Got out a couple days this past week

Blkram

Handloader
Nov 25, 2013
3,251
3,898
We managed to get out a couple of days this past week.
The weather was pretty nice and we got to see some beautiful mountain country here in northeastern BC. The winds haven't stripped too many of the trees yet, and the stands of poplar and aspen are bright in their yellows, golds and oranges of fall, and make a nice contrast to the dark green of the nearby coniferous forests. And yesterday the snowline was down to about 4500', so we got up into it on a couple of back roads.

We saw very little big game in our travels, mostly the odd mule deer or whitetail does and fawns, but Susan did pass on three small black bears (two and a half year olds) over the two days. The moose are rutting now, and while we did see a number of fresh tracks along the backcountry roads and trails, we never saw a single moose. We also founds tracks of caribou, and grizzlies in our travels.

Between Susan and I, and my Mom and her husband who went with us both days, we did manage to bag a total of 29 grouse and a snowshoe hare over the two days. We had a good mix of ruffies, spruce hens, and duskies. The 28 gauges and a .410 did this work for us, and we all had fun taking turns. We even managed a couple of doubles yesterday! I got two Duskies with one shot, and my Mom got two spruce hens with one shot too. Susan got to shoot her first Duskies yesterday. The snowshoe hare turned out to be the first my Mom had ever taken herself. (They are starting to turn white now (bellies and feet).)

IMG_3551.jpg
 
Congrats Gil. Sounds like a fun weekend.
I like the looks of that Remington 1100 28 ga.

JD338
 
It's the Sporting 28, and has a very beautiful stock.
It has been a pleasure to own and shoot this shotgun over the years, and we have taken our fair share of grouse with it.
It does belong to the wife now, that she has laid claim to it.
I should have taken my Benelli Ethos in 28 ga along too, but just didn't feel like carrying the extra shotgun this week.
 
Heading out today to cut wood for deer camp. Grouse is on the menu. Deer season opens Saturday and I hope to be camped on a mountain ridge by then so everybody else pushes the deer to me. Looks like rain here in NE WA. Maybe snow monday for tracking.
 
Got out again today...
Got a few more spruce hens, a ruffie, and a sharptail with the 28 ga today. Lots of birds!
Got a nice young caribou bull for meat, amd while field dressing it, saw two more about a quarter mile away; one a very nice bull with a beautiful white main.
Once we had him taken care of a loaded up, about a mile further down the road we saw these guys! (I was wishing for my 9.3 right about then!)
Bison Bulls Oct 10 2025.jpg
Bison Bull Oct 10 2025.jpg
I didn't range him, but he might have been just 30 yards from the truck!

My daughter and her husband are coming hunting with us next weekend, and we hope to run into these guys again!
 
Gil,
Congratulations on your successful hunt. That is so cool to see such a variety of game. Best of luck next weekend!

JD338
 
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