Home is where my pack is laid

No moose yet but enjoying this. Past 3 days out. Town tomorrow then gone again.  See daylight ease in in the morning see darkness ease in in the evening. Lots of sign. Dancing around with the moose. Close yet so far.

In solitude  I find peace.

Funny thing about hunting

As in peculiar.
There are many stereotypes about hunters. Fat old rural guys who swill beer and roadhunt, who blast away at anything .
Nowadays there is the trend of the athletic hunter who have the latest ultralight gear by Kuiu, Sitka or such. (all great gear). This new hunting is viewed as an athletic event in which you win by killing a trophy animal. The hunter against the elements, the mountain, outsmarting the animal.
 I love to be in the wilds whether back backing, back country skiing,trail running or fishing or hunting. Hunting is what I love to do the most though in the back country
When I kill an animal or even a few birds I am glad to have been "successful". I don't feel like I have won though, I feel humbled. It is hard to me to articulate about I feel about hunting but it is not a sport. Is something much older, much deeper than that. It is, if it is true hunting, immersion in the wild and a true trip back through time.
It is from where we as humans have come and some of us for a while want to go back to.

snow

snow and more snow. We are supposed to have a thaw this weekend . Hope so

Time to get off the open ground and get into the timber in the bottoms

Moose hang up in these copses until winter. Winter is here now snow pilling up moose gone to timber and I will be going to woods as well. It will be good to get out of the wind.
Snow is starting to pile up. This was yesterday on highway. Fair bit of snow falling and wind forecast for this afternoon. I have seen this road close for weeks in winter

Going through a few old pictures

day 1 moose hunting

Cold, hard crusted snow, wind.No sign of moose or other hunters. Needed snow shoes for crossing barrens didn't have them. Was surprised at amount of snow where I hunt.Back out today with the snow shoes. Will take a few pictures next time

Hunting

ATV's, the trend for long range shooting, high tech gear. Whats next drones for scouting? This stuff is not hunting, its war on wildlife. The animals and country deserve more respect. What happened to woodsmanship?
I posted this video before, here is the full video by Clay Hayes

There is no hunting without uncertainty.

Backcountry Hunters and Anglers

Any local hunters who visit the blog have any interest in starting a provincial chapter? There is one in BC.

http://www.backcountryhunters.org/

Going to give this a month first

Older pictures. I need a new camera

Dogs getting a well deserved rest

I am laying down the shotgun and picking up the rifle. Time for moose hunting. Backcountry solitary moose hunting is tough work but the rewards are great. As I posted here before  before though the problem is not getting one but getting one where you can get him out. I use a canoe or boat to get them out. I hate road hunting and atv's. It usually takes a couple of days for me to get my animal out.

The bull pictured is one I shot a quite a few years ago miles from the nearest road.

I have an either sex licence but will not shoot a cow with a calf. 

We have a long moose season here it runs from the First Saturday of October to the last Sunday in January.  

I love moose beautiful animals to me and they are big part of my life. Like seeing them all year long. I was pretty close to a couple last week bird hunting

Moose hunting here soon

Access by boat and canoe. Lots of sign and I have seen a few bird hunting

Sam

Poor old Sam is getting old. He is 12 now and still going hard all day. Probably last year for hard hunting. I remember when a fall seemed to last forever now the 12-14 years of a bird dogs life seems as quick as the passing of a cloud. I have been bird hunting every day the weather permits , havent picked up the rifle yet. For Sam. Going to have another week bird hunting then going to look for a moose. Fair bit a sign around and after seeing a few moose. I NEED the meat so going to go at it soon

Light and warmth in the cold and dark

Real hunting Clay Hayes

Back and getting ready to go again.

Moose can wait

It is good to chase worthwhile things

This is an older picture. 

I find that hunting is one of few things in life that actually lives up to the anticipation leading up to it. I love the solitude of being in the woods or on the barrens with only my dogs for company not seeing another human being or the trash that mankind generates.  I have paid much for this freedom in the country every fall. Being in the woods is not always pleasant, it can be hard at times with rough weather but it is worth something to me that I cannot put into words. There is not much better than being somewhere doing something that makes you feel so joyful in being fully alive.  Chasing career or money is not how I want to waste my life.

Counting your blessings

A rifle, shotgun, knife, ax,pot,pan, tent with woodstove ,jeep, a couple of bird dogs, freighter canoe with small outboard. 19 weeks of accumulated leave.
Seasons open tomorrow. What more could a man want?

Less than a week

4 more days to work. 

I have had enough of the contrived world. 

3 more weeks

Running the dogs every chance I get. 3 more weeks until start of bird season. A bit more than a month for moose. Going to after moose with long bow this year

Evening with the dogs

Nice quiet evening with the dogs

Great to get away from the artificial world for a while.

Cheap phone pics. Have to take camera next time .Soon be bird season

Yep

The danger of civilization,of course is, that you will piss your life away on nonsense

Jim Harrison

Survival

Soon

The Trouble With The World

Too many people,too many rules,not enough blank spaces on the map

3 weeks to running dogs

In three weeks it will be time to start running the dogs on the barrens to get them ready for fall. Have  moose tags. Trouting and salmon fishing the next few weeks. It has been a busy year with lots of changes, looking forward to a break

couple of others

clearing out phone pics

South coast