Winter 2014 Mountain Hunter Magazine by Guide Outfitters of BC

BRITISH COLUMBIA, NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, YUKON TERRITORY WINTER 2014

Fair chase...No fences

FEATURE STORIES

No Easy Rams Muzzleloader Grand Slam

Contents

Winter 2014

Articles, photos, editorial submissions, comments and letters to the editor should be sent to: MOUNTAIN HUNTER: c/o GOABC, #103 – 19140 28th Avenue Surrey, British Columbia Canada V3S 6M3 Tel: (604) 541-6332 Fax: (604) 541-6339 E-mail: programs@goabc.org www.MountainHunter.com

advertisers Ambler’s Bighorn Country Guiding............56 Babine Guide & Outfitters..............................14 BC Trophy Mountain Outfitters....................49

www.facebook.com/GOABC1966

Beaverfoot Outfitting.......................................31

@GOABC

Besa River Outfitters.........................................31 Big Country Outfitters ....................................31

MOUNTAIN HUNTER is published three times a year by the Guide Outfitters Association of British Columbia 2 YEAR SUBSCRIPTION

4 YEAR SUBSCRIPTION

Canada - $50 CDN USA - $50 USA International - $65 CDN

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Bonnet Plume Outfitters...................................8 Boone & Crockett Club....................................55 Bugle Basin Outfitters......................................48 Cariboo Mountain Outfitters.........................15 Claw Mountain Outfitters...............................51

All prices include tax.

Dallas Safari Club...............................................48

Double Eagle Guides........................................15 Elk Valley Bighorn..............................................15

BRIAN GLAICAR President MARK WERNER Past-President AARON FREDLUND First Vice-President MICHAEL SCHNEIDER Second Vice-President REG COLLINGWOOD Director DAVID BERANEK Director MIKE YOUNG Director SEAN OLMSTEAD Director

LOCAL PRESIDENTS: LEIF OLSEN Northern (Peace) AL MADLEY Cariboo/Chilcotin CLINT LARSON Northwest (Skeena) DARREN DELUCA Vancouver Island & South Coast KEN WATSON North Central (Omineca) NEIL FINDLAY Thompson MARC HUBBARD Okanagan STEVEN LEUENBERGER Southern (Kootenay) STAFF: SCOTT ELLIS Executive Director JENNIFER JOHNSON Executive Assistant AMANDA SAWYER Programs Coordinator DAN MACDONALD Policy & Communications Assistant

Eureka Peak Lodge.............................................8

features

Findlay Creek Outfitters..................................34 Gana River Outfitters........................................15

Of Heroes and Black Bears Jeff Janosky

Grand Slam Club/Ovis.....................................50 10

No Easy Rams Gray N. Thornton

16 Gundahoo River Outfitters.............................25

Muzzleloader Grand Slam

Grand Slam Outfitters......................................41 Grouse River Outfitters......................................9

Little Dease Ventures.......................................49

Wayne Farnsworth

Lehigh Valley SCI.................................................8 Love Bros Lee......................................................41 Mackenzie Mountain Outfitters...................42

NWT Remote Access Adventure Vince Diggins

Third Time Lucky Dave Turchanski

Nahanni Butte Outfitters..............................IBC 53

McCowan’s Sporting Properties..................42 McGregor River Outfitters..............................25 Mervyn’s Yukon Outfitting.............................35 North River Stone..............................................51 Packhorse Creek Outfitters............................31

On the Cover

Pathway to Canada Immigration.................35

John Von Benedikt, hunting field editor, from UT with his moose taken with Opatcho Lake Guide Outfitters.

Pelly Lake Wilderness Outfitters..................49 Ram Creek Outfitters....................................OBC Ram Head Outfitters.........................................35 Redstone Trophy Hunts..................................49

HAROLD GRINDE President KELLY HOUGEN Past-President WERNER ASCHBACHER Secretary

DAN REYNOLDS President TIM MERVYN Past-President Mountain Hunter is the official publication of the Guide Outfitters Association of British Columbia (GOABC), Association of Mackenzie Mountains Outfitters, & Yukon Outfitters Association. All rights reserved. Articles and advertising in Mountain Hunter do not necessarily reflect the view or directions of the GOABC. The GOABC reserves to the right to refuse any advertisements. Designed in Canada by Sherri King Communications (formerly Red Apple Creative) • sherriking.com Printed in the United States of America by Forum Communication Printing - Fargo, North Dakota

Rocky Mountain High Outfitters..................56 Safari Club International (SCI)..................... IFC

departments

Scoop Lake Outfitters......................................34

GOABC PRESIDENT’S CORNER

Silent Mountain Outiftters.............................34

NEWS & VIEWS

Shadow Mountain Outfitters........................41 Sikanni River Outfitters......................................8

2 3, 4

PREFERRED CONSERVATION PARTNERS 6 CONSERVATION MATTERS™ GUIDES GALLERY CAMP COOK’S CORNER

SITKA......................................................................25 Sonny’s Guiding Service.................................14 South Nahanni Outfitters...............................48 Sports Afield........................................................43 Stone Mountain Safaris...............................OBC

Tatlow Mountain Outfitters...........................35

26, 27, 32, 33

Tuchodi River Outfitters..................................42

Wholesale Sports.................................................5 Wild Sheep Foundation..................................24 Yukon Big Game Outfitters............................14 Mountain Hunter – Winter 2014 < 1

goabc president’s corner Brian Glaicar

Winter is here! It was another successful fall season for our members and clients, and many of our members are now conducting their winter hunts for Bobcat, Lynx, Cougar, Wolf and Wolverine. BC offers the best there is for North American hunting. With 20 big game species available, and seasons that offer the chance to hunt them for over 10 months of the year, there is always an opportunity available, something unseen in other regions. With the diversity of game in this province and the variety of seasons, it is always a balancing act to maintain healthy populations of each species. Habitat quality and predation are two big factors affecting the health of game populations. These factors combined with the social desire for more liberal hunting seasons can make management a difficult issue. At the same time there is always added pressure from both provincial and federal government regulations and policies that affect our industry. GOABC participates regionally, provincially, and federally on these issues by advocating for healthy viable wildlife populations and simultaneously working with government to improve the business environment for our members. It is GOABC’s mandate to

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advocate for the needs of the wildlife and our members. Being able to meet everyone’s expectations is at times difficult, but with the participation of our members at meetings, we can get a good understanding of the issues our members face. We have a board made up of 16 members. There are 8 regional presidents, plus four elected directors and the executive. Issues from each region are brought forward during our board meetings by the regional presidents. The board then has a chance to provide the direction needed to go forward with these issues. I have always felt that we, as an association, maintain a “collective potential”. This is a powerful tool that comes from the input from our members, and means that the more participation we have, the stronger we are. As a volunteer organization, the GOABC has a very high participation rate from the outfitters of this province. In today’s world, it seems we are all busier than before, even though things like computers were supposed to simplify life. There has been an increase in the workload outfitters must deal with, including things like licensing, permitting, regulations, reviewing applications from the

mining & forestry sectors, land use plans, and the list goes on. With these added requirements, everyone’s schedules have become more and more busy, but the importance of hearing the concerns and issues our members face will only help us maintain a direction that is for the betterment of the wildlife and the entire industry. In this sense, knowledge is power. For those of you looking for a hunt in 2015, you can be sure to have an enjoyable experience with a GOABC member. The show season is upon us and there will be many of our members attending shows throughout North America and the world. This is an excellent place to meet with our members face-to-face and plan your next adventure. If you are unable to attend the shows, you can always find an outfitter at www.goabc.org . I hope to see everyone at our convention in Kelowna BC on March 27th & 28th 2015 Good luck and safe travels to everyone in the New Year.

news & views Scott Ellis

The fall is my favourite time of year. The days are sunny, while the nights are cool, the leaves are changing to oranges and yellows, and it is common to hear the Canada geese overhead. Of course, fall also means one thing: the start of hunting season! For me, however, this year was going to be extra special. Last year was the first time in 24 years that my father was unable to participate in the annual family hunting trip. On November 27, 2013, my dad had open heart surgery in an effort to fix nine blockages. At the time, the surgeon said that his was “the worst heart condition I have seen on a man that has not had a heart attack.” It was the first time that my family saw that our invincible father was, in fact, mortal. Fortunately, my dad recovered from surgery throughout the winter, and he was eager to go hunting with his boys in the upcoming fall. My dad has hunted moose many times, but this would be the first time he would be flown into a remote cabin, and his first time actually calling the moose. This remote area caused a little extra anxiety for the family, as we would have transportation and communication limitations. My sister Kali, who is actually a registered nurse, made us all watch a CPR video called ‘Staying Alive’, as a condition for taking dad into the mountains. So, after some extra assurances and an Iridium GO (to communicate with civilization), dad was cleared to go. We drove north of Vancouver for twelve hours, past Powder King Ski resort to a runway beside the highway. The winds were gusting to 70 kilometres-per-hour,

but the outfitter landed smoothly in his Super Cub. I can remember him saying that “it is a little bumpy up there” and that “we need the winds to die down a bit.” The problem was we were running out of daylight. Cameron and I flew in that evening while dad and Brandon flew in the following morning. Brandon, looking a little green in the gills, kissed the ground as soon as the plane stopped. We got settled in the cabin, built at the edge of a sprawling meadow, which acted as both a runway and the primary hunting area. That night, the stars were out - it was an amazing sight, and the celestial show had our complete attention until the wolves started howling. They must have been impressed by the night sky as well. In response, we did what any hunter would do when encountering wolf calls: we called right back. Many jokes were exchanged about how wolf-like we sounded; some of us were clearly better than others. At first light, as we were getting ready for the day, I made a cow moose call from the front deck. It was immediately replied to by a chorus of deep howls. Suddenly, a hulking black wolf sprinted into the meadow. Cameron who at 6’5” and 245 pounds is not exactly known for his speed or agility, was the first to the porch with his rifle. He is not known for his accuracy with a rifle either, but made a clean accurate 300yard shot. The weather was unseasonably warm during the hunt, and there was surprisingly little moose activity. Dad was still a little skeptical that a bull would come to our calls, but he kept

diligently calling. On the third morning, with Cameron and I in the alpine meadow, we heard the unmistakable crack of a gunshot. After high-fives and hugs we packed up our gear, and started down the mountain with big smiles. The confirmation came quickly across the radio: “Bull down, bull down.” Cameron replied “Yeehaw! Help is on the way.” Dad proudly told the story of morning’s events, and his mastery in calling moose. He was doing his best ‘sad, lonely’ cow-call, when he and Brandon spotted antlers coming out of the river bottom. As the bull started to circle below them in the brush at about 250 yards, dad changed to his cow call to more of a courtship: “Hey handsome, I’m over here!” as he put it. The bull turned 90 degrees and came in like he was on a string. Brandon made the successful shot, and the moose became his second bull harvested in two years. And dad? Well, not only did he get through the trip without a scare, he had also gained a new title, at least among his more admiring followers. He was the ‘moose-calling champion.’ And he also went from moose call skeptic to believer, all thanks to his success on one brisk morning. Hunting has the unique ability to bring friends and family together. It creates camaraderie, spectacular memories, and unforgettable experiences. This particular trip was one such experience for my family, and it is my hope that you and yours have the opportunity at a BC hunting trip sometime in the very near future. Straight shooting and safe travels. Mountain Hunter – Winter 2014

news & views Dan Reynolds

Harold Grinde If you are one of those who are reading my ramblings there is about a 99% chance that you are a hunter. I do not think we have very many PETA or Greenpeace members who subscribe to Mountain Hunter. Sadly we also do not have many of the “Silent 70%”, as we refer to those who really do not have a strong opinion about hunting—positive or negative. Why sad? Sad because as hunters, as outfitters, as conservationists, as stewards of wildlife, we really are failing to sell ourselves to the masses. We have really failed miserably to take credit for all we do, and for what our predecessors have done. How many of the Silent 70% know what the North American Conservation Model is? How many school children are taught that without the work done by hunter conservationists, we would likely not have much wildlife left on this continent? If the urban masses of our modern society do not know the amazing success story that the North American Conservation Model is, how then can we expect them to understand that well managed sustainable use of wildlife is likely the best way that we can ensure its long term survival? Our future as hunters, and quite likely the future of the very wildlife we hold so dear, may well depend upon how well we communicate to the Silent 70%. I commend each and every one of you who has made the effort to teach his or her children the joys and benefits of hunting, but I also warn you, this alone, is no longer enough. We must somehow find a way to reach out to those who seem unreachable. Our story is a good one, no a great one, it is very marketable. We just have to put much more thought, and much more effort into communicating the importance of hunting in wildlife management.

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Well, it’s the time of the year to put away the hunting gear for most Outfitters operating in the Yukon, NWT and Northern B.C. I hope everyone had a safe and successful season. It is a good feeling to wrap up the season and get back home with my family, but it also means that for some of us (including myself), traveling and attending meetings is necessary. This winter looks like it could be even busier than the last one. Seems that being an outfitter these days is not just about knowing your way around the wilderness, but also knowing how to deal with politics, government, and attending meetings. Our fall meetings and roundup are happening on the 10th – 12th of December and I always look forward to visiting with the outfitters, guides and hunters. Most of us scatter like the wind after the season ends, so it is one of the few times of the year that we can all get together. I’m hoping that not all parts of the Yukon had to deal with the weather we had in our hunting concession. It was one of the wettest summers, and falls that I have seen in some time. I am glad that all my planes are put away for the season and I get to take a break from flying in marginal weather. Bad weather is not all bad though: I was weathered in at home during a hunt change this fall and had a chance to take my 6 year old daughter grouse hunting. She shot her first grouse, and experiencing it with her was the highlight of this season for me. She helped clean it, and her aunt cooked it for dinner the next day. Hope everyone has a safe enjoyable holiday season spending time with family and friends.

Mountain Hunter â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Winter 2014 < 5

preferred conservation partners SAFARI CLUB INTERNATIONAL

our traditions and hunting heritage.

SCI and the Professional Hunter

SCI knows that its reputation is dependent on the character of its members, and strongly supports the personal integrity of the men and women of the community of professional hunters and guides. Their dedication to their craft, and their communities, is what makes them such staunch defenders of our right to hunt, and pillars of our organization throughout the world. These are the people we turn to for definitive information on wildlife behaviors and empirical evidence used to determine feasibility, and sustainability of game in their regions, whether it’s caribou in Alaska, or lions in Zimbabwe.

SCI members are individuals who live for the hunt. Whether in their own back yard or in exotic locales, these folks love the stalk, the experience of the outdoors that is both universal and unknown. While a dedicated hunter may know his home turf intimately, travelling to distant mountains means facing a host of unknowns. The difference for most hunters between a pleasant and exciting hunt, and a miserable ordeal, is the professional hunter and guide. From its inception, Safari Club International has recognized the importance of reliable, professional, and ethical guides and outfitters that provide the services and skills to bring a hunt to a successful conclusion, who also serve as steadfast representatives of the quality, and character, of hunters and the hunting community as a whole. It was with this symbiotic relationship in mind that SCI began the Professional Hunter Spotlight as a way to publicly recognize the contribution professional hunters, and guides around the world make to the continued success of conservation goals, and the global fight to keep others from chipping away at

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Safari Club International is proud to support and promote the community of guides and outfitters. Our success depends on them in so many ways. ~ Safari Club International, John Boretsky, Guide & Outfitter Liaison

DALLAS SAFARI CLUB

The Dallas Safari Club (DSC) convention and expo Jan. 15-18 in Texas, is the biggest showcase of hunting, sporting and outdoor adventure. The public-welcome event, set in

downtown Dallas at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center and Omni Hotel Dallas, also is one of America’s premier fundraisers for conservation. Over the past five years, it has generated more than $4.5 million for wildlife programs, public education and hunter advocacy worldwide. In the Dallas region, it trails only the HP Byron Nelson Golf Championship in raising funds for worthy causes, according to the Dallas Business Journal. “Last year we hosted a record 43,000 people. Together, we raised more than $1 million for wildlife, plus another $350,000 specifically for black rhino populations in Namibia,” said DSC Executive Director Ben Carter. “We’re thinking even bigger for 2015 because all attendance predictors, including advance sales of registrations and room blocks, are up from last year.” The expo (daily admission $20 per person, with multi-day and family discount packages available) offers 2015’s first opportunity to shop for hunts with top outfitters from around the globe. Displays also include world-class sporting gear, firearms,

art, collectibles, entertainment, seminars, auctions and more. Together, attractions cover the space of nearly nine football fields. For registered attendees, additional events, galas, awards and fundraisers are available. See details at www.biggame.org. ~ Dallas Safari Club, Ben Carter, Executive Director

WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION

The Kevin & Janine Rinke Thinhorn Initiative

In August 2014, BC wildlife biologist Jeremy Ayotte was contracted for an initial 11-month term by the Wild Sheep Foundation to help coordinate a multi-jurisdictional effort to develop legislation, regulations, and policies that will avoid contact between Thinhorn sheep (Dall’s & Stone’s) and domestic sheep and goats in northern jurisdictions (AK, YK, NWT). This effort is in addition to Jeremy’s ongoing work throughout British Columbia as program coordinator for the BC Sheep Separation Program. Funding for this important new WSF Conservation Committee Initiative was provided through a dedicated conservation grant by WSF Life Members and Marco Polo Society inductees Kevin and Janine Rinke of Michigan. From WAFWA WSWG 2012 Recommendations for Domestic Sheep and Goat Management in Wild Sheep Habitat:

for an introductory conference call. Representatives bring an understanding of Thinhorn sheep management and more importantly, the unique legislative and regulatory processes within each jurisdiction. General information on the risk of disease spread, and specific policy documents and legislative language used in other jurisdictions have also been provided to this THS working group through program coordinator Jeremy Ayotte. WSF and the thinhorn sheep resource are indebted to the vision and generosity of Kevin and Janine Rinke for making this important work and added Conservation Committee capacity a reality through their dedicated conservation grant. Their exceptional support epitomizes “Putting and Keeping Sheep on the Mountain™!” Thank you! ~ Wild Sheep Foundation, Gray Thornton, President and CEO

GRAND SLAM CLUB / OVIS

It is convention season, of course, and most GOABC conservation partners are certainly looking to our annual events. GSCO most definitely is, and with great anticipation. We have made some important changes for 2015. One of those is that we are planning three evening banquets, and we will dedicate each night to one of our most successful conservation projects. Several of our members recommended that we be more vocal at conveying our conservation message, so we will try to comply at our 2015 convention.

“It is widely recognized, but needs to be re-emphasized, that thinhorn sheep (Dall sheep, Stone sheep) in northwestern Canada and Alaska are immunologically naïve compared to wild sheep occurring in southern Canada and the remainder of the western U.S. Additional precautions should be taken to ensure that absolutely no contact occurs between naïve thinhorn sheep and domestic sheep and goats.”

On another note, our publication SLAM QUEST, which was given a new name and look some time ago, has been very well received. In the Fall 2014 issue of SLAM QUEST, I dedicated my executive director column specifically to outfitters. I encourage every GOABC member to view my column. You just might learn something about yourself and your operation simply by reading it. If you do not get SLAM QUEST, email us at gsco@wildsheep.org

To date, we have developed a contact list of representatives from AK, YK, and NWT, + BC. This THS working group has met once in September

~ Grand Slam Club/Ovis, Dennis Campbell, Executive Director

Good luck to everyone on your respective conventions in 2015!

BOONE & CROCKETT CLUB

Trophy Hunting A new four-letter word?

Some animal rights and anti-hunting groups have selected “trophy hunting” as the new tool in their toolbox to help advance their agenda in swaying public opinion against hunting. The questions are, what to do, if anything? Lets be clear, the headlines may all read “trophy hunting” as if a perverse segment of hunting, but the message being received is all hunting. It’s a tactic to slice off a chunk of what will sell the best in a public hearts and minds campaign. Game killed solely for vanity and a mount for the wall; with the meat left to rot, and trophy hunting targets endangered species—how trophy hunting is being branded by these groups—sells, especially to the uninformed. Regulated hunting as part of science-informed wildlife management programs; wildlife conservation and rural economies primarily funded by sportsmen’s dollars; stewardship through connectivity to the natural world; selective hunting for population balance and sustainability doesn’t sell. Neither does the fact that tens of thousand of pounds of wild game meat feeds tens of thousands of people annually, or the fact that it’s illegal to waste game. Maybe what would really sell is the truth? Those concerned about wildlife, but do not hunt are not going to learn this on their own. We must tell them, and with the same vigor. Trophies? We need never apologize for those who choose to hunt selectively for a mature animal, nor when consumable meat is used by so many. We dismiss these smear attacks at our own peril. ~ Boone and Crockett, Keith Balfourd, Director of Marketing

Mountain Hunter – Winter 2014 < 7

YUKON HUNTS DALL SHEEP MOOSE CARIBOU GRIZZLY

Ph: 250-412-5209 SSIKANNI IKANNI Outfitters R RIVER IVER facebook.com/sikanni

MIKE & DIXIE HAMMETT P.O. Box 11, Pink Mountain, BC Canada V0C 2B0 Email: sro@sikanniriver.com www.sikanniriver.com

Contact: CHRIS & SHARRON McKINNON PO BOX 89 Calling Lake, AB T0G 0K0 (P) 780-331-2440 www.huntbpo.com chris@huntbpo.com

ALBERTA HUNTS BLACK BEAR WHITETAIL DEER TRAPLINE TOURS

Contact: CHRIS & SHARRON McKINNON PO BOX 89 Calling Lake, AB T0G 0K0 (P) 780-331-2440 www.huntmco.com chris@huntmco.com

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of heroes and black bears by Jeff Janosky

10 > Mountain Hunter â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Winter 2014

s we approached the tree, the hounds were screaming at the top of their lungs. I said these words to my guide and friend Doug McMann of Skinner Creek Hunts: “It’s not the bear in front of me that is the trophy, it’s the guys behind me that will make this bear one of my best trophies.” After watching this bear jump a tree fifteen minutes earlier, we knew he wasn’t the biggest bear in the Chilcotin; but that didn’t matter. It was what this bear represented that made him special to me. One arrow later, and this bear was the conclusion to one of the most memorable hunts that I have ever had the privilege to be a part of. In this case, I cannot emphasize the word “privilege” enough, as this was the 2014 Wounded Warriors in Action (WWIA) bear hunt. For me, this hunt came together a year earlier while on another bear hunt with Doug. We discussed how he thought it would really be great if he could get some of his clients to sponsor a hunt. This would accomplish two things; get one more hero into the field, and provide additional comradery in camp. A couple of weeks later, an email showed up from Doug attempting to make this a reality. I immediately responded that I would either find someone, or I would sponsor the hunt. I am so glad that the guys I contacted couldn’t make it work with their schedules, as this allowed myself to take part. This hunt started just like most, with months of anticipation and a long ride in a pickup. The only difference was that I was going to make a quick stop at the Williams Lake airport to pick up our guests of honor, Chad Kunzler and Justin Shellhammer. Both men were Army Purple Heart recipients. Unbeknownst to Doug or myself, neither Chad nor Justin made their connection in Vancouver. Chad would arrive later in the evening, while Justin would have to spend the night in Vancouver. Once Justin arrived in camp mid-afternoon on the first day, the hunt started in earnest. The dogs were loaded, and we hit the ground running, looking for the sight or smell of a BC bruin. As the evening approached, Justin, Doug and the dogs continued to work the countryside while Chad, Steve Rupp and I headed for a clearing to watch for bruins until sunset. After an uneventful evening glassing, we set for the lodge. Upon our arrival, Justin was waiting on the deck with his arms spread out as wide as he could reach, exclaiming that he had “got a monster.” While I had only spent a little time with Justin at this point, I was pretty sure that he was pulling our chain; but it turned out that he was serious. Four hours CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 Mountain Hunter – Winter 2014 < 11

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

into his hunt, and Justin had a BC giant on the ground. Justin (and his prosthetic leg) dropped the bruin as the sun was setting in some gnarly Chilcotin swamp ground that was also smack dab in the middle of grizzly country, so retrieval would have to wait until morning. Armed with three pack frames, a chainsaw, and the most excited hunter I have ever been around, the bear was back in camp in short order. It was the first bear he had ever seen. Justin had just set the bar high. Less than 24 hours into the hunt and we already had a monster in camp. I think everyone thought this was going to be a slam dunk. We couldn’t have been more wrong. While this wrapped up things for Justin, it was just the beginning for Chad. Day two started full of anticipation. After treeing a small sow, and another encounter with a sow and two cubs, the morning would draw to an end without an encounter with any big boars. After a quick lunch, we were back at it again. The dogs would strike occasionally, but as the days warmed up, the trail was tougher to find. As we were pointing ourselves back towards camp, the dogs struck, not unlike earlier in the day. This would be different, as this bear would prove to be not as cooperative. As the bear began to take the dogs further and further from our location, we decided that we had better start following. Doug and Chad led the way. The dogs were getting further away, and the sun was getting lower. We weren’t going to catch up with them unless we got back to the truck, and raced to the other side of the mountain.

editor’s note

You can reach Skinner Creek Hunts at 250.476.1288 or www.skinnercreekhunts.com

12 > Mountain Hunter – Winter 2014

We hustled back up the hill to the truck and piled in. The problem was, the bear just kept walking the dogs down the ridge. While they did bay up a couple times, they never stopped, and we were only able to call one of the dogs off before darkness set in. We headed back to camp, and by the time we finished getting a bite to eat, it was well after midnight. While the rest of us hit the sack, Doug and Chad headed out

to either retrieve the dogs, or wait them out until sunrise. Once the dogs were located, and they heard Doug coming, they decided enough was enough. They were able to get back to camp in time to take a quick nap and make breakfast. Day three would find us in some new terrain, and it didn’t take long for us to find a lot of sign. We caught a glimpse of a good boar crossing the road. As we drove up the road, the dogs instantly sounded. We were sure this would be Chad’s bear. The dogs quickly followed the scent, and treed a young boar. This was not what we were expecting or looking for, though. We headed back to the truck. As we moved up the road, there was also a huge boar and a sow moving through the timber about 200 yards away. As the pair reached the timber, Doug and Chad grabbed the dogs and were off. The dogs easily found the trail, and were gone into the woods. 45 minutes later, the boar and sow were treed. We loaded up the packs and bailed off the side of the mountain. A mile and half later, after picking through deadfalls and steep terrain, we were at the lone giant fir tree on the hill, and there were the dogs and the bear. Then we heard the words none of us wanted to hear: “It’s the sow.” Back up the hill we went. You could tell that Chad was starting to feel the pressure, and that’s when everything came together. It was day five, and we had just watched a sow and boar pair cross in front of us. The always-ready dogs were off once more. The question now was which bear were they on. After a short while, Doug announced that he thought that the bear was treed. We put on our gear and followed the beautiful sounds of the hounds singing in the distance. To add to it, the bear had ran the shoreline, and was treed near one of the most beautiful mountain lakes I had ever seen. At the two-mile mark, you could see a giant fir tree about a hundred yards from

the water. As the group approached, the bear saw us. It was no longer concerned about the hounds, as it climbed down the tree and took off, with a small pack of four legged master hunters on its tail. As we had been down this path before you could see the disappointment on Chad’s face until Doug said, “He’s a shooter.” Chad’s expression changed immediately; it was go time. About 5-10 minutes passed, and we all heard the familiar words, “they got him treed.” We started on our way again. About 100 yards from the tree, we all stopped to catch our breath. Moments later a shot rang out. At the base of the tree lay Chad’s bear, with dogs going nuts and a hunter with a smile as big as the bear. After a picture session, three full packs, and a 2 ½ mile hike back out to the truck, we had fulfilled our goal to get these two heroes trophy black bears. More than that though, we all left with memories of a lifetime. While this story was about the hunt, another could be written just about the laughs and good times that were had by all. It was an amazing experience to share the mountain with Chad and Justin. This hunt was, by no means, thanks enough for the sacrifices they and their brothers and sisters have made, but it is a small token. Thanks Steve Rupp, who volunteered his time to assistant guide on his hunt, and for taking his pavement princess into parts unknown with hardly a complaint. To Doug, Julie and Courtney, thank you for hosting these heroes. It is an experience I will never forget, and one that I hope others take the opportunity to participate in. Also a big thank you to John McDaniel and the Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation (www.wwiaf.org) for coordinating all of this, and making sure our wounded veterans have an opportunity to get out in the field and make some great memories. Mountain Hunter – Winter 2014 < 13

LARGEST OUTFITTING CONCESSION!

21,000 SQ MILES

YUKON’S Offering

STONE SHEEP ● FANNIN SHEEP ● ALASKAN YUKON MOOSE ● MOUNTAIN CARIBOU ● GRIZZLY ● BLACK BEAR ● WOLF

2014

Shawn & Sandra Raymond YUKON BIG GAME OUTFITTERS LTD. Phone: (250) 264-2512 Email: shawn-ybg@hotmail.com Website: www.yukonbiggame.com

We had a fantastic 2014 season, please contact us for our latest hunt report. Yukon Outfitters 1/2 H.indd 1

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Jack Hooper & Lloyd Hooper phone: 250.697.6249 • fax: 250.697.6248 cell: 250.877.9812 Box 3693, Smithers, BC Canada V0J 2N0

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14 > Mountain Hunter – Winter 2014

info@babineguides.com • www.babineguides.com

DOUBLE EAGLE GUIDES & OUTFITTERS Babine Lake & Takla Lake BIG GAME HUNTS:

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Mountain Hunter – Winter 2014 < 15

ust remember Gray, there are no easy rams…and, every ram is a good ram” were the prophetic words Great Rams III author. and my good friend Robert M. Anderson wrote to me while personalizing a copy of his recent book. I had just told Bob, while buying his excellent book, that I was heading to Alaska’s Brooks Range the next month for Dall’s sheep, and what I hoped would be my first wild sheep ram as a then “sheep-less” President & CEO of the Wild Sheep Foundation (WSF). I needed to change that status and get “kicked out” of our <1 Club…a WSF program for aspiring sheep hunters who had not yet taken a ram. Now I’ve hunted sheep…but I didn’t think I was a sheep hunter. I booked a Dall’s hunt at the 1999 FNAWS (now WSF) convention after talking with my friend and bighorn sheep World Record holder, Guinn Crousen. Guinn had asked about my future hunting plans and I said I was planning to book a Cape buffalo safari for 2000. He asked if I had hunted sheep and I mentioned that I had a Dall’s hunt planned in 1995 but a divorce changed those plans. He asked “are you getting any younger?” and “are sheep hunts getting any cheaper?” My answers to those questions made me book my first sheep hunt. As a former mountaineer, rock and ice climber, I wanted the full experience. So I booked a glacier hunt in Alaska’s Wrangell-St. Elias Range for opening week of August 2000. Then a Dallas flat lander, my training regimen consisted of “hiking” around the neighborhood irregularly in my Koflach boots and loaded pack. Oh how naïve I was! Opening week was poor for that outfitter, with only one out of four in camp taking a ram. I had a great time, saw some great country, and even passed on a just legal ram. But I was completely ill prepared physically, and even more important, mentally. In the fall of 2012 I hunted one of Montana’s Unlimited Areas but did not see a legal ram after 12 days of hunting until deep snows and business commitments prevented any further forays into sheep country. While I learned a great deal, I was still not quite physically prepared, and I had yet to develop the total mental commitment sheep hunting requires, but that would change. “Sheep Shape” and “Sheep Fever” are two conditions mountain hunters know well. While being in sheep shape may not ensure your success, not being in sheep shape greatly enhances your prospects of failure—if your definition of success and failure CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

16 > Mountain Hunter – Winter 2014

no easy rams by Gray N. Thornton

Mountain Hunter â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Winter 2014 < 17

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16

includes harvesting or not harvesting a ram. Sheep fever is the condition many of us catch, and once fully infected, can drive you to get in sheep shape, while also causing less desirable actions—going into debt, mortgaging the house, tapping into retirement savings or selling off anything not bolted down to pay for the next hunt. In the early spring and summer of 2013, I was experiencing the first symptoms of sheep fever, and was fully committed to getting in sheep shape. Living at 5,100 feet in Wyoming and with mountains in my back yard, I began a training regimen that included daily 1,000foot post work hikes/climbs and numerous summer backpacking trips into sheep country with my wife Kelli. This tested gear, and added diversity to my somewhat monotonous daily climbs. Mental and physical “sheep shape” also meant countless hours at the range and in the field shooting and my annual training trips to Texas to train/shoot at the excellent SAAM course at FTW Ranch to build shooting, competence and, more importantly, confidence. I set a personal limit of ~500 yards as my ethical maximum range on game. To me, getting much closer really makes the hunt a hunt and a hunter a hunter—not just a shooter. After three months, thirty plus thousand feet climbed in training, and at twenty pounds lighter, I felt I was ready this time for my first sheep, both physically and mentally. I don’t hunt for awards, “the book”, or other “hunting achievement” based recognition, but rather for the adventure, the challenge, and the chase. My hunting philosophy is based on an assertion I penned in 2004 that, “the essence of hunting is not measured in inches or points, but rather in the spirit of the chase and the noble nature of the game pursued.” Oddly, while mountains and peaks have been and remain a place I want to be, my early hunting desires were flamed not by Hornaday, Stone or O’Connor but rather Ruark, Capstick and Boddington. It was the plains and veldt of Africa that was the focus of my dreams afield while I pursued pronghorn, mule deer and elk each year. My first safari was experienced in 1991, and I have been to the continent many times, and enjoyed safaris from duiker to Cape buffalo—the later taken “up close and personal” at 15 yards with my .470 NE double. Until August 23, 2013, taking that Cape buffalo in classic style was my most memorable hunting experience. That all changed in the Brooks Range when, on day six of an eight-day hunt, I took my first Dall’s ram. I was hooked, and hooked bad. On that stunning August day amongst the rock, snow, and ice of those breathtaking

18 > Mountain Hunter – Winter 2014

Alaskan mountains, and after days of climbing, glassing, and descending only to climb again, I became a sheep hunter. While it may sound cliché, life changing is the best way to describe the transition to being a sheep hunter. Diet and fitness became routine, and the beta-blocker blood meds I had been prescribed four years earlier for high blood pressure became unnecessary. I found that I hunted harder and higher for other species as well. Ten to twelve mile round-trip days climbing for mule deer were welcomed for days on end. I relished the opportunity to climb, to see what was beyond that next ridge and tracking elevation gained and lost on the GPS became almost sport. Frankly, my passion for hunting was reborn. Guinn Crousen’s words of year’s prior came back to me as I contemplated the next sheep hunt. I was not getter any younger and sheep hunting was not getting any cheaper. My hunt plans consequently focused next on Stone’s sheep. I figured every two years I would hunt the over-the-counter Unlimited areas in Montana for bighorn, and would buy raffle tickets and apply in the various state desert bighorn draws. My next sheep hunt would be not as the hunter but rather as an observer, spotter, water carrier and meat packer for my colleague and sheep conservation mentor Kevin Hurley’s planned February, 2014 desert bighorn hunt in Baja Sur. He was looking to complete his 30 year quest for Four North American Wild Sheep (FNAWS). In the interim, I began researching Stone’s sheep outfitters and areas, planning for a summer 2015 hunt. Never in my wildest dreams had I thought I would book a Stone hunt. I had watched in my 24 years as a professional in the hunting industry hunts go from what I thought was ridiculous in the 1990s to the stratospheric prices of today. Once again, I called upon experts for advice. Jack Atcheson, Jr. of Montana is known to many as “Mr. Sheep” and started hunting sheep in 1965, taking his first in 1971 at the age of 14. Jack has taken more than 70 wild sheep and goats personally and has guided, outfitted and booked as a Hunting Consultant 2,000 more. Jack is my sheep-hunting mentor, a former Chairman of the Board of WSF, and is our current Conservation Committee Chairman. I go to school on Jack every chance I can, whether we are hunting together or working together on Wild Sheep Foundation initiatives. Before sharing what I considered to be sage advice, Jack asked me a rather pointed question: “How many Stone’s sheep hunts can you afford Gray?” I sheepishly replied, “Well, honestly zero, but I will find a way.” His advice made sense. “There are A-tier sheep outfitters, B-tier outfitters and C-tier outfitters and their prices follow suit, as do their percentage of success on harvesting rams.” He added, “you might save dollars going with a B or C-tier outfitter, but you may likely need to go two or three times far eclipsing what you’d pay once for an A-tier.” I had heard many stories from

sheep hunting friends on going two, three, four or more times for a Stone, and it had taken me two Dall’ trips to connect. I follow the “buy once, cry once” school of thought, so I focused my attention on the “A-tier” group and prepared to swallow hard on the nut it would take to book it. While breaking down the 2014 WSF Convention and helping exhibitors move out on Sunday, I stopped by the still intact booth of Greg and Fay Williams of Golden Bear Outfitting. Greg is well known in the North American hunting circles, having outfitted for decades and owned several iconic hunting businesses. Equally important to me, Williams is a very active member, donor and sponsor of the Guide Outfitters Association of British Columbia (GOABC), as well as WSF and many other organizations in our hunting community. Greg “gets it” and supports with his time, talent and treasure. He not only supports the business that is his livelihood, but he aggressively and generously gives back to the industry and conservation programs. While I thumbed through his impressive photo albums, Greg shared that he was allocated only three sheep licenses for non-residents a year, and his success rate was typically 100%. Golden Bear’s hunting area is vast, and encompasses much of the region and mountains A.J. Stone, the Stone’s sheep namesake, described in his journals of epic travels, adventures and hunts. I was intrigued but disappointed when Greg advised he was booked solid through 2015, with his first opening not until 2016. My plan was to take two years to pay for the hunt, robbing liquor stores, taking on the occasional CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

Mountain Hunter – Winter 2014 < 19

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

paper route and doing whatever else it would take to pay for this incredible hunt. Greg then dropped the bomb. “Could you go this year?” Adding, “I may have a cancellation on the first hunt of the season August 1–10, 2014.” I gulped and whispered back un-convincingly, “maybe.”

PHOTO BY KELLI S. THORNTON

offer me the slot, adding that I should bring Kelli along to accompany me. After a few calls to some of Greg’s previous hunters, as well as a call to Jack Atcheson, Jr., I called Greg back to say, “We are in!”

We agreed to keep in touch, and Greg advised he would email or call me within a week to let me know if he had a cancellation. I focused on how I would convince my wife that I needed to go on a Stone’s hunt a short eight months away.

But how was I going to convince my wife? Ever the clever marketer, Greg’s goat hunt suggestion was the key. Upon returning home and “suggesting” to Kelli that I wanted to book a Stone’s sheep hunt for this year, she hesitated slightly and I added quickly “and you will hunt Rocky Mountain goat.” “Let’s go!” was her enthusiastic reply.

While returning to Cody from an industry event, the call came in while awaiting a flight in the Midwest. Greg said his hunter had cancelled and he’d

Training, both mental and physical, began in earnest. I voraciously read anything and everything I could on Stone sheep. I ordered The Journals

20 > Mountain Hunter – Winter 2014

of A.J. Stone a classic (albeit dry) read and began studying the region on Google maps. Gear lists were started and changed repeatedly, and a new “mountain weight” rifle was purchased for Kelli. My first physical training would be the aforementioned 10-day February desert sheep hunt in Baja. After the Baja hunt, and as the weather warmed, and the Cody area snows receded, the daily 1,000’ to 1,500’ training climbs resumed, with Kelli joining me in her own quest to get in “goat shape.” We kept journals of our climbs, tracking the training, and the times taken for each ascent. We climbed Heart Mountain together, and I ascended Wyoming’s 13,167’ Cloud Peak with WSF’s Graphic Designer and avid hunter Justin Phillips as

part of my training. Our mantra was Anderson’s words “No easy rams (or goats)” After 40,000 feet ascended in two and a half months, Kelli and I were ready for northern British Columbia. I have been to BC many times on business, but never on a hunt…we could not wait until we experienced Super, Natural British Columbia! The flight into Golden Bear’s Lake camp was as breathtakingly beautiful as it was convenient. We cleared Canadian customs and did the firearms permit processing on the phone in Juneau, and flew a chartered Beaver from Juneau through glacial valleys, inland bays and majestic mountains right into the lake and Greg’s basecamp lodge. There we met our guide, Greg’s talented son Blake, and repacked for our next morning flight into our sheep fly camp on a pristine mountain lake nestled between ridges. After a delicious dinner in basecamp, and two days before the opening of sheep season, Greg flew Blake into our fly

camp. The plan was for Kelli and me to follow the next morning, joining Blake in what was to be our home for the next 5-6 days of our planned 10-day hunt. The weather was perfect, with azure skies, daytime temperatures in the mid to high 60s and the promise of like weather for the next 7 days. Could we be so lucky? The flight to fly camp was even more stunning than the CONTINUED ON PAGE 22 Mountain Hunter – Winter 2014

< 21

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flight from Juneau and gave us the first real look at the country and terrain we would hunt in. The elevation was similar to our Cody home with valleys at the 4,000 – 5,000 foot level, the ridge tops reaching 6,500 – 7,500 feet and high glacier shrouded peaks reaching 8,000 plus. It was reassuring that the

training we had done for months was at the same elevation (or even higher) than what we had before us in this BC mountain paradise.

beautiful ram. I had never seen such an incredible sight, and such a stunning sheep. I was elated but tried to keep my emotion in check, remembering there are ‘no easy rams.’

“Absolutely,” I exclaimed offering the old line of never passing up on the first day what you’d love to take on the last.

Back at fly camp, and after the obligatory but excellent freeze dried sheep hunter’s meal, Kelli asked if we found the same ram the next day, “would you take him?” noting that it would be only day one of our hunt.

22 > Mountain Hunter – Winter 2014

Kelli and I flew separately and joined Blake, sorted gear and then readied our packs for a day long climb that would take us up 1,500’ to a plateau, and an

Opening day dawned as glorious as the day before, and after an admittedly “gentlemanly” late morning start of 8:00 am, we were back climbing up to the plateau in search for the ram. Although we glassed a few not- yetlegal rams, ‘our’ ram of the day before was missing. Blake, with a bit of sheep

eight-hour traverse around several masiffs, back down the other end of the valley. Kelli and I both felt good on the climb, and were soon on top of a vast plateau glassing for rams with Blake. After many hours of glassing from numerous locations, Blake glassed up a

blood running through his veins, sensed the ram might be below us out of sight and with a slug-like crawl into the open, found our quarry below. It was the ram of the day before. We waited the ram and his bedded younger mates out, both rams and us having bite to eat, until they choose to move slowly, 900+ yards tantalizing away. The open terrain prevented us from moving until the rams descended off of our plateau, which they did.

Blake’s sheep sense soon had us following tracks through snow, mud and rock, and when those were absent, his highly tuned six sense edged us forward to where he presumed the rams to be. Within an hour, as we edged stealthily along a ridge careful to not skyline ourselves, Blake eased over a bluff and spotted the rams 300 yards below us on a snow field. We quickly and quietly ascended to get a better line on the rams and set up for the shot. I eased my pack from our rock hide to the right as a rifle rest and moved into position, asking Blake for the range, not wanting to deviate from my riflescope. He confirmed the distance as 300 yards and the ram we desired as the lower on the snowfield. My shot from my .308 Kimber Mountain Ascent hit home, and after a few tears, hugs and congratulations, the three of us descended to honor this ram, which gave his life to enrich ours. After giving thanks to the Almighty, the ram, each other, and taking photographs, we caped, quartered and packed the ram up and off the mountain after a bit of an argument. I wished to pack the full skin and horns as well as my share of meat, but Blake insisted it was “a BC guide thing” to pack the horns and skin as well as majority of meat in his pack. After terse discussion and my capitulation, I offered that as the paying client and “boss” that 27 year-old Blake could carry the horns and skin and majority of the meat UP to the plateau and I, at then 52, would carry the horns, skin and lesser portion of meat DOWN to camp. A deal was struck, and we happily carried our burden and prize back to our nylon mountain home. Day two of our hunt resulted in Kelli taking a nice Rocky Mountain goat after a classic stalk and well placed 330 yard shot. Hiking back to camp with her goat, Kelli and I lamented, yet we were supremely grateful for our fortune, that our ten-day dream hunt was over. After another day of climbing, glassing sheep, glacier viewing and enjoying this pristine mountain paradise we reluctantly boarded Greg’s plane for basecamp, and spent the next 9 days relaxing, reading, feasting on fine camp fare, and then joined by Jack and Cindy Atcheson, fly fishing for trout and salmon. Sadly, many amongst us feel that the “deal is done” when the game is down and quickly jet off to the next hunt or business commitment. Not so us; Kelli and I could not get enough of the beauty of BC, and the fellowship of our new and old friends. We relished the time in base camp as crucial to the “essence of the hunt.” The nine days in base camp provided us a great opportunity to better become friends with Greg, Fay and Blake, which we feel blessed, and also allowed us to question whether this four-day hunt was too easy. We arrived into fly camp and after a one-day scout, likely secured the Stone ram of my lifetime. Was this an “easy” ram? Kelli then took a fine Rocky Mountain goat the next day. Was this an “easy” goat? Or was this just the culmination of a great deal of sweat and effort of month’s prior? I came to grips finally with this quandary a month later, with more than one hundred and ten pounds on my back. I was descending a brutal deadfall mountain with my bighorn ram we had scouted nine months earlier. I was 25+ miles away, then, located, hunted, and harvested him. Once secured, a two hour descent, followed by an open air overnight bivouac, and four additional hour descent, we reached a trail only to hike four more miles back to basecamp, and 13 miles back out to the trailhead.

editor’s note

You can reach Golden Bear Outfitting at 250.827.3648 or www.goldenbearoutfitting.com

The truth is there are no easy rams, and every ram is a good ram. Mountain Hunter – Winter 2014 < 23

Grizzly • Black Bear • Moose • Mountain Goat • Wolf Family Owned & Operated

Eric and Kelly

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25 > Mountain Hunter – Fall 2014

Mountain Hunter – Winter 2014 < 25

Want to see yourself in Guides Gallery? Submit your photos to programs@goabc.org with the outfitterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name and the species, score, and harvested date of your animal. 26 > Mountain Hunter â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Winter 2014

Mountain Hunter â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Winter 2014 < 27

co About Shane

e of is considered on Shane Mahoney ies on it or th rnational au the leading inte nation bi m tion. A rare co wildlife conserva er he ph ntist and philoso of historian, scie ildlife issues perspective to w ue iq un a gs in br diences and inspired au ed at iv ot m s ha that e 10 Most amed one of th N . ld or w e th around ationists by adian Conserv Influential Can d nominated a Magazine an ad an C or do ut O or Life e Year by Outdo for Person of th erous m s received nu Magazine, he ha ice g the Public Serv awards includin government lence from the el xc E of d ar w A and d and Labrador of Newfoundlan e Year by of rvationist th se on C l na io at Intern and raised rnational. Born Safari Club Inte s writings d he brings to hi an dl un fo ew N in ent to rural ound commitm of pr a es ur ct le and natural stainable use of su e th d an s ie societ fish. ing wildlife and resources, includ

Thank you to Sports Afield for permission to reprint this article.

28 > Mountain Hunter â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Winter 2014

ll hunting activity is about more than the meat. I believe this is true; even of the most dedicated meat hunter. I know of no hunting culture where the only value of hunting was the meat. In a poignant example of this fact, we may recall that once the last remnants of the great Native American tribes had been rounded up and forced onto reservations, they would routinely ask that the domestic cattle they were provided as rations be set free from their corrals so they might pursue them on horseback and kill them in the same manner they had once the teeming buffalo. This unbelievably sad image of once proud and free peoples being reduced to caricatures is compelling in many regards, but clearly shows that while the buffalo was a source of meat, the experience of its pursuit and lethal capture was in itself a matter of great significance to the lives and spirit of these cultures. There are so many lessons buried in this image of such unsurpassed horsemen pursuing lumbering cattle in the full view of those who deliberately destroyed their way of life, that it is tragic beyond belief! Yet such were the still vibrant memories of their hunts that nothing, not even destitution, could prevent them from tasting that unforgettable reality we hunters so intimately understand. Yet, in society today, even among some of us who hunt, there is a belief

onservation matters

™

with Shane Mahoney

TROPHY HUNTING False Distinctions and the Risks They Bring that “trophy” hunting is different, being about one thing and one thing only; the head, or horns, or cape or full mount—take your pick. Individuals interested in returning with these remembrances of the hunt are of a different breed, it is suggested. They travel to foreign countries; care little or nothing for, and waste the meat; desire and demand only the biggest and the best of specimens; and are all, wealthy. As I previously pointed out, almost all of us collect mementos from our hunt, so I will not belabor this point further; it simply does not distinguish one form of hunting from another. But what of these other elements of trophy hunting so many believe are distinguishing? Are they accurate? Are they true? Can they be used to separate “trophy” hunting

from other forms of hunting? Not really; and certainly not significantly in my opinion. Let us take the issue of travel to foreign countries. While it is certainly true that thousands of hunters from North America will travel to European, Asian and African countries every year, far more, millions in fact, will hunt out of state or province every year. Indeed the preferred destination of American hunters by far, is Canada, hardly a “foreign” destination, although of some measurable cultural differences certainly. The motivations of these hunters are really no different than those who travel to another continent – they are pursuing a new experience, a different landscape, perhaps different species, or more abundant

or larger specimens. They are not, in the main, wealthy, though some are, of course; but they do generally pay more, considerably more, for their out-of-state/province experience. In this way, they contribute significantly to the economies of other parts of the country or continent, other than where they live. Certainly a great many of these individuals will, given the opportunity, shoot the largest and the more magnificent of the animals they see. Furthermore, given that they have paid a higher fee and travelled further in pursuit of a preferred destination for their hunt they may have more opportunity to do so, However, this does not mean that they are guaranteed CONTINUED ON PAGE 30 Mountain Hunter – Winter 2014 < 29

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 29

a perfect specimen, or one of a certain size antler or horn. Nor does it mean that their primary motivation was to secure such a specimen. They were seeking a chance to acquire a good specimen, certainly; or they’d be daft to spend the time, energy and money to travel. In the main, for these millions of hunters, taking home some part of the animal they have killed will be important to them. Thus the hide of a grizzly bear, the antlers of a caribou or the skull and horns of a sheep will almost certainly travel home with these hunters, just like the cape of an eland, the tusks of an elephant, or the hide of a leopard with hunters who have travelled to Africa. So, I ask; “Who is the trophy hunter?” Indeed, even when it comes to the matter of meat the lines of demarcation are not at all clear. Certainly for hunters who travel a very long distance from home, the primary rationale for their hunt may not be the meat of the animal they pursue. However, just like stay-at-home resident hunters, a very large number of the North American hunters travelling to far destinations on this continent do in fact take the meat, or some portion of it, home. Perhaps this is another “trophy”? Furthermore,

in the vast majority of cases any edible meat must be recovered from the field by law. Friends, colleagues or other fortunate individuals who have access to it then use such meat. It is certainly not wasted or treated as unimportant. It is so important, in fact, that laws ensure its removal and use! Legal hunters abide by the law. This situation pretty much parallels what happens when a hunter shoots a buffalo or elephant in many African destinations. No, the hunter does not transport the elephant steaks home; but he does, by virtue of his successful hunt, make it available to willing people who will certainly not waste it. And, no, the meat was not the primary motivation of the North American hunter who pursued the elephant; nor is it for the mountain sheep hunter from Utah who travels to British Columbia in pursuit of an animal there. Nor for the hunter from Turkey who travelled to Spain in pursuit of Ibex. So, I ask, again: “Who is the trophy hunter?” All of these people, or only those who travel to hunt the markhor of Pakistan or the elephants of Tanzania?

This, it seems to me, is an important question. While the term “trophy” is only a convenience, bia Colum h its widespread use Britis of iation Assoc tters The Guide Outfi serves to undermine g amon (GOABC) wants to start a fundamental shift support for hunting hunters from caring about hunting to caring about all by encouraging wildlife. Ranchers care about cattle and anglers care m i s c on c e pt i ons about fish, but hunters seem to only care about their about what use nsible respo the to itted comm be must ers Hunt sport. motivates the hunter and by of wildlife resources and passionate about preserving strong a is BC app earing to GOA The s. specie a diversity of wildlife d i f f e r e n t i a t e n supporter of the North American Wildlife Conservatio various forms Model, which stipulates that law and science should of hunting, manage wildlife. This model is the result of hunters and therefore and anglers who were dedicated to conservation. As inevitably leading anti-hunting pressure becomes louder, it becomes to the notion that some forms are increasingly important to continue and enhance the more, or less, legacy of the hunter conservationist. acceptable. We see clear evidence

30 > Mountain Hunter – Winter 2014

for this in every poll taken: trophy hunting is the least supported, behind so-called sport/recreational and meat hunting. Those opposed to hunting know this very well and exploit it. Those who do not understand hunting are easy converts to this position because such hunting is viewed as frivolous, wasteful and self-aggrandizing. So let’s not suggest the terminology does not matter. It does; and we should drop it from our vocabulary. As I have argued in these last two articles we cannot show it is distinct anyway; so why give the opponents of hunting an easy target that is merely a term of convenience? By focusing on one aspect of the hunting experience—the taking of a memento or remembrance of the hunt—the classification of trophy hunting as a separate and distinct hunting engagement fails to recognize that all hunters have always celebrated their success, and wished to remember the experience. We, as human beings, have turned our creative talents towards this for millennia; through visual art, dance, storytelling, and sculpture. I do not see how we can use this now to set so-called trophy hunting apart. Hunting has many gradations and varieties, and in the end is a highly personal experience. What today must always separate the true from the false in hunting is fair chase and legality; not whether the tusks of a fallen elephant are taken home, or whether we hunt in a foreign country, pay a lot to do so, hunt relatively rare or unique beasts, or personally consume the meat. There is not one of the true among us who does not hunt the experience; and not one among these who does not wish to remember it. In this, there is no distinction among hunters. We should not dare to create one.

BEAVERFOOT OUTFITTING Troy Wolfenden • Golden, BC

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32 > Mountain Hunter â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Winter 2014

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WE HUNT:

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34 > Mountain Hunter – Winter 2014

MERVYN’S Yukon Outfitting Horseback Hunts Excellent Dall Sheep Alaska Yukon Moose Mountain Caribou Wild Wood Bison Grizzly and Black Bear Wolf and Wolverine

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muzzleloader grand slam By Wayne Farnsworth

36 > Mountain Hunter â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Winter 2014

y quest for a third North American Wild Sheep Grand Slam included an unforgettable hunt with Prophet Muskwa, and a muzzleloader. I already had a rifle slam (no. 702) and an archery slam (no. 46), the next slam was going to be with a muzzleloader. I chose a third slam using a muzzleloader because, to the knowledge of Grand Slam Ovis, no one had registered three slams taken with three different weapons, rifle, bow, and muzzleloader. My hunt with Prophet Muskwa began on August 3. I flew to Edmonton, where I stayed overnight before catching a morning flight into Fort Nelson, B.C. The plan was for Kevin Olmstead to pick me up, and transport me and another hunter to his 206 Cessna, which would fly us to his base camp. After my arrival at base camp, (thanks to Sean’s safe flight) I was greeted by friendly helpful staff. My bags were brought up from the plane to the room I would be staying in for the night. During dinner, Kevin informed me that I would be hunting out of Creek Camp with guide Gary Van Hee. This was good news for me to hear, as my oldest son Wayne III and I were guided by Gary on a father-son combination hunt in the N.W.T. [sheep/caribou hunt] with Ram Head Outfitters in 1998. That hunt was very successful for both my son and I. On my first sheep hunt with Kevin, I hunted out of and brought home a nice ram. The next day, Sean flew me into Richards Creek, where I was met by an eager and waiting crew. Gary was the first to greet me at the plane, and introduced me to the rest of his crew; the cook Jason, Anthony, who would be assisting and learning from Gary in the field, and our wrangler Eddie, who had wrangled for me during my moose hunt with Prophet Muskaw back in September 2001. After Sean departed the air strip, I quickly organized my gear in my log cabin and then joined the crew in the cook cabin for some lunch of sheep stew. Gary informed me of his plan to shoot my muzzleloader then head out on horseback in hopes of finding a big ram. Gary had set up a target, which I would be shooting at from 100 yards across the air strip. Knowing my muzzleloader would be four inches low, “Aim at the bull’s eye” replied Gary. After the smoke had cleared, Gary was pleased to see my bullet had hit four inches directly above the bull’s eye. Then he said, “Let’s go and find us a nice ram!” We headed up Richards Creek together, all of us except the cook, who stayed to clean up after lunch and begin preparations for dinner. About an hour ride out of camp, Gary, Anthony, and I split off from Eddie and crossed Richards Creek while Eddie continued up the trail with a pack horse and chain saw to continue clearing the trial for later into our hunt. As we continued our climb up the mountain, we heard the chainsaw running and Gary responded, “Sounds like Eddie is hard at work.” As it turned out, we used the trail Eddie cleared the following day, as we did not find what we were looking for on the first day. Riding up Eddie’s newly cleared trail the following day, we decided to stop and glass, and spotted some lambs and ewes. As we CONTINUED ON PAGE 38 Mountain Hunter – Winter 2014 < 37

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 37

approached near to where Gary wanted to focus most of our time that day, we began seeing small groups of young rams; nothing big enough to go after but it kept us motivated all day. As the evening drew near, Gary suggested we head back to camp and have dinner, saying “Tomorrow we will try again in the area we hunted yesterday, but we will go further along the ridge and look into the next canyon.” He added, “If we don’t find anything big enough to shoot there tomorrow, we will head out

38 > Mountain Hunter – Winter 2014

of camp going down the creek the next day. I know there are still nice rams in there. I saw them when I was packing out Rick’s ram that he killed several days ago here.” After a good hot meal and sleep that evening, Gary, Anthony, and I headed back up the creek the next morning. Before going into the canyon, Gary wanted to stop and take a look again where he had glassed two days prior. “Nothing,” he said. So we hiked up and over, looking into a new

area we had not been to. We found rams clear across the huge canyon near the ridge and a couple bedded on top of the ridge skylines. Gary suggested they might come down off the ridge later in the day for a drink of water; unfortunately that would not happen. Gary spotted a black wolf half way down the ridge and directly across from us, feeding on a kill. The wolf would feed for a while, and then it would lie down again for a nap before getting back up and feeding again. We watched the wolf feed for several hours before Gary suggested we go back to the horses. In his opinion, the wolf had the sheep spooked and for us to try and make a play for them would push them over the other side. In addition, Gary said “We can go back to camp early and get our gear ready to spike out to where I saw those rams”.

So, Anthony and I followed Gary towards where we had left the horses. Along the way, Gary decided to stop and glass the mountainside above the horses, where we had looked earlier that day. While all three of us were straining our eyes looking for a ram, Gary began to tell Anthony and I about a ram he and another hunting client had killed just a few hundred yards away from us a couple years ago. Gary said, with excitement in his voice, “I found the ram!” Simultaneously, Anthony and I asked “Where?” Gary told us to look half way down the ridge bedded in front of a big yellowish-brown rock. After I got a good look at him, Gary asked me if I wanted to try and go after him, as we would have quite the distance to cover in a short amount of time. I said, “Yes, let’s go for it and if it does not work out we have a plan for tomorrow

anyway!” Gary turned to Anthony and asked him to stay put and watch for any movement the ram might make, and to advise us to what direction we needed to go to position ourselves above the ram once we arrived on the other side. With sweat pouring down our faces, we stopped to look back at Anthony to get our position; however, we had not gone far enough yet and could not see him. Further on up the mountain, we headed for a position and hoped not to pass the ram. We finally arrived at a spot on the mountainside, Gary believed the ram to be, which was no more than ninety yards in front of us and still bedded. Gary said, “Load your muzzleloader and position yourself on that rock, get a good rest, and wait for him to stand up.” I did just that. We waited for about twenty minutes and nothing happened, so Gary looked for Anthony with his binoculars for instructions. Locating Anthony, Gary looked to me and said,

“I have no idea what he is trying to tell us.” His arms are flying all over the place, and I have no idea if we were too high, too low, past the ram, or even if the ram is still there.” I suggested to Gary that we may have gone past the ram; moreover, the flat rock we were looking at did not look like the rock the ram was in front of. Gary said, “No, I think that’s the rock. Let’s give it a little bit longer.” I said, “Ok,” and we gave it another twenty minute Gary turned to me and said, “Any respectful ram would have gotten up by now for a drink. It’s past six thirty now.” After waiting for over an hour and not being able to understand Anthony’s hand signals, Gary suggested that the ram must have gone while we were making a move on him. With my muzzleloader still loaded, I began to follow Gary back down the mountain. We had only gone down about forty or fifty yards when Gary stopped with

both arms out to each of his sides, snapping his fingers. As I brought my muzzleloader off my shoulder, I stepped to Gary’s left to see around him. Just at that moment I saw the ram running from my right to left quartering away at about 100 yards or so. Gary hollered, “Shoot that ram!” As I dropped down in a kneeling position, I thought to myself, “I will only get one shot at this ram.” As I located the ram in my scope, I heard Gary make a sound that stopped the ram in his tracks. It turned slightly broadside to me, and looked back at us. Instantly, I knew this was my shot, and I quickly put my cross hairs on his left front shoulder. Boom! The ram jumped straight up into the air off all four legs, and came down in a heap where he stood. “You got him buddy,” Gary shouted at me. I could barely believe my eyes. My shot ended up being 120 yards. My bullet CONTINUED ON PAGE 40 Mountain Hunter – Winter 2014 < 39

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 39

had passed through the left shoulder, through the top part of the rams heart and on out through his right shoulder. If Gary had not gotten that ram to stop and look back for that brief second, I’m sure I would not have had such a good look at him, which made for a great opportunity to take a ram. Anthony had been watching the unfolding of this thrilling and challenging hunt from the other side of the mountain. He was ecstatic, as both Gary and I were, and he managed to retrieve our horses, bring them to the base of the mountain, and climb up to us while Gary and I were still taking pictures. He then told us he was trying to signal that the ram was still in the rocks below us to our right. However, when Gary and I began going down the mountain, we actually spooked the ram from his bed. As the hour was now getting late, we finished taking

pictures, caped a life size mount, boned the ram (taking its rib meat as well), and headed down the mountain to our awaiting horses. We arrived back at camp between 1:00 AM and 2:00 AM the next morning, dead tired and hungry. Both Eddie and Jason were asleep; however, they awoke at our arrival, and Eddie assisted with the horses, while Jason warmed the dinner he had prepared for us earlier that evening. After eating, I went to my cabin, crawled into my sleeping bag, and had a good long needed sleep. I awoke about 9:00 am and discovered that I was the last person in camp out of bed. Gary, Anthony, and Eddie had Ben working on my cape, which they continued and finished after breakfast. Later that afternoon, Sean flew me back to base camp where Kevin greeted me at the air strip and offered his congratulations

on a successful hunt. This Stone sheep hunt was very enjoyable for me, having the opportunity to once again hunt with Kevin and Victoria Olmstead and to be guided by Gary Van Hee. Sean Olmstead excelled at flying his clients into and out of camp. Great job, Prophet Muskaw! I would like to thank each and every person involved in this quest of mine for a muzzleloader wild sheep slam. If it were not for the outfitter’s commitment to their hunters, and the hard work and dedication of their guides, I know I would not have been able to do what I have done in taking fifteen North American Wild Sheep so far in my lifetime. Thanks to you all, and especially to my wife Patricia, for putting up with me and my passion for hunting.

editor’s note

You can reach Prophet Muskwa at 250.789.9494 or www.olmsteadhunting.com

40 > Mountain Hunter – Winter 2014

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fter two years of detailed planning, preparation, and discussions with my wife, we were finally ready to lock ’n load for our hunting adventure to the Northwest Territories. While waiting to leave the house, the reality of Jane “packing-light” hit me as I pulled up to load her gear. As you can see—other than the gun case and our Golden Retriever Charlie—she had enough gear to last a full season on the TV series Survivor! I was certainly amused at what her interpretation of 50 pounds of total gear was. We quickly jettisoned everything down to one bag and headed off to the airport. Our goal was to arrange a NWT hunt that would be a big adventure for my wife, with a combination hunt for moose, caribou, and wolf, in the most remote and pristine regions of North America. Of special interest was the ability to have extremely remote access to/from the spike camps via helicopter. It was just not possible or practical to access this region any other way. Most of the hunting areas boasted of never being hunted before. With the helicopter, the outfitters could place you in the optimal location, pending the weather and species. The first day in the base camp was filled with high expectations, and hundreds of questions for the guide. What about grizzlies? How big would the moose be? How far the shots would be, and what is the hunting strategy, etc etc. As with most hunting camps, the typical 100—yard range was available. It was pretty funny to see the look on my guide’s face when I told him I wanted to shoot over the river and into the rock wall at 650 yards. He explained that most hunting shots are normally taken at 50-200 yards. I explained how I wanted to be prepared in case an ethical, further shot presented itself. The training and shooting system that I used from Gunwerks would ensure an accurate shot. A few subsequent 3” groups into a chalk white rock answered the question of accuracy. Soon we were ready to Heli-out to our spike camp in the Bell Helicopter. I have never seen such an efficient and elegant solution for hunter and game transport and pickup into a remote wilderness! We were dropped off from the helicopter on a high hilltop vista. After the sounds of the chopping blades slowly faded away, the silence of the enormous area was deafening. The realization that we were hundreds of miles from any roads or towns definitely reminds you how isolated and vulnerable you are. We were maybe 25-30 miles from our discrete little base camp. This was it; show time. We were alone for a week (or more if there were weather issues) with our guide, tent, food, and gun. So many questions come into our minds that couldn’t be answered. Would we be able to man-up to the challenge? Of course, all evening, Jane wanted to hear about the grizzly bears and our guide’s survival stories. The first evening in our tent, a freak snowstorm hit and unloaded 12-18” of snow on the terrain. We had to get up throughout the night to relieve the pressure from the snow on the tent walls to keep it from collapsing. We sat around in the snow and fog on the first hunting morning very excited, but with zero opportunity to begin hunting. Temperatures started dropping further, and the fog lowered with visibility approximately 75 CONTINUED ON PAGE 46

44 > Mountain Hunter – Winter 2014

nwt remote access adventure by Vince Diggins

Mountain Hunter â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Winter 2014 < 45

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 44

yards. Around mid-morning we could see some small pockets of fog moving. We thought we might try some areas around our tent, and call for some moose. The hillside across from us looked like a simple little side-saddle traverse. There were 10’ high alders and choked bushy ground vegetation up to our waist, coupled with a foot and half of snow, and dense fog. Suddenly, I started to think a 50 yard shot on this trip might be considered a long distance! After three hours of walking/ calling, we took a break on the peak of a hilltop overlooking a massive valley. We were hoping the fog would break and unfold some opportunities. You know the feeling when you keep glassing into fog and you think you see an object, but don’t? This went on all morning until I thought I saw a vague image of something moving

46 > Mountain Hunter – Winter 2014

quickly over miles of landscape. The weird thing is that I was the only one that could see it over the timeframe of approximately 20 minutes. Byron, our guide, said it most likely was a bull, given the ground coverage. He was looking for cows. We had nothing else going on, so we decided to try to see if we could cut if off on the path it was taking. Our strategy was simple: cut off the moose by traversing around a massive valley on the ridge line. At 3pm, we had walked miles and not seen anything. I began point start questioning whether I even saw a moose in the fog, whether it was a bull or cow, and if it was it even of legal size. And why did we think we could cut it off without seeing it, or knowing exactly where it was going? This is the moment that doubt begins to creep into your psyche. That is when thinking positive began to erode into trying to think logically, and sensibly, as we

pushed more miles away from our tent and towards the beginning of darkness. Soaking wet from perspiration, we continued to push the envelope. We pushed further until the point at which we all felt our strategy had failed, and we needed to stop and turn back to the safety of the spike camp. Sitting on a nice hill side, we slumped into some brush and rested. While we rested, the fog lifted and we could actually use our binoculars clearly for the first time that day. Suddenly, on the other hillside, I saw the reflection of light off the antlers of a bull moose. It was swaying, and sauntering downhill. The brush was so high that all you could see were his antlers. From 1,200 yards out he slowly made his descent towards us. We could not believe he was actually coming directly toward us! Turns out he was following two cows. About every other stride you could hear him echo through the valley “Unnnhpmh....

Unnnhpmh....Unnnhpmh.” It was so amazing, you could almost just sit and watch the show and be totally content with any outcome. I urgently began to look for an opportunistic chunk of topography for a shooting rest. I needed to leverage something, which would allow my gun to clear the vegetation and yet provide a good rest to shoot across the valley. The bull was still moving downhill closer yet. His body was below the dense growth. I knew a decision would need to be made soon. It was getting close to dark, and was becoming too difficult to make an effective closer stalk.

out the moose, the ravens started circling and calling above. Apparently they are great scouting indicators for wolves. Soon, we heard a pack about one and a half miles away, howling and coming towards us. They were up high in the hills, and flowing down on us like water in a stream. Byron tried a few howls. That really lit them up. They then started to flank and surround us. It was truly amazing.

At 580 yards, it was the “now or never” moment. I released the bullet like an arrow in flight. It was a great feeling of confidence and awe of the moment, all combined with a challenging mental and physical adventure. What more could you ask for?

As they closed in fast, I had a real problem. There was absolutely no opening in the dense brush to shoot (or even see) the wolves. We heard snapping and snarling around us. For some reason, we looked uphill and saw a tiny patch of white on the hillside in the midst of all the vegetation. Pulling up my scope, it clearly showed a huge male sitting and snarling straight-on at us at 250 yards away. I felt it was one of the luckiest and best offhand shots I ever have taken!

Well, soon that question was answered; we were in for another surprise. As we started taking pictures and skinning

The wolves were coming into the moose kill. For size reference, I am six feet, two hundred pounds and standing

on a small little knoll. Note that I can’t lift the back feet off the ground. It was a massive alpha male. Getting the moose quartered and flown out the next day via helicopter was like a dream. It is such an incredibly efficient and time saving process. We flew back into base camp to shower, regroup, and shuttle out with the helicopter to another area to hunt caribou. The weather turned the dial to almost perfect for our caribou hunt. We got to sit around and glass a very long valley for a couple of days. A small herd finally passed through, and the hunt was over with a 100 yard shot. Thank you to Werner Aschbacher and Sunny Petersen of South Nahanni Outfitters. Their operation is one of the best I have ever had the pleasure of hunting with.

editor’s note

You can reach South Nahanni Outfitters at 867.399.3194 or www.huntnahanni.com Mountain Hunter – Winter 2014 < 47

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50 > Mountain Hunter â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Winter 2014

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52 > Mountain Hunter â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Winter 2014

third time lucky by Dave Turchanski

he Shiras moose had haunted me for two years, but finally the third year I was successful. This moose cost more than your average sheep hunt, but in the end, it turned out good. The earlier failures were not due to a lack of trying. Did we have opportunities? Sure, but we could just not close the deal. Hunting with Baldy Mountain Outfitters was fantastic. I got to know Harry and Matt Leuenberger very well, and the new owner that took over for his father just this year, Riley Leuenberger. All three of them took a turn at guiding me to a Shiras moose. This moose is part of the North American 30; as I already have a Canadian moose, and an Alaskan Yukon moose, I needed this moose in the worst way. Before my hunting trip, Riley said “Bring your cross bow and rifle, and let work know you could be gone for a long time. You are not going home till you have a moose this time.” I left Fort St. John September 29th and arrived at the hunting camp September 30th, just as crossbow season opened October 1st. We spent the evening talking about the previous moose hunting trips, and became determined that this trip was not going to be a ‘three peat’ of past hunts. We were up early the next morning, and went to an area referred to as ‘over the top’. It started off really well, as we were spotting moose right away. We were seeing cows with some small bulls, but nothing that got us excited. It wasn’t till the evening of the first day that we saw a shooter bull, but the wind was blowing so bad that we decided to wait till the following day. Once again, we were up early the next morning, and back to where we saw the big Shiras bull. We quickly located him, and after about 6 hours we were closing the distance. The wind was not in our favor, so we held back for the better part of 4 hours. With my cross bow I was comfortable shooting at 60 yards, so our work was definitely cut out for us. Riley continued to call the bull, and the moose came to within 65 yards, looking straight at us. He would come no further, and eventually turned and walked off into the bush. For the next 3 days we stalked this moose, and got to within 85 yards, 130 yards, and 70 yards, but just could not get a shot at him. Frustration was setting in, so we went into different areas for the next few days to see new country, only to see elk and some more cow moose. We decided to take one more trip to ‘over the top’ to see what we could do to get a chance at this big bull. We once again spotted him in the valley laying in an open meadow. The wind was blowing really strong so we figured let’s use it to our advantage. Away we went, back into the valley. We were about 120 yards away from the moose and it was like he got a phone call. He got up, walked out the far end of the meadow, and we did not see him again. Now frustration had really set in, and left us both bewildered. The following day, day 8 of the 10 day hunt, found us in a totally new area of Riley’s hunting territory. Some great meadows, and vantage points that we figured were going to show us some moose CONTINUED ON PAGE 54

Mountain Hunter – Winter 2014 < 53

editor’s note

You can reach Baldy Mountain Outfitters at 778.517.0668 or www.baldymountain.com

her. So close but yet so far. Bow hunting when it works is awesome, but when it doesn’t, you wish you had your rifle.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 53

for sure. Later that afternoon we were moose calling, and we heard a bull grunt not far from us. We could see antlers as the moose was walking away. We decided to make a big circle, and came out by the river, 180 yards away from the biggest Shiras moose I have ever seen. We estimated the moose to be a 170-inch class moose. As it moved behind a patch of willows, we crossed the river and headed down

54 > Mountain Hunter – Winter 2014

the opposite bank. We could see 2 cows across the small river, but could not see him. We were approximately 45 yards from where he was last standing when we saw him. Out by some pine trees we saw a cow moose, and antlers walking towards her in the distance. I thought this would be the moment we had a chance at this large trophy. Unfortunately, the cow winded us and turned away, taking the bull with

The next morning found us back in the same spot where we had seen the bull the night before. We stopped the jeep along the bush road, and Riley made a couple bull calls. It was not 30 seconds, and we got an answer. The jeep was in the middle of the road so we did not start it up, instead we just pushed it into the ditch. I got hunkered down in the willows on a small dirt mound beside a stream, and Riley moved back up the road about 40 yards, and continued calling. I had a good shooting lane, so now I just needed to see the moose. I was just about to move when I caught movement out of the corner

of my eye, and heard the moose grunting getting closer. As the bull moved up the opening, he was suddenly standing right in front of me. I did not move as we stared each other down, with the bull licking his lips and grunting. As the moose turned his head and looked back, I shot the cross bow. The bull took about 4 quick steps and stopped. He was hit good, and ran about 50 yards. Riley and I watched him pile up on the ground. When I shot him he was 4 yards away; unbelievable! I finally got my trophy Shiras Moose. He was a 50 inch bull, and number 28 of the North American 30. Thanks to Riley and Baldy Mountain Outfitters for yet another great hunt!

in memory

of Betty

Frank 1931 – 2014

Betty Frank (née Cox) was born in Northern Alberta, the firstborn of Dutch immigrants who had met in their teenage years in Strathmore. She grew up in and around parts of the Lower Mainland, including Port Moody, Port Coquitlam, Owen’s Bay, and the aptly named Cox’s Island, north of Vancouver Island. Betty thrived in the hills and valleys of her British Columbia home, and could often be found roaming the mountains with her rifle, in search of game both big and small. She would eventually become a certified teacher, but her lust for the outdoors could not be satiated in any classroom. Betty met and married big game guide Alfred Bower, and together, they embarked on the great Canadian wilderness dream. Together with her husband, Betty learned the ins and outs of the guiding trade, becoming a competent guide outfitter and trapper, and a tireless pioneer for frontier women in the province. Betty truly shirked all ancient gender stereotypes in her five decades as an active outfitter and wilderness advocate. In her later years, she retired to Quadra Island to be closer to her family. Her autobiography The Legendary Betty Frank: the Cariboo’s Alpine Queen was co-authored with historian Sage Birchwater in 2011, and brought her fascinating story to a new generation. Betty is survived by her 6 children, 17 grandchildren, brother, sister, and many adoring friends and family. She was 82.

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OUTFITTERS

mule deer moose cougar • lynx black bear mountain goat

BRUCE & TERRY AMBLER 250.459.2367 Clinton, BC Canada

CAMP COOK’S CORNER Sweet & Sour Meatballs INGREDIENTS

1 lb ground meat

2 tbsp bread crumbs

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup green pepper, chopped fine

1/3 cup onion, chopped fine

2 tbsp butter or margarine

1 10oz can condensed tomato soup

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 tsp prepared mustard

1 1/2 tsp vinegar

SHEEP ELK GOAT GRIZZLY BLACK BEAR MULE DEER WHITETAIL DEER SHIRAS MOOSE COUGAR TURKEY WOLF LYNX BOBCAT

INGREDIENTS

Mix meat, crumbs, egg, and salt together. Shape into meatballs (of size you prefer). Place in a shallow baking pan and broil until browned, turning once. Or brown in frying pan over medium heat. Spoon off fat. In another saucepan, cook green pepper and onion in butter till tender. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour over meatballs. Cover and bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. Serves 4–6. More recipes available from our cookbook “The Hunter’s Kitchen”. Call or email the GOABC office to purchase your copy.

56 > Mountain Hunter – Winter 2014

Marty and Carrie Lightburn PO Box 69, Jaffray, British Columbia, Canada V0B 1T0 www.rmho.ca | info@rmho.ca

16,000 Square Miles of exclusive guiding territory Now N ow o operating two fantastic businesses

Helicopter and riverboat backpack hunts in the

Mackenzie Mountains, NWT Jim

(250) 846-5309 Clay

(250) 263-7778

jladventures@xlpornet.com

Dall Sheep | Alaska Yukon Moose | Mtn. Caribou | Mtn. Goat w w w. l a n c a s t e r f a m i l y h u n t i n g . c o m

Partners in Conservation Excellence Ram Creek Outfitters and Stone Mountain Safaris are working together to promote wildlife conservation.

Steven & Stefanie Leuenberger Box 27, Wardner, BC V0B 2J0 Tel: 250.429.3238 Toll Free: 1.877.726.2735 hunting@ramcreek.ca www.ramcreek.ca

Leif & Kellie Olsen Box 7870, Toad River, BC V0C 2X0 Tel: 250.232.5469 hunts@stonemountainsafaris.com leif@stonemountainsafaris.com www.stonemountainsafaris.com facebook.com/stonemountainsafaris