Hi Guy's n Gals!
Nugget and I just got back from a grueling 10 or so days up north looking for, well, everything you can get a general tag for as well as our Moose draws.
We raced out an hour before last light once we had camp set up and had a look around.
Within 15 minutes of our camp I spotted a 40+/- bull swimming in the lake with his girlfriend who didn't seem to like him much.
We figured it a bit early to shoot yet so we let them play, almost hit a 50" on the trail with my Vinson and hour later, he just moved off to the side of the trail, 30 feet away and grunted at us while we chatted about him and his two cows.
We figured if there was this much game around, heck, it would be gravy so being as it was after legal light anyway we headed back to camp giggling like little school girls.
Well seven days went by and we could find a ton of sign, but the bulls wouldn't respond to calls as most seemed to be sidetracked with the ladies already. We went high on the mountains, low in the nastiest bush I've yet seen and everything in the middle too.
About Wednesday evening, we set up on the top of a meadow and Nugget began his pattented seductive cow call. We could hear something coming down the hill so he got his camera ready and I got my 7 mauser ready for action. We were waiting for a moose to step out and instead we had wolves! I cranked a nice black one and missed the grey. The others I did not even see melted back into the bush in a big hurry!
We packed up and started down the mountian with a stinky wolf on my shoulders. All the while the wolves were howling away so not even thinking we started howling back. By the time we got to the creek bed at the bottom, the grey one was only 40 yards away staring us down. Dan nailed it with his 300 SAUM.
I just finally got this pic pulled from the camera footage and I am fairly dissappointed with the resolution, this is about as clear as I can get it, even with my pc picture programs. Gives you the main idea though. She was quartering away on the shot and the bullet went in on the back ribs on entrance and out in front of the shoulder with two 7mm holes, nice and neat round holes except for the red stuff coming out.
It got real boring after that again with no action until Friday when we bumped into my bull with nothing short of miraculous circumstances. We finally found a line going to a burn that I had wanted to get to since we planned the trip, once getting there, we heard a cow bawling like mad from the other side of the far ridge, a half mile off. We started to head her way when all of a sudden on our other side from the cow we heard this bull start grunting and chugging through the willows. He sounded like the size of a mammoth with a voice to match. He crossed the two foot wide slash line we were on too fast for me to get a good shot so I sprinted after him. He was just reachine the big burnt timber when I caught a view of him.
I was using an all original Husqvarna 146 in 9,3x57. Tossing a 270gr Speer at 2460, it was more than up to the task at 150+ yards.
Only trouble is the sights are set for a 286gr slug plodding along at 2000 so needless to say with all the excitement I shot over him the first try. He wheeled around broadside and I put the second one through both shoulders and threw him into the ground like he was hit with a train! He never got up again. That was at 3:30 IIRC, and we got him back to camp by 10:30 that night and I got to bed by 4AM. Rough measure is 58 4/8" outside.
Now the pressure was on, we planned on going home on Saturday so we were up at 9:30 to knock down the tent and then made a last ditch effort for Dan's Bull. We headed in the same direction, but went away around the east side of the burn and came in on another line. Wind was perfect, calm in our face. At the bottom of the burn is a nice gob of super soft skeg, willows and major thick timber.
We hadn't quite reached the edge of the willows when I heard a bull grunt not far in the bush, so we made a beeline for the middle of it and hunkered down on the edge of the cutline, with Dan making his Moosey love call, ten minutes later the bull stepped out on the line and a 200gr Nosler Accubond went through both lungs. He wheeled around and bolted back into the bush but was soon heard fumbling and crashing about. In no time Dan was over to the bull, which had already expired. He is an honest 49" wide, a real beauty.
We got back to camp by 11:30 that night, packed up camp through the night and left at 4AM for home. Stopped at me Grand Parents at Debolt for a nice helping of pancakes, change up our load, pick up our now skinned wolves from the trapper and make for home, well, my parents place anyways, which we got to by 7:30PM that night. By 11:30 we finally got to go to bed. LOL!
We are still fighting to keep our eyes open!
A real long haul that we almost cut short due to supreme frustration, boy are we glad we stayed.
I'd like to send a bunch of thank yous out to everyone who helped this year to make my dream hunt a sucess.
First off to the Big Guy upstairs for the answered prayers for two desperate goofballs.
Second, to my Wife and Kids, who I missed dearly while I was away. I am sure Christy's "holiday" away from me wasn't nearly so fun.Also to the rest of my family who helped by lending camping essentials, finding maps etc, thank you all!
Also Anthony for the very nice Husqvarna rifle, thanks man!
And last but certainly not least, my gun toting buddies across this country and you guys on CGN.
Bob Spence for all the chit chat back and forth regarding the rifles.
Ted Wagner for the very kind loan of his 9,3 dies and load advice in very rushed circumstances, man you ROCK!
And also to all you guy's who threw in your two bits in the 9,3 thread a month and a half ago, you opened my eyes to one of the coolest calibers I've seen in awhile and it will see alot of use from me in future years.
Also thanks to Nugget for helping me get off my scrawny butt and live my dream for once instead of just thinking about it.
I appologize if I have missed anyone in the list, there was alot of input from alot of poeple and I feel very blessed indeed.
Noel
Nugget and I just got back from a grueling 10 or so days up north looking for, well, everything you can get a general tag for as well as our Moose draws.
We raced out an hour before last light once we had camp set up and had a look around.
Within 15 minutes of our camp I spotted a 40+/- bull swimming in the lake with his girlfriend who didn't seem to like him much.
We figured it a bit early to shoot yet so we let them play, almost hit a 50" on the trail with my Vinson and hour later, he just moved off to the side of the trail, 30 feet away and grunted at us while we chatted about him and his two cows.We figured if there was this much game around, heck, it would be gravy so being as it was after legal light anyway we headed back to camp giggling like little school girls.
Well seven days went by and we could find a ton of sign, but the bulls wouldn't respond to calls as most seemed to be sidetracked with the ladies already. We went high on the mountains, low in the nastiest bush I've yet seen and everything in the middle too.
About Wednesday evening, we set up on the top of a meadow and Nugget began his pattented seductive cow call. We could hear something coming down the hill so he got his camera ready and I got my 7 mauser ready for action. We were waiting for a moose to step out and instead we had wolves!
I cranked a nice black one and missed the grey. The others I did not even see melted back into the bush in a big hurry!We packed up and started down the mountian with a stinky wolf on my shoulders. All the while the wolves were howling away so not even thinking we started howling back. By the time we got to the creek bed at the bottom, the grey one was only 40 yards away staring us down. Dan nailed it with his 300 SAUM.
I just finally got this pic pulled from the camera footage and I am fairly dissappointed with the resolution, this is about as clear as I can get it, even with my pc picture programs. Gives you the main idea though. She was quartering away on the shot and the bullet went in on the back ribs on entrance and out in front of the shoulder with two 7mm holes, nice and neat round holes except for the red stuff coming out.
It got real boring after that again with no action until Friday when we bumped into my bull with nothing short of miraculous circumstances. We finally found a line going to a burn that I had wanted to get to since we planned the trip, once getting there, we heard a cow bawling like mad from the other side of the far ridge, a half mile off. We started to head her way when all of a sudden on our other side from the cow we heard this bull start grunting and chugging through the willows. He sounded like the size of a mammoth with a voice to match. He crossed the two foot wide slash line we were on too fast for me to get a good shot so I sprinted after him. He was just reachine the big burnt timber when I caught a view of him.
I was using an all original Husqvarna 146 in 9,3x57. Tossing a 270gr Speer at 2460, it was more than up to the task at 150+ yards.
Only trouble is the sights are set for a 286gr slug plodding along at 2000 so needless to say with all the excitement I shot over him the first try. He wheeled around broadside and I put the second one through both shoulders and threw him into the ground like he was hit with a train! He never got up again. That was at 3:30 IIRC, and we got him back to camp by 10:30 that night and I got to bed by 4AM. Rough measure is 58 4/8" outside.
Now the pressure was on, we planned on going home on Saturday so we were up at 9:30 to knock down the tent and then made a last ditch effort for Dan's Bull. We headed in the same direction, but went away around the east side of the burn and came in on another line. Wind was perfect, calm in our face. At the bottom of the burn is a nice gob of super soft skeg, willows and major thick timber.
We hadn't quite reached the edge of the willows when I heard a bull grunt not far in the bush, so we made a beeline for the middle of it and hunkered down on the edge of the cutline, with Dan making his Moosey love call, ten minutes later the bull stepped out on the line and a 200gr Nosler Accubond went through both lungs. He wheeled around and bolted back into the bush but was soon heard fumbling and crashing about. In no time Dan was over to the bull, which had already expired. He is an honest 49" wide, a real beauty.
We got back to camp by 11:30 that night, packed up camp through the night and left at 4AM for home. Stopped at me Grand Parents at Debolt for a nice helping of pancakes, change up our load, pick up our now skinned wolves from the trapper and make for home, well, my parents place anyways, which we got to by 7:30PM that night. By 11:30 we finally got to go to bed. LOL!
We are still fighting to keep our eyes open!
A real long haul that we almost cut short due to supreme frustration, boy are we glad we stayed.
I'd like to send a bunch of thank yous out to everyone who helped this year to make my dream hunt a sucess.
First off to the Big Guy upstairs for the answered prayers for two desperate goofballs.
Second, to my Wife and Kids, who I missed dearly while I was away. I am sure Christy's "holiday" away from me wasn't nearly so fun.Also to the rest of my family who helped by lending camping essentials, finding maps etc, thank you all!
Also Anthony for the very nice Husqvarna rifle, thanks man!
And last but certainly not least, my gun toting buddies across this country and you guys on CGN.
Bob Spence for all the chit chat back and forth regarding the rifles.
Ted Wagner for the very kind loan of his 9,3 dies and load advice in very rushed circumstances, man you ROCK!
And also to all you guy's who threw in your two bits in the 9,3 thread a month and a half ago, you opened my eyes to one of the coolest calibers I've seen in awhile and it will see alot of use from me in future years.
Also thanks to Nugget for helping me get off my scrawny butt and live my dream for once instead of just thinking about it.
I appologize if I have missed anyone in the list, there was alot of input from alot of poeple and I feel very blessed indeed.
Noel
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