Hunting Tales Yukon Winter 2007/2008 Retrospective Memories

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Hunting tales…2007/2008

The Tourist season was winding down and the temperatures was starting to drop close to freezing . The days were already getting shorter and we were getting accepted by the small community as “local newcomers”. They where just as exited to meet us as we where meeting our new friends and neighbours. Getting to know everyone made me to feel like this was the best thing that could have happened. Iloved the little town and life felt like an adventure. Even going to the store was exiting. First we would take either the four-wheeler or hiked down to the river where Holly had his boat tied. We would cross the river and float down a few miles to Dawson, where everything was accessible by foot or bicycle. There were so many outside activities and since there was lots to do to get ready for a Yukon Winter in a dry cabin we started to cut firewood, got winter gear from the free store and also planed to go Moose hunting with Holly. Holly and I converted his riverboat into a little gipsy boat with a plywood roof and tarps that could be rolled down as walls. We also installed a little woodstove so it would be cozy and warm to spend a few days on the boat.

Holly had planed to go upriver to his lucky spot where he had shot a moos before. I had gotten some warm shoes that would be keeping me comfortable even in 50 below and we packed the gear we needed for a few days expecting the temperatures to drop just below freezing. It was getting cold on the river at the end of September and by the time we arrived at his lucky spot we were both close to hypothermia from the icy cold wind-chill. We quickly made a big fire to get warmed up and setting up camp for our first night on the river.

The next morning we tide up the boat just a bit upriver and started to explore the island we had landed on. There were lots of moose tracks but we did not see any. Holly thought me how to imitate the moose calls of the bulls and cows to lure them in and hopefully get lucky harvesting one. We were sitting around not making a sound, at different spots all over the Island, called and looked for any signs of moose. It was quiet, the only sound was from the river that slowly found it way around the many islands and sandbanks. We would hear a leave falling of a tree a hundred feet away. It was surprising to me how much noise a single falling leave makes . But we couldn’t find any Moose just plenty sings of it like tracks and shit. We had scouted some of the islands nearby and at dusk moved the boat into the slough and hiked back to the camp.

Hungry and tired we started to chop wood and made lots of noise with pots and pans preparing dinner. We were laughing and relaxed a bit from being on the lookout all day long. We could not believe it when we saw a enormous bull with two cows stepped out of the woods not fifty yards from, as to us to check out what the noise was all about. Holly dove for his riffle and got closer but although he was just maybe 30 yards from the bull that was just standing there and watched us it was almost dark and if the shot would not have killed and just injured the bull there was no chance of following the trail. So Holly did the right thing and did not risk it. It was tempting, but at least we knew where they were hiding. During the night we heard him calling and then we heard a response of an other bull getting closer. We even heard some crashing of a fight and we could hardly wait for the first light. We were up early and went all over the Island again we waited for hours at certain spots but again… nothing. Once we saw a moose crossing a meadow coming toward us but he disappeared without a trace. Holly was getting frustrated a bit and we decided to take the boat for a spin around and check out some other nearby islands. Not a single moose was in sight. After burning up some precious fuel we headed back to Holly’s lucky spot. Getting closer to land Holly spotted a cow on the island and handed me the binoculars. After looking for a while I asked him: Since when do cows have little sticks on their head. Surprised he took the glasses from me and checked closer. It was a bull and a young and tender one too. Since we were not on the hunt for a trophy but for the meat that would feed us all through the winter it was perfect for us.

The young and inexperienced bull was grazing in the open and seamed not to worry about rut season. We landed the boat a little upriver and slowly got closer hiding behind driftwood piles. I stayed back a bit and watched Holly get closer for the shot. Carefully aiming he pulled the trigger and I saw the Moose drop like a rock. Yeah we got one I screamed and ran to catch up with Holly. He stopped me and warned don’t get closer you never know… And in the same instance the animal got back up on his feet. Holly took aim, shot and the bull did literally a flip over his head but got up again and started to head in to the bushes. Holly tried to stop him but must have missed and then he was out of bullets. Shit, get my backpack we have to get him. And he was running after the moose. As fast as I could I ran back to the boat that was further than I thought fetched the backpack and followed the blood trail into the bush. The trail was leading us across the island and we found him standing knee high in the Yukon with his head down low. As soon as he noticed us stepping out of the bush he started to head in deeper and swimming across the river. Shit that was not good there was not really anywhere to go. I gave Holly his backpack and he sent me back to get the boat. Since I thought that I knew where we were I wanted to cross the island in the shorted possible way since the light was already starting to fade and headed into the direction of the boat. Holly however told me to go back the same way we just came and so I did. It was a long run and my super warm shoes were starting to heat up to the point I thought me feet were getting cooked. Totally out of breath I finally reached the boat got it started and was trying to figure out what the best possible way was to get to the other side. Probably through the slough. I maneuvered the boat a little upriver and into the slough and followed it downstream to where I expected Holly waiting for me. But I could not find him. I was almost at the end of the island by now and still there was no Holly. It was getting dark now and I figured that either I was on the wrong side or Holly had followed the moose somewhere else. So I turned around back where I just came from and tried into the other direction. Finally I saw a little fire on the beach and holly standing there, shaking his head and asking where I had been going? I heard you coming around the bent and fired even a couple shots in the air. If you would have come around the tip you would have seen me, he sad. I was totally confused and realized that we did not cross the island in pursuit of the moose but made just a big U and were coming out on the same side. I felt like an idiot and did not know what to say. He informed me that the moose made it on to the other side of the river on to a little sandbank below the steep rock wall. There was nowhere to go from there. We hoped into the boat and followed as soon he saw us approaching he went back into the water but being faster with the boat we forced him back on land and holly was finally able to release him from his suffering. This was not the way we had hoped and my friend Holly felt terrible.

We did a little ceremonial thanking to the animal and then the work began. We had to butcher the animal on this little sandbank since it was way to heavy to move whole. We gutted and quartered it cut the head of but left the fur on in order to keep the meet cleaner. Since it was below freezing temperatures we were not to worried about the meat spoiling. It would cool fast and there were no flies around We loaded everything into the front of the boat covered it with tarps and decided it was a save place to spent the night right were we were. Exhausted we finally had some dinner and crawled into our sleeping bags.

The next morning we untied the boat and let the river take us back to Dawson. We were almost out of gas and saved the rest just for emergencies and navigating if necessary. So it was a very peaceful and quiet ride back and we chatted about our hunting adventure…especially about the part were I got lost. Drifting down on the river we spotted a huge bull standing broad side facing us not even twenty yards from us and not move a muscle. He had a big rack on his head and looked very impressive. He probably was twice as heavy as the young fellow we had in the boat but we were happy with what we had and glad not to have to shoot such a beautiful animal in his prime. Just a little further down we were checked out by a ranger making his rounds and had a pleasant little chat with him, He had filmed the bull we had just come across and showed us the footage. We kept on floating all the way to Dawson where we already were expected. The girls had spotted our gipsy boat from the outlook above Sunnydale and made it just in time to pick us and our load up. Koya was very interested in all those new smells of moose and blood. After hanging the meat into the barn for a few days we still had to butcher and pack the meet for freezing. We stored it in the freezer in town until the outside temperatures would say below freezing. The Fall up here in the north was short and Winter was upon us. The themperatures where dropping and we had to be ready for freeze-up.

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