BACK TO ALASKA FOR GIANT MOOSE

I had booked an Alaskan Moose hunt in 1999 for September 13-22 2000 with Gary "Butch" King, who owned Cinder River Lodge and Wildman Lake lodge on the Alaskan Peninsula. I flew from Phoenix, Arizona to Seattle, Washington then on to Anchorage, Alaska where I spent the night. Early the next morning I flew to King Salmon where I was picked up by Butch King in a Piper Super Cub and we flew to the Cinder River Lodge. Upon arrival at the lodge we immediately packed all our gear into the super cub and left for our spike camp that would be home for the next 10 days. Upon arrival in camp I met my guide Jae Makee and we started developing strategy and making plans for the hunt starting the next day. In Alaska you can't fly in and hunt on the same day.

During the night it began to snow and the temperature dropped considerably but inside our tent it was very comfortable. I was prepared for the worst weather that Alaska could throw at us. Equipped with everything from long John's, socks, boots, water proof outer gear, rain gear, hats, boots and gloves I was ready for the first morning.

For the next five days we were up two hours before sunrise and in the field before daylight came. It rained and snowed every day making the hunt even more exciting. We saw moose every day, but passed on them always looking for that monster of a life time. On the sixth day as we were glassing from a high vantage point we located a large set of antlers moving through the 10 foot high alders at a distance of approximately 500 yards. The moose was moving parallel to us at a high rate of speed so we made a plan to cut him off about a half mile from were we were located. This was longest half mile that I have traveled in all my years of hunting. The alders were thick and tall making it hard to walk through let alone run like we were trying to do. After we reached our destination we found and climbed a small knoll, got into position and waited. We were hoping all the time that the moose was still coming in our direction.

A hour had gone by and our hopes were dwindlig when we heard the loud cracking of alders in front of us. My fist thought was that it was going to be a big brown bear. Then out of the maze stepped the biggest moose I had ever seen. At just 50 yards he stopped broadside and looked straight at us giving a perfect shot. I put one shot from my 340 Weatherby behind the front shoulder as he bolted into the alders.

For the next 5 minutes we could hear the moose running through the alders. Then it became totally quiet. The sun was beginning to set and we were 2 miles from camp. The decision was made that we would come back early in the morning to retrieve my trophy. We also hoped that no bear would find it first.

When we arrived at the same location early the next morning we found that the moose had left us an easy trail to follow. He had cleared the alders making a good path to follow. We went about 250 yards into the alders where found the moose, the moose of a life time!

After we cleared the area for pictures the the work really began. We had to butcher the moose in more then just quarters and it still took both of us to carry the meat approximately 200 yards for the bush plane to pick it up. As hard a work as it was I found it to very rewarding and actually fun. The last part of the moose to go to the plane was the set of antlers which measured 72”. Yes, I was the one to do the carrying.

PREDATOR HUNTING

Looking for something to do when the rifle and bird seasons were complete?   I turned to Predator Hunting to fulfill the desire to be in the field with a gun.  Living in Northern Arizona at the time I was very aware that there was a great abundance of Coyotes, Foxes and Bobcats in the area from all my trips into the back country fishing and hunting.

As a rifle, I already owned a Ruger M77 Mark II in 22-250 that was topped with a Zeiss Diavari-C, 3x9x36 scope.  While shooting Federal Premium V-Shock 55 grain AMMUNITION it proved to be a deadly combination out to 300 yards and more.  I also carried a set of SWAROVSKI EL-10X32 Binoculars to make spotting the charging animals at a distance much easier.  All this plus a full line of CAMO HUNTING GEAR from Cabela's and I was set to begin actually hunting for varmints.  The only thing left I needed was to choose a Varmint call to bring the creators to within shooting distance.  Not being good with mouth calls as attested by my bad Duck Calling I originally chose a Johnny Stewart electric caller.  This worked great for years until I called in 4 foxes at the same time and they attacked and destroyed both speakers before I was able to collect them with the shotgun I was carrying at the time.  I now use a FoxPro SPITFIRE REMOTE CALLER for all my calling.  It is very light and easy to use, and comes at a comfortable price.

I go calling as often as I can and highly recommend it to anyone that wants to add a exciting sport to occupy their time when everything else is closed or just for enjoyment any time.  One thing to remember is that the animal being called is coming to get his meal and has a bad attitude.

MOUNTAIN LION HUNTING IN ARIZONA

A good friend of mine Chris Williams owns Trapper Den Taxidermy in Pinetop/Lakeside in North East Arizona.   Over the years Chris has mounted more then 20 of of my animals and trophy fish.  Chris also is one of a hand full licensed guides on the White Mountain Indian Reservation in Northern Arizona that is not a tribe member.  This reservation is known mostly for it's world class elk, but there is a large population of deer, black bear, antelope, varmits and lots of very large mountain lions.

I scheduled a mountain lion hunt with Chris for January 1995.  At this time I had to assure Chris  I would be on call 24/7 and that I could be ready in 15 minutes for him to pick me up.   We were waiting for a light snow fall in order to locate fresh lion tracks for the dogs to pick up the sent.  On January 18th  I received a call at 4:30 am and we were on the road by 4:45 headed for the reservation in the middle of a light snow fall and -20 degree weatther.

The reservation was only 6 miles away but the location we wanted to hunt was a 2 hour drive in a snow storm and on a 4 wheel drive road.  We reached our destanation at 7:30 am just as the sun was rising.  It was a very cold but beautiful morning.  Perfect for tracking a mountain lion.

As luck might have it after only a half hour we came accross some very fresh lion tracks and the race was on.  The lion had crossed this back road not more then 15 minutes before we arrived.  The dogs were let loose and the chase was on and what a chase it was.  We were in very rugged country that seemed to go straight up beside being covered with 2 feet of soft snow.  This made the traveling very slow and hard.  Chris being 20 years my younger was able to keep up with the sound of the dogs.  I eventually lost the barking so I was left with following the fresh tracks.  It was only about a mile up the hill before I begain to hear the dogs.  They were at bay which indecated that they had something treed.  I was out of breath and praying that it was not a bobcat, as we had seen may signs of them along the way.  Chris begain yelling for me to hurry up and get there as he had a  big suprise for me.

Upon reaching the the top I was overwelmed to find that the dogs had treed a very large Tom Mountain Lion.  After taking some pictures with the cat in the tree I had my trophy lion with one shot from my Ruger Black Hawk 44 Magnum Pistol.  He weighed 190 pounds and made the SCI Record book and at the time was the 3rd largest Mountain Lion to taken in Arizona.  Thanks to a life size mount from Chris he is over my bar providing me memories and stories for everyone.

BACK TO ALASKA FOR BLACK BEAR

After the successful mountain goat hunt in November of 2001 with Parker Guide Service out of Juneau Alaska I booked another hunt for June of 2002 for black bear with the same company. This hunt was to be out of Sitka Alaska and I would be staying once again on the beautiful 62 foot Luxury Cruise ship the Neptune.

We would hunt each day from small skiffs by going up the many bays searching for black bears that have come down to the beach in search of food and eat the fresh grass. Each day we would see numerous bears but none that we wanted to do a stock on. At one point we came upon two large Brown Bear that were searching the beaches for food. Being in the small boat we were able to get within 30 yards of the bear's for some great pictures.

On the fourth day of the hunt we located a big bore on the beach and I agreed with my guide that this is one we should get closer for a better look. We beached our boat about a mile away from where the bear was located and began our stock. After approximately one hour we were able to close to within 100 yards of what turned out to be a very big male Alaskan Black Bear.

I found a old stump which made for a perfect rest that was only 80 yards from the unaware bear. Taking my time I was able to put a well placed shot with my 340 Weatherby that resulted in an instant kill. The Bear squared an even 8 feet with an approximate weight of between 560 to 600 pounds. According to my guide George Westcott this was one of the biggest bears he had see in 20 years of guiding in Alaska. The skull measured over 21 inches and qualified for the Boone and Crockett Record Book.

There was still 3 days left on this hunt and being the last hunt of the year I was able to take the 2 day trip back to Sitka aboard the Neptune and not by float plane. It was a beautiful trip through the Alaskan Passageway in which we viewed many whales, seals, bears and many many bald eagles. It was a beautiful way to end a fabulous experience and exciting adventure.

STONE SHEEP-BRITISH COLUMBIA

In 2004 I booked a Stone Sheep hunt for Northern British Columbia in the Coastal Cassiar Mountains with long time outfitter and guide Fletcher Day of Tahltan Outfitters.  This was to be a 10 day hunt, using horses as the main method of transportation.  After arriving in Smithers B.C. we flew to Dease Lake and from there we took a small float plane to Victoria Lake where we would spent the first night.  The next morning we would be leaving early for a 10 mile ride to our spike camp called BOONIE.  Named for a Stone Sheep that was taken in the area that scored high in the Boone and Crockett Record books.
 
This was to be our home for the next 10 days.  Each day we would wake early, have breakfast and ride to high mountain tops where we could set up the spotting scopes in search for Stone Sheep.  Sheep were spotted each day with the majority being nannies and small rams.  To be legal a ram it had to be a full curl.  On the 7th day of the hunt August 7, 2004 we spotted a group of five Rams of which three were legal.  They were located approximately 5 miles away on a grassy knoll on top of a very rugged mountain.

We were able to take the horses to within 3/4 of a mile of the Sheep through terrain that was virtually straight up.  If I hadn't been there I wouldn't believe that a horse could make the climb with a rider on his back.  I was nervous and a more than a little scared, but that is why they call it HUNTING.

We were able to stock to 230 yards of the trophy ram and with a sold rest was able to make a clean one shot kill.  I was using my 300 Ultra Light Weatherby Magnum with 180 grain Nosler Partition Bullets.  The rifle was topped with a Swarovski 3x12 scope.  My spotting scope was also a Swarovski in 20-60 x 65 HD and I was using Zeiss 10x40 Binoculars.  This proved to be the perfect combination of equipment for this Stone Sheep Hunt.

My ram scored 168 4/8 S.C.I. with both horns measuring 39 1/2 inches.  This was truly a GREAT EXPERIENCE that lead to a GREAT TROPHY.