2013 Season

We opened up camp first week of July, and immediately had to repair the tack tent frame once more.  It had been a long winter with lots of heavy snow.   It was wonderful to be here once more!  The horses arrived a few days later and immediately headed down to their stomping grounds in the meadow below.   Our summer of hiking and trail rides started out slow, but picked up in August after word began to circulate that we were open for business.

Fall came upon us quickly, but not before we had everything ready for our clients comfort and success.   The huckleberries and blue berries were so abundant, we even managed time to pick some for ourselves and thanks to a friend of ours had jam made for our clients.

Black bears were first on our agenda and with the huge amount of berries there should have been one standing behind every berry bush.  However, since there wasn’t a salmon run this fall it brought the grizzlies inland for food, resulting in most of the black bears leaving.  We chased some around and did take two beautiful bears, with one on its way to Poland

We began our moose season end of September hunting out of our cabins on the far end of Ghost Lake.   The amount of sign was absolutely incredible with few moose seen.   One morning we had two moose come up to the cabins pre-dawn. The following day he circled the boat thirty yards away, and the next day beat up the bushes fifty yards away, never completely stepping out.   The rut had kicked in earlier than usual and as the valley is long and narrow most of the bulls had already picked up their cows and headed for higher country, just a few days before our arrival.   The weather was strange, from snow fall to heavy rains, with none of the days staying really cold.

We had far better success out of our main camp at Cameron Ridge for moose, with three moose for the four hunters. Unfortunately the black bear continued to stay hidden hunt.    We celebrated Thanksgiving again with a large turkey along with our clients and some friends travelling up from Likely.

After the last tail lights pulled out we began shutting down camp for the winter.   A day later our horses left for winter pasture, I’m sure they were happy to leave!    The following Sunday we returned to drive a couple of ATV’s with gear down to Quesnel Lake to finish off our moose season.    We had tied our pontoon boat at the neighbours dock for the summer.  When we arrived it was mostly sitting on land as the water had receded so far!  It was an interesting and challenging project to get our boat out, we did it!

Our last hunt off Quesnel Lake was very successful taking two moose for both our clients, one the first day and the other the last day, within the last hour.

A few days later I headed for Alberta to guide a mule deer hunt purchased through my donation to GOABC.   The amount of snow was astonishing, about 2’.  Because of the huge amount of snow spot and stalk was out of the question and I spent several days scouting out some great places to set up a blind.  Unfortunately over the next 6 days we saw very few mule deer as nothing moved out of the timber.

Testimonial comments from the bear hunt this past spring…bottom line is that I don’t have any negatives…and I’m pretty critical:

• extremely diligent in getting hunter on game, even in very trying conditions that Mother Nature throws at you, great positive attitude…realistic evaluator of her hunting client’s physical condition…safety oriented…can make tough decisions which might not be initially popular to her client, but absolutely the right thing to do for the success of the hunter…communicates in a very helpful way.
• very enjoyable to be around…always upbeat…loves to laugh…good conversationalist…good communicator…has lots of hunting stories.
• tough as nails…can steer a quad through some unbelievably rough trails without mishap…has pistons for legs and can pack a lot of weight…very impressive…meets unforeseen Mother Nature’s challenges head on and totally focused on solving the problem, e.g. taking 3 hours to cross a swollen stream, getting back to our cabin very late at night by boat in a rainstorm, etc.
• patient and helpful…since I’m 65 years old, frequently asked if I needed to stop while hiking to get to where we hunted grizzly…told me how she handled a foreign hunter older than me to hike along a trail that took him 5 hours while it took me 2 hours, and would have taken her only a little over an hour…that’s patience extraordinaire and excellent client service.
• very good accommodations…rustic log cabin, wood stove, great meals…true hunting-in-the-bush experience for city-slicker hunting clients.
• thinks about details…reminds hunters of things they need to pack before heading out (e.g. extra snacks, socks, gloves, shirts, rainwear, etc.)…prepared for backwoods challenges, e.g. nylon rope to cross streams, fire starting materials, etc.
• loves the guiding business…20 years experience…gets along well with fellow guides in her area and has developed mutually beneficial relationships with guides whose areas adjoin hers…as good as any male guide I’ve ever hunted with and better than most.
• well-regarded by government fish and game personnel familiar with her operation.
• very good equipment, seems to be very organized
• knows her hunting area and where game might be, good sense of direction in the woods…loves animals, fascinated by Mother Nature’s creatures that we encountered, large or small.
• prepares downed game very well…excellent skinner, very detailed and precise care of my bear hides….clever use of bear skull, bear hands, and human cap for once-in-a-lifetime pictures…very funny.

Overall…an extremely enjoyable hunting trip which was very successful, having taken a beautiful mountain grizzly and a black bear….no hesitation about recommending Chris to any hunter
   It sounds like you paid me to say these things, but I really mean them…and they reflect the feedback from your references that I called…totally positive.

Mal Vaughan

San Antonio Texas

June 14th, 2010

Our spring season was looking really good until our grizzly hunt cancelled and unfortunately we have been unable to re-sell it. It’s a little frustrating as we have an abundance of grizzly in our area and they are much bigger than most inland grizzly as they are salmon fed. As with the other game here the grizzly has had very little hunting pressure. I have been itching to get into some of the avalanche chutes with clients as that’s the place to hunt them in the spring. There are some fantastic slides that may have any number of bears on them at one time. However, on the brighter side we may have a black bear hunter coming later this month from Turkey. His wife will be travelling with him as well and I’m getting really excited as he has never hunted black bear before! And it’s always such a pleasure to see the excitement and joy on their face! We have had to push the hunt back a little as the snow hasn’t quite melted off the road yet. But once we get in there it’s going to be great! That’s it for now but I will be back and keep you posted.

Tuesday May 18

It’s been a busy day packing up EVERYTHING, all the equipment, gear, clothing, and building material. We headed to McBride at 4:00pm to spend the night with my brother and his wife. The first part of the 9 hour drive went well. We took along two of our hounds, Metro and Yodel just in case we needed to chase down a wounded bear and of course for company.

We booked a couple from Istanbul, Turkey who would be arriving on the 21st. Sevim and Tony Trupia made the long journey to Williams Lake to come spring bear hunting for two black bear and one grizzly. Two years ago Tony had been diagnosed with lung cancer and at his last checkup he was given a clean bill of health. So this hunt was very important for Tony and Sevim and we would work our hardest to make one of his dreams come true.

Heading into BC in the spring is always a pleasure as most times they are far ahead of us when it comes to growth. The vegetation here is phenomenal, you can practically watch things grow in BC. The bear hunting here is far better than Alberta as far as the amount of bears and it’s so much more fun doing a spot and stalk. We saw an enormous black bear in their field, but by the time I got there to get some video he was finished eating. Things are looking good.

We spent a pleasant evening solving the world problems, went to bed late and got up early so we could get to camp a little earlier in the day.

Wednesday May 19,

Pulled into Comet Creek shortly after 3pm, the road was in good condition. Danny was ahead of me and had seen a couple of black bears at the Cariboo River. Everything looked good, not much mice activity which is always a blessing. We unpacked most of everything, cleaned our cabin and began to settle in.

Peter and Fraser arrived around 7:00 to help with the hunt and getting the place operational for our summer season. On the way to camp Peter saw four black bear at the Cariboo River. Things are looking good!

Thursday May 20,

We left for Williams Lake early as the road isn’t open yet to drive through Likely and it’s an extra 1 ½ hours via Quesnel. On our drive six black bears were eating along the road. We picked up the hunting licenses, the two camp containers in Likely and bought enough groceries to last the entire hunt. It’s been a long and busy day. We spent the night with a couple of friends, and of course solved more world problems!

Friday May 21,

It was time to repack the pathfinder as we don’t know how much baggage they have brought with them. We strapped as much as possible on the roof without caving it in, and the remainder into the back. After a great breakfast we headed for the airport. Of course the plane was early and Sevim and Tony were waiting for us. I was really happy to see that there wasn’t much baggage and we managed to get everything in with room to spare for all the wine, champagne and whiskey we purchased in Quesnel. Tony is a smoker and as there is a non- smoking policy in my vehicle there were frequent stops along the way to keep him happy. Outside of Wells we stopped for lunch and of course a smoke. It was cold and snowing! Welcome to Beautiful British Columbia! After settling them into their cabin we went out for an evening hunt. On our way back to camp there was a small Black Bear which crossed the road then disappeared into the ditch. It got our adrenaline pumping! The weather was cool, windy and rainy.

Saturday May 22,

Cool morning again with fresh snow falling up high. Two Canadian Geese have taken residence here in our yard; they come every morning and evening for several hours at a time. After a great breakfast we headed out for our first day’s hunt. Just before noon I spotted a medium size Black Bear and we did a great stalk on it. The wind was good and it was unaware we were even there. Sevim had her video camera ready for some action. It was a 97 yard shot, and Tony was ready using his tripod he had brought with him. I was certain this was a dead bear, and couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw him shoot to the left and slightly below him. The bear ran down the road, then up into the cutblock, stopped with a good broadside shot at 137 yards. He’s dead now! Another miss, now I’m wondering what’s up with this guy. The bear moved farther up the hill and disappeared over the top. We rounded the corner on the road, but Tony was unable to get in another shot. Tony was very upset and as it turned out one of the legs on the tripod had given out slightly, hence the miss. Well, back to finding another bear.

Later that day Danny spotted a beautiful blond grizzly so off we raced to try and get a shot at it and hopefully everything would fall into place. This same grizzly had been spotted three times prior so it was just hanging around the same area. It was a small grizzly however the color made up for its size. Tony was going to make the decision upon seeing it whether he wanted it or not. We never did see it and after walking slowly and quietly up the road we decided to wait there awhile and see whether he would come back out. Meanwhile Danny headed back to camp and within five minutes saw three black bear! Go figure! We sat until our patience ran out and off we went to drive down the main road. There were six different grizzly tracks headed in either directions, three were made earlier that morning which was a sow and cub with a big boar following them. It was getting late and time for supper.

Sunday May 23,

We woke to a cloudy, cool drizzly day, but that doesn’t bother the bears. After breakfast we headed out to see whether we could find the boar whose tracks we had seen. We didn’t find him, however it was a good morning for bears. Three black bear, one of which was a sow and three cubs, all from this spring, then later across the valley in a cutblock we spotted another black bear travelling along at a good pace. Jumping into the Bronco we hurried over to try and intercept him. He was gone by the time we got there, oh well this one wasn’t for Tony. Looking back across to where we had been, we saw a grizzly sow with one cub. Sevim managed to get some video of them, but they were a long way away. It was interesting to watch them as they made their way feeding along the road. As the bears came to where I had sat previously glassing the sow sniffed around the log then immediately tore down the mountain. I tell you they can run just as fast down hill as they can uphill! Several hundred yards later they finally slowed down. Our travels took us down an old logging road with the most incredible amount of moose sign I had so far seen. The amount of rubs and tracks were amazing. I catalogued that place for future moose hunting.

Meanwhile Danny took his ATV down the road to see how much snow there was. Along the way he spotted a smaller grizzly boar that stayed on the road for a few minutes. Then farther a strange sight, a sow in the ditch with her head stuck in a culvert with the cub jumping on the road above her. Danny sat and watched for several minutes until the cub finally managed to get her attention and she popped her head out of the culvert and they took off into the brush. As it was getting late we headed back to camp for supper. As the last touches of supper were being put together I dug out the hummingbird feeder. Last year there were a few of them buzzing around checking out the red curtains. They are such a delight to watch that I was determined to set out a feeder this year. I was thrilled when one showed up, then all hell broke loose. News travels fast out there and suddenly there were more than ten, scrapping and beating on each other to get some sugar water. Three different species were at the feeder. Over the next several days the numbers dwindled and Danny figured they went into a diabetic coma!

Monday May 24,

Yeah!!! Tony shot his first Black Bear today at 433 meters, right through the base of the neck. Tony’s tripod didn’t buckle this time. Incredible shot. No need for the dogs, the bear dropped like a rock, a big beautiful black bear with a white V on its chest which is called a chevron. Don’t ask my why. Maybe the first person to shoot a black bear with a white V was Mr. Chevron. Maybe it’s something I should research so I sound really brilliant the next time someone asks me. After taking numerous pictures and video we skinned it, headed back to camp to celebrate, drink champagne and to tell the story over and over.

Tuesday May 25,

We woke up to a day of clouds and cool wind and no bears the entire day. The two resident hunters saw a sow with cub down the road, about where Danny had seen her two days before. The vegetation is getting greener and more lush every day.

Danny and Fraser headed for our main camp, Cameron Ridge, to get some salt for the hide. There was 2’ of snow still on the road 1 ½ miles to camp. Hiking in went ok, it was trying to walk on that rotten snow with a load that made things rather difficult on the return trip. The camp looked good; a martin had found its way into the pantry and had a great Christmas. On the other hand that meant no mice activity as that is their main staple of food, besides wooden spoons which they ate last year.

Wednesday May 26,

Today is cloudy with partial sunshine. Not much activity again this morning, however this afternoon we went after a Black Bear somewhat smaller than the one Tony had shot. He disappeared rather quickly though and there was no chance of a shot. We stopped and chatted with a resident hunter for a few minutes that had just spooked a black bear in the direction we are travelling, maybe he’ll be back out when we drive by. No such luck. I think it is the same bear we had spooked a couple of days ago.

We found the cutblock that Danny had mentioned yesterday with the western beauty flowers that bears just love. The root is tubular and sweet, I’ve tried one and they would make a great sweet wine. No bears were there so we are coming back in the morning to sit awhile.

Thursday May 27,

Nothing is happening so we are changing our routine and left camp this morning at 7:00am to a cool, cloudy day with some sun. Danny preceded us with his ATV. We caught up with Danny just before the flower patch. As he got off the ATV he ducked down and frantically waved at us to hurry to him. Parking the Bronco we snuck over to where Danny had last seen the bear. It was a chocolate Black Bear. That would make a great second trophy! He was out of sight for a few minutes then briefly popped back into sight, but Danny was the only one to see him before he disappeared completely. We stayed until 10:30 then slowly drove back to Comet Creek.

Around 4:00pm we headed back to the flowers, nothing was eating on them and after staying until 7:00pm we headed slowly back. Part way back we encountered Danny racing towards us, to let us know of a black bear he had seen not once but twice at the same spot. If our luck holds he’ll still be there. Off again! Parked the Bronco at the corner and walked the 150 yards to where Danny had spotted him. Walking slowly down the road to our left I suddenly saw a flash of black and rustling. Stopping we stood quietly waiting as the bear was undecided whether we were friend or foe. The wind was in our favor and Mr. Black Bear began to slowly make his way around us. Occasionally I was able to hear him rustling through the dry grass. Finally I saw him about 6 yards away behind the willows. He was very cautious and unsure what we were. I was going crazy trying to point him out to Tony. At that distance it was by far too close for a rifle with a scope, so I offered him my 30/30 which he declined. Tony finally saw the bear and shot. I watched the bear spin and the noise he made was a good sound. However after Danny and I went slowly into the ditch there was no bear and no blood. How could it have been possible to miss at that distance? As we found out later it was easy if your scope was still turned to the highest power!

Tony was pretty upset at himself but after letting him know about the scope it was easier for him to accept. Back to camp for another wonderful supper, wine to drink, more stories to tell, and laugh until our sides hurt.

Friday May 28,

It’s a bad day today as we are out of fuel, wine, whiskey and could use some groceries. It’s time to make a dash to town. We hunted in the morning to no avail, and then Sevim and I left for Quesnel. On the way we saw one Black Bear, of course Tony wasn’t with us. We stocked up on everything we could think of and with items we didn’t think of.

On the way back we saw one more bear in our area and two we had seen on the way into town. Danny and Tony headed out on the ATV around 5:30pm to do some evening hunting. They arrived back about 8:00pm with having seen only one small Black Bear a mile from camp.

Saturday May 29,

It was a cool morning as Danny and Tony left early using the ATV once more. A couple of hours later we heard the wonderful news. Another Black Bear on the ground! It was smaller than his first one, but it was beautiful. Tony had again taken a long shot, around 300 meters. Then an awesome cowboy shot as he called it, off hand at a 100 meters, taking the bear down. After many pictures, video and poses, Danny and Peter got busy skinning, butchering and fleshing the bear. We left later in the afternoon to take a slow drive down towards the flowers in hopes of seeing a grizzly along the way or with his face buried in the flowers. We didn’t see any grizzly nor black bear however we did see very fresh sign on the road to our destination. And what a pile! We did see a cow moose up in one of the cut blocks. We glass the same spot every time we drive by and finally were rewarded with some sort of creature on the hillside.

Sunday May 30,

Today we left to check out a very special spot. It’s a long ways in and hopefully Tony will be able to make it. He has incredible will power considering what he has endured the past two years. Off we went arriving far into the afternoon, but Tony did manage to make it. We stayed a couple of hours hoping that a grizzly would come out to feed, but it was not to be. We used a push/pull program on Tony for the return trip and managed to arrive back to the Bronco before dark. Tony is quite an inspiration and made me realize that yes if you really want to do something…

On the drive back to camp there was a fresh big pile on the road. Yup, all the work and he was wandering on the road.

Monday May 31,

We slept in this morning on account of our long day yesterday. Breakfasted at 10:00am and left an hour later to check out some other spots. Along the way we ran into our neighboring outfitter, stopped and chatted for a little while. He was also grizzly hunting and had seen five the previous day. We sat and glassed across the valley into the cut block for about an hour then drove the cut as there are a few places hidden from view. There had been a smaller grizzly travelling the road, but he wasn’t there that day.

We headed for the Ghost Lake Falls to show Sevim and Tony. These falls are fabulous. We ran into a resident hunter who had just finished setting up camp, wonder if he will be alive in the morning as the mosquitos were horrid. Sevim and I hiked down to the lake taking a few flower pictures along the way. They were quick stops as we were getting eaten alive.

Down the road we drove once more hoping to see a grizzly wandering merrily along. Tony began lamenting as to where all the grizzlies were. As we joked and laughed along the way, eating and not paying much attention to what was happening around us, we looked up and there was a grizzly walking down the road heading the other direction. Stopping immediately Tony jumped out much faster than than ever before, however his rifle sling caught around the base of the seat and delayed him a few seconds. As he was struggling I grabbed his tripod and he quickly set up for the shot. The grizzly continued to walk slowly down the road not paying attention to any noise we were making except for the bear heard the shell slide into the chamber even though we were 315 meters away. He stopped, turned and stood up peering in our direction then quickly dropped down and ran down the road. I was watching Tony about to squeeze the trigger when the bear disappeared around the corner. I kept watching and a few seconds later he appeared again running to the left. From our vantage point I wasn’t sure whether he was still on the road or had entered the bush. We sat for about 30 minutes hoping that maybe the grizzly would return or continue walking down the road again after deciding that there really wasn’t a threat, but no such luck. We slowly made our way to the spot where we had last seen him only to discover his tracks entering the bush but there was no further sign of him.

We continued down the road until we hit the snow. I walked farther to see if the grizzly had at any point come back onto the road but he decided that the bush was much safer. During the slow drive back towards camp we were all analyzing and replaying the scene. Almost back to Comet Creek I decided to head back up there as maybe there was a chance after this long lapse of time he may have come back out to the road once more. Along the way we saw a very nice black bear. He was rude and didn’t stay for any length of time for photo’s or video but disappeared down the embankment. We didn’t see the grizzly again nor any other grizzly that evening and decided to head back to camp. There was no triumphant return with a band playing and crowds cheering, only the wine to drown our sorrows.

Tuesday May 1,

Since one day had been taken up with town chores this was then their last day of the ten day hunt. It wasn’t a very pleasant day with rain, some sunshine and mostly clouds. We did see a small black bear on our trip up the road but no grizzly. We sat for awhile then back again. We have been hindered by the snow still on the road as we couldn’t access more of our territory. It had been an early spring, but cold. With Tony’s inability to do much walking each day it limited our options, but even though we did see lots of black bear and grizzly. It was a matter of being at the right place at the right time. Tony did not get his grizzly but he went home with two beautiful black bear, and many wonderful stories. We thoroughly enjoyed both of them and hope that one day they may return for another chance at a grizzly.

Ok now to our goat hunt or lack thereof… For a month prior to Arlene’s arrival I tried to get up the mountain and find a goat before the season. As her hunt was first I could do exactly that. She is 65, an incredible lady and I sure hope I will be in that great of shape and mind set, mind you if I keep guiding I may only last another ten years. So here it is August and between the horrid weather, running to town for more supplies I didn’t manage to do enough scouting nor climb enough mountains. You may have heard the west was on fire and just when things were beginning to slow down for me and the weather was improving…smoke rolled in for six days. I was screaming with frustration, then it was time to pick Arlene up from the airport and time had run out for me. Ok we can still do this, we have ten days.

September 1st opening morning it snowed up high and continued to rain. Great. Visibility sucked until later that day when the sun decided to come out, pretty fantastic picture with a dusting of snow on the Cariboo Mountains but it doesn’t help with a goat hunt. The morning was spent touring until the weather broke, stopped at Ghost Lake to see the falls, then continued down the road to do more glassing. Holy cow, the dot moved! “Arlene quit jiggling the truck I think I see a goat!” It was, wow, after all these weeks of looking and trying to look and here he was all the time. I tell you I did the jig of happiness! We watched him for an hour, and then drove slowly back to camp as Arlene has a black bear tag as well. Back on the main road a cow and calf moose came busting out of the bush, and stood on the road for several minutes. She suddenly became quite alert looking down the road which we couldn’t see as it was on the downside of the hill. The cow and calf split up, each diving back into the bush in opposite directions. I thought it may be a vehicle. NO, it’s when you least expect it, here was a black bear hauling ass down the hill away from us. Arlene jumped out but had trouble chambering a shell. He was going way too fast anyways and once they hit that bush you couldn’t see them even if they stood five feet from you. It was a great first day. Tomorrow will be even better, it’s goat day!

We saw the goat had moved farther down into the valley and were quite excited as we wouldn’t need to climb as far up. However upon hiking into the valley we could see that it would be far too difficult for Arlene and so had to give up on that goat. The next day we headed down Ghost Lake to hunt the range behind the cabins. Shortly after getting settled the weather went to pot, with low fog, cold weather and pretty much stayed that way for the next 7 days. Needless to say goat hunting was pretty tough. Dave and I did manage to get up top above camp one day, but unfortunately didn’t see any goats. The hunt ended with Arlene leaving for home with no goat, but we sure enjoyed her company and had lots of fun.

With the early September cold weather I thought that moose hunting would be tremendous. It sure didn’t turn out that way. It started out warm and became warmer. The first hunt we had several moose answer my exotic love call but simply didn’t want to show themselves, guess it wasn’t passionate enough. Only once during the entire fall season was I able to smell the musky scent of a bull moose. Each day we would come across fresh tracks which meant that the bulls were doing most of their travelling and carousing during the cooler nights. After several days of unsuccessful hunting we turned our attention to black bear hunting.

We spotted a black bear high on the side of a mountain eating the few berries that managed to survive the cold spring and wet summer. Taking the de-activated logging road with Ron sitting on one side of the ATV and Bev on the other side was some trip. We laughed all the way up as the willows have really taken over and in some places it’s just a tunnel of branches and leaves. Reaching our destination we walked the last couple hundred yards. Glassing the hillside the bear was not in sight. As the wind was in our favour Bev and I began climbing up the mountain a short distance in order to see the last known destination of the bear. We were unable to spot him and decided to wait. After several hours and no bear we decided to head back. Bev had been sitting above us a short distance and as we were leaving mentioned that she had heard a dog barking behind her and wondered what a dog was doing up there. I stared at her with my mouth hanging open in complete shock. Ron and I began laughing and explained to her that it had been a bear woofing at her. It’s really unfortunate the bear had not stepped out as Ron and I would have definitely spotted him.

The rest of the hunt was spent moose hunting, laughing a great deal, getting a great tan, and seeing some wonderful country.

On the last day travelling down the road we came across a fresh set of tracks running after a cow. I let out a love sick cow call and was thrilled to hear a grunt reply very close. Setting up Ron and Bev I continued having a discussion with Mr. Moose. We were able to hear him slowly moving towards us through the brush, I gave a small grunt and then all was quiet. Not one more peep out of Mr. Bull, so I decided to set up an ambush as he was not interested in showing his mug. We moved around him and dropped down below and from and there cow called once more. The reaction was instantaneous but the wrong result as he dove into the pond and quietly left. Disgusted we went back to camp to find that on the way to Ghost Lake Bill shot a moose, this was his first day of his ten day hunt! Which was absolutely great, and that’s how it works.

The rest of the day didn’t produce another moose or black bear and the following day Ron and Bev headed home. We hunted hard, had fun and they are planning on returning in the fall of 2011.

While Bill, Jerry, Dave and Danny headed to hunt out of Ghost Lake, I drove to Williams Lake to purchase more groceries for the next moose hunt out of our main camp at Cameron Ridge. Antoine and Max were from Switzerland and decided to fly to camp with a helicopter. I tried to hitch a ride to check out the country but no such luck.

This was a 7 day 1×1 hunt and when Terry, the other guide arrived we fitted everyone with their horses to get ready for the next day. The first couple of days we hunted the same area, riding out from camp early each morning. It had been warm and was continuing to stay warm. We would then split up and each hunt separate areas. The days were beginning to count down and no more moose. As we were unsuccessful at our present spots it was time to move on and hunt elsewhere. Terry and Antoine fell into moose, but the buggers wouldn’t show themselves. It had been like that, the moose would quietly sneak in and at times you wouldn’t even know they were there. Others would return your cow call with a couple of grunts…then silence.

Meanwhile Max and I hunted different spots with no results. It was really frustrating as we both knew the moose where there for every morning there were fresh tracks around, however nothing answered during the daylight hours. Terry and Antoine were having better luck seeing cows and having answer Terry’s call. The bull simply refused to show himself. They tried different strategies, arriving before light, hunting the morning then quitting the place. On day five Terry and Antoine arrived back at camp with a beautiful black bear. It was great that something was on the ground! The next day they returned to the same spot, began calling and about ½ later heard a gunshot. The bull they had been hunting was finally coming to their call when some resident hunters showed up… and the rest is history.

The days were still really warm, with very little frost in the mornings. Trying another area we came across fresh bull tracks from the night before herding a couple of cows down toward the river. We decided this was a good place to be and off we followed. If you have never been in an old growth cedar forest, it is quite an experience. There is very little undergrowth, the trees reach for the heavens, an eerie silence listening to just your footsteps and beating heart. It is a place one needs to be very aware watching in every directions. We came out in a small meadow and found a great place to sit and call. At this time of year the salmon are spawning and a grizzly could show up at anytime for we weren’t far from the river. The moose don’t live directly on the river because of the number of grizzly; they stay off a couple of hundred yards. And one has to be very careful when calling as you may just have a grizzly come in. As the light was diminishing I looked over to my left and there was a silver tip grizzly grazing away. I grabbed my gun to be ready and pointed him out to Max. Looking through his binoculars he unexpectedly he swore…’that is the biggest mother ——- bear I’ve ever seen’. Holding my laughter in was difficult. The grizzly didn’t stick around long and headed right back toward river.

Unfortunately neither Antoine nor Max took a moose, but regardless it was a good hunt.

Out at Ghost Lake Danny and Jerry were having just as a tough time. One day three different bulls returned Danny’s call, but would not show themselves. They decided to return to the same spot the next day and give it another try. That night the heaven’s opened and the rain raged down. The river rose three feet overnight bringing a great deal of debris down with it. No travelling on the river that day. Meanwhile Bill and Dave were having fun grouse hunting and seeing a lot of country. It was a sad day packing up their gear on the last day. Danny gave it one more try, calling early that morning. As the last of the bags hit the boat a moose stepped out across the lake. Taking the canoe Dave and Jerry headed over while Danny continued to call from the cabins. It was successful! Jerry had the biggest grin on his face and I’m certain it’s still there. Our biggest moose to date, 49.5”.

Herb, Rob and George, our last hunters arrived a day later. Except for a few really cold frosty mornings the weather stayed warm. Herb and Rob were booked to hunt out of Ghost Lake and off they went with Dave to guide them. It was like someone switching off a tap. Nothing was happening so they decided to pull out and hunt out of Cameron Ridge.

George and I headed up to where Terry and Antoine had seen those cows and hunted there for a couple of days. On the way back from hauling the horses to Horsefly Danny had seen a nice bull cross the road so George and I headed in that direction the next day. We saw the tracks, hiked down to the lake, spent the day, but nothing happened. I decided to hunt return to where we had hunted the day before and as we were slowly driving a small bull moose appeared on our right. Our truck was noisy, but it didn’t seem to bother him. As a matter of fact he kept turning and taking a few steps toward the truck as I was cow calling. George decided not to take him as he was a small moose and he was looking for something bigger. The next morning we went back to the lake where Danny had seen the moose. There were fresh tracks on the beach, like really fresh. We set up and I started cow calling. I happened to glance to my right and saw a higher branch move. There was no wind, it must be a moose. Calling a couple more times I then quit and we waited him out. We got George ready to shoot with a good rest. I was beginning to doubt myself when suddenly he popped out. It was unexpected as he had not said a peep, so it took George a couple of seconds to regroup. The bull stood proudly in the water looking in our direction. George took three shots before he fell. There is a really nice hole through his antler. It was really exciting, and it just goes to show that a bull might be standing there watching and listening, and you are completely unaware of him.

We managed to get an ATV in to pull him out of the water. A beautiful 42 ¾’ moose.