Mountain Hunter Magazine Fall 2017

Sometimes

9

It Only Takes

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Broadhead Stone There’s something about a Moose Predator OR PrEy

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DECEMBER 31, 2017

Vol. 28 | Issue 3

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Inside

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Mountain Hunter is the official publication of the Guide Outfitters Association of British Columbia (GOABC), Association of Mackenzie Mountains Outfitters, & Yukon Outfitters Association.

FEATURE STORY

Articles, photos, editorial submissions, comments and letters to the editor should be sent to:

Sometimes it only takes 9 Colin Sands

MOUNTAIN HUNTER: c/o GOABC, #103 – 19140 28th Avenue Surrey, British Columbia Canada V3Z 6M3

ON THE COVEr

Tel: (604) 541-6332 Fax: (604) 541-6339 E-mail: programs@goabc.org www.MountainHunter.com

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@MtnHunterMag

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Michael Schneider Brian Glaicar Mark Werner Sean Olmstead Darwin Cary Colin Niemeyer Michael Young Doug McMann

President Past-President First Vice-President Second Vice-President Director Director Director Director

LOCAL PRESIDENTS: AL MADLEY Ken Watson Quintin Thompson Sonny Perkinson Bruce Ambler Marc Hubbard Ken Robins Mike Lewis

Cariboo/Chilcotin North Central (Omineca) Northern (Peace) Northwest (Skeena) Thompson Okanagan Southern (Kootenay) Vancouver Island/South Coast

STAFF: SCOTT ELLIS JENNIFER JOHNSON Craig Sweetman BRENDA NELSON

Executive Director Executive Assistant and Member Services Consumer Marketing Director Senior Editor and Content Quality Oversight

Feature Stories

www.facebook.com/mountainhuntermagazine

11 Broadhead Stone Ray Pastway

President Past-President Secretary

(867) 668-4118 Chris McKinnon Dean Sandulak Shawn Wasel

President Past-President Executive Director

There’s Something about a Moose Tim Whitney

Conservation MattersTM

3

News & Views

38

From a Legal Perspective

6

Preferred Conservation Partners

56

Camp Cook’s Corner

16

Guides Gallery

60

That Some May Follow

20

Artist Feature

ADVERTISERS A Bar Z Outfitters..................30

Gana River Outfitters...........14

Okanagan Outfitters.............14

Ambler’s Bighorn Country Guiding................................58

GOABC...........................41

Opatcho Lake Guide Outfitters...5

Atna Outfiters.........................5

Government of Canada........59

Packhorse Creek Outfitters..58

Grand Slam Club/Ovis..........29

Pelly Lake Wilderness Outfitters..............................40

BC Trophy Mountain Outfitters.............................24 Beaverfoot Outfitting...........50

Gundahoo River Outfitters....19 Hub Insurance......................30 K9’s Cougar Canyon Outfitters Inc........................15

Rocky Mountain High Outfitters............................40 Safari Club International...IFC

Kettle River Guides & Outfitters............................40

Bonnet Plume Outfitters.......50

Krieghoff International........18

Shadow Mountain Outfitters..15

Boone & Crockett Club..........24

Leupold & Stevens...............14

Sikanni River Outfitters.......51

Bugle Basin Outfitters..........30

Lifestyle Financial................41

Silent Mountain Outfitters.....24

Cariboo Mountain Outfitters..19

Mackenzie Mountain Outfitters............................50

Sitka Gear.................................37 South Nahanni Outfitters........18 Tuchodi River Outfitters........25

Copper River Outfitters.......30

Adobe Stock: mikecleggphoto, maestrovideo

Dallas Safari Club.................10 Elk Valley Bighorn Outfitters.............................5

McGregor River Outfitters....19 Mervyn’s Yukon Outfitting...59

Eureka Peak Lodge & Outfitters.............................25

Nisga’a Guide Outfitting.......15

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Besa River Outfitters.............14

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Bri Van Scotter

26

McCowans Sporting Properties.............................5

All rights reserved. Articles and advertising in Mountain Hunter do not necessarily reflect the view or directions of the GOABC. The GOABC reserves to the right to refuse any advertisements.

Predator or Prey

GOABC President’s Corner

Covert Outfitting..................57

iStockphoto: Natalia Pushchina

52

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BC Log Cabins Ltd.................59 HAROLD GRINDE KELLY HOUGEN WERNER ASCHBACHER

32

Departments

Bar WK Ranch & Outfitters...25 (403) 357-8414

A picture of Colin and his Caribou

Fehr Game Outfitters...........19

NWT Outfitters/ Nahanni Butte......................57

Scoop Lake Outfitters............58

Sonny’s Guiding Service.........51 Sports Afield...............................9 Wholesale Sports...................IBC Wild Sheep Foundation.........31 Yukon Big Game Outfitters...51

Mountain Hunter Magazine - FALL 2017 |

1

GOABC

PRESIDENT’S CORNER There is one thing that is certain; there is never a shortage of challenges for the hunting industry. As I am typing, there are large parts of our beautiful province on fire. There are approximately 200 fires burning from Princeton to Fraser Lake causing almost 40,000 people to be evacuated from their homes. The provincial government has declared a State of Emergency. Many of our outfitters, staff and friends have been impacted. Some are fighting fires and some have been evacuated. We all hope and pray that nobody gets hurt and that the property damage is minimal. We have no detailed information about losses yet but we have received reports of our GOABC insurance provider, Eric Moland, doing a fantastic service engaging with members at these stressful times.

BC politics are also in uncharted territory. The current situation is a coalition government (NDP and Green with 44 seats) with a one-seat majority. The province has been in a stalemate since the May 9, 2017 election. We expect to have a new minister shortly and anticipate meeting the new premier

Michael Schneider, President, GOABC

“The British Columbia Wildlife Federation, the Guide Outfitters Association of British Columbia, the Wild Sheep Society of BC, the Wildlife Stewardship Council and the British Columbia Trappers Association agree to work together for the sake of building and maintaining healthy wildlife populations for First Nations, BC resident hunters, guide outfitters and the non-hunting public.”

and minister soon.

We have had some positive and promising meetings with the forest industry led by the Council of Forest Industries. Issues around logging practises, silviculture, and what that means for wildlife are being discussed. We are working on a moose pilot project in the Omineca Region that will focus on habitat improvements to increase moose populations. We are already hearing that other regions are starting to apply management This is a great opportunity to have the stakeholders unite changes to benefit moose. around a common goal of growing more wildlife.

A “good news” story is that a group of five stakeholders have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work together to There is no question in my mind that when we stand united and advocate for wildlife, everyone wins! grow more wildlife.

Wildlife Stewardship

is our Priority

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Mountain Hunter Magazine - FALL 2017

TM

VIEWS

NEWS &

Scott Ellis, Executive Director, GOABC, with daughters Sydney and Samantha

Our May 9, 2017 election was so close that several ridings had recounts because the vote was separated by so few ballots. In the end, the BC Liberals won 43 seats, the New Democratic Party (NDP) 41 seats and the Green Party 3 seats.

A majority government needs 44 seats. The Liberals did not win enough seats, and when the NDP and Greens formed a coalition, they were given the opportunity to govern. The way our parliamentary system works, the sitting government appoints a speaker (a.k.a. Chair). They are supposed to be neutral and vote only in the case of a tie. This puts our legislature in a precarious position with 43 seats for the Liberal (official opposition) and 43 seats for the NDP/Green coalition (because the NDP will appoint a speaker). The speaker may be busy voting in the upcoming legislative session.

These are extraordinary times in BC politics. This uncertainty has been a catalyst for stakeholders working together. Both the Liberals and the NDP have promised increased funding for wildlife. As a result, at the BC Wildlife Federation AGM in May, the BCWF, BC Trappers, GOABC, Wild Sheep Society, and the Wildlife Stewardship Council signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work together to grow wildlife. The Vision of the “Willing 5” is to grow more and healthy wildlife with a mission to create and maintain resilient, healthy and sustainable wildlife populations and protect the ecosystems that support them. BC will become a world leader in wildlife management by utilizing best practices through a collaborative approach that incorporates traditional and elder knowledge, peer reviewed science, and local knowledge. These efforts are key to maintaining BC’s This matters because politics is influencing the wildlife wildlife for future generations. management in British Columbia (BC).

We are hopeful that this group (and maybe other likeThe GOABC is “A-political” and works with the government minded organizations) will work together to make significant for the betterment of the outfitting industry and wildlife in improvements to wildlife populations. The GOABC (and other our province. The NDP have been critical of the grizzly bear organizations) have believed for many years that wildlife in hunt but we hope any decisions surrounding the future of the BC has been under funded and undervalued. Therefore, this hunt are made based on fact. On the positive side, the NDP is our opportunity to seize. has announced an increase in funding for wildlife and we expect them to be more critical of the forest industry. There “If wildlife are valued, then people will cherish, is an opportunity for much improvement in growing healthy protect, and try to grow more of them.” forests that will benefit wildlife. The forest industry is now in the post-pine beetle salvage era and we expect there will be a much better balance of values on the landscape.

Straight shooting and safe travels.

Mountain Hunter Magazine - FALL 2017 |

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NEWS & VIEWS

Harold Grinde, President, Association of Mackenzie Mountain Outfitters

I am taking a bit of a break from last minute preparations for our 2017 season to write to you all today. In a few days Laura and the kids and I will be flying up to Norman Wells and then on into our camp to host the annual Youth Camp at Palmer Lake. This year will be a girls camp—12 young teenage girls from across the NWT and Nunavut. We always look forward to the camp and to teaching the kids a bit about the outfitting industry, a little wilderness survival and hopefully a bit about life. The girls will do some hiking, mountain climbing, fishing, swimming and having lots of great camp fun in one of the most beautiful spots on earth. The Northern Youth Leadership Society will be sending out 3 youth workers to work with the girls and there will also be one elder from Tulita who will be teaching them some traditional Dene skills and crafts. I am sure that a great time will be had by all.

By now all of the outfitters will be putting their final plans together for the coming season. From all reports that I have heard everyone is pretty well booked up for this year and some are already full for 2018. Things are shaping up for a busy year.

From what we saw when we were at camp in April on our spring wolf hunts the snow conditions were very much normal and the game had wintered well. Reports of an early and warm spring should translate into a good lamb and calf crop in the mountains. It will be good to get up to camp and see how things are making out!

We are getting very close to completing the history book called “Voices From The Mackenzie’s”. If all goes well we should have the book printed and ready for everyone to purchase during the show season next year. I think the release of the history book will be a great way to celebrate 50 years of professional outfitting in the Mackenzie Mountains.

Have a great summer and enjoy the hunts you have planned for this fall!

Harold Grinde - President, AMMO

On a daily basis when my brain moves away from the “todo” list and I pause to look at where I am standing and what I am doing, I am reminded of what a privilege it is to guide and outfit. All aspects of this job provide opportunities for continuous improvement. Equipment operation from chainsaws to four wheelers to super cubs force us to be time conscious, invest in preventative maintenance, minimize risk, and keep our people safe.

Chris McKinnon, President, Yukon Outfitters Association

Similarly, in an effort to be efficient as an outfitting organization, the Yukon Outfitters Association (YOA) has an evolving strategic plan. The strategic planning process helps the YOA evaluate what is important to our continued successful future and what steps we could implement to help us as an association move toward those goals. We strive to plan our work, and then work our plan! We continue to focus on advancing our goals efficiently to ensure the long-term future of hunting and outfitting in the Yukon. The strategic planning work helps us reaffirm that our objectives of wilderness and abundant big game populations are key ingredients to future outfitting and hunting opportunities.

Going forward, the YOA continues to have conversations with organizations with shared objectives and looks forward to strengthening these relationships with hopes to continue securing a bright future for wildlife, wilderness, hunting, and ultimately outfitting!

I feel privileged to be a hunter and an outfitter. On behalf of the YOA, we look forward to hosting you on your next wilderness hunting adventure!

Chris McKinnon - President, YOA

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Mountain Hunter Magazine - FALL 2017

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Safari Club INTERNATIONAL Where Does The Money Go? It’s early February and the convention center is a bee hive of activity as outfitters set up for another Safari Club International Ultimate Sportsmen’s Market. The cost to our exhibitors includes the booth space and a donation to SCI, and in return he or she gets access to some of the world’s most dedicated traveling hunters and anglers.

Rockies Grizzly Bear Inventory Project to help establish a scientific basis for the sustainable hunting of BC’s grizzly population.

On a national basis, SCI has been a supporter of the Canadian Federation of Outfitter Associations since its inception.

In Ottawa, SCI Canada is a staunch advocate for Canadian and non-resident hunters alike. Most recently, SCI helped defeat C-246, an animal rights bill, and is now actively opposing Minister Where does that money go, and what Goodale’s bill, C-52, which would release does the money support? information from the supposedly deleted A majority of the money that supports Long Gun Registry. SCI Canada supports Safari Club’s missions of hunter advocacy the Conservative Hunters and Anglers and sustainable use conservation comes Caucus and is on the Board of Directors of the Parliamentary Outdoors Caucus. in during those four winter days.

Common Sense, Science Is Foundation of Lion Conservation DALLAS (July 25, 2017) − Last week, a collared lion was tracked and shot by a professional hunter (PH) and his client near Hwange National Park. The animal was well outside the confines of the park, and was hunted in a fair-chase, ethical manner.

Upon discovering the lion was a research subject, PH Richard Cooke, a DSC member, retrieved the collar plus hair, blood and tissue samples for the researchers.

From these valuable specimens, ongoing lion research will provide more information about lion habits, range, and reproduction. Such vital data can In addition to the grizzly bear study in BC, then inform the decisions by officials for major conservation projects in Canada sustainable use, hunting quotas, etc. The include a grizzly bear study and an elk ripple effect of this data could last for study both in Alberta, and predator prey years. DSC is proud to be a supporter of studies in Newfoundland. All in all, SCI these initiatives, through advocacy at the is spending over half a million US dollars national and international level, as well on four major scientific conservation as conservation grants through the DSC projects across Canada.

Foundation.

So what does that mean to members of GOABC? SCI is, and has been for a long time, an important friend and sponsor of GOABC through its Guides and Outfitters Program. International meetings, no-cost booths at our show, grants, and donations all are paid for by the convention. Most recently SCI stood shoulder to shoulder with GOABC during the past election, That’s where the money goes, the money providing tens of thousands of dollars! that comes from your participation in As for conservation, SCI has poured Safari Club International. over 110,000 US dollars into the South - John Boretsky, SCI

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Dallas Safari Club

Mountain Hunter Magazine - FALL 2017

In a grab for media attention, many outlets are re-hashing attacks on hunters and hunting that occurred when another lion was shot in Zimbabwe in 2015.

DSC President Craig Nyhus said, “A combination of science, policy and common sense creates the best possible scenario for the conservation of wildlife.

Hunting is a vital part of that equation.”

DSC Interim Executive Director Karl Evans said, “Following one line of thinking, jumping to conclusions, and overreacting to headlines has not saved one lion. Not one. None.”

In 2013, DSC defined the ideal huntable male lion: That lion “is at least six years of age and is not known to be part of a coalition heading a pride with dependent cubs.” In May of that same year, an international assembly of conservationists representing 84 different countries adopted the African lion hunting policy modeled after that of DSC. Extensive scientific research has clearly shown that hunting older male lions has no negative effect on populations.

As with any game species in Africa, hunting, as well as the money generated by legal hunting, gives lions a tangible value that is irreplaceable in impoverished rural communities. Over the years, one irrefutable fact has been proven in Africa: when hunting goes away, so does the wildlife.

- Karl Evans, DSC

Nebraska Game & Parks and Montana WSF have hosted the event. Wyoming “One Tent – One Campfire” WSF will be Summit XI host June 20-23, WSF’s Chapter & Affiliate Summit X A 2018 in Jackson, Wyoming.

Big Sky Success!

The Summit X finale event was a dinner WSF’s 10th annual Chapter & Affiliate cruise on Flathead Lake and a rousing Summit was hosted this year by Montana live auction conducted on the upper WSF on beautiful Flathead Lake in deck of the “Shadow” – a dinner cruise Polson, Montana June 21-23, 2017 and ship owned by KwaTaqNuk Resort. WSF brought 75 wild sheep conservationists and Montana WSF expect to direct more and leaders from throughout North than $35,000 to Montana wild sheep America to work together for wild sheep. conservation efforts through the event The annual summit concept was sponsorships and auction.

Wild Sheep Foundation

conceived in the spring of 2008 to bring PDFs of the meeting PowerPoint the WSF family together under “One presentations are available to download Tent” and around “One Campfire.” on the WSF website.

“One Tent – One Campfire” has been the - Gray Thornton, President and CEO summit mantra ever since.

The First Chapter Summit was held in Cody, Wyoming in May of 2008 and the second in Reno, Nevada in June of 2009. In 2010, the summit was expanded to include WSF Affiliates as well and a chapter or affiliate “host” was launched with WSF Alberta offering to host the June 2010 Summit III in Edmonton.

Since 2010, Rocky Mountain Bighorn Society, Idaho WSF/Oregon FNAWS/ Washington WSF, Utah FNAWS, Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society, Wild Sheep Society of BC, Iowa FNAWS/

GRAND SLAM CLUB/OVIS MILESTONES: GSCO and SCI The “Preferred Conservation Partner” concept begun by GOABC is a great forum for all the different organizations to get a message out. I am convinced this feature in each issue of Mountain Hunter is well read. I want to devote GSCO’s column this time to a special

Continued ON page 8

Mountain Hunter Magazine - FALL 2017 |

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PREFERRED CONSERVATION PARTNERS

Continued From page 7 relationship between two GOABC Preferred Conservation Partners. I am, of course, talking about Safari Club International and Grand Slam Club/Ovis.

I am not saying other organizations do not have good relationships with each other, but SCI and GSCO seem to have been able to develop a relationship of not only mutual respect, but mutual benefit and trust.

I would like to point out that SCI has a new trademark known as “SCI Milestone Awards.” Even though the name is new, the awards are not. These are simply what were previously called for many years SCI’s Grand Slam Awards.

GSCO, in our publication Slam Quest, has Milestone Features in which we recognize such accomplishments as the Grand Slam, Ovis World Slam, Capra World Slam, Super Slam, Triple Slam, etc.

There will be no confusion with SCI in this regard, since GSCO does not call our awards Milestone Awards, but simply use the term “milestones” in our publication.

To take this even further, we applaud SCI for making this change. Some would have believed that by SCI using the terminology “Grand Slam” for its different award structures, it might have been confusing. Truthfully, there has been a little confusion in the past, but it was easily corrected because of our close relationship in the industry.

It should be pointed out here that GSCO had given SCI a license to use “Grand Slam,” and the two organizations had

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entered into a longstanding agreement in that regard. Once again, GSCO and I personally applaud SCI for this change, and there is no doubt it will tend to be an upgrade to their program.

mentally and physically. We stopped talking about the manly character traits learned through hunting like selfreliance, self-determination, self-control and self-respect. We stopped celebrating the game we hunt, and began honoring With this being said, I encourage all ourselves instead. All these things Preferred Conservation Partners to work that made hunting special to me and together in any and all ways possible everyone else I know have given way to for the furtherance of cooperation in hunting appearing now to be all about conservation. the kill and our own prowess.

- Dennis Campbell, Executive Director This has not led us to a good place, especially when I look at our younger Boone & Crockett generation getting into hunting with Circling Back On Their Own the kill defining hunting. It has also not I’m a product of the adventure days of led us to a good place in the eyes of that hunting. I was drawn to it at an early majority of people who do not hunt, yet age through the pages of Outdoor Life have a say in how wildlife is to be treated. magazine. All the articles and photos The question is what to do? Maybe there’s back then were about backcountry exploration, remote wildernesses and destinations, and different species of big game in different locals. Even hunting around home was billed as an escape to adventure. The outdoor writers touted the adventure of it all and spoke reverently about the game they hunted; the challenge and the effort; the camaraderie, the experience and the memories, and the ethics behind a sporting approach.

a reset button we can push somewhere.

Maybe we should start talking about our motivations and ethics more openly?

What I do know is that our younger generation is circling back to the past on their own. More and more I’m hearing new hunters saying, “I’m in it for the adventure and the challenge, and to be rewarding for me I need to have a moral connection to the game and the land.”

This renaissance is being nurtured by an initiative orchestrated by the Boone and Somewhere along the way we stopped Crockett Club and supported by a host of talking about the adventure and the companies and organizations. To learn memories, the experience, and the more, visit huntfairchase.com. friendships. We stopped talking about - Keith Balfourd, Director of Marketing earning it and the most memorable being those hunts where we’re tested both

Mountain Hunter Magazine -FAll 2017

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Broadhead Stone

A

by Ray Pastway

s far back as I can remember I have been an avid hunter. Born and raised in the Madawaska Valley, I enjoyed pursuing everything Ontario had to offer for big game – whitetail deer, black bear, and moose.

Since semi-retiring in 2013, I have expanded my hunts to all corners of North America, with British Columbia being one of my favourite destinations.

The mountains are vast and beautiful, providing both mental and physical challenges to an experienced hunter like myself.

My most recent endeavor is the Grand Slam of North American Wild Sheep, which includes harvesting all four subspecies in both Canada and the United States. I planned to pursue the Stone sheep species of British Columbia in the summer of 2017; however, I encountered an opportunity in July 2016 that was hard to pass up.

Endre, owner of Besa River Outfitters, contacted me directly with a last-minute hunt that had become available due to another client’s cancellation. He knew how determined I was to harvest a Stone sheep with my bow. I was hesitant, as I already had two other hunts planned for the next month. But Endre, being the accommodating and professional outfitter that he is, offered to modify the regular 14-day trip to a shorter 7-day version in order to better fit my schedule.

I was easily convinced, and arranged an arrival date of July 28th 2016.

Continued ON page 12 Mountain Hunter Magazine - FALL 2017 | 11

Continued From page 11 After arriving in Fort St. John, our group was allotted three days of preparation before the Stone sheep season opened.

Two of these three days were spent backpacking through the mountains to a remote camp, which is where the daily hunts were based. Jason was my guide for the week and Devin, our trusted wrangler, came along to assist with the hunt and carry supplies. The day before the season opened, Endre scouted rams that had been living in the area for most of the summer. It was a beautiful group of sheep however, one was especially heavy and had very dark skin, which was very interesting and appealing to me. After watching them in a deep ravine for over an hour, we snuck out quietly and returned to camp.

The next morning we woke, ate, and packed up early. Jason made sure to pack the 30-06 for grizzly bear protection, if necessary. We carefully wove our way through the mountain terrain, and after a few hours I saw a legal ram crossing

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60 yards in front of us. I dropped to my knees, grabbed my pack and bow, and nocked an arrow in preparation for a shot. I crept in the direction the rams had run. Every move had to be done carefully and in a calculated manner so as not to disturb the loose rock underfoot. In an attempt to navigate the rugged terrain, I thrust my leg upwards and onto a large rock, only to be met by an excruciating pain in my leg. Looking down I realized the worst had happened.

Despite my careful and calculated movement, I had forgotten my nocked arrow was pointing downwards, and I had completely impaled myself just above the knee. I couldn’t help but remember witnessing a fellow Ontario hunter have a near-death experience after severing his femoral artery the same way. Luckily, we had him to the hospital in less than fifteen minutes however, because of the remoteness of this hunt, I knew hospitalization wasn’t an option for me.

Mountain Hunter Magazine - FALL 2017

Suddenly overcome with adrenaline, I managed to lower myself into a seated position and rip my blood-saturated pants open to assess the damage. The arrow had punctured directly through my leg, but I was relieved to see that blood loss was minimal and I had direct access to the broadhead. I reasoned that if the artery had been severed I would have lost a larger quantity of blood. If I planned on getting back to camp I would have to be able to walk, and at this point walking was impossible. I knew what I had to do.

I cautiously unscrewed the broadhead from the arrow, while being careful not to slice my shaking hands on the razorblade edges. With one hand I firmly grabbed the arrow, and with the other hand I stabilized my leg. In a great burst of strength I pulled the arrow shaft from my leg. The pain was agonizing, but the amount of adrenaline pumping through my veins made it

manageable. I cleaned the wound with water, applied some bandages that I had packed, and wrapped it tightly with extra clothing. Jason and Devin were in complete disbelief. I forced myself to eat my snack to gain as much strength as possible for the two-mile hike back to camp.

the right decision to stay. With no more Or, we could stay where we were, and time to waste, we set off on the five-mile I could harvest it with the rifle. I knew trek to relocate the rams. Every step I couldn’t risk going home with only a was labored but I noticed my strength broadhead scar from this trip. improving as the day went on.

The beautiful ten-year-old dark-skinned It wasn’t until the fourth day of scouting ram stood to stretch. I had made my that we finally located four rams, two of decision, and I was ready with the 30which were legal, on an overhead ledge. 06. I delivered a clean shot and within The guides insisted on an evacuation and They watched intently as we scrambled twenty minutes I was rejoicing and hospitalization, as the risk of infection to find cover. Upon further inspection I celebrating another successful hunt. I was high in the backcountry. I, too, was was pleased to see the same ram I had thanked God for not only my success, concerned about wound management seen earlier in the week, looking even but also for giving me the strength to however, I couldn’t ignore the little voice heavier and with that noticeably darker deal with the life-or-death situation. in the back of my head, reminding me coat. Being 150 yards from the rams The Stone sheep hunt was the first of that my already condensed trip would meant I wasn’t in bow range, and I would three big game hunts that I completed in then be ruined. Against everyone’s take a big risk of startling them if I tried beautiful British Columbia that summer. recommendations, I insisted I stay the to get any closer. Jason weighed out my I look forward to returning to Endre and night at camp and reassess the situation options – with one day left to hunt we the gang in the near future to try my luck in the morning. could try and get closer, knowing that at more of the North American species In the morning the bleeding had we could always try again tomorrow. available at Besa River Outfitters. minimized. The wounds were clean with no signs of discolouration or swelling. We changed the bandages and I was confident that I had made

Editor’s Note: You can reach Besa River Outfitters Ltd. at 604-812-9821, or visit their website at www.besariveroutfitters.com Mountain Hunter Magazine - FALL 2017 |

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Mountain Hunter Magazine - FALL 2017

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ph: (403) 357-8414 ganariver@pentnet.net web: www.ganariver.com

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Mountain Hunter Magazine - FALL 2017 |

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Guides Want to see yourself in The Guides Gallery?

gallery

Submit your photos to info@goabc.org with the outfitter’s name, species, and harvested date of your animal.

Pelly Lake Wilderness Outfitters Ltd. Grizzly Bear. Jeff and John Schermerhorn.

Mackenzie Mountain Outfitters.

Cody Johnson (Utah). Jeff Terveen (SD).

Love Bros. Steve Gauthier, Michigan. Bull moose called down the mountain and across the river

by Brenda Nelson.

Bonnet Plume Outfitters. John Holbrook AZ.

Early season billy goat. John Tatarchuk with his dad, Bruce Tatarchuk and outfitter, Mike Danielson of Little Dease Ventures.

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Mountain Hunter Magazine - FALL 2017

Nahanni Butte. Brendan Burns MT.

Elk Valley Bighorn Outfitters.

Ted Crews Early October 2016 Archery Shiras Moose with guide Dave Endicott.

Ram Creek Outfitters. Laura Fuhse, PA.

Fehr Game Outfitters. Mountain Goat - Larry Walker, KY. Guide Dustyn Fehr.

Kispiox Valley Outfitters. Natalie Moralez and her dad, Dolph Bowman with their moose.

Skinner Creek. Nathan Wenner Vet from New Mexico. Lynx hunt.

Silent Mountain Outfitters. Jason Southhall.

Mountain Hunter Magazine - FALL 2017 |

17

Lott_Canada_GOABC_1707.indd 2

13.07.17 12:09

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Mountain Hunter Magazine - FALL 2017

Gundahoo River Outfitters

MUNCHO LAKE, BC

QUINTIN THOMPSON

Box 2941 Rocky Mountain House, AB Canada T4T 1P2 Phone 403-391-7879 Toll Free 1-866-GRO-HUNT Email info@gundahoo.com www.gundahoo.com

Specializing in STONE SHEEP, MOOSE & CARIBOU, MOUNTAIN GOAT, GRIZZLY & BLACK BEAR

I authorize you to proceed with printing with changes indicated as shown Please send an email approval or any changes to Jennifer Johnson: johnson@goabc.org or Sherri King: sherri@sherriking.com

Mountain Hunter Magazine - FALL 2017 |

FORMERLY R

19

20 |

Mountain Hunter Magazine - FALL 2017

C

anadian artist Roy Henry Vickers is best known around the world for his limited-edition prints. He is also an accomplished carver, design advisor of prestigious public spaces, a sought-after keynote speaker, publisher, and author of several successful books. In addition, he is a recognized leader in the First Nations community, and a tireless spokesperson for recovery from addictions and abuse. Roy has received many awards and honours for his art and community involvement. Among them are a hereditary chieftainship and several hereditary names he has received from Northwest Coast First Nations.

Roy Henry Vickers was born in June 1946 in the village of Greenville, in northern British Columbia. Roy has stayed on the northwest coast of British Columbia ever since, residing at various times in Hazelton, Kitkatla, Tofino and Victoria. Roy’s love and respect of the magnificent natural beauty of this area is clearly evident in his art. His boldly colourful sunsets, subdued misty rivers and peaceful winter scenes reflect the essence of the west coast of Canada.

September Smoke (top left), Kootenai Medicine (left), The Saddle (below)

Roy’s father was a fisherman with the blood of three northwest coast First Nations’ Tsimshian, Haida and Heiltsuk flowing in his veins. Roy’s mother was a schoolteacher whose parents had immigrated to Canada from England. This unusual mixed heritage has had a strong influence on Roy’s art. Roy studied traditional First Nations art and design at the Gitanmaax School of Northwest Coast Indian Art in Hazelton. Using these building blocks Roy, through hard work and intensive research, created his authentic and personal style of expression - a harmonious fusion of traditional and contemporary, old and new, personal and universal.

The success of Roy’s Eagle Aerie Gallery is a remarkable example of the universal appeal of his art. The Gallery is a traditional northwest coast longhouse Roy built in 1986 in the village of Tofino, on the extreme west coast of Vancouver Island. An artist-owned gallery was - and still is - a rarity and at best a risky business, let alone one built far away from the media and the art-buying public. Today, Eagle Aerie Gallery welcomes more than 200,000 visitors a year from around the world and it is one of the area’s main attractions.

Continued ON page 22 Mountain Hunter Magazine - FALL 2017 |

21

The Campfire (top), The Crossing (middle), Mother Earth (bottom), Ghostrider (right)

Continued From page 21 Roy has completed more than 26 totem poles including the 10-metre (30-foot) Salmon Totem for the 1994 Commonwealth Games’ aquatic centre near Victoria. In addition, Roy was the artistic advisor to the architects and designers of the entire venue. In 1987-1995, Roy was the artistic advisor for the Vancouver International Airport’s new terminal. He was also commissioned to create retail storefronts at both the domestic and international terminals. Roy’s designs and carvings can also be found in luxury hotels and private homes, on airplanes and motorcycles, canoes and paddles, glass pieces and even on food packaging.

Roy is the author of Solstice: The Art of Roy Henry Vickers (1988) and Spirit Transformed: A Journey from Tree to Totem (1996), Copperman - The Art of Roy Henry Vickers (2003) Raven Brings the Light (2013), Cloudwalker (2014), Orca Chief (2015) and the illustrator of the best-selling book The Elders Are Watching (1990). In 2014, Roy published his long-awaited third milestone book Storyteller - The Art of Roy Henry Vickers, which is a substantial retrospective of his work and images of the past 10 years.

Roy Henry Vickers is a prolific artist who in addition to his many other artistic endeavors and community interests creates a steady flow of new limited edition prints each year. Many are sold out within months to regular collectors and fans who feel a personal connection with not only the art but with the artist. In many of his pieces, Roy uses superimposed ‘shadow images’ that add another layer of depth, history and myth to his clear, clean images. His signature Eagle Moon and various suns appear on many pieces as well. The resulting art touches deeply and is accessible to people all over the world regardless of their background, age, beliefs or traditions. In 2004, Roy returned with his family to Hazelton, where he now lives and works by the majestic Skeena River.

To view more of Roy Vickers’ work visit:

www.royhenryvickers.com 22 |

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THE

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25

CONSERVATION MATTERS

TM

with Shane Mahoney

A Leap of Faith for Hunting: Public Discourse or Public Death - Part TWO Thank you to Sports Afield for permission to reprint this article.

Shane Ma honey is co nsidered to of the lead be one ing intern a tional auth on wildlife o rities conservati on. A rare combinati on of histo rian, scien and philoso tist, pher, he br ings a uniq perspective ue to wildlife issues tha motivated t has and inspir ed audience around th s e world. N amed one the 10 Mo of st Influenti al Canadia Conservati n onists by O utdoor Ca Magazine nada and nomin ated for P of the Year er son

by Outdoo r Life Maga he has rece zine, ived numer ous award including s the Public Service Aw of Excellen ard ce from th e governm of Newfou ent ndland an d Labrador and Intern ational Co nservation of the Year ist from Safa ri Club Internatio nal. Born and raised Newfound in land, he br ings to his writings a nd lecture s a profou commitmen nd t to rural so cieties and the su stainable u se of natural re sources, in cl uding fish and wildli fe.

26 |

Editor’s Note: In his previous article Shane Mahoney used the spectacular seagoing behaviors of cliff nesting birds in Newfoundland as an analogy for the courageous leap of faith now required of hunters to ensure their leadership role in the conservation community. In this article he describes how reaching out to the general public can be achieved and why it is so critical to the future of hunting and the future of wildlife. Regardless of our personal and institutional reluctance to do so, the author argues it is the only conservation future we can shape and help direct.

Ensuring the future of hunting requires more than passion; it requires courage.

I am not referring here to the courage that is normally required of hunters, the courage to pursue dangerous game or to endure hardship in high mountain excursions. Rather, I speak of a more subtle and sophisticated courage, one that takes hunters out of their preferred element and places them in the precarious, frustrating, challenging world of public debate. For more than two decades now, I have argued and pleaded for a direct engagement with the general public on the merits and relevance of hunting in modern time. I have also argued that the support hunting now maintains in the general populace is fragile, weakening and headed for collapse. I believe the vast majority of social and demographic trends support this unsettling prediction.

On this continent, educating hunters on the principles of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation was an essential first step, a means to enable hunters to better articulate their own strongly held views that hunting was far more than killing and that the hunting experience was what inspired them to become advocates for wildlife. The strategy was simple: provide the hunting community with a strong, consistent, historically accurate message and sound evidence in support of their own personal conclusions; then the process of public dialogue could be undertaken with confidence and pride. This approach is not only relevant in North America, however. The same ideas are being developed and applied within differing cultural and national contexts in other regions of the world, with South Africa being a noted example.

Mountain Hunter Magazine - FALL 2017

The problem remains, however, that while there is increasing recognition of the need for broader dialogue, and while we are making good efforts to build evidence based arguments in support of hunting’s conservation record, we are not taking the most important next step to secure hunting’s future.

We are not effectively engaging the broad public in this discussion. While outreach and communications are fairly common programs in agencies and organizations, very few are targeted specifically to the general public and certainly the hunting community does not have any shared strategic approach to this crucial issue. We can whoop and holler all we like at our conventions and trade shows, or in our hunting camps, but the ripple effect is minimal, dispersing like vapour after the booths are folded and the tents collapsed. Only by developing a clear, specific strategy, with measureable goals and deliberate objectives can we maintain public support; and I argue that this public support is vital to hunting’s future.

For those who disagree, this article is meaningless.

We really do need to step back and reflect on this. Two hard realities are facing us. A significant percentage of the current thirty million hunters in North America will die over the next fifteen to twenty years; and recruitment processes currently developed have little, if any, chance of replacing them. Without some miracle, the percentage of the population who hunt and the percentage of the population who have friends and relatives who hunt will continue to decline. As this happens, the social relevance and political influence of the hunting community will also diminish and the support of the general public will become ever more important. While this pattern will, initially, have less influence on the affluent hunter, the individual who can afford to travel and hunt, it will have more immediate effect on the local hunter who represents the majority of the hunting public today. Like a knitted garment, pulling on the weakest thread can dismember the entire fabric of the hunting world.

I believe the consequences of this for wildlife will be many and far reaching.

While hunters must accept that we have not been alone in advocating for wildlife, there is much

truth in the assertion that we paved the way for conservation and have been amongst its most stalwart supporters from the beginning. Furthermore, there is no question that the financial support of the hunting community has been crucial to wildlife conservation in the United States in particular.

From the translocation and recovery of game species (and let us acknowledge that those are the species that both the non-hunting and hunting publics are most familiar with and admire), to the protection of fish and wildlife habitat, the support of anti-poaching laws and programs and the opposition to reckless land development, hunters and fishermen have individually and collectively been amongst the most engaged, the most effective and the most enduring advocates. How can their loss not have negative implications for our cherished wildlife resources? And to take the argument further, how can the loss of support for hunting not also contribute to a more perilous condition for these same resources?

The reality is, conservation will be seriously weakened without hunters’ advocacy and hunters will not be effective without the broad public being supportive or at least tolerant of them. Whether hunters represent six percent of the population as they do now or three percent in some future time does not change the fact that we are a tiny minority. Like all minorities we require acceptance and understanding to flourish and freely advocate for our culture. Thus it is crucial we reach out, and do so strategically. The challenge is enormous and will require a good deal more than rhetoric, camps for small numbers of children and the long standing practise of political lobbying.

We must bear in mind that it will not matter overmuch, either, increasingly as time passes, what the importance of our historical place and narrative have been. What will matter is our present reality, formed and fashioned in modern society, a modern society of mixed cultures and races and of diverse philosophical views. We can also predict that such views will bear the hallmark of an ever increasing personal distance from the realities of nature, of food procurement, birth blood and death. Of course there will remain in the public mind of North Americans some faint longing for our frontier (and hunting) past, kept alive, significantly, by a constant effort to impart our history to young and old alike. Note we do not only impart this history to historians but to all citizens. We recognize in doing so that to make history relevant, to make it matter, we must reach the collective not the individual and exclusive group.

Continued ON page 28 Mountain Hunter Magazine - FALL 2017 |

27

Continued From page 27 Surely it must be obvious that as hunters we need to do the same. We must cease speaking only to ourselves and other predictably friendly audiences. We need to define what it is we bring to society, not what we bring to ourselves. We must develop the talents and sophistication to illicit the public debate and enter it with confidence, knowing that we can explain the social value of hunting and the importance it holds for wildlife and landscape conservation. Economic development, the support afforded rural community small business, the support for wildlife refuges and wilderness areas and the protection of a clean and productive environment, these are hunter’s values that will resonate with the general public. So too will our legacy of excise taxation on hunting and fishing gear that has contributed billions of dollars to wildlife and fish restoration.

open fields on our properties to broadcast the good news that hunting brought wildlife back and hunting can keep it with us.

Let the message ring along our nations’ highways and in the magazine stands at roadside restaurants and airport kiosks.

Let us fund lecture tours and public forums on hunting at our universities and colleges. Write articles for feature magazines, not just hunting ones, and work assiduously to get op-ed pieces into the mainstream media. Let us change the tenor and substance of our hunting magazines and meetings so that conservation is foremost, not hunting. Let us find individuals who can represent hunting who are respected conservationists in their own right and chose them, not just people who have spent their lives hunting, as our representatives and poster children. Like all movements

Thus it is not that as hunters we don’t have a powerful story to tell. We would be finished if this were so! To the contrary, however, we have an extraordinary story to tell, but we lack the political will to take it beyond our borders of comfort. We are failing our own narrative in history; failing our cultural identity and our personal beliefs. And all those businesses that make significant money from the hunting activity occurring on our private and public lands seem less than interested in helping with a large scale outreach to the unpredictable masses who will ultimately and certainly decide our fate. From their perspective it is obviously better to wait and hope things will turn out well, rather than move to shape our hunting destiny and the future prosperity of their enterprises. Well, good luck!

seeking to market our message we desperately need recognizable faces that can be met with respect in the broad world of media coverage, not just good old boys who have been part of our organizations forever. They may comfort our members because they won’t say anything new, but what hunting needs is just that! Something new! The non-hunting public will not listen to these individuals and many will not believe them. They have no conservation achievements to mention beyond being part of a hunter organization. So what asks the non-hunting public? This will not cut it. The public will look for those who have written, lectured and worked professionally for wildlife and who have reputations built on this. Those who come from such ranks, and who are hunters as well, have a powerful image to bring, that of professionals We need an awakening! A real down to the dirt uprising in the who care and have dedicated their lives to wildlife and yet hunter ranks demanding that the organizations we support can articulate the hunting contribution to conservation as an get on with this mission of saving the future of hunting! Forget established fact, not just an eager opinion. the feel good weekend photo-ops of one interested kid who took a hunting course. Let’s break out into the mainstream Do we collectively believe we are incapable of these simple media delivering radio and television messages on the benefits efforts? If so, I suggest we fold our tent and retreat from the and social relevance of hunting today! Forget the cheering coming storm. If we do feel capable – which we surely are – hundreds at our convention dinners and reach out through then I think we should build the unstoppable coalition and public radio to the tens of thousands on their drive home from together accomplish these things. This will be the topic of my work every day who just might be interested in what we have next article in this Leap of Faith series. It will explain how to say. Buy billboard space, use trucking company fleets and courage is contagious.

The Guide Outfitters Association of British Columbia (GOABC) wishes to create a fundamental shift among hunters from caring about hunting to caring about all wildlife. Ranchers care about cattle and anglers care about fish, but hunters are concerned for all animals and their well-being. Hunters must be committed to the responsible use of wildlife resources and passionate about preserving a diversity of wildlife species. The GOABC is a strong supporter of the North American Wildlife Conservation Model, which stipulates that law and science should manage wildlife. This model is the result of hunters and anglers who were dedicated to conservation. As anti-hunting pressure becomes louder, it becomes increasingly important to continue and enhance the legacy of the hunter-conservationist.

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Mountain Hunter Magazine - FALL 2017

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Mountain Hunter Magazine - FALL 2017

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JIM HAMBERLIN - AZ

Something There’s

About A

Moose

“...I’ve wanted to hunt them All my life.”

32 |

Mountain Hunter Magazine - FAll 2017

The grunt came from back in the willows behind us. We had just eaten lunch and were “resting our eyes for a spell.” A few seconds later the bull started thrashing the trees but was still out of sight. After eight hard days of hunting and helping two other hunters in camp skin and quarter their moose, and getting them back to camp, we were more than a bit worn out. Fatigue disappears quickly when a bull starts grunting. We had seen moose every day, but I had not laid eyes on the kind of critter this part of Northern British Columbia is known for.

T

here’s something about a moose.

I’ve wanted to hunt them all my life. Their immense size and where they live have captured my imagination since I was old enough to tote a gun. I have been fortunate to have taken deer, elk, caribou, antelope, etc., but after 34 years of unsuccessfully applying for a moose permit here in Montana, I decided if I was ever going to hunt one I was going to have to head north. With 65 years behind me I understood the clock was ticking, and if I was going to do a moose hunt it had better be soon.

enthusiasm only made the wait seem that much longer. I went over my gear list for the hundredth time, made sure I had all my paperwork in order, threw in a chest freezer and headed north.

I’d loaded up some 200 grain Nosler Partitions for my old Model 70 “Ought Six.” It’s a great gun I picked up a few years back. It was built in 1954 and came with the original receiver sights, so I left it that way opting not to put a scope on it.

I stopped at Canadian Customs and was on my way in less than 10 minutes. The drive north was spectacular to say the least. Fall colors were at their peak. 35 In 2013, I started researching outfitters. hours and a sore butt later I arrived in I looked at hunts from Manitoba to Atlin, B.C. Alaska. I only wanted to hunt where I could drive to so that I could bring the The next day I met Dennis Dalen and meat home. After doing my homework a very nice couple from New York, Sue

I settled on Cassiar Stone Outfitters (CSO) in Northern British Columbia and booked a hunt for the following September 19th through the 29th. All of the outfitters I contacted were more than cordial and I am sure I would have had a great hunt with any of them, but for whatever reason I felt very comfortable after visiting with John Schapansky and Dennis Dalen with CSO. Reference checks more than confirmed that I had made the right decision. John and Dennis were wonderful to work with.

Everything they told me was right on.

They are as honest as the day is long.

The day finally came to pack up the truck and head north. I had talked to Graham, my guide for the hunt, a couple of times during the summer and his

and Neil Armstrong, who would also be in camp. We loaded our gear in the float plane and an hour later were landing on a remote lake. The plane ride over the mountains was incredible. The area looked like moose heaven. Miles and miles of bogs intermixed with stands of spruce nestled in between the mountains. River systems in northern B.C. are shared with the Yukon, so the moose in northern B.C. carry some of the same genetics as the Alaska/Yukon moose although they are classified as Canadian Moose.

Graham and Leigh Markland, the two guides, were waiting on the dock and after introductions we unloaded our Continued ON page 34

Mountain Hunter Magazine - FALL 2017 |

33

Continued From page 33 gear and settled in. I took an immediate liking to Graham and Leigh. For whatever reason, we hit it off right from the start.

Graham and Leigh are in their later 60’s, are tough as nails, and work their

The first couple of days were uneventful for the most part, if being in one of the most beautiful places on earth can be uneventful. We would travel the lake and the river by boat, stopping and calling in various spots along the way.

We saw moose every day, but mostly cows, calves, and smaller bulls. The rut seemed a bit late getting into gear.

Evenings were spent listening to Graham and Leigh tell stories (along with a few “refreshments”). The stories alone were worth the trip!

Day number three saw Sue kill a beautiful 53” bull on the shoreline not far from camp. She was with her husband, Neil, and

tails off. They know

the

area inside out and are expert woodsmen. They are

the

guides

kind you

of

picture

in your mind when you think of hunting in the Canadian wilderness. If anyone can find a moose and make sure you have a safe and successful hunt, these guys can. I mostly hunted with Graham. It was uncanny how he could predict when and where a moose would show itself after a series of calls. They also served as the camp cooks, and Leigh’s fry bread is out of this world. I think I put on about 5 pounds while I was there!

34 |

Graham. Leigh and I were in the boat not far behind and saw the whole show.

She made a great shot and the bull ended up falling right on the edge of the lake. This was her first moose and she couldn’t stop shaking from the excitement.

A younger bull came out along the shoreline while we were butchering Sue’s bull and was acting a bit aggressive, so I stood guard making sure he didn’t charge. He finally decided to leave. The day was spent getting the moose quartered and hung up back at camp. That night a grizzly visited camp and attempted to pull the quarters down from the meat pole despite the “welcoming mat” Graham and Leigh had put down (plywood with nails sticking up to discourage bears).

One of the game bags was ripped open, but the bear couldn’t pull the meat down. We raised the meat higher and

Mountain Hunter Magazine - FAll 2017

didn’t have any problems after that.

The next morning, I headed out with Graham, and Leigh went with Neil. As we approached the spot where Sue had killed her moose a huge grizzly was feeding on the gut pile. We went as close as we dared and I snapped a few pictures and then left him alone. He was there again the next morning and then disappeared.

He was very impressive to say the least.

The day ended with more moose spotted and called in, but no big bulls.

On day number 6 Neil killed a nice 46” bull that Leigh called in from over 400 yards across a large bog. It came within 30 yards before Neil put it down with one shot. Graham and I were up the river when we got the call to come help, so we headed back down the river to give Leigh a hand. We ended up having to winch the moose out of the bog to get it on dry ground to skin and quarter.

We got a good workout as winching a 1,200-pound moose is not an easy chore!

We took turns winching. One of us would crank on the lever until we wore out and then someone else would take over.

By the time day number 8 rolled around, I think Graham was getting a bit concerned that we might not find a big bull. I told him to relax and said, “I bought a moose hunt, not a moose.” I really wasn’t anxious about not finding a moose. At this point we had seen 40 moose and 16 of them were bulls, so I was confident that we would find a mature bull in the remaining three days I had to hunt. Graham had gone 100% on big bulls for nine consecutive years, and I had no intentions whatsoever of ruining his record!

The first stop on day number 8 was at one of Graham’s favorite places to call along the river. He has a tree he climbs there when we stopped to call so he’d have a view of the area. He went up this tree 40 feet using nothing but the tree limbs to crawl up with. I personally

calf. On another occasion, we heard a cow and a bull back in the timber but couldn’t coax them out. We set After a couple of calls he spotted a up and did some calling but had bull coming our way from 600 yards no response so we pulled out our out on the other side of the river. I was lunch and then laid back on the waiting at the base of the tree. The bull riverbank to close our eyes for a came quickly grunting all the way, and while. before I knew it he was just out of sight thrashing trees across the river. I could We’d enjoyed our rest for some time see the trees moving, but couldn’t when I thought I heard a bull grunt in thought he was just nuts, but he seemed to enjoy the climb.

see the bull. Graham told me exactly the timber behind us. I nudged Graham where the bull would come out long and said, “I think I just heard a bull grunt.” before the bull reached the river. The About that time, we heard it again and bull finally showed himself, but wasn’t Graham grabbed his “Plywood Antlers” quite what I had traveled to Northern and was going to rake the brush, but just British Columbia for. Graham shook as he was about to start the bull stepped his head and I agreed and then said, out. When the bull put his head down we “watch him, he’s going to walk up the made our way a few yards to a more open river bank about 75 yards and cross spot to shoot from. We hunkered down over to try to get our scent.” Amazingly waiting for a clear shot and the bull started the bull did just that. He finally drifted thrashing the trees again. I’ve hunted all off into the timber and we headed up my life, but having a 1,500-pound bull worked up and ready for a fight less than river.

75 yards away is beyond description!

We had found a place earlier in the week When the bull looked up I put the bead that was literally torn to shreds by bulls right on his chest and pulled the trigger. fighting. Trees were ripped up and the The big bull quickly spun and bolted riverbank looked like a herd of buffalo toward the river. I managed to put two had stampeded through. We called it more quick rounds into him before he was “The War Zone.” We had seen a young out of sight. I didn’t see him go down, but bull swim the river there a few days didn’t hear him hit the river, so I knew he earlier, and had also seen a cow and a was finished.

Graham found the bull first and started hooting and hollering. He had dropped within a few yards from where I last shot, but the cover was so heavy we didn’t see him go down. I was in absolute awe when I saw the bull laying there. The body size of these northern bulls is just incredible. It is like walking up to a Clydesdale. After a lot of back slapping and rehashing what had just happened, we started work on the bull. It was obviously an old bull starting to go downhill a bit. As we were skinning the bull we noticed fresh wounds on his rear from a recent fight.

It looked like he was on the short end Continued ON page 36

Mountain Hunter Magazine - FALL 2017 |

35

“...once you spend time in Northern British Columbia, it gets in your blood. If there’s a way, I’ll be back!”

Continued From page 35 of the deal as another bull had probably ran him off with a few jabs in the butt for good measure.

We were both wringing wet by the time we got the bull skinned and quartered and in the boat. Getting 1,500 pounds of moose through the willows is no easy feat for two old codgers like us, but Graham has done this so many times he has it down to a science. On the way back down the river we saw another large bull standing on the riverbank.

I got some good photos of him as we drifted by. Eight days of hunting our tails off with no mature bulls spotted and then two dandies within a few hours of each other. That’s hunting. It just goes to show you must keep at it. For those into numbers, Graham measured my bull and it scored 188 B&C points, but I could have cared less.

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We pulled back into camp around 5:30 that evening. Leigh, Sue, and Neil saw us coming with the antlers perched on the front of the boat and couldn’t wait to hear the story. We took more photos and retold the story several times that evening.

Words and photos cannot begin to do justice to these animals and the country they live in. Ten days in the mountains with no contact with what’s going on in the world is a unique experience to say the least. Very few people experience that these days. This started out as a “bucket list” hunt for me, but once you spend time in northern British Columbia,

it gets in your blood. If there’s a way, I’ll be back!

The last couple of days in camp were spent fishing, cutting firewood, and resting up. The float plane came in on time and we met two hunters from Louisiana who I later learned took two great bulls the first two days of their hunt. We arrived back in Atlin around 3:30 in the afternoon. I stayed at the Atlin Mountain Inn that night and headed out in the morning for the 35-hour drive to Montana. This hunt was a dream come true for me. I had my moose, a freezer full of meat, and memories that will last a lifetime.

Editor’s Note: You can reach Cassiar Stone Outfitters at 604-857-3570, or visit their website at www.cassiarstone.com

Mountain Hunter Magazine - FALL 2017

from a legal Michael Sabbeth is a lawyer and writer in Denver, Colorado. See his book The Good, The Bad & The Difference: How to Talk with Children About Values.

Available at Amazon.com http://tinyurl.com/c5flmmu Now available as a Kindle EBook.

World Approval Means Hunting’s Suicide At this year’s annual conference of the African Professional Hunters Association held at the 2017 Safari Club International Convention, a participant expressed the opinion that after the Cecil incident the world “will not tolerate unethical behavior.”

My blood pressure rocketed to 190 over 120!

I said I disagreed and explained why. I said that there is no “world” in any coherent meaningful sense of the word, especially as it applies to hunting. Thus, it follows that there is no world opinion on what the world will and will not tolerate, not only pertaining to hunting but pertaining to any human behavior. No consistent measurement enables anyone to judge what the world will and will not tolerate.

perspective

tolerates all of them.

Let’s analyze the concepts of world opinion and what the world will tolerate in the specific context of Cecil. I won’t rehash all the details of Dr. Palmer’s hunt but mention a few key facts: the hunt was legal; Cecil was not induced or drawn out of the Hwange Park; no legal significance attached to the fact the lion was collared; Cecil was an aged lion and no longer reproduced; the hunt raised a lot of money for local populations and for conservation.

The world did not wait until these facts were determined and publicized. Rather, agenda-driven people instantly promoted and disseminated lies. We may recall Winston Churchill’s astute comment that a lie will travel half way around the world before the truth gets out of bed. That was certainly the case with Cecil. But the world and its opinion, such as they were, responded to these lies with the enthusiastic intensity of burning heretics at the stake. A dishonest narrative constructed by antihunting forces went viral. Truth did not matter; facts did not matter; reality did not matter.

Driven by a delicious smug ignorance, with no interest in attempting to discern the truth, aspects of world opinion responded venomously like a viper’s strike.

Given what the world I went on to say that the world is incapable of distinguishing tolerates generally, we ethical from unethical behavior, and has no interest in trying may justifiably draw to make the distinction, particularly as it applies to hunting. several conclusions about the morality World Opinion is Morally Bankrupt and consistency of world opinion Given the world’s easy acceptance of grotesque evil, what the and the moral world will tolerate is morally meaningless. weight of what world The assertion that the world will not tolerate unethical hunting the tolerates.

The behavior is not supported by any evidence. To the contrary, the world is drenched in unethical animal killing—poaching, world tolerates and absurd hunting bans and trophy bans and trade bans that kill barbarity often condemns substantial numbers of animals —which is not only tolerated behavior. but paradoxically supported by powerful organizations and moral Thus, world opinion governments. Particularly regarding the iconic big game— lions, elephants, black rhino, leopards—legal hunting kills is morally meaningless.

World opinion is often relatively few. morally bankrupt.

The Cecil situation did not prove the world will not tolerate The Cecil situation unethical behavior. To the contrary, Cecil proved with proves those exquisite unarguable clarity that the world willfully refuses conclusions. to differentiate between ethical and unethical hunting and

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Cecil and The Weaponizing of “World Opinion” How does the world articulate what it does and does not tolerate? Who decides? How sanctimonious to say, “I am the arbiter of what the world tolerates!” Nice work if you can get it! “World opinion” is a mythical creature, like the tooth fairy. It can mean anything the speaker wants it to mean.

Here’s the key point: this ambiguity is the source of its power.

Anyone can make the accusation no matter the facts. Yet, the rhetoric, the accusation, that the world will not tolerate unethical hunting, is powerful. How intimidating to charge that the world is against you! The accusation that world opinion is against you is not an offer to discuss and debate the proposition. It is a rhetorical device used to shut you up; to prevent discussion; to make you submit to the abstraction that the world will not tolerate your hunting although no facts are provided to support the accusation. Thus, saying the world will not tolerate a Cecil-type hunt weaponizes the phrase. It transforms the concept of world opinion into a tool for attacking. I make it clear that the person at APHA did not have that intent.

He was expressing what others would likely suggest.

What Can We Do? First, we must reject any notion that the world will be reasonable or will be informed when it comes to certain types of hunting. Such thinking is delusional. Segments of the world have their own agendas. Here is my key point: any tendency of our hunting communities to conform to and appease this abstraction of what the world will tolerate will lead to hunting’s suicide.

Third, we should, grasp the reality that we are in the persuasion business as much as we are hunters and advocates for hunting. We must understand that truth is meaningless unless someone is persuaded that truth has meaning. We must understand that facts do not advance themselves. Arguments do not compel on their own. We must, therefore, persuade.

Finally, we must persuade the majority that the values and actions of the hunter, including hunting Cecil, is, in fact, in harmony with their values. We can do so because it is true.

Second, it is vital that we fight back; that the hunting community not allow the aggressive anti-hunters to frame the issue as us against the world and thereby enable it to capture the moral high ground. Hunters have the moral high ground.

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Mountain Hunter Magazine - FALL 2017 |

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Sometimes it only A Chronicle of Adventures in the North

Heart pounding, chest throbbing, thighs burning, we were nearly there, there being the top in this case on this day, just over 8,300 feet. “Welcome to sheep hunting,” Nathan whispered as we crested a ridge line on our hands and knees crossing rocks that brought visions of craters on the moon…

I

t was my first day of hunting on this trip, a trip that technically had begun more than two years ago. A friend mentioned he was heading north on a hunt that I should be on. By lunch I had spoken with Stan Stevens of Mackenzie Mountain Outfitters, by the next morning I was booked. By the fourth of July, I was already working on gear list, logistics, and creating a checklist of dates and goals for the trip that was 24 months away. August 2016 could not come fast enough, but eventually it did, and with it the nerves as well. I set out from my home in northwest Washington State, roughly 80 miles south of the BC border. Sixteen hours is a long road trip, especially by yourself. After a quick overnight in Revelstoke, the next afternoon I arrived in Edmonton. My stay there would be brief, enough time to spread your gear out in a hotel room, fill my belly, and catch some shut eye. The flight to Norman Wells, NWT, left at 8:00AM the next morning. Before I knew it, we were in Norman Wells weighing gear at the float dock and boarding the Twin Otter to head deep into the Mackenzie Mountains. After some formalities of paperwork, dumping gear in the bunkhouse, and the obligatory re-sighting of rifles, we were assigned our guides. Nathan and I began by going through gear, discussing what to take, and filling our packs with five days rations.

The next day as we crested a moon-like ridge Nathan motioned me to sit back as he went slightly forward and peered over the edge; he instantly looked back at me with the thumbs up. My heart raced, was the moment here I asked myself, would I get my ram? We had seen a group of four rams the night before as we scouted after setting up camp. It was nearly 6:00PM now, we had found two rams earlier about a mile up the canyon with our spotting scopes but they were too young. Nathan signaled to me to pass the spotting scope up, as I did I crawled a bit further up, rejoicing that no matter what the rest of this day would entail; it would be downhill adventures only as we couldn’t go any higher. My legs were burning and heart still racing as I awaited the age count from Nathan on the two rams roughly 700 yards below us. Within moments a small consolation smile came from Nathan’s face, it was my first day

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hunting with him, but I knew what it meant, our hunt in this area was over, the rams were too young. With that I learned Lesson Number Two of sheep hunting: Lesson Number One

Epic moments are defined by contrasting moments of pure disappointment.

In case you were wondering what Lesson Number One was; Lesson Number TWO

Sheep live in places humans are not meant to go.

The next morning sore but ready for excitement, we found ourselves glassing in places we knew we should not go, and the weather was coming in. There was something down the creek a mile or so, along the steep walls. Nathan’s trained eye determined quickly, it was a bull caribou. Its white mane contrasted with the wooded hillside, and it appeared to be on its own. We worked our way out on a point using brush for cover. We were nearly 300 feet above the creek floor, the bull was sleeping, I had him ranged at 425 yards, and it wasn’t going to get any better. We discussed wind and elevation, and made scope adjustments, we just needed the bull to wake up. His antlers were covered in chocolate velvet, and mane white as snow, he rested there on that hillside for what seemed an eternity.

We had packs set up for a rest, the bipod was set, confidence was there with the scope adjustments and then suddenly he began to rise. Nathan whispered, “Take a few deep breaths, calm down and wait for him to clear the trees.” That, my friends, is why I

9

takes

by Colin Sands

keep hunting, that butterfly feeling- if I still get it, my pack will be filled each fall. As the bull cleared the trees, I looked over to Nathan with a nod; he gave me the thumbs up. I gently squeezed the trigger, and with that I watched that bull fold and become lifeless, I had my first Bou. High fives and war cries filled the canyon walls. That night we ate like kings. Nathan looked over at me as we devoured the sustenance in front us and with a grin said, “Tomorrow you are a sheep hunter again.�

Continued ON page 44 Mountain Hunter Magazine - FALL 2017 |

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Continued From page 43 And with another day, more action was to be had. “I think he’s a shooter,” said Nathan. We dropped off the side of the hill and headed for what looked like a sheer wall of rock, we couldn’t head up the creek, we had no idea where the sheep had gone and coming up the bottom was not an option. I could only hope this ram was waiting somewhere around 300 yards over the top of what we were about to reach. Let’s revisit Lesson Number Two, disappointment hit, the ram was not there. By four o’clock the action was back in our favor and we found two younger rams sleeping 200 yards below us. We snuck past them hoping their “older” buddy was just over the next rise. As luck would have it he was, well kind of, he was just shy of 500 yards at the highest point one could see for miles. He sat there in all his glory, almost as if daring one to come after him, we were set for the shot, it was a long one, but we had a good shot. Nathan reset his scope for that last confirmation of the ram’s stature. Lesson Number Three of sheep hunting; Lesson Number THREE

Even if you work your butt off, give it your all, be patient, and have the drive; you can still have a hunt end in disappointment.

“He is seven, he’s a nice ram, low slung, good length, but he’s seven,” Nathan whispered with the aura of defeat; enter Lesson Number Four; Lesson Number FOUR

A ram is not always the ram.

The next 30 hours brought us nothing but ewes and lambs in our glasses and miles on our boots. It was what happened the next day that changed the hunt and my life forever. We had come to a drainage we had to cross; Nathan was at the bottom enjoying some water as I came down the steep hillside. It was day six on this rocky new world. I had learned to use my trekking poles and check the rocks for movement before trusting my life with them. Without warning the hillside moved, and my ears echoed with the sounds of rocks rolling and crashing. As If I was on the tumble cycle in the dryer I saw the sky, then the rocks, then the sky, then felt the coldness of the creek engulf my face. Then finally like a fish that was being pulled by a hook and line out of the water, I felt myself float upward to my feet, water dripping from my face and upper body. “Are you ok?” yelled Nathan.

“I think so”, I replied. Nearly a year later I can still hear his response like it was yesterday, “Dude, look at your hand!” I looked down it seemed fine; he referenced the other one, I smiled, “I don’t think my fingers looked like that when I woke up this morning.” Let me tell you shock is real. I had three fingers dislocated, one severely, one nasty looking middle finger broke and dislocated, and yet we laughed. I honestly felt no pain. We took some photos, (I’ll spare you, you’re welcome) and unburied Nathan’s pack from the rocks and made a plan. It was too dicey to wait until the AM for a helicopter pick up, camp

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was six miles away and mostly downhill. I was up for it; I still had nine somewhat decent fingers. By 9:30PM we could see the lake of base camp. Shock had worn off, I was limping, could hardly breathe, and my hand felt like it was in a steel vice. As we dropped down the trail from the meat shed to the main part of camp, I could see most of the guys reveling over a pile of sheep horns and caribou racks. They could see my hand strapped to my chest wrapped in blood soiled cloth and the grimace in my eyes. I fought back the tears as they made eye contact with me. They knew of my struggles to find my ram and now could see blow number two, a rash of injuries.

A soft bunk was well received. By morning I realized half of my body was black and blue, my ribs were at best cracked if not broken, and my hand- well I had pretty much written off the rest of my foreseeable shooting days with only nine good fingers. Then Stan informed me that my hunt was far from over; he wouldn’t let me quit, “Get your gear and get loaded, you have six days to get your sheep and moose. We would have to make it count. We headed out to a new spot.

Hours of glassing filled our time, and then suddenly roughly 1,200 yards away, perfectly sky lined, there were three rams.

It did not take years of experience for me to notice one of them, he was bigger and that the curl of his horns dwarfed the two immature rams behind him. This was my ram, this was my time. Nathan verified the ram was exactly what we were after. We decided to wait as there was nothing for them on that barren rock ridge line. The area that was no more than 200 yards in front of us smelled of urine and there was plenty of evidence of bedding. They would be back and we would wait for them even if it took till dark.

Our plan was coming together, we had the two young rams in our sight but not the large ram, they were grazing just out of range for shooting and every few minutes you would see indications that the large ram was just out of sight. Alas, at dark, we watched them bed down roughly 800 yards from our location. Our plan was to creep backwards over the edge, make camp and go to bed, and hit them hard in the morning before they had time to venture off. It was hard to sleep that night. Like every night since the rock slide, my ribs hurt so bad I had to bear hug my pack at night in my tent to prevent rolling on my bad side. My bruises were getting worse and the pain in my hand came and went depending on how occupied my mind was.

Morning brought us disappointment. Our hot bed of sheep was now covered in a light dusting of snow and fresh wolf tracks all over. Lesson Number Five of sheep hunting, Lesson Number FIVE

You don’t always get a sheep.

Continued ON page 47 Mountain Hunter Magazine - FALL 2017 |

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Continued From page 45 At noon, we broke camp and made a new plan; we could see two bulls across the river. It was September 1; opening day of moose, there was still room for hope. Our plan; cross the river, get as far up as we could for a good glassing point for the next morning to find my bull as quick as possible and potentially have one more shot at a ram after getting a moose out. Crossing the river sounds simple until you realize it’s roughly 40 yards across and 200 miles south of the Arctic Ocean. I had broken ribs, a bum hand, and a weakened emotional state. But I also had my guide, Nathan, and we had been through a lot at this point. We were pushing each other and he assured me that we could do it. He went first to take his pack across. He almost went down as struggled in the chest deep water; losing trekking pole number two (the first one is buried in rocks on a mountain). After he made it over, he signaled for me to follow. I felt unable to go alone due to my injuries and well… fear. Nathan crossed back, grabbed a small log and said, “Grab an end, we will do this together”.

Drenched, exhausted and famished, we built a fire and made camp. Moose hunting would wait until the morning since we had hours before we could get to a good viewpoint. By the end of the following night, after a fruitless day of glassing, I went to sleep thinking this just wasn’t my time. A strong dose of reality was setting in. I have celebrated many successes with very few let downs in the past six or seven years, and all good streaks must come to an end.

My eyes opened, “Colin, Colin, get your boots on, bull coming in hot.” I didn’t ask where or what, in just under 45 seconds I was dressed, boots on, rifle in hand and we were running. It was barely light as we rushed down the game trail. Nathan grabbed me by the front of my shirt and stopped me, took his other arm and pointed to the face of the hill in front of us and said he’s there ready for the taking.

Nathan exclaimed, “Take HIM!” I squeezed the trigger on my Christensen Carbon 300WSM. With my eyes closed, I smiled, I felt Nathan’s hands on my shoulders before I could even turn around to high five, the bull dropped in his tracks and just like that everything came back to me. I felt overwhelmed, we had gone through so much and kept on. Nathan was facing towards the area where the bull dropped, “He is back up, he’s running.” And before I could grab my rifle the bull was gone. The next thirteen hours were consumed with scouring the country from every highpoint we could find.

He had to be hit. We had regrouped, dropped down to the river and headed a mile up to make good time to a high point we had seen that morning.

It was 8:00PM now and we had the palm of an antler in our spotting scope, 400 yards away.

The bull lay there in the willows; we could see his head turn every few moments, signaling he was still alive. “Was it my bull, or a completely different animal?” We couldn’t see his right palm; we knew it was “different” it should have had a back kicker and look shorter than the left one. Then the bull stood and he raked the willows, “It’s him!” I shouted in the loudest whisper possible. I handed Nathan my second clip. At 400 yards it was doable shot, but I wasn’t taking any chances. Before Nathan could give me the signal to shoot, I fired, I didn’t close my eyes this time, Whomp, I fired again, whomp, and again whomp. “He is hit! Three times!” Nathan exclaimed. My bull moose was down for good. It was nearly dark. We took some photos and made quick work of cape and prep work for the next day’s field dressing and packing.

Continued ON page 48 Mountain Hunter Magazine - FALL 2017 |

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Continued From page 47 As the chopper came down at base camp there was a parade of hunters and guides waiting for me to grab my gear and gun.

Dinner was waiting for me on the stove, the shower was fired up, and the fire in the cabin stoked. Ten days ago, I didn’t know any of these guys other than Jeff, and yet we were like brothers.

I told the story of the past four days, the ups and downs, to the crew. They could hardly believe what we had gone through.

Jeff wondered how I could shoot with my hand beat up and my finger in a visual state not recognizable as a finger. My response: “Sometimes it only takes nine!” Before a night cap with the boys, Stan came into the cook shack and informed me that Nathan and I would head out of camp on foot before dawn with packs. We had to call him for a pick up no later than 9:00AM on Wednesday to make it out on the charter by 1:00PM. Tuesday was the hardest day. At this point I was pretty beat up, my injuries were taking their toll and my mind was set that if I couldn’t see white on the far ridge we would look somewhere else, but by early afternoon, reality was setting in, time was running out. I went through many stages of emotions as we crossed two or three drainages very similar to the one that six days earlier had taken my spirits and my strength. We saw several caribou, a few nice bulls, and two immature rams. Of course we put every effort into the stalk on them to ensure there wasn’t a shooter hiding among the rocks with them. Day 11 began to expire as well as our options. Nathan and I shared a few looks that we both understood, it was time, and the hunt was over. If we hoofed it hard we could make the edge of the lake by dark and finish the last two hours with headlamps. By the time we hit camp, it was nearly midnight. We had put 22 miles in over the past 17 hours, I could not feel my feet, I was so exhausted food didn’t taste good.

After multiple flights, I began the long drive home; questions ran wild in my head. Would I have done it differently? Would I ever be back? Was I cut out for sheep hunting? That is when it hit me. Lesson Number Six of sheep hunting; Lesson Number SiX

All it takes is all you got, never give up!

My time will come again; in fact, as I finish this account of my journey, I have planned a return hunt in August of 2018. It will be different, I’ll be different, the guides will be different (Stan won’t, I am sure of that!). I have learned a lot in life through hunting and my time in the wilds of the north, and one thing is for sure… after the bruises disappear, the wounds heal, and the meat is gone, I will hear the mountains calling for me again.

Editor’s Note: You can reach Mackenzie Mountain Outfitters at 250-719-8340, or at www.mmo-stanstevens.com

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by Bri Van Scotter

OR

Predator

rey P

Prey is an interesting word to a hunter. Prey is, an animal that is hunted by another for food, and it is the act of seizing or attacking. As I read the definition of the word prey I come to realize that I can associate with both meanings of the word.Â

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I

t was the search for pure organic food that led me to become a hunter. I started “Wilderness to Table” with the main goal of seeking out prey for consumption. Never had I thought that one day I could be the prey. But that all changed the moment my plane landed in Vancouver airport. As I loaded my gear into the car and journeyed my way to the mountains of the Fraser Valley, British Columbia, my thoughts were consumed with one goal- don’t be the prey. That beautiful and scenic ride brought me to bear camp where I was greeted by my guide Kiff Covert of Covert Outfitting to embark on my first Canadian Black Bear hunt. As I settled in and we chatted fireside about what the upcoming days had in store for us, my heart became equally nervous and excited. Kiff explained how it had been a late winter and that he hadn’t seen a lot of movement with the bears, so our hunt could be more difficult than we originally planned. As we wrapped up the evening and headed back to our tents, I double-checked my rifle, my only weapon against not being prey to a black bear, which had been a fear of mine since the day I booked the hunt. I jokingly asked Kiff if I should have updated my life insurance prior to this hunt. He laughed and assured me that I was in good hands.

we set out on my first ever bear hunt. Driving along the rough back roads, Kiff seemed to have a sixth sense. He slowed down to show me tracks, fresh scat and bear signs. Signs I never would have known were there without his expertise. With increasing bear activity my nervousness intensified. I was thankful for his knowledge of the area and wildlife which presented a wonderful learning experience. Witnessing Kiff in his element was truly watching someone ‘do what they were meant to do’; one couldn’t help being impressed by that.

Binoculars at the ready and dirt clouds behind us, our journey to see bear thus far has not worked in our favor. Keeping positive we headed back to camp to enjoy a leisurely lunch.

With full bellies we headed back out, this time to a meadow Kiff felt might be a popular hangout for black bear. With my rifle on my shoulder, we got out of the Jeep to hike into the meadow that was lined with fruit trees, old kitchen appliances and an old car that had clearly become a practice target. This may have been a homestead many years ago. Then with silent excitement Kiff showed me day old bear scat. He was right, bears were certainly hanging out in this meadow, they just

weren’t present now. It was in that moment, without the The next morning, I woke up with excitement, threw on my protection of a vehicle, that I felt as though I was the prey. A gear and headed to the cabin for breakfast. Chatting about bear could have appeared around a tree or across the meadow what the day held for us, Kiff explained that we would scout at any given moment. Being my first bear hunt, would I be for bears most of the day and plan on hunting in the later nervous, apprehensive or steady when I encountered a afternoon. Soon after, my rifle was packed away in the Jeep for the journey, and that nervous excitement hit me hard as Continued ON page 54

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Continued From page 53 bear? I hadn’t a clue! Back home I never had to worry about could make a 300 yard shot. The bear stopped, and as soon as whitetail going on the attack. And certainly, pheasants and he did I warned Kiff and said “shooting”. Without a nervous turkey never viewed me as their prey. This was all new to me. part in me, I pulled the trigger, muscle memory kicked in and I quickly chambered a new round. And before I could find Later that evening as we gathered for dinner, we talked about the bear in my scope again Kiff shouted “You got him!” I then our game plan for the following day. Day one of our seven-day realized that I had just taken my first bear of the season, the hunt had been not all uneventful; it provided us with great first bear we saw and did it with my first round. information as to what we should be doing the next day. With a plan to head in a different direction, we spent the evening High fives and cheers started flowing immediately! Only with hunting stories and Canadian beer. hunters understand this feeling. All the preparation, practice and patience came together seamlessly. Okay, well maybe Knowing that bears don’t like to wake up early, we followed not as seamlessly as I had hoped. On top of the many firsts, suit and all had a slow-moving morning the next day. With the I had also experienced my first scope bite. I was so focused Jeep all packed up with our necessary gear, we piled back in on the bear and making an ethical shot that I didn’t take into and took the one-hour expedition into a new territory. Slowly consideration the angle at which I was shooting. I’m told it is driving along, eyes on the lookout, we began to chat about common, but still embarrassing. bears. Kiff shared a story of a close encounter with a grizzly. In shock, I listened intensely then suddenly Kiff stopped the Jeep After the excitement died down, we noticed that we were and in a loud whisper said, “there’s a bear, grab your gun”! running out of daylight. Per Kiff’s recommendation we Taken off guard I followed directions and quickly loaded my decided to come back early the next morning to retrieve my rifle with three rounds. Kiff grabbed his pack and threw it on bear. We covered up the bear with a tarp. Fearing a grizzly the ground for me to use to steady my gun. It was a long shot would take my bear, Kiff left a sweaty t-shirt on top as well, in but I got myself into position. As I scoped the bear he was hopes the scent would deter a grizzly bear. moving and I just didn’t feel comfortable in the position I was Morning came and we happily headed out to my bear. After in. We walked down a ditch looking for a better opportunity. a strenuous hike, I was soon sitting beside my bear. Pictures Kiff laid down his pack again I positioned myself to shoot up were quickly taken to mark the occasion. Then we began a steep rocky mountain. “Hold low and shoot when you’re processing and after a couple of hours my bear was packed ready,” Kiff started reading off the yards “268”, “270”. Then and we returned to the truck.

I heard “276” and I had a clear shot. I Back at camp, the second guide Trevor was at the ready to had memorized my ballistics help us salt the hide. With the meat in the freezer, Trevor and I knew I worked on the hide. With craftsman precision, he removed all the excess fat, bones and rubbed salt across the hide. We called it a day, and headed back to the cabin for supper. We toasted to taking my first bear, the first of the season and to a successful hunt! I however, was most excited about not being prey to a black bear.

This hunt was an unforgettable one, but most of all it provided meat for my table. Pure organic protein, the very thing I set out to get! This bear will grace my table in many forms of dishes. And will continue to bring me memories as I share those dishes with family and friends, thus the true essence of “Wilderness to Table”.

But this all could not have come together without the guidance, knowledge and patience of a wonderful guide!

Thank you, Kiff Covert.

Editor’s Note: You can reach Covert Outfitting at 250-469-3648, or visit their website at www.covertoutfitting.com

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CAMP COOK’S

Corner

Bear Pierogies with Caramelized Onions

by Bri Van Scotter of Wilderness to Table www.wildernesstotable.com

Directions: To make the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, sour cream, water, olive oil, and salt. Add the flour and stir to combine. Place the dough onto a floured work surface and gently knead just until the dough comes together. Add a tablespoon of flour if the dough feels too sticky. Do not overwork the dough. Transfer the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest for 30 minutes.

Ingredients: Dough: • 1 large egg

• 2 tsp olive oil

• 1/4 cup sour cream

• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp water

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

For the filling: • 2 tbsp unsalted butter

• 1 potato, cubed and cooked

• 1 small yellow onion, quartered and thinly sliced

• 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 large garlic clove, minced • 1/2-pound Bear meat, ground

• 1 tsp granulated sugar

(I ground ½ pound bear backstrap

• ¼ cup Port Wine

with 2 tablespoons of Beef Tallow)

For assembling and browning: • 1 large egg, beaten • 2 tbsp unsalted butter • 1 tsp water

• 2 tbsp olive oil

Caramelized Onions: • 2 Yellow Onions, sliced thin • 3 tbsp butter • 1 tsp Kosher Salt Condiments: • Sour Cream

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• Italian Parsley, chopped

Mountain Hunter Magazine - FALL 2017

To make the filling: In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, 1 teaspoon salt, and the sugar and cook until caramelized and brown, about 10 minutes. Add the port wine and stir to coat. Add the potato cubes, thyme, garlic and bear meat. Raise the heat to mediumhigh. Cook, stirring to break up the meat until its cooked through.

Season with salt and pepper.

To assemble and cook: Line 2 baking sheets with parchment and dust with flour. On a floured work surface, roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thick. Using a 3-inch biscuit or round cookie cutter, cut out as many rounds as possible.

Press the scraps together, roll out the dough again, and repeat. You should get about 20 rounds.

Fill each pierogi with a scant 1 tablespoon of filling. Brush the edge of half the round lightly with the egg wash. Fold the round in half, pressing the edges together and crimping them to seal. Transfer the pierogies to the flour-dusted baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining rounds.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pierogi in batches, and cook until tender and they float to the top, 12 to 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain.

To serve, warm half the butter and half the olive oil together in a large frying pan over medium heat. Fry the pierogi in batches until golden brown on both sides, adding more butter and olive oil as needed.

Serve with caramelized onions, sour cream and chopped parsley.

Caramelized Onions: In a cast iron skillet, add the onions, butter and salt. On medium –high heat cook the onions till they are golden brown. Stirring throughout for approximately 20 minutes.

Coastal Black Bear Special

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Mountain Hunter Magazine - FALL 2017 |

57

Darwin & Wendy Cary 5615 Deadpine Drive Kelowna, BC V1P 1A3

Tel: (250) 491-1885 Cell: (250) 859 4327 Email: info@scooplake.com www.scooplake.com

David Harrison with first ram of 2015 WE HUNT:

Stone Sheep, Moose, Goat, Caribou, Elk, Grizzly Bear, Black Bear & Wolf WE FISH:

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BRUCE & TERRY AMBLER 250.459.2367 Clinton, BC Canada 58 |

Mountain Hunter Magazine - FALL 2017

k e e r C e s r o Packh

OUTFITTERS

The Flathead River is home to elk, mule deer, black bear, Shiras moose, grizzly bear, mountain goats, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, wolves, cougar and lynx. Packhorse Creek Outfitters offers both single special and combination hunts for all indicated species.

Tel/Fax 250.425.0711 5779 Lower Elk Valley Road, Sparwood, British Columbia Canada V0B 2G3 packhorsecrk@elkvalley.net • www.packhorsecreek.com

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Visit www.ec.gc.ca/rcom-mbhr/ to get yours now!

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Migratory game bird hunting permits for 2017 are available from August 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018.

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For more information, you can reach the Canadian Wildlife Service at 351 St-Joseph Boul., 16th floor, Gatineau, QC K1A 0H3

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ec.permisscf-cwspermit.ec@canada.ca 1-855-869-8670

www.bclogcabins.com Mountain Hunter Magazine - FALL 2017 |

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I wonder if the old-time outfitters ever figured we would be here? More and more members of BC’s urban society are actively voicing their opinions about what we do in the back country. Protesting rodeo events, discontinuing natural resource development and ending the lawful hunting of grizzly bears are all topics many in urban British Columbia feel the need to pass judgment on. Liking and sharing images combed from the internet from fake news to boost the emotional appeal entices others to chime in. It is important for urban residents to understand rural BC before imposing their philosophies on us. We are hoping BC’s new government will take the time to understand and address the habitat issues that have been long outstanding and embrace the science of wildlife management including the balance between consumptive and non-consumptive users.

come. It is my opinion that these fires are in part a result of post-pine beetle logging. Possibly this is mother nature’s way of enforcing a hard reset for BC’s habitat management. Three times the annual allowable cut (72,014,933 m3 is the Annual Allowable Cut in BC) has burned during the month of July with no measurable rain forecasted. Perhaps we can look at this wildfire season as an opportunity to do better and not repeat mistakes. If we want to do what is right for habitat and wildlife, we will allow recovery to happen naturally and not replant or spray herbicides on the burnt areas.

The NDP government vowed during their campaign to end the trophy hunting of grizzly bears garnering favour with anti-hunters and some urban voters. These groups are now demanding fulfillment of the campaign promise instead of

To make these tough decisions about the environment we will need unity between urban and rural citizens. There are many urban residents embracing the hunter gatherer culture in BC with a desire towards holistic environment management responding to the present emergency, the wildfire situation including habitat restoration to support not only big game but and opportunities for change once the fires are out. Many fish, game birds and bees, to support the health of all British rural residents of BC have lost their homes and businesses. Columbians. Our unified voices are the only way to effect change.

They have been evacuated and displaced until they can return home. Others have been choking on the smoke and ash, doing When outfitters are in our basecamps, we miss how rapidly everything they can to protect their homes while volunteering our province is changing. We exist in a state of suspended and helping to support the firefighters and communities. animation until we pick up a newspaper or return to Residents of the greater Vancouver are also breathing the smartphone reception. We must not continue to fight amongst smoky air that has drifted down from the interior resulting each other as a province. The Guide Outfitters of BC continue to be the voice of stewardship in the province. They understand in air quality worse than that of Beijing, China. the importance of wildlife and habitat management and the Long-time members of the ranching and back-country role of guide outfitters as citizen scientists in the back country. communities have been warning that these fires would If you have any historical stories you would like to share, please email info@bcguideoutfitters.com

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Mountain Hunter Magazine - FALL 2017

FOR THOSE WHO TRULY

ANSWER THE CALL OF THE WILD

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