Jasper
Senior Member
The Good Lord truly blessed me on my "hunt of a lifetime." I trained for this thing for a year, shot my bow almost everyday, made who knows how many lists, packed and repacked and prayed daily.
A gentlemen from Wisconsin and I made 2 hops in an Islander from Ft. Nelson, BC and landed on a gravel bar in the middle of 350,000 square miles of roadless wilderness. We were met by our guides Monty and Gerald, Monty's wife and cook Sam, Ricky the wrangler and 18 horses. Spent the night in a cabin and rode 20 miles the next day to our home away from home for the next 10 days. By the time we traveled 2 days back to base camp at the end of the hunt we had ridden about 120 miles!
Moose was my #1 goal and we spotted a good one late the 1st day after a 3 hour ride and another 2 hours behind the spotting scope. We crossed the valley, tied the horses up and slipped in. Monty started calling and raking trees with a shoulder blade and ole Bullwinkle didn't like that. He came rocking and swaying down the hill and glared down at us like the bull moose version of the Wizard of Oz. He was only 20 yards but I had no shot. He finally turned and walked away and as I moved a few steps I had one shot as he stopped. I shot for 40 but overestimated and hit him high behind the shoulder. He ran off and Monty stopped with a grunt. My mind said 50 but since I had shot high the first time I settled my 40 yard pin and smoked him through the lungs. He ran about 40 yards, swayed and fell over like a freight car! I was shocked. After over 40 years of dreaming had I finally actually killed a moose? I stood there and soaked up the moment for 5 or so minutes and still shaking, made my way over. Yep, it was for real..........I had killed a moose!
The next 2 days were spent caping, cutting, packing and fleshing. A 1200 pound moose is lots of work!
Next up was seeing if we could put the sneak on a mountain goat. My partner and his guide had seen a billy several miles down the valley on another mountain while looking for sheep so we saddled up early in the driving snow and were able to find him. He was bedded on the spine of a ridge near the top of a mountain and had 2 nannies bedded downwind of him. We watched him from 3/4 of a mile away and he seemed content. There was no cover to get in bow range so Monty handed me his Browning .325 WSSM and we started climbing. Well, Monty climbed and I half climbed, half crawled on all 4s much of the time.
It was so steep, when I stood I felt like I was going to fall over backwards down the mountain! After what seemed like an eternity we made it to within 250 yards and could go no further. I got in the prone postion as best I could and used my pack for a rest. Monty told me to shoot him in the shoulder when he stood up so hopefully he wouldn't go off of the cliff on the other side. The problem was he was enjoying his nap thank you and didn't want to get up. One arm and one leg had gone to sleep on me 45 minutes later and I was freezing from the blowing snow. Monty began tossing rocks down the mountain, cow calling, making goat sounds.........nothing, he wasn't moving. Finally Monty howled like a wolf and that did it! He stood and I pulled the trigger. He stumbled and I let him have it again. Next thing I know he's doing somersaults down the mountain and gaining speed. Nothing I could do but cringe. 200 yards later he stopped and other than going from ghost white to dirty as heck he's fine. His horns survived without so much as a chip!
The next day as Monty caped my goat I found a bull elk on the mountain across the river through the spotting scope. I had about made up my mind not to shoot an elk unless I found a really good one as I had killed a couple in the past, but this one was too cool looking with double forks, a 7 X 5 and I became infatuated with him. The next day we were snowed and fogged in and had to stay in camp. Early the following day we crossed the river and headed up the mountain. A bull was bugling and as we got close Monty glassed and it was him! Monty called him and 6 cows to within 20 yards and I got pinned down with cows as close as 3 yards away and never got a shot before they winded us. We took off to cut them off and I just thought the goat climb was hard! Monty was moving so fast I thought I was going to have a heart attack. We finally got in front of them, hid behind a boulder and waited by the trail they were on. In fact we stayed there 6 1/2 hours and they never showed! At 4:30 we slipped into the timber and 15 minutes later found them bedded. They soon stood and Monty cow called a cow to witin 40 yards. The bull soon followed but turned up the mountain and began rubbing a tree. Two more steps and he would be in another thicket so I ranged him at 46 yards and prayed I could thread an arrow in a 12 inch gap between 2 trees. The shot felt good but as he ran up the hill I couldn't see blood or my arrow.
Monty bugled and he stopped, 25 yards from where I shot at him. To my amazement, his back legs suddenly buckled and he fell over. I thought I was going to fall over too! My Muzzy Phantom had center punched him through the heart and actually traveled UP through the lungs as the angle was so steep. Best shot I've made in 40 something years of bowhunting. Divinely guided no doubt. 
Sorry this was so long but lots transpired on this trip........and I've been waiting 51 years for it to happen, so I couldn't cut the story too short!
We also saw 12 grizzlies, wolves, caribou, wild horses, ptarmigan and a porcupine. Most wild and beautiful place I've ever seen. Get ready Chris Fortner.........you've got lots of work to do. Thank you Lord for letting me experience it.
A gentlemen from Wisconsin and I made 2 hops in an Islander from Ft. Nelson, BC and landed on a gravel bar in the middle of 350,000 square miles of roadless wilderness. We were met by our guides Monty and Gerald, Monty's wife and cook Sam, Ricky the wrangler and 18 horses. Spent the night in a cabin and rode 20 miles the next day to our home away from home for the next 10 days. By the time we traveled 2 days back to base camp at the end of the hunt we had ridden about 120 miles!
Moose was my #1 goal and we spotted a good one late the 1st day after a 3 hour ride and another 2 hours behind the spotting scope. We crossed the valley, tied the horses up and slipped in. Monty started calling and raking trees with a shoulder blade and ole Bullwinkle didn't like that. He came rocking and swaying down the hill and glared down at us like the bull moose version of the Wizard of Oz. He was only 20 yards but I had no shot. He finally turned and walked away and as I moved a few steps I had one shot as he stopped. I shot for 40 but overestimated and hit him high behind the shoulder. He ran off and Monty stopped with a grunt. My mind said 50 but since I had shot high the first time I settled my 40 yard pin and smoked him through the lungs. He ran about 40 yards, swayed and fell over like a freight car! I was shocked. After over 40 years of dreaming had I finally actually killed a moose? I stood there and soaked up the moment for 5 or so minutes and still shaking, made my way over. Yep, it was for real..........I had killed a moose!
The next 2 days were spent caping, cutting, packing and fleshing. A 1200 pound moose is lots of work!
Next up was seeing if we could put the sneak on a mountain goat. My partner and his guide had seen a billy several miles down the valley on another mountain while looking for sheep so we saddled up early in the driving snow and were able to find him. He was bedded on the spine of a ridge near the top of a mountain and had 2 nannies bedded downwind of him. We watched him from 3/4 of a mile away and he seemed content. There was no cover to get in bow range so Monty handed me his Browning .325 WSSM and we started climbing. Well, Monty climbed and I half climbed, half crawled on all 4s much of the time.
The next day as Monty caped my goat I found a bull elk on the mountain across the river through the spotting scope. I had about made up my mind not to shoot an elk unless I found a really good one as I had killed a couple in the past, but this one was too cool looking with double forks, a 7 X 5 and I became infatuated with him. The next day we were snowed and fogged in and had to stay in camp. Early the following day we crossed the river and headed up the mountain. A bull was bugling and as we got close Monty glassed and it was him! Monty called him and 6 cows to within 20 yards and I got pinned down with cows as close as 3 yards away and never got a shot before they winded us. We took off to cut them off and I just thought the goat climb was hard! Monty was moving so fast I thought I was going to have a heart attack. We finally got in front of them, hid behind a boulder and waited by the trail they were on. In fact we stayed there 6 1/2 hours and they never showed! At 4:30 we slipped into the timber and 15 minutes later found them bedded. They soon stood and Monty cow called a cow to witin 40 yards. The bull soon followed but turned up the mountain and began rubbing a tree. Two more steps and he would be in another thicket so I ranged him at 46 yards and prayed I could thread an arrow in a 12 inch gap between 2 trees. The shot felt good but as he ran up the hill I couldn't see blood or my arrow.
Monty bugled and he stopped, 25 yards from where I shot at him. To my amazement, his back legs suddenly buckled and he fell over. I thought I was going to fall over too! My Muzzy Phantom had center punched him through the heart and actually traveled UP through the lungs as the angle was so steep. Best shot I've made in 40 something years of bowhunting. Divinely guided no doubt. Sorry this was so long but lots transpired on this trip........and I've been waiting 51 years for it to happen, so I couldn't cut the story too short!
We also saw 12 grizzlies, wolves, caribou, wild horses, ptarmigan and a porcupine. Most wild and beautiful place I've ever seen. Get ready Chris Fortner.........you've got lots of work to do.
Congrats doesn't seem fitting enough but I'm very proud of ya partner!!!!!!!!!! Job well done. 
