Sue took us for a flight to Milford Sound today in her 172. It was a beautiful day for flying and the scenery was spectacular.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
Back from Tahr camp
Just got back from tahr camp and we had an amazing trip. We put a big old bull to bed the day we arrived there and we managed to locate him the following morning, albeit much higher up the mountain. Vanessa put him down with one shot to the heart at 337 yards. We got back to camp about one o'clock, had a quick bite to eat and were headed back up another mountain by two. Our plan was to put another bull to bed for the following morning but around four o'clock we spotted a really good bull about 700 yards above us. We got within 334 yards and I put him down with one shot to the chest. We got back to the truck just after dark.
Bears Are HERE
Went out with a buddy late this aft to go check trail cams and the bait situation. I was pretty disappointed to find the first bait untouched other than the Raven's who have pretty much cleaned up a beaver. On the way to the second bait it got worse someone has moved in right beside me even though I'm posted in the area. looked at his bait as it only 20 yards off the trial and it was untouched. We went into the second bait site and to my surprise it had been hit. There was a bear on camera that we wanted to get a better look at so we sat for the night. By 8pm it was snowing hard and real windy we sat till dark at 915 with nothing showing up it was a long Cold 15km quad out!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Finally a chamois down
We put a good chamois to bed the evening after Vanessa killed her fallow buck but we were unable to locate him the following morning. After a bit of hiking we located a group of nannies and kids and after watching them for a while, a buck showed up to check them out. They were on the far side of a big canyon in some very steep cliffs. Our only option was to make our way down the slope and shoot across the canyon. The closest we could get was 412 yards. I found a fairly comfortable position to shoot from and managed to put the buck down. It took us nearly an hour to get over to the buck and we had to negotiate some very steep cliffs. He is a beautiful 9" buck.
I'd definitely rate hunting free-range chamois on foot as one of the most difficult hunts I've ever done. I know I've gained a whole new respect for this diminutive trophy. We are headed a few hours north today in search of tahr. We'll be back in a few days to let you know how we made out.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Big Buck Down
Gerald took us out this morning and it didn't take long to find a really big fallow buck. He was across a big ravine but Vanessa pulled off a perfect 300 yard shot. We are going to take a look for chamois this afternoon and hopefully find some to make a play on tomorrow. Then we are headed north in search of tahr. What a fabulous trip so far and it's only day three.
A Miss and a Hit
The day started out in search of chamois and we saw about 19 of them scattered throughout the mountains. We finally got within 165 yards of one and I pulled a first on camera; I missed. I shot right over his back. We got back to the truck around 4:00 and Duncan wanted to check out a spot for rams. We found one big ram but he spooked and stopped at 370 yards. Vanessa put him down with one shot. We are both exhausted but will be up early chasing fallow deer tomorrow.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Big Stag Down
The day started off in search of arapowa rams but after a tough hike we only found a couple small rams so Duncan suggested we go look for some red stag and fallow deer in the afternoon. After another tough climb we found two stags and four hinds. We videoed the biggest stag for quite a while before I decided to take him and he fell on the spot with one shot from the 270WSM. Tomorrow we are off in search of chamois.
Friday, April 22, 2011
What a beatiful day
We hiked up Mount Iron today to loosen the legs up a bit and then headed in to Wanaka to check out the sights. It rained overnight but was +20 today. The weather looks great for the next week. The hunt starts tomorrow. We'll be hunting with Duncan for a couple days then with Gerald for the rest of the trip. Sounds like arapowa ram is first on the hit list! The lodge is very cozy and Gerald and Sue are wonderful hosts. What a great start to the season.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
We made it to New Zealand
We arrived in Wanaka safe and sound today. All the flights and connections went without a hitch. We start hunting on Sunday. It sounds like arapowa ram are first on the list. Tomorrow we are going to go for a hike and check out Wanaka then it's hunting for the next 11 days. It sounds like the stags and fallow deer are in full rut so it should be pretty exciting.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Bighorn Ram Mount
Friday, April 15, 2011
Spring Bear season starter
Went out on Tuesday and Wednesday this week to get my 2 bear baits moved in. After wrangling with the deep snow and one incident with a winch that had me leave the tub trailer in the bush over night. I finally finished getting them in at noon on Wednesday. Didn't see any bear tracks but did cut a few loan wolf tracks and one big ol male cougar track. Cant wait to see what the next couple weeks bring.
I'll will keep you up dated!
Matt
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Devil's Tower Turkey!
This morning was my turn and inspite of the driving rain and a bobcat busting the turkeys, Ralph of Trophy Ridge Outfitters worked his magic on the King of the Mountain and pulled in the 25 pound gobbler. With 1" spurs and a 9" beard it was finally my turn to crow about beating Sandi!
Shooting with John Porter
Yesterday afternoon Sandi and I got the opportunity to shoot with and pick the brain of John Porter of Best of the West Fame. We set up over a vast pasture full of prairie dogs and gongs out to 1020 yards. John taught us his system for doping wind and the proceeded to whack a p dog at 610 yards. My turn at the rifle and I smacked The 840 yard gong using 5 MOA of wind hold in the scope. Sandi also pounded the 840 yard gong in the wind that ran from 10 to 16 mph. My final achievement was the 1020 yard gong shooting Johns personal 6.5x284. Doping wind is an art and John has it down pat. |Check out John's new DVD Doping Wind Beyond Belief for the full story.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Pack Dog Backgrounder
At their convention in February 2011, the Alberta Fish and Game Association passed a resolution to allow the use of pack dogs by hunters. I understand this resolution will be discussed at the upcoming stakeholder’s meeting in late April and I just wanted to give you a bit of background on the use of pack dogs in North America.
1) Hunters in all Rocky Mountain States, British Columbia, Yukon, NWT and Nunavut are permitted to be accompanied by a pack dog while hunting big game. Alberta is the only jurisdiction in North America that offers mountain hunting where the use of pack dogs by big game hunters is not permitted.
2) Dogs are already permitted to accompany hikers, bird hunters and cougar hunters in Alberta so there really is no new ground being broken here.
3) These pack dogs are working animals that must be in direct control of the hunter at all times and they are not permitted to assist in the hunt. The Yukon deals with the use of pack dogs by saying: “It is unlawful to: allow your dog to chase or molest big game animals, furbearing animals or specially protected wildlife.” If your dog is chasing or molesting wildlife, you are breaking the law.
4) The only real opposition to the use of these dogs comes from those afraid of abuse or those afraid of untrained dogs being in the mountains. As for abuse, all laws are open to abuse and if this is reason enough to prevent new opportunity, we really need to worry about the future of hunting in this province. Anyone carrying a gun or bow should be suspect then. Laws will be in place to deal with those that don’t follow the rules and as with all hunting activities, self policing will be prevalent. Serious pack dog users value the opportunity to use these dogs just as hunters value the opportunity to hunt and self regulating is the most effective means of preventing and dealing with abuse. Abuse is not an issue in the other jurisdictions where dogs are permitted so there is no reason to believe it will be in Alberta.
The concern over untrained dogs in the mountains is not really an issue either as we currently have dogs in these areas, just not accompanying big game hunters. Big game hunters that use pack dogs quickly realize that their dogs must be well trained or they can ruin an opportunity, just as a poorly trained bird dog can ruin a bird hunt. Those with poorly trained dogs will either receive better training or not take their dogs to the mountains.
5) The use of pack dogs creates opportunity. Many backpack sheep hunters can not always find hunting partners and must hunt alone or as more often happens, stay home. The pack dog becomes their hunting partner, bearing part of the load and more importantly, becoming an early warning for danger.
6) Pack dogs increase hunter safety. Dogs are keenly aware of their environment and the anecdotal evidence from pack dog users as to the number of times their dogs have alerted them to danger and allowed the early mitigation of the problem is overwhelming. Please take the time to read some of these first-hand accounts at http://outdoorquestblog.blogspot.com/
Tavis Molnar of Arctic Red River Outfitters, Paul Deuling of Deuling Stone Outfitters and Stan Stevens of Mackenzie Mountain Outfitters all use pack dogs as a regular part of their operation and credit them to saving both hunters and guides’ lives.
7) Pack dogs save bears’ lives. The best way of dealing with a bear encounter is with early detection and pack dogs are keenly aware of their environment and alert their handlers to a bear’s presence long before the handler is aware of the bear. This allows the handler to better deal with a situation, in a non-lethal manner. Just the presence of a dog and the associated scent in back country camps is often enough to prevent bears from coming into camps and if they do, the dog makes their handler aware of this early in the bear’s advance.
Tavis Molnar of Arctic Red River Outfitters offers some hard evidence in regards to the dramatic drop in problem bear kills in a statement that can be found at http://outdoorquestblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/pack-dogs.html
With grizzly bears listed as threatened in this province, hunter opportunity could one day be limited in grizzly country if self-defence kills continue to happen. Pack dogs are one means to ensure that bear/human conflict is reduced.
8) Pack dogs can carry a load. This allows lone hunters more opportunity to extend trips and it allows hunters to get their game packed out quicker, once again reducing the chance of human/bear conflict. Dogs can carry up to 50% of their body weight so even a 50 pound dog can take a sizeable load.
9) These are serious working dogs just as retrievers, flushing dogs and hounds are and they have a long heritage of accompanying hunters in North America, yet Alberta still relies on an antiquated law that dates back to the original Wildlife Act in 1907 to deal with them. That law needs to be changed. Pack dogs will create hunter opportunity and they will reduce human/bear conflict. There is no reason to prevent their use in Alberta, especially when they have been working well in other jurisdictions for decades.
If you require more information, please don’t hesitate to contact me or if you would like to speak directly with some of North America’s established pack dog users, telephone interviews can be arranged.
Yours truly,
T.J. Schwanky
sheephunter@shaw.ca
1) Hunters in all Rocky Mountain States, British Columbia, Yukon, NWT and Nunavut are permitted to be accompanied by a pack dog while hunting big game. Alberta is the only jurisdiction in North America that offers mountain hunting where the use of pack dogs by big game hunters is not permitted.
2) Dogs are already permitted to accompany hikers, bird hunters and cougar hunters in Alberta so there really is no new ground being broken here.
3) These pack dogs are working animals that must be in direct control of the hunter at all times and they are not permitted to assist in the hunt. The Yukon deals with the use of pack dogs by saying: “It is unlawful to: allow your dog to chase or molest big game animals, furbearing animals or specially protected wildlife.” If your dog is chasing or molesting wildlife, you are breaking the law.
4) The only real opposition to the use of these dogs comes from those afraid of abuse or those afraid of untrained dogs being in the mountains. As for abuse, all laws are open to abuse and if this is reason enough to prevent new opportunity, we really need to worry about the future of hunting in this province. Anyone carrying a gun or bow should be suspect then. Laws will be in place to deal with those that don’t follow the rules and as with all hunting activities, self policing will be prevalent. Serious pack dog users value the opportunity to use these dogs just as hunters value the opportunity to hunt and self regulating is the most effective means of preventing and dealing with abuse. Abuse is not an issue in the other jurisdictions where dogs are permitted so there is no reason to believe it will be in Alberta.
The concern over untrained dogs in the mountains is not really an issue either as we currently have dogs in these areas, just not accompanying big game hunters. Big game hunters that use pack dogs quickly realize that their dogs must be well trained or they can ruin an opportunity, just as a poorly trained bird dog can ruin a bird hunt. Those with poorly trained dogs will either receive better training or not take their dogs to the mountains.
5) The use of pack dogs creates opportunity. Many backpack sheep hunters can not always find hunting partners and must hunt alone or as more often happens, stay home. The pack dog becomes their hunting partner, bearing part of the load and more importantly, becoming an early warning for danger.
6) Pack dogs increase hunter safety. Dogs are keenly aware of their environment and the anecdotal evidence from pack dog users as to the number of times their dogs have alerted them to danger and allowed the early mitigation of the problem is overwhelming. Please take the time to read some of these first-hand accounts at http://outdoorquestblog.blogspot.com/
Tavis Molnar of Arctic Red River Outfitters, Paul Deuling of Deuling Stone Outfitters and Stan Stevens of Mackenzie Mountain Outfitters all use pack dogs as a regular part of their operation and credit them to saving both hunters and guides’ lives.
7) Pack dogs save bears’ lives. The best way of dealing with a bear encounter is with early detection and pack dogs are keenly aware of their environment and alert their handlers to a bear’s presence long before the handler is aware of the bear. This allows the handler to better deal with a situation, in a non-lethal manner. Just the presence of a dog and the associated scent in back country camps is often enough to prevent bears from coming into camps and if they do, the dog makes their handler aware of this early in the bear’s advance.
Tavis Molnar of Arctic Red River Outfitters offers some hard evidence in regards to the dramatic drop in problem bear kills in a statement that can be found at http://outdoorquestblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/pack-dogs.html
With grizzly bears listed as threatened in this province, hunter opportunity could one day be limited in grizzly country if self-defence kills continue to happen. Pack dogs are one means to ensure that bear/human conflict is reduced.
8) Pack dogs can carry a load. This allows lone hunters more opportunity to extend trips and it allows hunters to get their game packed out quicker, once again reducing the chance of human/bear conflict. Dogs can carry up to 50% of their body weight so even a 50 pound dog can take a sizeable load.
9) These are serious working dogs just as retrievers, flushing dogs and hounds are and they have a long heritage of accompanying hunters in North America, yet Alberta still relies on an antiquated law that dates back to the original Wildlife Act in 1907 to deal with them. That law needs to be changed. Pack dogs will create hunter opportunity and they will reduce human/bear conflict. There is no reason to prevent their use in Alberta, especially when they have been working well in other jurisdictions for decades.
If you require more information, please don’t hesitate to contact me or if you would like to speak directly with some of North America’s established pack dog users, telephone interviews can be arranged.
Yours truly,
T.J. Schwanky
sheephunter@shaw.ca
Wyoming Turkey Opener!
Sandi and I made the trek to Carlile WY to hunt turkey with Ralph Dampman of Trophy Ridge Outfitting. We crossed Montana in a blizzard but made the trip arriving last night. This morning as the the light came up the turkeys were gobbling like crazy on their roosts all around us. Ralph had us in a pop up blind on the top of a hillside over looking a creek bottom. The excitement was high as gobblers wove through the trees calling and strutting and not long after legal light Sandi filled her tag on a 23 pound Merriam gobbler. Watch the 2012 Outdoor Quest TV season for this exciting episode.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Clayton White on pack Dogs
Hi TJ,
I have backpack hunted for Dall's sheep and mountain caribou in various
places throughout the Yukon and the NWT over the last 20+ years and have
used a pack dog for the last 11 of those years. I have also traveled
extensively on Yukon's waterways by canoe and boat for the purposes of
hunting, fishing, recreating and guiding wilderness adventure vacations.
It has been my experience that a well trained and well behaved, strong,
durable dog makes an exceptional companion - carrying substantial
loads; keeping spirits up in foul weather conditions and under adverse
circumstances; keeping a weary traveler warm should unexpected cold
conditions arise; and, preventing unwanted bear encounters.
On the latter, my black Lab has stood his ground between me and bears
(black and grizzly) on a few occasions. His uncompromising stance and
growls leaves no doubt in a bear's mind that safer places lay
elsewhere. His keen senses of smell and hearing alerts me of a bear's
presence and his territorial instincts of marking our camp area assures
me that an unwanted bear visit does not happen.
I believe well trained and well behaved dogs are of significant value in
the safe and comfortable travel of back country users.
I hope this helps you in your efforts TJ.
Clayton White
Cedar and Canvas Adventures
Yukon
I have backpack hunted for Dall's sheep and mountain caribou in various
places throughout the Yukon and the NWT over the last 20+ years and have
used a pack dog for the last 11 of those years. I have also traveled
extensively on Yukon's waterways by canoe and boat for the purposes of
hunting, fishing, recreating and guiding wilderness adventure vacations.
It has been my experience that a well trained and well behaved, strong,
durable dog makes an exceptional companion - carrying substantial
loads; keeping spirits up in foul weather conditions and under adverse
circumstances; keeping a weary traveler warm should unexpected cold
conditions arise; and, preventing unwanted bear encounters.
On the latter, my black Lab has stood his ground between me and bears
(black and grizzly) on a few occasions. His uncompromising stance and
growls leaves no doubt in a bear's mind that safer places lay
elsewhere. His keen senses of smell and hearing alerts me of a bear's
presence and his territorial instincts of marking our camp area assures
me that an unwanted bear visit does not happen.
I believe well trained and well behaved dogs are of significant value in
the safe and comfortable travel of back country users.
I hope this helps you in your efforts TJ.
Clayton White
Cedar and Canvas Adventures
Yukon
Saturday, April 2, 2011
BC hunter/trapper weighs in
Hello TJ, hopefully you can find some assistance with what I've written here.
I've been using a packdog for some time now, both in multi-day backpack hunting/hiking trips, and on the trapline during the winter. Other than the obvious companionship that a dog brings, their ability to pack heavy loads over long distances is invaluable, especially for someone who hunts alone as I often do. Anyone who has packed meat out after harvesting their animal can appreciate the ability to lighten your own pack by 30 lbs or more, and potentially bring all your meat out in one trip which reduces the risk of spoiled meat should it need to be left overnight. As well, their footprint, or impact on the environment is very minimal compared to other pack animals used by hunters, such as horses. A few horses can graze off & destroy vegetation, and disturb the sod/soil especially in wet conditions. They can also introduce foreign plants into an area through their manure. Dogs on the other hand, will pack their own food & water, and pack out any garbage or waste that you might have which removes the need to burn your garbage in the backcountry. My dog also packs supplies, bait, traps, etc for my trapping activities in the winter. This keeps the cost of operating a snowmobile to a minimum and also reduces emissions produced from burning gasoline/oil required to run a snowmobile.
Another great asset of a packdog is their awareness of bears in the area. Having my dog along on hunts has kept me out of possible conflicts with bears on quite a few occasions. My dog is a Rottweiler/Bullmastiff cross, and an excellent guard dog. His keen sense of smell and hearing has warned me of bears in the vicinity many times, thus preventing a surprise encounter which in turn keeps me safe, and reduces the chance of a bear being put down in a self defence situation. One recent encounter that comes to mind was with a sow grizzly bear and cubs. I was gathering up some water bottles before heading down to a nearby creek, when my dog jumped up and gave a few low growls, and began sniffing the wind with his nose toward the creek. I peeked over the edge of the draw through the timber to see a very mature sow grizzly with cubs coming up the creek not 40 yards away. Had it not been for the dog, I would have walked square into that old sow without knowing until we were face to face. That is just one example of many - I've had bears come in while sitting and glassing, while taking a nap during the day, while in my tent at night, and also when caping/de-boning a downed animal getting ready to pack it out. My dog never fails to warn me of their presence long before I would be aware of it, which I feel is one of the most effective ways to reduce conflict with bears.
One issue that gets mentioned with regard to taking dogs in the backcountry is the potential to chase game animals. Packdogs should generally be kept on a leash unless crossing difficult terrain, and as well they should have strict training against chasing other animals. Most hunters who hunt with packdogs have extremely well trained/well behaved dogs as we will spend countless hours training and keeping our dogs fit for packing. One does not simply throw a pack on the family dog and go for a 14 day hunt on a whim - it takes a lot of effort on the owners part, and the result is a dog that is trained and suitable to be in the backcountry.
To not allow the use of packdogs is foolish and unnecessary in my opinion, as the benefits far outweigh any negative aspects. My dog comes along on just about every hunting/hiking trip I do, and has kept me out of trouble many times. Not only with preventing bear conflict as I mentioned, but he's also packed an incredible amount of my own gear after I was injured during a stone's sheep hunt - all told around 30 extra lbs of food and gear that I would have left behind otherwise, as my injured knee could not support a full pack for the hike out. He has also led me down off of a mountain by following our backtrail in the dark when I got into a bad situation, which basically kept me from having to spend the night soaked in cold weather, with no light or ability to start a fire. Situations like that are what bring you to appreciate what a good dog can add to your outdoor adventures.
I plan on many more years of hunting & hiking with my dog packing alongside me, and hope that more outdoorsmen and women will find interest in it as well.
T. Serle
Fraser Lake, British Columbia
I've been using a packdog for some time now, both in multi-day backpack hunting/hiking trips, and on the trapline during the winter. Other than the obvious companionship that a dog brings, their ability to pack heavy loads over long distances is invaluable, especially for someone who hunts alone as I often do. Anyone who has packed meat out after harvesting their animal can appreciate the ability to lighten your own pack by 30 lbs or more, and potentially bring all your meat out in one trip which reduces the risk of spoiled meat should it need to be left overnight. As well, their footprint, or impact on the environment is very minimal compared to other pack animals used by hunters, such as horses. A few horses can graze off & destroy vegetation, and disturb the sod/soil especially in wet conditions. They can also introduce foreign plants into an area through their manure. Dogs on the other hand, will pack their own food & water, and pack out any garbage or waste that you might have which removes the need to burn your garbage in the backcountry. My dog also packs supplies, bait, traps, etc for my trapping activities in the winter. This keeps the cost of operating a snowmobile to a minimum and also reduces emissions produced from burning gasoline/oil required to run a snowmobile.
Another great asset of a packdog is their awareness of bears in the area. Having my dog along on hunts has kept me out of possible conflicts with bears on quite a few occasions. My dog is a Rottweiler/Bullmastiff cross, and an excellent guard dog. His keen sense of smell and hearing has warned me of bears in the vicinity many times, thus preventing a surprise encounter which in turn keeps me safe, and reduces the chance of a bear being put down in a self defence situation. One recent encounter that comes to mind was with a sow grizzly bear and cubs. I was gathering up some water bottles before heading down to a nearby creek, when my dog jumped up and gave a few low growls, and began sniffing the wind with his nose toward the creek. I peeked over the edge of the draw through the timber to see a very mature sow grizzly with cubs coming up the creek not 40 yards away. Had it not been for the dog, I would have walked square into that old sow without knowing until we were face to face. That is just one example of many - I've had bears come in while sitting and glassing, while taking a nap during the day, while in my tent at night, and also when caping/de-boning a downed animal getting ready to pack it out. My dog never fails to warn me of their presence long before I would be aware of it, which I feel is one of the most effective ways to reduce conflict with bears.
One issue that gets mentioned with regard to taking dogs in the backcountry is the potential to chase game animals. Packdogs should generally be kept on a leash unless crossing difficult terrain, and as well they should have strict training against chasing other animals. Most hunters who hunt with packdogs have extremely well trained/well behaved dogs as we will spend countless hours training and keeping our dogs fit for packing. One does not simply throw a pack on the family dog and go for a 14 day hunt on a whim - it takes a lot of effort on the owners part, and the result is a dog that is trained and suitable to be in the backcountry.
To not allow the use of packdogs is foolish and unnecessary in my opinion, as the benefits far outweigh any negative aspects. My dog comes along on just about every hunting/hiking trip I do, and has kept me out of trouble many times. Not only with preventing bear conflict as I mentioned, but he's also packed an incredible amount of my own gear after I was injured during a stone's sheep hunt - all told around 30 extra lbs of food and gear that I would have left behind otherwise, as my injured knee could not support a full pack for the hike out. He has also led me down off of a mountain by following our backtrail in the dark when I got into a bad situation, which basically kept me from having to spend the night soaked in cold weather, with no light or ability to start a fire. Situations like that are what bring you to appreciate what a good dog can add to your outdoor adventures.
I plan on many more years of hunting & hiking with my dog packing alongside me, and hope that more outdoorsmen and women will find interest in it as well.
T. Serle
Fraser Lake, British Columbia
Friday, April 1, 2011
More thought on pack dogs
The Value of dogs while hunting
I have been a hunter and guide in British Columbia and Yukon for the past 40 years. The last 15 years I have used a pack dog and regret not discovering their benefits much earlier.
The added companionship while on a 12 day hunt is most welcome as my dog is always upbeat and happy to be around me. Outdoor life is an experience most large dogs love as there is plenty of country to move around in and experience the various sites and smells. My dog not only carries a pack, sharing my backpack load, but also serves as a “warmer” by sleeping on my wet, cold socks and boot liners overnight. If socks are wet only from perspiration, they are dry by morning. If soaked from walking through creeks, they are at least warm when put on.
Bears and dogs are natural enemies and don’t like each other’s company. While working for Arctic Red River Outfitters (in the N.W.T.), I experienced many encounters with grizzlies and each time a possible nasty experience was averted due to the sensitive nose of my pack dog. Grizzly hunting is not permitted in the Mackenzie Mountains, hence these critters are not shy about making themselves at home in your camp. Four grizzlies were killed in self-defense that year, all by guides without pack dogs. One bear, killed by Tavis Molnar (an experienced guide and present operator of Arctic Red River Outfitters), was shot from inside the tent through the tent’s wall. While writing this note, Tavis informed me he killed about 6 grizzlies in self-defense while guiding in that area. Once he started taking along a pack dog he had never had to kill a bear.
Another time after a successful sheep hunt, my golden retriever was fast asleep in the afternoon sun at our makeshift camp in the timber, when she woke up and quickly got to her feet, growling. A grizzly sow with two cubs approached our camp and despite shouts accompanied with pots banging, refused to leave. Only after my dog ran stiff legged and barking towards the bears did they decide they weren’t welcome.
While guiding for my son in the Yukon I had another encounter, again warned by my dog that a bear was approaching. This time we could see the bear a long distance away in the alpine. The large boar kept coming towards camp and only moved off after several shots were directed at his feet from my hunter’s rifle. He left with his head swinging and not at a fast pace. This had me worried as I thought that he would return later that night. He did. Molly my golden retriever, started growling at 2 a.m. so my hunter and I (with rifles at the ready) quickly got out of the tent and persuaded the curious fellow to leave.
There are many other instances during hikes in the mountains when my dogs would begin growling and alert us to a bear’s presence. And each time this occurred, I would thank God I had my trusted warning companion with me.
Paul Deuling
Whitehorse, Y.T.
I have been a hunter and guide in British Columbia and Yukon for the past 40 years. The last 15 years I have used a pack dog and regret not discovering their benefits much earlier.
The added companionship while on a 12 day hunt is most welcome as my dog is always upbeat and happy to be around me. Outdoor life is an experience most large dogs love as there is plenty of country to move around in and experience the various sites and smells. My dog not only carries a pack, sharing my backpack load, but also serves as a “warmer” by sleeping on my wet, cold socks and boot liners overnight. If socks are wet only from perspiration, they are dry by morning. If soaked from walking through creeks, they are at least warm when put on.
Bears and dogs are natural enemies and don’t like each other’s company. While working for Arctic Red River Outfitters (in the N.W.T.), I experienced many encounters with grizzlies and each time a possible nasty experience was averted due to the sensitive nose of my pack dog. Grizzly hunting is not permitted in the Mackenzie Mountains, hence these critters are not shy about making themselves at home in your camp. Four grizzlies were killed in self-defense that year, all by guides without pack dogs. One bear, killed by Tavis Molnar (an experienced guide and present operator of Arctic Red River Outfitters), was shot from inside the tent through the tent’s wall. While writing this note, Tavis informed me he killed about 6 grizzlies in self-defense while guiding in that area. Once he started taking along a pack dog he had never had to kill a bear.
Another time after a successful sheep hunt, my golden retriever was fast asleep in the afternoon sun at our makeshift camp in the timber, when she woke up and quickly got to her feet, growling. A grizzly sow with two cubs approached our camp and despite shouts accompanied with pots banging, refused to leave. Only after my dog ran stiff legged and barking towards the bears did they decide they weren’t welcome.
While guiding for my son in the Yukon I had another encounter, again warned by my dog that a bear was approaching. This time we could see the bear a long distance away in the alpine. The large boar kept coming towards camp and only moved off after several shots were directed at his feet from my hunter’s rifle. He left with his head swinging and not at a fast pace. This had me worried as I thought that he would return later that night. He did. Molly my golden retriever, started growling at 2 a.m. so my hunter and I (with rifles at the ready) quickly got out of the tent and persuaded the curious fellow to leave.
There are many other instances during hikes in the mountains when my dogs would begin growling and alert us to a bear’s presence. And each time this occurred, I would thank God I had my trusted warning companion with me.
Paul Deuling
Whitehorse, Y.T.
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