Addendum to October 10, 2011 – Steve`s 2 weeks while Dianne was away

Before the start of our hunt while Dianne was still with us we had some excitement in camp. While sitting around the campfire on our second night, out of the darkness appeared a coyote about 20 feet from where Don was sitting. We all stood up and yelled at it to scare it away. I always thought wild animals were afraid of fire....and humans! The area we were camped in is very popular with ATVer’s, snowmobilers, shooters and others so he may be habituated to humans. Another reason could be the moose carcass around the corner from us. The highways dept. dumps their road kill here....our camp is littered with bones.

Shortly after Dianne went to bed Wiley coyote appeared again. I yelled to Don COYOTE!! This time he was within 5 feet of Don and was about to pounce on him. Don shot out of his chair and had many choice words for Wiley...running about 30 yards before taking a poop (not Don...but coulda) while staring back at us. That was the fastest I’ve seen Don move....ever. He had a knee replaced last January and another last June so he has been hobbling around.

The next morning while Dianne was preparing for her flight home Don and I were talking about Wiley coyote and both agreed that he must of been stalking Don because he appears to be the weakest in our herd...slowly hobbling around...plus has way more meat on his bones than the rest of us. (Sorry Don) Just then Wiley ran past us from the direction of the moose carcass and Don broke into a quick hobble for his rifle. Don couldn’t catch up to Wiley then assured Dianne he wouldn’t kill it while she was here. Don phoned the local conservation officer to report this unusual behaviour telling him Wiley’s days are numbered!

The next day one of Don’s friends stopped in for a short visit then took off to load up his quad returning shortly to tell Don that the coyotes were just around the corner. Don grabbed his rifle hopped on his buddy’s quad and away they went. A short while later I heard a couple of shots. Apparently there were 5 coyotes and Don got one of them...not knowing if it was Wiley. We were never bothered again however we could hear them at night and always watched our back when sitting alone. Our concern was if this coyote was this aggressive to adults what would he do to a kid.

Now for the hunt. Jim and I have hunted moose for almost 30 years and this was our first elk hunt.  I had a tag for a bull elk (6 point or better) and an immature bull moose....seeing neither. I did see a large black bear, cow and calf moose, 2 cow elk, 2 doe mule deer, 6 grouse, a huge grizzly bear and a monster bull moose.

Jim had the most excitement. Don told him about a spot to take his chair...sit and make some cow calls. Eventually he got a response from a bull about 75 yards away...but in the timber never seeing it. Jim couldn’t believe how loud it was. Even I could hear it and I was about a mile away. If you’ve never heard a bull elk bugle it sounds like someone screaming thru a vacuum cleaner hose...makes the hair on your neck stand up. Being a rookie elk hunter Jim radioed for help. I GOT A LOUD ONE HERE!!!! Vern responded..is it another hunter calling? Jim...NO...IT`S IN THE TIMBER! (With so many hunters calling it is sometimes hard to distinguish the real call from the imitated calls...especially if you’re a rookie like Jim and me.)  Vern hopped on his quad and joined him but they couldn’t call the bull out. They eventually walked into the timber finding many trails and wallows but no elk. Bull Elk to attract cows and mark their territory will dig wallows, urinate in them and roll in it. Some may contain water and they will roll in it to cool down as well. They really stink! Aren`t you ladies glad us guys don`t do that to attract you?

Don doing a bull elk call...

On another hunt Jim called out that monster bull moose I mentioned earlier. He heard it grunting in the trees so he started grunting back then picked up a large branch and started thrashing it around in the bushes. That is a challenge to a horny bull moose and he came storming out of the trees looking for a fight then turned around and disappeared into the trees. Jim wasn’t sure if the moose saw him. He called me on the radio so I walked his way eventually getting a glimpse at this monster. What a bull! With dusk quickly approaching we left the bull still grunting. I had a ways to walk back to my quad and as there was a Grizzly in the area Jim walked me back to my quad then I gave him a ride back to his.

On the second day of our hunt Don and I were approached by a couple of guys from search and rescue about a lost hunter. We followed them to their command centre to get more info then I radioed everyone in our hunting party to be on the lookout.  An RCMP helicopter from Kelowna was called in to join the search. Apparently his ATV was found the night before and the search started at 11:00 pm. Once we had a location Don wanted to explore an old overgrown mining trail we found the day before that was in the search area. We found no evidence of anyone walking thru the area recently so we left and met a search and rescue official as we came out onto the main road. He said the hunter had just been found and was okay...just a sprained ankle. He along with the search and rescue people had to be air lifted out of the rugged area he was located in. He was found a long way from where he was last seen and had wondered in the timber all night instead of staying put. No radio or cell phone?! He was very...very lucky as the weather that night was relatively warm and dry. The next night was cold and rainy and I think he wouldn’t have been as lucky!

RCMP helicopter taking the found hunter to the hospital...

We knew of a few bulls taken and on our final morning hunt Don called me over to look at a couple of hunters he spotted about 400 yards away just starting to dress out the large bull they just downed. Don thinks it`s the same bull that answered my cow calls the night before just as it was getting dark. Vern had a fleeting glance of a large bull a few hundred yards away before disappearing for good. Russ had spotted a large 5 point and couldn`t grow that 6^th point on it to make it legal. Donnie while hunting with Vern earlier in the week in another area downed an immature bull moose. That will be good eating!  

Don glassing the area...Vern and Russell just after spotting their bulls...

Jim, Russell, Vern and Don...

 

Jim (cooking me lunch), Mario, Russell, Don, Vern and Donnie...

 Don and I stopped for a coffee break...

Vern searching old mine site...finds a 1920 brick from Spokane, Washington...

Drill samples...

Old machinery...

Old mine site cabin...

Jim doing a dance at the old mine site...

Because there were so many hunters in the area already and the Thanksgiving weekend was approaching with more hunters expected we decided to make Friday morning our last hunt. Jim decided to head home Friday afternoon as he had family from out of town coming over for Thanksgiving. Thanks for bringing and returning my hunting gear Jim! 

Don’s wife Linda manages a large Seniors Centre in Castlegar and invited us to their Thanksgiving buffet. Sweet! No cooking or dishes tonight. It was awesome...thanks Linda. Now after living in the outdoors for almost 3 weeks on top of a mountain pass and still in my long johns it was a little warm in that facility.

Anyway I had fun...saw lots of game and beautiful scenery...and met some new friends. Thanks Don for your hospitality and teaching Jim and I how to elk hunt. Oh...I wasn’t totally skunked. I got that mouse you were after Don. I used my size 9 instead of your trap.

Mickey...where are you??...