One Trip Wonder — My First Moose Hunt in Central British Columbia
A short summary of events, pictures, and tips from my first moose hunt in central British Columbia.
It was a crew of 4 and everyone's first-time moose hunting. Kalin, Will, Harondel, and I all lived within 10 minutes from each other in Vancouver and worked in tech. Not a surprise, considering the city is the Silicon Valley of the North.
The night before the LEH (Limited Entry Hunt) application deadline, it was a scramble to get ourselves organized to enter for a moose group draw. With all of us being relatively new to hunting, our odds of winning were good. The thought of coming home with an enormous ungulate was appealing. Will and Kalin have young families to feed, while Harondel follows a strict carnivore diet. I couldn't wait to have enough wild game to host elaborate dinner parties year-round.
Our hunch was correct; we had won the group hunt. The four of us frantically jumped onto a group video call to review our gear list and possible dates for the trip. Deciding to hunt during the rut for 10 days was nearly mission impossible between our packed schedules.
The day came to hit the road; the first stop was Will's ranch, Singing Lands, to pick up a burrowed wall tent and wood stove. We decided it was wise to spend the night before continuing on our trip with another 8-hour drive to basecamp.
The morning after, everyone took turns cramming all the gear into two trucks. Kalin and I packed minimal as if we were backpacking. While Will and Harondel bought enough stuff to support an entire village.
Arriving at the designated management unit, our priority was to set up camp. After securing a wall tent, stove, and cots, we hit the network of forest service roads. The goal was to cover as much ground as possible, become familiar with the land, and suss out all the swampy areas we had scouted out on google earth.
From the road, we glassed up a vast swampy opening past some evergreens. Strapping on gaiters, I followed the squad out into the clearing towards a grouping of trees. The generous greenery would make good camouflage as we attempt to call in curious creatures. Trying to gain as many vantage points as possible, we scattered into 4 quadrants.
Tiptoeing to my assigned spot, I see a ladder made out of small logs. To my astonishment, an enormous stand about two floors high, built between a cluster of spruces emerged into my line of vision. I had doubts about the structure and let the boys go up first while I glassed from the ground.
After about 20 minutes of belting out cow calls, an animal had stepped out about 215 yards directly in front of us. Scrambling closer to better look through my binoculars. The guys heard my excitement and realized a potential moose was in our sights.
Will had the best shooting position on the tree stand. Although buck fever took over, and I heard nervous muttering before the blast of a shot. Having had my eyes glued on the bull the entire time, I was confused when the being didn't flinch.
Moments later, Will whisper down to me, "hey, wanna take a shot?" Keen to not come home empty-handed because we all pulled some serious strings to make this hunt happen. I crawled into a squatting position and found a 3-inch clearing in the willow branches. I popped open my scope covers, lifted my rifle, took a deep breath, and squeezed the trigger.
With ears ringing, I struggled to focus and look for the animal through the scope. To my distress, there was no sign of the bull. Giving it about 15 minutes, we started picking our way through the swamp and approached the point where we thought the moose was standing. To our relief and moral's comfort, we observed a lifeless form.
Bright foamy blood from the mouth floated on top of the murky water, indicating a lung shot. Because the body was so heavy, we had no choice but to start skinning and quartering in the swamp. The mosquitoes were relentless, but the moose was relatively small-bodied, making it a swift job.
After we finished skinning, quartering, deboning, and cleaning the organs, clouds covered the night sky, making it impossible to see without headlamps. With exhaustion kicking in fast, we were determined to pack all the meat in one go; a one-trip wonder.
I was excited to have the honour of carrying the skull, but even with help, I couldn't get up on my feet. On the second attempt, we filled my pack with a front quarter and bag of loose meat. Once I successfully upright, two sets of hands helped roped on the skull to my pack frame while I steadied myself with trekking poles. Under all the weight, I instantly started sinking into the ground. It was gonna be one hell of a journey getting back to the trucks.
Bless our souls, we were only about 600 yards from where we parked, but the swamp had crippled us. We had to stop trekking only 5 minutes into the pack out. At one point, Will's gumboots filled with water, Kalin was about to lose a boot, and Harondel was waist-deep in mud. I had fallen on my back, with legs kicking in the air like a tortoise on its shell. We couldn't help but laugh out loud from despair.
Once back at camp, too tired to do much beyond change into dry clothes and inhale a freeze-dried dinner. We left the meat in a single layer, on flatted cardboard boxes, protected by game bags in the bed of Kalin's truck. The next day, we were graced with crisp blue skies. We got out the chain saw and went to work building a sturdy meat pole. Having a chain saw was a game-changer!
While the boys debated over how to secure the logs, I slipped away to debone the moose skull. Saving the cheeks and tongue I prepared a 3-course moose meat feast of tenderloin tartare, fire-roasted backstrap, and moose head stew.
We took turns rotating the meat daily, and a few strategically placed tarps provided shelter from the slew of weather patterns. Despite the rain, slush, and sun, the meat stayed fresh for six days.
While we didn't take a second animal on the trip, many memorable moments were made. There was a second encounter with a large-bodied spike at 90 yards, but the young moose caught wind of us before Kalin could get him dialled in on his scope.
We also overlooked a black bear trailing towards our gut pile. With the grass being hip-high, no one took notice of the bear until he was 20 yards from where I was savouring my morning snacking. Let’s say the furry fella looked equally surprised when I jumped up, rifle in hand, shouting at the top of my lungs, “BEAR!”
Hunting is even more rewarding when you're able to forage for meals. Clusters of hedgehog mushrooms in their prime were found on mossy forest floors. Confirming its edibility with a fungi pocketbook, they were a welcomed addition to our dinners. The final surprise came on the last evening. While chasing a trail of warm droppings, a well-hidden cabin by a picturesque lake emerged.
Heading back to Singing Lands, we were longing to sleep on real beds. Although it's not over till it's over. The morning after, Kalin and I forced ourselves out of our cozy cabins, making a last attempt to bag a deer with little success.
Taking in the dewy pink morning, we slowly made our way back to the ranch to start butchering. It took at least 6 hours to trim, wrap, and label all the meat. Not wanting to spend another day away from home and our loved ones, we made it back to Vancouver that very day, on the tenth day of our grand adventure.
Hunting Photos
Below is a collection of photos from my 10-day adventure.
Hunting Game Changers
Going into my third year hunting, I like the challenge of keeping my pack light and savouring nature’s lifetime of lessons. Here are some new items I’ve added this year on my hunt that were game-changers. Hope you find these thoughts helpful too!
An online Eatwild course on moose calling
Puffy pants and gloves for glassing on cold mornings
A lightweight sleeping cot making cold nights bearable
A merino neck gaiter that doubled as a sleeping eye mask for afternoon naps
Chain saw to cut logs for meat pole.
A Yeti Cooler, the hype is real; this kept the moose organs cold for 10 days
Extra gas, we were 4 hours from the nearest gas station.
A vast assortment of flavoured tuna packets, cured meats, hard cheeses, crackers, and olives; variety is the spice of life!
A camp stove with two full-size burners for faster group dinners
A mushroom guidebook for identifying edible fungi for hot camp meals
Happy to answer any questions you may have or connect you to resources I’ve found helpful over the years. Just leave me a comment, shoot me an email, or message me on Instagram @chasingfoodclub.
Happy Hunting!
Jenny
