Your "Best" Big Game Animal
- Thread starter gerry
- Start date
Guy Miner
Master Loader
- Apr 6, 2006
- 17,807
- 6,141
Great story, and dang, 1995 was 20 years ago...
Africa Huntress
Handloader
- Feb 14, 2012
- 461
- 2
Scotty,
First's
The magnificent Rockies
Elk, Sheep, Moose, Mule Deer
Super Cab ride
35 Whelen and Model 70
Hunted Moose AND Caribou, ----successfully
and you did it with your father.
Nice!, and congratulations on the hunt.
I bet when you took your son to the Rockies this year to hunt Elk, the trip your father took his son on was pleasantly remembered.
First's
The magnificent Rockies
Elk, Sheep, Moose, Mule Deer
Super Cab ride
35 Whelen and Model 70
Hunted Moose AND Caribou, ----successfully
and you did it with your father.
Nice!, and congratulations on the hunt.
I bet when you took your son to the Rockies this year to hunt Elk, the trip your father took his son on was pleasantly remembered.
6mm Remington
Ammo Smith
- Feb 27, 2006
- 5,258
- 646
I love all the stories. Please keep them coming. It's as much fun as being there and it lets us in on your lives and experiences. Pretty cool I think!
cloverleaf
Handloader
- Sep 10, 2006
- 4,401
- 1,066
Not a game animal but.....
OK - posting some old hunt photos reminded me of a goose "hunt" with my grandfather. For my 16th birthday I received a 1400 Winchester 20 Ga from my folks. The plan was to go "to the river" for a goose hunt which we did in a couple weeks. However Grandpa and I could not wait, so we drove out to SILVER LAKE (OOPS posted originally with the wrong lake). Now the lake and the Island in the middle of it were a refuge. However a county road ran within a 20 yards of shore. When not over the water the geese were off the refuge... At the time it was common practice (and legal) to lay in the ditch, (public land) across the road and shoot at geese as the came off to feed a couple time a day. Remember now, I was on crutches (or a wheelchair ) way back then already so getting me into a "shooting position" was a chore. That wouldn't ever stop grandpa.... he just backed the ford down into the ditch and said, "get out here and sit on the hood, I'm gonna walk down the ditch a ways and lay down, we will wait for 'em to come off and see if we get a shot." "oh here's the box of shells your folks gave you, I got your an extra just in case...."
Now understand, I knew next to nothing about waterfowl hunting and it was a blue bird day. Bright, sunny, no wind.... So the geese aint stupid. They know drill, they get up off the water on this good sized lake and make a couple circle over the island gaining altitude. (thermals) By the time they head out to feed on a day like this they WAY up there....
Understand also that there are snows and blues on this refuge by the thousand. If you know anything about "light geese" they are acrobatic, almost silly, fliers when in a large group. nothing looks organized and they went up and down over that island like confetti in a chimney. When they got high enough, they'd line out and head for nearby grain fields, but WAY out of range. But I didn't know that.....
So, there I sit, watching a natural miracle, on a beautiful day, with two boxes of 20 ga. shells and a brand new automatic Winchester in my lap.
:grin: I showed some restraint at first trying to aim carefully, then what I though was experimenting with "lead". And then a guy some where along the lake opened up with what had to be a 10 ga. (or a Howitzer). probably only one of six other shots I heard all morning...
And some where in my brain something must have said "fire at will...!!!" because in the 2-3 hours I spent there, on the hood of a very large Ford, in the wide open, I went through both boxes of shells blowing holes in the air as literally thousands of geese went over my head.
Im not sure why grandpa went so far away. We hunted together quite a lot and he was usually close by trying to teach me something. That day for whatever reason he was a quarter mile or more away. When he returned, he said, "did you shoot? and the he looked at the 2 empty boxes and all the hulls laying around me on the hood, on the ground, in the defroster vents.... He laughed him self to tears and then we sat and watched the thousands of geese come back to the lake after feeding. We never fired another shot. no geese came home... One of my favorite memories....
below are a couple of newer pics to give you an idea of what we watched. Multiply this x 10....
OK - posting some old hunt photos reminded me of a goose "hunt" with my grandfather. For my 16th birthday I received a 1400 Winchester 20 Ga from my folks. The plan was to go "to the river" for a goose hunt which we did in a couple weeks. However Grandpa and I could not wait, so we drove out to SILVER LAKE (OOPS posted originally with the wrong lake). Now the lake and the Island in the middle of it were a refuge. However a county road ran within a 20 yards of shore. When not over the water the geese were off the refuge... At the time it was common practice (and legal) to lay in the ditch, (public land) across the road and shoot at geese as the came off to feed a couple time a day. Remember now, I was on crutches (or a wheelchair ) way back then already so getting me into a "shooting position" was a chore. That wouldn't ever stop grandpa.... he just backed the ford down into the ditch and said, "get out here and sit on the hood, I'm gonna walk down the ditch a ways and lay down, we will wait for 'em to come off and see if we get a shot." "oh here's the box of shells your folks gave you, I got your an extra just in case...."
Now understand, I knew next to nothing about waterfowl hunting and it was a blue bird day. Bright, sunny, no wind.... So the geese aint stupid. They know drill, they get up off the water on this good sized lake and make a couple circle over the island gaining altitude. (thermals) By the time they head out to feed on a day like this they WAY up there....
Understand also that there are snows and blues on this refuge by the thousand. If you know anything about "light geese" they are acrobatic, almost silly, fliers when in a large group. nothing looks organized and they went up and down over that island like confetti in a chimney. When they got high enough, they'd line out and head for nearby grain fields, but WAY out of range. But I didn't know that.....
So, there I sit, watching a natural miracle, on a beautiful day, with two boxes of 20 ga. shells and a brand new automatic Winchester in my lap.
:grin: I showed some restraint at first trying to aim carefully, then what I though was experimenting with "lead". And then a guy some where along the lake opened up with what had to be a 10 ga. (or a Howitzer). probably only one of six other shots I heard all morning... And some where in my brain something must have said "fire at will...!!!" because in the 2-3 hours I spent there, on the hood of a very large Ford, in the wide open, I went through both boxes of shells blowing holes in the air as literally thousands of geese went over my head.
Im not sure why grandpa went so far away. We hunted together quite a lot and he was usually close by trying to teach me something. That day for whatever reason he was a quarter mile or more away. When he returned, he said, "did you shoot? and the he looked at the 2 empty boxes and all the hulls laying around me on the hood, on the ground, in the defroster vents.... He laughed him self to tears and then we sat and watched the thousands of geese come back to the lake after feeding. We never fired another shot. no geese came home... One of my favorite memories....
below are a couple of newer pics to give you an idea of what we watched. Multiply this x 10....
- Thread starter
- #47
gerry
Ammo Smith
- Mar 1, 2007
- 6,919
- 1,823
Great stories guys and gals, please keep them coming.
Scotty that sounds like a fantastic trip and I have even heard about the area you hunted, in the Graham river if I'm not mistaken.
Troy, that is an incredible amount of geese.........
Scotty that sounds like a fantastic trip and I have even heard about the area you hunted, in the Graham river if I'm not mistaken.
Troy, that is an incredible amount of geese.........
Do I dare say this may be the best thread I have read here!
I'm loving all the stories. And it's bringing back a lot of memories of my own.
I've hunted since I was a youngster, a BB gun , then a single shot cooey , I think I was 11-12 at Christmas when I unwrapped a Marlin 39a . I had never in my life seen something so beautiful.
There is no doubt my father spoiled me, together we have spent countless hours in pursuit of litterly everything from the start when I was 8-9 with that ol cooey. Gophers, magpies, pigeons, muskrats and beaver. Growing up on the farm I had acres and acres for a playground. Our nearest nieghbors were a couple miles away , so as a kid I had the run of the place between our home half and granny's half there was some of the best gopher hunting imaginable. Imperial was still in business and I don't know how many of those .22 shorts I ran thru that ol single shot . When I got the marlin well I went thru bricks and bricks of 22 shells. My Dad has been there from my first gopher , to my first deer, first moose ... Several goose hunts , a bit of up land thrown in . I can't really pin point a best animal or a best hunt to be specific as I enjoyed many good ones. If I had to go for a unique hunt kinda out of how we normally tackle things I guess I'd have to go back to a river boat hunt we done back in 1990.
In 1989 it all started with a phone call , Moms cousin was back home in Athabasca and had semi retired from his construction job in Northern Ab. He had hunted and trapped most of his life but the one thing that had eluded him was a good muley buck. He just never got down southand never in hunting season as he be gone working. So he came down and spent a week at the farm and Dad put him on a good muley. It grossed over 180 he went home tickled. Well this set in motion the plan to go hunt moose with him down the Athabasca river , back then there was a calling season draw that opened the second week of September. So Dad thru our names in and we both were drawn. The hunt could not have been timed any better as we had all the wheat , barley , and some canola swathed and we really should have been gearing up to combine when we got a good fall rain. Nothing sets a farmers mind at ease like being able to blame the elements for taking some needed days off! So North we headed right on schedule, as a strapping 16 yr ol who's whole idea of hunting had been walk out to the back forty and bring home some game this was all new.
As we headed down river I had no idea what to expect , all I knew is ol bob said we were staying at the Hilton !!! I had no idea the Hilton or the Pelican Hilton was an old house trailer that he and some buddy's had floated down the river years before. See at one time during the gold rush there was a small settlement here and somehow these guys were able to dig up a deed and bought 1 acre on the banks of the Athabasca river. It was all new to me , the tight canopy of the boreal forest was nothing like our aspen groves back home. From the boat it looked inpentrable.
We had quite a time we got a moose on the third day of our 4 day hunt . I still got the antlers here in a shed . In my mind I often go back to that trip , things have changed so much. This was before Al-PAC had the mill on the river . I am told you can drive a quad right to the Hilton now.
Like most I enjoy and appreciate the time spent with Dad I guess the loss of my father in law this fall brings it to the fore front. The hunt for Dads cow elk wasn't much of a hunt but a great weekend together. I hope we get in a few more..
I'm loving all the stories. And it's bringing back a lot of memories of my own.
I've hunted since I was a youngster, a BB gun , then a single shot cooey , I think I was 11-12 at Christmas when I unwrapped a Marlin 39a . I had never in my life seen something so beautiful.
There is no doubt my father spoiled me, together we have spent countless hours in pursuit of litterly everything from the start when I was 8-9 with that ol cooey. Gophers, magpies, pigeons, muskrats and beaver. Growing up on the farm I had acres and acres for a playground. Our nearest nieghbors were a couple miles away , so as a kid I had the run of the place between our home half and granny's half there was some of the best gopher hunting imaginable. Imperial was still in business and I don't know how many of those .22 shorts I ran thru that ol single shot . When I got the marlin well I went thru bricks and bricks of 22 shells. My Dad has been there from my first gopher , to my first deer, first moose ... Several goose hunts , a bit of up land thrown in . I can't really pin point a best animal or a best hunt to be specific as I enjoyed many good ones. If I had to go for a unique hunt kinda out of how we normally tackle things I guess I'd have to go back to a river boat hunt we done back in 1990.
In 1989 it all started with a phone call , Moms cousin was back home in Athabasca and had semi retired from his construction job in Northern Ab. He had hunted and trapped most of his life but the one thing that had eluded him was a good muley buck. He just never got down southand never in hunting season as he be gone working. So he came down and spent a week at the farm and Dad put him on a good muley. It grossed over 180 he went home tickled. Well this set in motion the plan to go hunt moose with him down the Athabasca river , back then there was a calling season draw that opened the second week of September. So Dad thru our names in and we both were drawn. The hunt could not have been timed any better as we had all the wheat , barley , and some canola swathed and we really should have been gearing up to combine when we got a good fall rain. Nothing sets a farmers mind at ease like being able to blame the elements for taking some needed days off! So North we headed right on schedule, as a strapping 16 yr ol who's whole idea of hunting had been walk out to the back forty and bring home some game this was all new.
As we headed down river I had no idea what to expect , all I knew is ol bob said we were staying at the Hilton !!! I had no idea the Hilton or the Pelican Hilton was an old house trailer that he and some buddy's had floated down the river years before. See at one time during the gold rush there was a small settlement here and somehow these guys were able to dig up a deed and bought 1 acre on the banks of the Athabasca river. It was all new to me , the tight canopy of the boreal forest was nothing like our aspen groves back home. From the boat it looked inpentrable.
We had quite a time we got a moose on the third day of our 4 day hunt . I still got the antlers here in a shed . In my mind I often go back to that trip , things have changed so much. This was before Al-PAC had the mill on the river . I am told you can drive a quad right to the Hilton now.
Like most I enjoy and appreciate the time spent with Dad I guess the loss of my father in law this fall brings it to the fore front. The hunt for Dads cow elk wasn't much of a hunt but a great weekend together. I hope we get in a few more..
6mm Remington
Ammo Smith
- Feb 27, 2006
- 5,258
- 646
I've been so blessed to have had some fantastic hunts and I've taken a few really nice animals. Some of my best are certainly not very large, but the experiences and memories have been immense! This antelope buck is the largest and prettiest antelope I have ever taken, but it's more than that. My father had not hunted with me for several years as he was battling asthma and arthritis so bad that he just couldn't do it. It was so painful that he could barely walk and stand at times.
Finally with many treatments from doctors and shots of various kinds Dean was feeling like he might be up for a deer and antelope hunt back at Roy where he grew up, and we would get to hunt on my grandfathers ranch again together. This is something we had not been able to do for about 7 years since my grandfather died.
My dad and I made it out on opening morning and spotted a group of about 15 head of antelope. My dad had two doe/fawn tags and I had an either sex tag and a doe/fawn tag. We parked the truck out of sight and made a sneak in on this herd that was bedded down with a few just starting to get up to feed as it was beginning to get daylight. It was a beautiful clear and crisp morning and the sunrise was spectacular.
As best as he could with his limited mobility, my father and I inched forward through the grass and cactus to where we got within about 70 yards of this herd of antelope. We did not see this huge buck in the bunch until we got this close to him, and he finally stood up and started to feed. I told my dad I was going to take him so that he would be ready to shoot a doe as soon as I shot the buck. I got ready and shot and the buck dropped on the spot. My father fired instantly and dropped a doe and by that time I had another round in the chamber and I shot a nice sized doe.
By now the herd had ran off about 300 yards and stopped, not quite sure where we were and what way to run. They hesitated long enough that my father was able to fill his second doe/fawn tag. Now in a span of just a minute or so we had tagged out with four antelope with one of them being this gorgeous buck. He is just a pretty buck with 16" horns and really nice prongs on him. What made it even better is that he was on my grandfathers ranch and my dad was beside me when I got him. My father was able to finally control some of his medical issues and he started going with us to Roy for our annual trip again. In the years to follow we had some wonderful trips with a lifetime of memories. We took deer, antelope, and elk. I'm so glad that hunting gave me those special times with my father again doing something that we loved to do so much. He continued to hunt with me and got to see my son Jeffrey take his first animals in the same country he grew up. It really doesn't get a lot better than that.
My son Jeffrey and my good friend Don's boy Garrett with Jeffrey's first antelope. He shot it with a Remington Model 600 in 6mm Remington. This is the same rifle my father gave to me and which I used to take my very first animal ever which also was an antelope over in the same area. It has worn the same K4 Weaver scope since 1972.
I didn't take this animal and it's still one of my "best" ever! My father Dean got this bull over at Roy in the country he grew up in and it's the biggest bull he ever took in his lifetime. He shot it with his push feed Model 70 7mm Remington using 160 grain Partitions pushed by some old H4831 powder. The bull is a seven point if you count the matching devil tines on his brow tines. He's just pretty neat and man what a body on this guy. He was huge! We had to quarter and pack him up to the top of the ridge to the truck, so I can tell you how heavy he was! My dad thought it was great because my buddy Don and I gutted, skinned, quartered, and packed the bull while he mostly supervised! I just had to add this one to the "best" list.
David
Finally with many treatments from doctors and shots of various kinds Dean was feeling like he might be up for a deer and antelope hunt back at Roy where he grew up, and we would get to hunt on my grandfathers ranch again together. This is something we had not been able to do for about 7 years since my grandfather died.
My dad and I made it out on opening morning and spotted a group of about 15 head of antelope. My dad had two doe/fawn tags and I had an either sex tag and a doe/fawn tag. We parked the truck out of sight and made a sneak in on this herd that was bedded down with a few just starting to get up to feed as it was beginning to get daylight. It was a beautiful clear and crisp morning and the sunrise was spectacular.
As best as he could with his limited mobility, my father and I inched forward through the grass and cactus to where we got within about 70 yards of this herd of antelope. We did not see this huge buck in the bunch until we got this close to him, and he finally stood up and started to feed. I told my dad I was going to take him so that he would be ready to shoot a doe as soon as I shot the buck. I got ready and shot and the buck dropped on the spot. My father fired instantly and dropped a doe and by that time I had another round in the chamber and I shot a nice sized doe.
By now the herd had ran off about 300 yards and stopped, not quite sure where we were and what way to run. They hesitated long enough that my father was able to fill his second doe/fawn tag. Now in a span of just a minute or so we had tagged out with four antelope with one of them being this gorgeous buck. He is just a pretty buck with 16" horns and really nice prongs on him. What made it even better is that he was on my grandfathers ranch and my dad was beside me when I got him. My father was able to finally control some of his medical issues and he started going with us to Roy for our annual trip again. In the years to follow we had some wonderful trips with a lifetime of memories. We took deer, antelope, and elk. I'm so glad that hunting gave me those special times with my father again doing something that we loved to do so much. He continued to hunt with me and got to see my son Jeffrey take his first animals in the same country he grew up. It really doesn't get a lot better than that.
My son Jeffrey and my good friend Don's boy Garrett with Jeffrey's first antelope. He shot it with a Remington Model 600 in 6mm Remington. This is the same rifle my father gave to me and which I used to take my very first animal ever which also was an antelope over in the same area. It has worn the same K4 Weaver scope since 1972.
I didn't take this animal and it's still one of my "best" ever! My father Dean got this bull over at Roy in the country he grew up in and it's the biggest bull he ever took in his lifetime. He shot it with his push feed Model 70 7mm Remington using 160 grain Partitions pushed by some old H4831 powder. The bull is a seven point if you count the matching devil tines on his brow tines. He's just pretty neat and man what a body on this guy. He was huge! We had to quarter and pack him up to the top of the ridge to the truck, so I can tell you how heavy he was! My dad thought it was great because my buddy Don and I gutted, skinned, quartered, and packed the bull while he mostly supervised! I just had to add this one to the "best" list.
David
salmonchaser
Ammo Smith
- Dec 13, 2013
- 5,067
- 5,275
Reading this thread is now my morning ritual, two cups of coffee, feed the shorthairs, stoke the fire, turn on the news and get caught up with the important stuff. So many of these great stories reveal how critical mentors have been and continue to be. Great stuff another great morning.
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 37,420
- 6,290
Great memories, Super7. Great hunt, to be sure. David, those are each trophies in their own way; and you masterfully presented the rationale for why they are trophies. Great reads. Don, mentors are such a great part of hunting. I feel almost cheated as I really didn't have a mentor. My dad was a severely wounded war vet, which meant I would be on my own for the most part. Still, I've been blessed with some great hunting partners, especially here in British Columbia.
6mm Remington
Ammo Smith
- Feb 27, 2006
- 5,258
- 646
Man these are some great stories. Cloverleaf I just cannot imagine the amount of birds. I've never seen anything like those pictures. What a fantastic day. And for you Scotty, man what a graduation gift! Some day I would love in the worst way to get to go on a guided hunt.
What a great thread :mrgreen: man these stories and photo are just top shelf. Scotty if you would have spent a few more day up in BC you may have been able to claim landed immigrant status . Scotty spending that time up in that part of Canada is pretty close to seeing our promise land.
Keep the stories coming I can not get enough of them. gerry thank you for starting this thread it is a dandy.
Blessings,
Dan
. Scotty spending that time up in that part of Canada is pretty close to seeing our promise land.Keep the stories coming I can not get enough of them. gerry thank you for starting this thread it is a dandy.
Blessings,
Dan
cloverleaf
Handloader
- Sep 10, 2006
- 4,401
- 1,066
David- Wonderful stories, Great photo's and a beautiful goat. Thanks for posting. CL
cloverleaf
Handloader
- Sep 10, 2006
- 4,401
- 1,066
maverick2":1ntwbug0 said:
Me Too - and I wrote it. :grin: So many other wonderful memories with him. I am so blessed. CL
wisconsinteacher
Handloader
- Dec 2, 2010
- 1,976
- 290
I have 3 hunting stories that are very meaningful to me.
The first one comes from Thanksgiving morning back in 2004. Our hunting party of 15 guys at the time always makes one drive on Thanksgiving then goes home for dinner. Well the forecast was 0 so no one wanted to get up the extra hour early to be on stand. I said no to taking the stand because I had shot a deer with my bow, but everyone wanted to party and stay up so I went to bed early and was in my stand before light. The drive as about a mile long and as I heard them start, I caught movement about 75 yards away. It was a doe with a buck behind her. As soon as I saw horns, I pulled up and dropped the deer. As I was working the bolt, another buck came running right next to the first buck. I took a shot and he was gone. Knowing I needed to wait for the drivers, I reloaded and kept looking out into the swamp. About 2 minutes later the second buck that I had missed comes trotting right back at me. He was looking for the doe. At about 80 yards, I took the shot and he ran towards me but only made it about 40 yards. 30 minutes later the drivers showed up and I pointed out the deer from my stand. When my buddies saw the bucks they were sick and it was not from the night before. They were kicking themselves for not getting up and taking the stand. (disclaimer, it is legal to party hunt during rifle season in WI)
The rest of the day, we enjoyed great food and stories. It was a cold morning that I will never forget.
Story number 2 is my bear from 2009. This was a 9 year old sow that I was able to shoot opening night here in Wisconsin. I hunted 4 hours and saw 2 bears. The first was little but fun to watch. 45 minutes later this bear came in. I drew back 3 times on her as she worked her way around the bait. The shot was 15 yards and after it, she turned around and walked away. She made it a total of 30 yards from the bait. This was a memorable hunt because of all the work put in before hand and the fact that it was an older bear.
My last story comes from my dad's turkey season 3 years ago. We set up on these birds early in the morning but they did not like where we were so we went back at 1pm. At 2pm, I heard a bird gobble and step out into the field. He locked onto the decoys and came in gobbling and strutting. Dad shot him at 20 yards. The reason this hunt was memorable was of the location. The spot the tom entered the field from was under the oak tree where shot my first deer with a bow. It was also on a property that I hunted every night as a kid in school. My parents would drop me off with my bow and a book to read for homework. They would then be waiting for me at dark by the gate. Lastly, the house in the picture is where the original owner lived. There was no electricity or plumbing. He lived there until he was 85 and they made him move to town. He lived there for years all alone hunting and trapping just a few miles from town. The calendar is still hanging up inside from when he was there, July 1994. The bricks for the chimney were made in town and have the word Stanley on them. I took one out and it sits downstairs next to my hunting stuff as a reminder of the farm and all the time spent there. I try to make it a point every spring to walk back there and when I do, I am 14 again with my old Bear bow and no clue about hunting or life.
The first one comes from Thanksgiving morning back in 2004. Our hunting party of 15 guys at the time always makes one drive on Thanksgiving then goes home for dinner. Well the forecast was 0 so no one wanted to get up the extra hour early to be on stand. I said no to taking the stand because I had shot a deer with my bow, but everyone wanted to party and stay up so I went to bed early and was in my stand before light. The drive as about a mile long and as I heard them start, I caught movement about 75 yards away. It was a doe with a buck behind her. As soon as I saw horns, I pulled up and dropped the deer. As I was working the bolt, another buck came running right next to the first buck. I took a shot and he was gone. Knowing I needed to wait for the drivers, I reloaded and kept looking out into the swamp. About 2 minutes later the second buck that I had missed comes trotting right back at me. He was looking for the doe. At about 80 yards, I took the shot and he ran towards me but only made it about 40 yards. 30 minutes later the drivers showed up and I pointed out the deer from my stand. When my buddies saw the bucks they were sick and it was not from the night before. They were kicking themselves for not getting up and taking the stand. (disclaimer, it is legal to party hunt during rifle season in WI)
The rest of the day, we enjoyed great food and stories. It was a cold morning that I will never forget.
Story number 2 is my bear from 2009. This was a 9 year old sow that I was able to shoot opening night here in Wisconsin. I hunted 4 hours and saw 2 bears. The first was little but fun to watch. 45 minutes later this bear came in. I drew back 3 times on her as she worked her way around the bait. The shot was 15 yards and after it, she turned around and walked away. She made it a total of 30 yards from the bait. This was a memorable hunt because of all the work put in before hand and the fact that it was an older bear.
My last story comes from my dad's turkey season 3 years ago. We set up on these birds early in the morning but they did not like where we were so we went back at 1pm. At 2pm, I heard a bird gobble and step out into the field. He locked onto the decoys and came in gobbling and strutting. Dad shot him at 20 yards. The reason this hunt was memorable was of the location. The spot the tom entered the field from was under the oak tree where shot my first deer with a bow. It was also on a property that I hunted every night as a kid in school. My parents would drop me off with my bow and a book to read for homework. They would then be waiting for me at dark by the gate. Lastly, the house in the picture is where the original owner lived. There was no electricity or plumbing. He lived there until he was 85 and they made him move to town. He lived there for years all alone hunting and trapping just a few miles from town. The calendar is still hanging up inside from when he was there, July 1994. The bricks for the chimney were made in town and have the word Stanley on them. I took one out and it sits downstairs next to my hunting stuff as a reminder of the farm and all the time spent there. I try to make it a point every spring to walk back there and when I do, I am 14 again with my old Bear bow and no clue about hunting or life.
6mm Remington
Ammo Smith
- Feb 27, 2006
- 5,258
- 646
That is superb. I loved the stories. It's funny how in an instant they can transport us back in time.
well guys I'm really enjoying this thread , so I figured I better get busy and contribute to it . I've had a few memorable hunts . I'm not sure what one I'd call my best , so I'll put up my caribou hunt first since I have the most pics from this hunt . I don't know how to type , so I'll post a pic and give a little explanation . my new scanner cuts the picture off without a background , that's the reason for the camo cloth . the pics without the camo were scanned with my old scanner .
three of us drove to Montreal Canada , where we parked the truck and flew to Kujjuaq .
when we landed at the Kuujjuaq airport , we were loaded on a bus and taken to a small lake where we were loaded on a float plane . I was hunting with arctic adventures , and safari nordik hunters also rode this bus with us to the planes . they had their own planes .
it was a 2 hour ride in the float plane to the camp .a couple pics out the plane window .
the plane was only able to carry 4 guys plus our gear and camp supplies at a time , so he made 2 trips to get everyone into camp . second trip coming into camp .
I was on the first trip to camp . while waiting for the other guys to arrive , I walked around camp to get a little look at what I'll be hunting in . up behind the camp there is an inukshuk .
view of camp from there .from the left . 2 hunters bunk houses , guide bunk house , mess hall , meat storage house . behind the bunk houses there is a small shower house .
shed antlers are laying around everywhere .
after the second crew of hunters arrived . I overheard the guides talking . they were trying to decide how to split up us hunters into 2 groups of 4 . the problem was I came in a group of 3 . there was a father and young son came together . there was 2 brothers and a friend came as a group of 3 . I told them I would hunt with either group . I would not allow them to split up a father and son , nor 2 brothers . they put me with the other group of 3 . these guys are Canadian and talk french , but did speak english . I had a heck of a good time with them .
on the first day I shot the first bull we saw .
we quartered it up put it in cheesecloth bags and set it on rocks to help cool the meat .
after returning to camp, I find out my one buddy was tagged out by noon . he got excited and shot the first two that came past him . 1 cow and a small bull .
as the week went on the meat house was getting filled .
I think it was day 2 Dennis , the one brother , shot a nice bull .
I think it was the third day I shot my second one .
the forth day I went with my other buddy Bob to try and help him get his second bull . he did get to score that day on a non-typical bull . so now the guys I went on the hunt with we were tagged out .
the fifth day Mike ,the one guide ,asked if I would go with him to try and find a zodiac boat that was dropped of by a lake . he needed to get it put together so he could start hunting on the other side of this lake . Bob came along too . we did get it put together that day .
on the hike to the lake we found some wolf tracks .
Bob brought along his fishing rod . Mike said he was probably the first guy to ever catch a fish in that lake .
while we were doing the boat thing , the other brother Michele got a nice bull . I took his pic that evening .
I can not remember his name . when this young fellow was not hunting , he was fishing . I remember him running into his cabin and getting his fishing rod every chance he got . I think he fell in every day .
we always had a good meal, and conversation at the end of the day .
the hunts coming to an end . we were getting our gear and meat out to the plane dock .
I saw a lot of caribou on this hunt . some days I saw around 100 .
there is a calf in this pic .
same calf as above trying to figure me out .
my friends , Woody on the left , Bob in the middle , me on the right . notice Bob's non-typical antlers .
my 2 antlers .
some scenery .
three of us drove to Montreal Canada , where we parked the truck and flew to Kujjuaq .
when we landed at the Kuujjuaq airport , we were loaded on a bus and taken to a small lake where we were loaded on a float plane . I was hunting with arctic adventures , and safari nordik hunters also rode this bus with us to the planes . they had their own planes .
it was a 2 hour ride in the float plane to the camp .a couple pics out the plane window .
the plane was only able to carry 4 guys plus our gear and camp supplies at a time , so he made 2 trips to get everyone into camp . second trip coming into camp .
I was on the first trip to camp . while waiting for the other guys to arrive , I walked around camp to get a little look at what I'll be hunting in . up behind the camp there is an inukshuk .
view of camp from there .from the left . 2 hunters bunk houses , guide bunk house , mess hall , meat storage house . behind the bunk houses there is a small shower house .
shed antlers are laying around everywhere .
after the second crew of hunters arrived . I overheard the guides talking . they were trying to decide how to split up us hunters into 2 groups of 4 . the problem was I came in a group of 3 . there was a father and young son came together . there was 2 brothers and a friend came as a group of 3 . I told them I would hunt with either group . I would not allow them to split up a father and son , nor 2 brothers . they put me with the other group of 3 . these guys are Canadian and talk french , but did speak english . I had a heck of a good time with them .
on the first day I shot the first bull we saw .
we quartered it up put it in cheesecloth bags and set it on rocks to help cool the meat .
after returning to camp, I find out my one buddy was tagged out by noon . he got excited and shot the first two that came past him . 1 cow and a small bull .
as the week went on the meat house was getting filled .
I think it was day 2 Dennis , the one brother , shot a nice bull .
I think it was the third day I shot my second one .
the forth day I went with my other buddy Bob to try and help him get his second bull . he did get to score that day on a non-typical bull . so now the guys I went on the hunt with we were tagged out .
the fifth day Mike ,the one guide ,asked if I would go with him to try and find a zodiac boat that was dropped of by a lake . he needed to get it put together so he could start hunting on the other side of this lake . Bob came along too . we did get it put together that day .
on the hike to the lake we found some wolf tracks .
Bob brought along his fishing rod . Mike said he was probably the first guy to ever catch a fish in that lake .
while we were doing the boat thing , the other brother Michele got a nice bull . I took his pic that evening .
I can not remember his name . when this young fellow was not hunting , he was fishing . I remember him running into his cabin and getting his fishing rod every chance he got . I think he fell in every day .
we always had a good meal, and conversation at the end of the day .
the hunts coming to an end . we were getting our gear and meat out to the plane dock .
I saw a lot of caribou on this hunt . some days I saw around 100 .
there is a calf in this pic .
same calf as above trying to figure me out .
my friends , Woody on the left , Bob in the middle , me on the right . notice Bob's non-typical antlers .
my 2 antlers .
some scenery .
