Moose Hunt

[dave99]

After talking for a couple of years about a moose hunt with Bob, in 2021 I decided to cash in 18 years of priority and drew a license for bull moose. A horse-assisted hunt was the only practical way to access the deep and remote basins of the mountains, where Bob’s experience with the area and his horses really shone. Mark was recruited and eagerly joined us as a friend, hunting partner and moose caller. Our plan was for a 7 day hunt.

What follows is a brief story of this fantastic trip.

—-
Dave



“The trails of the world be countless,
And most of the trails be tried;

You tread on the heels of many,
Till you come where the ways divide;

And one lies safe in the sunlight,
And the other is dreary and wan;

But you look aslant and the Lone Trail,
And the Lone Trail lures you on.”

-Robert W. Service


The Crew:

Bob – horseman and chef
Mark – rock collector and moose talker
Dave – greenhorn and itchy trigger



Day 1:

We meet at Bob’s acreage to load cart, horses and gear into two trucks with horse trailers. After a quick tutorial by Bob on how to saddle and load horses, I am forced to put my fear of large animals aside and trust Strawberry, my transportation for the week. Leaving the trailhead at around 2pm, we make good time and meet the staggering views of a high mountain pass by 6pm, our spirits lifted by the sight of 5 snowy-white mountain goats at the pass. Darkness envelops us for the last hour of our 35km ride and we reach camp in the snowy blackness of night.













To be continued…

[dave99]

Day 2:

Sore butts, but eager to put on some miles to stretch the legs. Mark and I hike the slope behind camp in hopes of viewing the valley between the parallel mountain ranges from an elevated position.





Snow flies and visibility falters so we make a fire to warm up, then peel off the mountain to regroup at camp, only to make another push up the hill in the afternoon in better conditions.



Enthusiasm and energy brimming, we take time to drink in the views. No animals seen.

[Stinky Buffalo]

Some terrific pictures, and loving your story style... Looks like a really good adventure!

Looking forward to how it plays out.

[dave99]

Day 3:

We wake up to fresh snow. Saddling and packing the horses, we make a morning push toward the Northwest.



Within 10 minutes of leaving camp, we spot an unexpected sight: a forkhorn mule deer running along the creek like the devil is giving chase. His mouth open and panting, he spots us and bounds out of the creek and through the shin tangle willows of the valley bottom. Moments later, a lone wolf materializes -the reason that the deer was running for its life.



Later on, we spot a set of hours-old moose tracks. Our first moose sign has us calling shortly after. Tons of moose country, but no moose willing to show themselves. We stop for lunch at the and enjoy conversation with a father and his three young sons out for a pack trip and hunting for sheep. We meet another sheep hunter, solo and on foot while pushing a fat bike. He tells us of big bull that he saw rutting hard 7 days ago just up the valley. We cover plenty of ground on horseback and are getting pretty good at finding where the moose aren’t.

[dave99]

Day 4:

A double-breakfast (oatmeal, then perogies, sausage, eggs and toast) in our bellies, I think that I may gain weight on this trip rather than lose. What a chef Bob is! We saddle horses and a low ceiling of clouds has us riding Southeast along the valley.





We call in a beautiful old burn overlooking a series of sloughs in valley bottom. No moose willing to play ball.



On the ride back, we cut a track: a lone bull. I leave Mark, Bob and the horses, and track it on foot for the better part of 90 minutes.



The bull never stops to feed and never beds. He covers ground at a steady walk, and I lose the tracks as they head up into the alpine basins and hanging valleys. We ride quietly back to camp, each with our own thoughts to digest.



It is beautiful how after a few days in nature the pace of thoughts in your mind slows from a sprint to a run to a walk. I take time to revel in this peace of mind.

[Patrickn]

Beautiful pictures Dave. I’m enjoying the story so much I kind of wish I didn’t know the ending already.

[dave99]

Day 5:

Blue skies greet us in the morning for the first time. Mark and I hatch a plan to hike into the high basins in hopes of intercepting yesterday’s moose in the alpine. We hike, bushwhack, and generally struggle to gain, lose, and gain elevation again.





Our plan to find the bull’s tracks works all too well: we find his day-old sign. Evidence that he has already moved through the high basin. His tracks appear to go further up, so we make the decision that so shall we.



Hiking past moose country, we find ourselves in alpine heaven. Views of the rocky summits in our face, and snow beneath our feet, with bump herds of sheep in the high meadows and scree fields. I (temporarily!) take my mind off moose as I dream of finding a ram in the high country.



Mark changes focus from hunter to rock hound as he spots an elusive natural arch in the cliffs above. He unsuccessfully tries to sway my focus from animal to mineral, although I have to admit that a few of the rocks were pretty cool. On the way back to camp, we find the bull’s tracks again as he heads down toward our camp in the main valley. Could this be a good sign for tomorrow?
As darkness envelops camp that evening, I am out calling in the meadow below. I imagine moose moving like ghosts through the fading light and catch myself dreaming of the thrill of seeing one in the flesh.

[KazIce]

Congrats and thank you for sharing an amazing hunt. The pics are amazing thank you


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[Tronneroi]

Excellent writing for a great story. Congrats on the bull and thanks for the read!

[GoneOutdoors]

Great job.


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