teeth. They gotta eat too but I believe if you kill a moose every year you need to make an effort to kill a bear or wolf also every year. Actually ADF&G used to require the lower jaw on moose in an effort to gather info on what was and is making the teeth splinter on moose. Even young moose have shown signs of decay and splintering and I'm not sure if there has ever been anything learned from it or not. Most non resident moose hunting opportunity has been severely limited for the last 15 years or so and the bear hunting seasons have been liberalized in an effort to increase harvest and moose numbers. My kind of Liberalism!!

Neither one of us has sold beer or wine in the past that I know. I'll drink a Miller High Life now and then but they ain't for sale.

 

[bearhunter99]

Congratulations on a great hunt, sounds like a pretty damn good time.  I need to get back up there again........................

[KimberRich]

Awesome story and pics!  Definitely big country.

[WaltHenry]

Thanks for sharing.

[h2ofowlr]

Nice write up.  I like the quad set ups.  What type of trailers are you guys using?

[jordano]

WOW! Great pics and awesome story! Thanks a ton for sharing! I love hearing and seeing things like this! Especially since I have never been big game hunting before!   

[7mag.]

I am in total aw..     I'd kill to go on a trip like that.  Kin I come huntin with YOUOUOU??? Please? Pretty please?

What a cool hunt. Thank you for the photos and write-up.

-Steve

   That sounds like the hunt of a lifetime. I'm jealous. Thanks for the story and pics. Don't be a stranger on here.

[yakimarcher]

Nice work sir. I am highly jealous.

[PacificNWhunter]

Nice pictures! great animals too!

[Wanttohuntmore]

I am trying to get my dad to drive up with the camper and trailer/quads, and jetsled, and I'll fly up and meet him for a moose hunt.  But so hard to work out the details.  Not sure what kind of hunt to expect.  Also have thought of just flying up to meet him up there for a moose bowhunting trip....  Just dreaming out loud.  Thanks for the pics, definitely keeps me dreaming!

[highside74]

Coouldn't have started or end much better, minus the busted quad anyway. Thank's for sharing your story and pic's.

[Grizzlykiller]

Glad to stir up some interest and kindle some dreams for an Alaskan moose hunt. I know most of your guys seasons are about to start soon and the bucks and bulls will soon tip over so to add a little antler variety for your viewing pleasure is my pleasure.
I grew up hunting in the Cowiche and Ahtanum area hunting elk and deer but that was nothing like hunting these big bulls up north. The moose hunt is more of an endurance test than a challenge to your skills. Maybe. I don't know. A fair number of guys seem to come home without a bull so maybe we just stumble in the right direction.
So much logistically goes into one of these hunts and being so far off the road and away from the garage it makes you do some serious check listing to make sure you have everything you could possibly need on hand. From clothing for every weather event to gear.
 Anyway antler viewing. I decided 3 years ago to get a change of scenery from our usual drainages and to also give those particular moose a break from our presence. So even though I think these next two shots have been posted before here I'll put em on again in order to show what we have been lucky enough to stumble upon the last three years in our search for protein. All these bulls were killed within 5 miles of each other.


2008 and my 15 year olds 2nd bull.


2009 and my turn to shoot.


And another shot of the bull from 2010.


Cool. So after the 3 year hiatus from my old stomping grounds I think next year we will see what has matured there and go look for the herd bull. Or one of them.
So enough of my Other Big Game stuff that has nothing what so ever to do with Washington Hunting. I'll retreat. I look forward to seeing some nice bull elk and buck deer photos in the next few weeks time.

[stillhunter]

Alaska hunt is definitely high on my bucket list.