Day 8
Jim got up at some point and started a fire and put on the coffee. The cabin started to come to life about 6:30. I stayed in the bag for a while saying my prayers then rolled out a little after seven. Eggs, bacon and hash browns are the staple and a good way to start the day. It seems to be the coldest morning yet, a hard frost and below freezing.
Today I’m on a horse named Tuya. We rode to the same lookout and got to our spot a little after nine. It’s 30 degrees and no wind. Dom started to call and within minutes a small bull appeared across the valley about a mile away. He perked his ears to the call and started making his way towards us. It took him the better part of 45 minutes to get there, but he came to the bluff below us.
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A light snow started to fall around ten and was coming straight down so I knew we would be socked in for a while. Around eleven I got up to stretch and saw smoke so made my way over. Dom had started a fire to keep warm while we waited out the snow. It has cut visibility down significantly so we had lunch and talked a bit.
The snowfall started to lighten up a bit and Dom went back to the ridge. I heard him start to call so I made my way over to my spot as I knew if he was calling he had probably seen a bull. He pointed up the valley and said “big bull”. He started to pack up his things and I knew we were going after him.
Dom grabbed my rifle while I got my pack on and made way to my horse. We took off and got to the general area about a half hour later but the moose was nowhere to be found. We rode on a bit and set up on the edge of a small, swampy opening in the willows. The snow continued to fall and got a little heavier just before it quit.
Dom called for the better part of an hour, off and on with no response. I sat down as my knees were aching and listened intently every time he called but no bull responded.
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Suddenly, Dom ducked down and said “big bull right here, shoot him”.
I chambered a round in my 300 RUM and tried to get up but struggled in the willows. When I finally got on my feet the bull was 40 yards quartering towards us, looking for the cow. There was so much willow brush I could not get a clear shot as the brush was over head high.
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I tried moving to the left to get clear and just as I did, the bull started to turn and trot. I raised my rifle and took the shot and dropped him in his tracks. I hit him in the spine, so quickly made way toward him for a finisher and as he tried to get to his feet. I raised my rifle to shoot and fell over and as I was going down the bull fell over as well, He never got up again.
Once back on my feet, I finally got close enough to put the final shot in him and it was over. My quest for the North American 29 was completed with the Canadian Moose at 40 yards!
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Dom came forward and we shook hands as he congratulated me. The emotions ran high as this was my third attempt for a Canadian Moose and I could not believe it had become reality.
Dom validated the tag and we shared a few shots of whiskey from my flask, toasted to the bull and took some photos. We got to work skinning and quartering the bull and got wrapped up a little before four. We had an hour plus ride back to camp and I relished in the scenery and thought back to the many great hunts it took to complete the 29. When we reached camp, I was beat, my knees aching.
After getting the horses settled I cracked the bottle of Pendleton to celebrate and relive the hunt. The post hunt conversation is alway so enjoyable, has made for some of my best memories. We laughed at the pitfalls, cheered the success and had a grand time.
Jim and Ovi showed up an hour later and we all enjoyed fellowship and celebrating the hunt. Jim put dinner on while Dom gathered the horses for the night. A day that will live long in my memory, the apex of a life long goal has been reached.
