Outdoor Quest TV Series

Calgary Boat and Sportsmen Show

2012-01-24T14:24:00.002-07:00

Make sure you come check Rich and I out this year at the Calgary Boat and Sportsmen Show, February 9-12 at the Round Up Centre. We've got some great new seminars this year. Vanessa and Sandi will also be on stage offering lots of information for women hunters.

Bob is Home

2012-01-24T11:46:00.002-07:00

Curtis from Silver Willow Taxidermy stopped by on the weekend to drop of Vanessa's bobcat and to pick up our New Zealand trophies. He did and awesome job of the bobber!

Tough Day at the Office

2012-01-09T14:53:00.002-07:00

Despite several trucks putting 0n several hundred kilometres each, we didn't cut a single fresh cat track today. The snow is melting fast in the +6 degree temps. We'll give it one more try tomorrow morning but it's not looking good.

Conditions getting worse

2012-01-08T21:40:00.002-07:00

We got a tiny bit of new snow in one small area but we haven't seen a tom track there yet so not sure it will be of much help...hopefully. There is one area with a big tom in it but the snow conditions are the worst. It's patchy and 5 days old so finding tracks is a miracle although Kyle's buddy Wade found a fresh one this afternoon and we ran a really old female to a tree. Wolves are everywhere too and one of the houndsmen in town lost a dog to a pack yesterday. We found a spot where they badly injured an elk today so it is a bit unnerving letting the dogs go. Two more days!

BC Cougar Hunt - Day 3

2012-01-07T17:05:00.002-07:00

We had an absolutely amazing day today. The day started out finding a really cold cougar track. After a bit of searching we saw some ravens circling below and decided to take a walk. We ended up finding this cougar kill. We grabbed the dogs and ended up freecasting them at the kill site. Within minutes we heard them light up and the chase was on. Two of the dogs treed a 120 pound old female...next thing we get a phone call...the rest of the dogs have another cat treed. We ran as fast as we could to the other cat...to find out that it was yet another female. What a fun day! I wonder what will happen tomorrow...

Day Two in search of cougars

2012-01-06T14:39:00.000-07:00

Put on a ton of miles today but only found three small tracks that were fresh. Found some older tracks from a big tom this afternoon so hopefully we can freshen them up tomorrow.

Cougar Hunting

2012-01-05T18:22:00.002-07:00

Our first day hunting in BC with friends Kyle and Justin was a good one despite poor snow conditions. We cut a big track early in the morning and put the dogs on it shortly after sunrise. They treed the Tom within a mile but unfortunately his feet were much bigger than he was so we left him in the tree. We got a bit of snow in the high country this afternoon so hopefully we can find another Tom tomorrow. It's always a good day when you tree a cougar. Early to bed tonight.....3:00am comes early!

Don't Worry. We're from the Government

2011-12-26T13:49:00.002-07:00

There are some big changes being looked at for sheep hunting in Alberta for 2013. I'm just working on an article about them for the February Alberta Outdoorsmen. Make sure you know what's being proposed. This is one of those cases where, "Don't worry, we're from the Government" definitely does not apply.

Cow Elk success!

2011-12-23T18:40:00.000-07:00

Matt drew a late season cow elk tag and today we got our first crack at hunting it. With Good buddy Pro Staff Luke Viravec on lead point we ended up chasing 84 elk through the big timber. The game of cat and mouse ended at 2:30 in the afternoon when Matt made a great shot 170 yard shoot and threaded the needle through the under brush. The cow is enormous and will be very tasty no to mention a great episode of the show this year!

New Season of Outdoor Quest TV

2011-12-20T11:02:00.000-07:00

The new season of Outdoor Quest TV begins on December 26, 2012 on Wild TV. Episode #1 sees TJ and Vanessa head to New Zealand in search of free-range red stag and arapowa ram. Watch Outdoor Quest TV at its new times:

Monday 1:30pm CST
Wednesday 8:30pm CST
Thursday 9:00am CST
Friday 12:00 noon CST

Pack Dogs

2011-12-14T10:44:00.000-07:00

Time to remind the new Minister of SRD that the use of pack dogs should be permitted in Alberta. I got a look at the proposed changes to the hunting regs for 2012 and no mention of them. Hopefully it was just an oversight on his part. Might not hurt to send him a quick e-mail as ask ;) Frank Oberle peace.river@assembly.ab.ca

Yikes!

2011-12-09T12:22:00.002-07:00

Wow, this grizzly footage is intense...not sure I want to be cameraman for a 9 yard kill on a grizz again..lol That 225-grain Interbond really ruined his day...thankfully! Episode #5 is going to be an awesome one!

A Grizzly Task next!

2011-12-08T14:44:00.001-07:00

Episodes #1 and #3 going in the mail today. It's nice to actually be slightly ahead of the game for once. Number 5 is in the works...Vanessa's Yukon grizz at only 9 yards. The hair still stands up on the back of my neck just watching that footage. It's going to be another gooder! What a season we had.

Episode #1 is complete!

2011-12-05T23:03:00.001-07:00

Just finished up Episode #1 of Outdoor Quest TV for 2012. Our new episodes start airing on Wild TV the week of Dec 26 and the first episode is a great one. Vanessa and I head to New Zealand in search of red stag, Arapowa ram and chamois with Sue and Gerald Telford. What an incredible hunt!

Early Christmas Present

2011-12-02T18:01:00.002-07:00

After a 7 month wait, our New Zealand trophies arrived today. It was great to see them again...what a rush of great memories. They took a bit longer than normal because we had our possum hides tanned there and man, they are so soft it's unreal. Customs was super easy to deal with and they didn't get crazy with the GST so pretty awesome day all round. Now to just get them up to Curtis and let him work his magic. Can't wait to get them on the wall and to go back to New Zealand. What an awesome trip.

Foiled!

2011-11-29T07:20:00.001-07:00

So close and yet so far! With less than 2 km left to cover to reach Russ's brokedown snowmobile we ran into a snag. 24 hours of rain in the mountains had swollen the creeks to the point they were lifting the ice. Once the Argo dropped through here we were beat. Getting the Argo out was easy but there was no way to get the brokedown snowmobile on the skimmer back across the creek. So we decided that wisdom was the better part of valor got the Argo out and turned around and headed back for the truck. Once the water has a chance to go down and the creeks have refrozen Russ will have a better chance to get his machine out.

New Opening

2011-11-13T21:34:00.001-07:00

Check out the new 2012 opening for Outdoor Quest TV
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KdN1KjCUxM&feature=share

Mose - day two report

2011-10-30T07:46:00.000-06:00

No moose for the second day. No rain but snow in higher elevations. They are moving camp Sunday and hope for better luck. Very little sign where they have been.

News from Moose Camp

2011-10-28T19:44:00.000-06:00

The guys are sitting in the rain and have seen very little sign. Hoping for better tomorrow!

Home from Kyrgyzstan

2011-10-24T05:37:00.002-06:00

Well, we finally made it home Thursday night after nearly 36 hours in airplanes and airports. What an awesome adventure. We ended up hunting a very remote valley in the Tien Shan Mountains that very few westerners have ever seen. It was far from a normal Marco Polo hunt. It took basically five days of travel to reach the hunting area by vehicle and then on horseback. Once in the area we moved camp daily pushing ever deeper into mountains over high snow-choked passes and through rivers running high with glacial melt. We saw a crazy amount of sheep and Ibex and I managed to take a great trophy of each species. The hunt was far more challenging than I ever imagined and the people we hunted with were some of the best horsemen and mountain men I've had the pleasure of sharing a hunt with. While patience is definitely a virtue on a hunt like this where plans constantly change and the is a lot of hurry up and wait, the experience was incredible.

Mid-Asian Ibex taken at 579 yards

2011-10-11T07:04:00.004-06:00

TJ took a beautiful Mid-Asian Ibex at 579 yards yesterday. Sorry, I didn't get much more detail on the hunt than that...I guess we will have to wait to see how it played out on TV. The other two hunters in camp have also completed their quest. Everyone is having a great time and it sounds like they have had a very memorable adventure. The weather has been very cold at night but warms up to a balmy 12 degrees celsius with clear blue sky during the day.

Tomorrow they head back through the high mountain pass to a shepherd's house, where they will boil the skulls and salt the capes.

Although the conversations are short and I don't get a whole lot of detail, it sure is great to hear from him on his satellite phone.

Well, that's all I have for now...keep checking the blog for more updates

Final Kick at Bighorn Sheep

2011-10-10T07:41:00.000-06:00

Argo is loaded and the gear is in my pack. I leave today for my last kick at a ram for this year. Matt and I are headed out for four days on the rocks hoping to find a good one. For the first time in a couple of years I'll be serious about filling the tag in my pocket! I'll keep everyone updated by sat phone on how things are going so watch this blog for news.

Marco Polo Ram Down!

2011-10-09T06:45:00.004-06:00

TJ took a beautiful 50" broomed Marco Polo sheep today! They spotted some rams from camp first thing in the morning. The rams were headed up into some cliffs a few thousand feet above them. With blizzard conditions, they set off to make a play on the sheep but they disappeared. During their hunt for the rams they spotted a great Ibex in a basin. Since one of the other hunters was hunting Ibex, they made the decision to take the Ibex in the hopes that it might spook out the Marco Polo rams. Sadly that plan didn't work out and they continued their search for the elusive rams. All of a sudden two great rams popped into sight at a mere 250 yards. TJ said they were both almost identical so he just picked one and took the shot. He said it ran about 400 yards and ended up expiring only 50 yards from the Ibex.

The weather has been blizzard conditions with temperatures averaging -10/-15 C. The terrain is really steep, with lots of cliffs and avalanche shutes. They are camped at approximately 9,000 feet and he said they took his ram at approximately 12,000 feet.

Keep checking out the blog because TJ still has yet to get his mid-asian Ibex.

It sounds like it has been quite the adventure!

News from Kyrgyzstan

2011-10-06T21:32:00.004-06:00

TJ has made it to Kyrgyzstan! After flying 20 hours from Calgary to Bishkek, and then driving through the night on hair-raising roads with 1,500 foot drops, the adventure begins! He's near the border of China at approximately 10,00 feet. He has just finished sighting in his rifle and is about to head north on an 11 hour horseback ride through a high mountain pass. TJ said the pass is at 16,00o feet.

He sounded great and hopes to start hunting today or tomorrow.

I'll keep everyone posted as I receive the calls.

Vanessa

Matt's Smoking Hot Wyoming Antelope!

2011-10-03T18:02:00.000-06:00

Temperatures soared to 93 degrees F on opening day of the Wyoming Antelope hunt but that never stopped Matt from killing his first ever antelope. Watch for this episdoe in the 2012 Outdoor Quest season.

Kyrgyzstan Bound!

2011-10-02T16:55:00.002-06:00

Well, it's off to Kyrgyzstan in the morning. 20 hours of flying and then 18 hours of driving and I'll be living the dream...hunting Marco polo sheep and mid Asian ibex. I'll try to call in and update the blog often.

Gun Room Done and Now it is time for Wyoming Antelope!

2011-09-28T12:27:00.000-06:00

I just loaded my first ammunition at my new loading bench. Things are looking pretty good and I've pretty much filled it all and Sandi thought that 10 feet of cupboards was too much! All that is left in the basement is to touch up the paint and have the rug laid.
The rug will have to wait until next week though as tomorrow Matt and I leave to go antelope hunting with Ralph from Trophy Ridge Outfitting in Wyoming. Long drive starts in the morning but we are eager to get back in Wyoming and pit the long range 260 AI RMR against the little prairie speedsters.

BC Goat trip review

2011-09-18T11:12:00.000-06:00

Sandi and i got home last night and after showers (MUCH needed!) and a little unloading we were in bed by 11 and never stirred again until 9 this morning. It has been 30 years or more since we've been in bed at 9 in the morning so I guess we didn't miss the posterpedic roots and rocks we've been sleeping on the last 9 days.
Our goat hunt was a dream, traveling through breath taking country and hunting with great friends. Greg from Corlane's gun shop was our hunter host and we couldn't have asked for a better companion, or boat driver. The grueling hunting and hiking will be made into a great episode for the 2012 season of Outdoor Quest TV.

Two Goats Down

2011-09-14T16:31:00.002-06:00

News From Goat Country

2011-09-13T09:17:00.002-06:00

Back From the Yukon

2011-09-08T22:31:00.002-06:00

Three days and 3,000 kilometres later, we are home from the Yukon. As always, we had a spectacular hunt with Deuling Stone Outfitters that saw Vanessa shoot a monster boar grizzly at only 9 yards. It couldn't have been more exciting. We'll chase elk and sheep around home for the next few weeks then I'm headed to Kyrgyzstan in search of Marco polo sheep and mid-Asian Ibex.

Yukon Update: Giant G Bear at 9 yards!

2011-08-31T08:31:00.000-06:00

Click the video to hear the Sat phone update.

tales from the mountain top wanderers

2011-08-26T20:45:00.002-06:00

Dad just called me with an update from the mountain top

they hiked hard again today but were yet again unsuccessful but not detured! they saw 30 some odd sheep and 5 rams tho none were legal they are gonna start their hike out tomorrow which should take two days

tales from the mountin top

2011-08-25T19:29:00.001-06:00

ma and pa just called with an update opening has coma nd gone with no legal rams to be seen saw about 50 other sheep tho and had some goats put on a good show for them scurrying up and down the cliff faces everyone is hoping for better luck tomorrow

tales from the mountain

2011-08-24T19:17:00.002-06:00

Just heard from my parents things are good they are camped at 8000 feet tonight and the weather is warm they spent the day scouting and seen somes ewes and lambs but no rams they are getting ready to settle in for the night and get a good hike in again tomorrow

sheep huntin'

2011-08-23T19:05:00.003-06:00

Ma and pa just called me from the sat phone to let me know that they had reach base camp and that after the 16.5 km hike everyone was dragging ass with soar feeties

it was just after 7 and the sun was slowly sinking behind the hills and they were all getting ready to call it a night and go hit some sheep scouting in the morning the seasons opens up on the 25 so they are hopuing to be sitting on some good ones by tomorow evening :)

Up coming sheep season

2011-08-15T18:56:00.000-06:00

So Ma and Pa will be trekking off to the wild boonies shortly and are leaving me in charge of the homestead and hounds (look out fridge and pantry here I come ) and will be calling me with nightly up dates while I yell at the dang blasted machine (not used to two handed typing you see)

so if any balls have been dropped or words poorly misspelled we all know why :)

New Taxidermy comes home

2011-08-11T08:17:00.000-06:00

The tahr is from 2006, the stag from 2008 and the whitetail from 2010. Very special thanks to Curtis from Silverwillow taxidermy for his quality work. If I'd have known they'd turn out like this I'd have got them to you sooner!
No surprtise the critters are all Sandi's.

What a Trip

2011-07-19T18:36:00.002-06:00

Sadly, today was our last day fishing with Great Pacific Salmon Lodge and it was another great one. Thanks to Jamie and all the staff for an awesome trip.

Day 2 at Great Pacific Salmon Lodge

2011-07-18T18:12:00.003-06:00

What an incredible day fishing with Great Pacific Salmon Lodge in Prince Rupert, BC. Vanessa caught her first-ever chinook salmon and it was a beautiful tyee to boot. We limited out on chinook, coho and halibut and the weather was incredible. It really doesn't get any better than this. And, we still have one more day on the water.

First Day on the Water

2011-07-17T19:13:00.002-06:00

Today was our first day fishing with Great Pacific Salmon Lodge and it was an awesome one. We were treated to a real show when three pods of killer whales came through. It kind of shut the fishing down but it was really cool to see. We caught lots of halibut today and Vanessa hooked some really nice coho. Tomorrow we go in search of some big springs.

2011-07-15T22:59:00.002-06:00

We arrived in Prince Rupert and got out to see some of the sites followed by a phenominal meal at the Cow Bay Cafe. This is a must try next time you are in Prince Rupert. Tomorrow we visit the the Cannery Historic Site and then we are off to Great Pacific Salmon Lodge.

Off to Great Pacific Salmon Lodge

2011-07-15T12:16:00.002-06:00

We are just sitting in YVR waiting for our Hawk Air flight to Prince Rupert where we'll spend the day touring the town and the Cannery historic Site and then it's off in search of giant chinooks and monster halibut with Great Pacific Salmon Lodge.

The Water Keeps Rising

2011-07-14T20:12:00.006-06:00

Just when we thought the Fraser River couldn't get any higher, it rose another foot over night and the amount of debris floating in it was unreal. Despite all that, we still managed to get 10 fish to the boat today, including two 5.5 footers. We ended the day with a double header. Randy Beck from Ultimate Sportfishing really knows the river. We were the only fishing boat on it today and most of the other guides didn't even think of going out and thought we were nuts. Off to Prince Rupert tomorrow but we'll definitely be back to fish with Randy.

River Monster!

2011-07-13T19:47:00.004-06:00

Despite the worst conditions ever, Randy got us into six sturgeon today including this six and a half foot monster that Vanessa landed. We saw just about everything floating down the river today including 60' trees and even docks. The Fraser is totally blown out but we'll give it another try tomorrow. What an awesome day!

Arrived in Cloverdale

2011-07-12T21:47:00.003-06:00

We arrived safe and sound in Cloverdale and will be heading out fishing with Randy Beck of Ultimate Sportfishing in the morning. Our target is monster sturgeon but the Fraser River is totally blown out with flood water right now so it will be interesting. We are staying with Randy and Trish at their Bed and Breakfast and the accomodations are incredible! Should be a fun day tomorrow.

River Monsters!

2011-07-11T20:35:00.001-06:00

Were headed west tomorrow in search of some true river monsters. Hopefully all the rain doesn't put an end to our plans. We'll be updating the blog daily starting Wednesday.

Prince Rupert!

2011-07-06T08:03:00.000-06:00

We met Jaron Janas of Terrace Sportfishing Adventures at 7 am at the dock in Cow Bay. Jaron had his 33' Thunder Jet idling at the dock waiting for us. It didn't take long for us to load all our gear and soon Jaron let the throttles out on the twin 225 Yamaha's and the boat effortlessly lepton plane. We ran north for a little over an hour to the north end of Dundas Island and the floating lodge where we would spend the night. After storing our gear in our rooms we headed out to fish. The weather was still not cooperating. The rain and cold was no problem as the boat has a fully heated hard top with all the amenities. The Jaron could make the Thunder Jet stand up and do tricks, we went where ever we wanted in spite of the heavy seas we just couldn't fish for ground fish and halibut. None of these spots were sheltered and even though we anchored up on a couple spots it was impossible to work the rigs effectively with the boat going up and down 10 feet. Jaron had plenty of great salmon spots and it never took us very long to catch a limit of springs, coho and pinks each day. Most of the boats were crowded along the lee shore near the lodge but we fished in complete comfort and seclusion on a spot several miles away. On the second day the wind hadn't let up at all, still it took only a couple hours to get the 12 fish limit for Sandi Bill and I. I caught the largest a 28 pound spring and missed my Tyee by two pounds! Humpback whales fed around us on the giant bait ball we were fishing and then several pods of Killer whales, about 25 total came through. We were mesmerized by the frenzy of the Orca attacking the salmon even though it meant we had to move to another spot to fish after they chased all the salmon out! We picked up our crab traps on the way back into the dock and had our limit of huge Dungeness crabs to take home as well.
We tried one more day on the Skeena and Jaron took us on quite the tour in the jet boat but there was nothing we could do to compete with mother nature.
Our trip was fantastic, Jaron's knowledge and first class gear and boats more than made up for the atrocious weather and rather than being stuck on shore we never missed a minute of trying on our trip. Accommodations and food were also top shelf and we can't wait to go back!

Day 1 The Kitimat River

2011-07-05T20:43:00.000-06:00

With 45 km winds forecast for Rupert and the Skeena blown wide open from all the rain we traveled 30 km south west and put a drift boat in the Kitimat River. It was also high and discolored but we caught salmon with Sandi's first Chinook coming on a back trolled Hot Shot.
Tomorrow we head to Prince Rupert for a couple of days on the ocean.

Gone Fish'n!

2011-07-03T21:55:00.000-06:00

What a hecktic two weeks since our return from Africa! Some of you may have heard Sandi was in a car accident on Friday. Her truck was rear ended on the highway while she was waiting to turn into our drive way. The truck is a write off and Sandi has the biggest black eye but other than some stiffness and bouts of nausea things are on track according to the Doc. Now is the perfect time for a break ands that is what we are going to do. Tomorrow we drive to Prince Rupert and start a 4 day fishing adventure on the salt and in the rivers with Jaron Janas of Terrace Sport Fishing Adventures

New Times

2011-06-30T16:52:00.000-06:00

Don't forget to watch Outdoor Quest TV at its new times on Wild TV
Monday@00:30:00
Tuesday@02:00:00
Wednesday@20:30:00
Thursday@09:00:00
Friday@12:00:00
These are all CST

Hunting in New Zealand

2011-06-23T20:44:00.002-06:00

Check out what Gerald and Sue Telford have to say about hunting in New Zealand. http://www.youtube.com/user/sheephunterab?feature=mhee#p/a/u/0/2oN-1O09HdY

SCI Canada News Letter Online.

2011-06-21T17:32:00.000-06:00

Dear Fellow Hunter:
Please click here to view the exciting 7th Edition (June-July) of your 3D Online SCI-Canada Newsletter, Venator Borealis.
Thank you and good hunting!

Kitchen is Done!

2011-06-21T09:28:00.003-06:00

Remodelling our kitchen has definitely been a labour of love and it's taken a little over a year to complete but we are done! We did everything ourselves save for the stained glass in the cabinets and the granite countertops. We think it turned out pretty well.

Our Africa Trip Wind up.

2011-06-17T07:26:00.000-06:00

Well we have been home for 3 days now and life is almost back to normal. I've sort of made a dent in the office work that piled up while I was gone. I know I'd rather be back in the Eastern Cape sneaking through the thorn veld chasing one of the over 50 species that are there to hunt.
Here are the other animals that were on our list.
Springbok

Blesbok

Mountain reedbuck

Warthog

Impala

Bush buck

The people of the Eastern Cape were warm and welcoming. The number one question Sandi gets from other women is "Did you feel safe?" Yes, we felt safe, South Africa is a long ways away from the trouble spots and the Eastern Cape is just far enough south that you don't have to worry about health concerns like malaria.
Each animal was a very exciting hunt with just about everyone requiring multiple stalks. The incredible wealth of animals in the eastern Cape was mind boggling not only from the basis of variety but shear numbers as well. Guy from Wild Horizon can make any hunt or animal you wish happen. He has access to the premier areas that don't see the hunting pressure from the big number operators.

Guy and Clint were great professionals, hunters and companions. The areas were first class with us being the first hunters ever on the one. I always look for smaller outfits to hunt with. I like to be hunting with the owner and not being another number in a big camp. Owners care and have a lot of pride in the results and it sure showed here. I like people who don't pressure me into shooting just any animal but instead look for great trophies. Contact Guy with your list if Africa is on the agenda, he can customise a trip for you and his prices are very reasonable. As Guy said, not only the wealthy come to Africa and everyone rich or not deserves that once in a lifetime hunt and memories.

PS Guy is planning a trip here later this summer so you can meet up and discuss this in person with him.

Northern Spot and Stalk

2011-06-10T20:10:00.002-06:00

Well it was the 4th and final night of my spot and stalk hunt. Again I was spotting bears right from the very start. Seems as though the bears were just starting to get into the mating season and move around. I saw 7 adult bears and 3 cubs for a total of 10 bears in 3 hours. They all seem to be feeding on the clover and young dandelions. I had a great stalk on one young boar being only 15 yards from him he had no idea I was there. great looking bear with a wide V shape white blaze from shoulder to shoulder across his chest. I almost pulled the trigger but images of the big boar wouldn't let me do it. So I gathered some great video and headed out in search for more bears. As the evening was ending I came across two more small bears a few miles apart. I never did see the large bore again. I got to the truck mosquito ravaged and wore out. I poured a coffee and made the 5.5 hr drive home in the dark. I will most definitely be back out next year. But for now its back to work and almost time to start scouting for sheep.

Matt

Bush Buck success!

2011-06-09T03:53:00.002-06:00

In spite of the heavy rain we have had success with our quest for a bush buck. They are the smallest of the spiral horned antelope that includes the kudu and the eland here in South Africa. The bush buck weighs in at 130 pounds on average and trophy horns start at 13" in length. The area they live in is impossible to describe as it is a thick twisted tangled mess beyond belief. My PH Clint Gower of Wild Horizon tells me that nothing is too small for a bush buck to get through and I believe him. We hunt them as we would hunt whitetail back home, hitting the ridges early and hoping to spot one out sunning himself. The ram is a big fan of sun and that is why the weather has made it tough. We saw a nice ram close yesterday but he walked straight away not giving me a chance. Today we watched one feed out and I made sure of my shot.
As Clint said bush buck hunting is hours of boredom that culminates in seconds of panic. A very worthy trophy.

Northern Spot and Stalk Day 3

2011-06-08T00:33:00.003-06:00

Well tonight started off with some quick action. I had one small boar spotted within minutes from the truck, watched him for a while and got some good video. Soon after I went on to spot another bear on a reclaimed road covered in clover. At about 2130 I was headed down a clover covered pipe line when I noticed a bear about 550 yards off the bear looked good real good. Going into ultra sneak mode I got in about 50 yards from the bear. While getting the camera set up I notice some movement to my right and sure enough its cubs. 3 of this years 10lb cubs are about 35 yards from mom playing at the base of a large poplar tree. I watched and filmed the bears for a while then made my way out with out being detected. I went on to see one more small sow and with fading light I made my way back to the truck. I was pretty excited as I came around the last bend 500 yards from the truck when I spotted 2 more bears feeding on clover I could tell right away one was a good bear. But with only 3 minutes of legal light left (by my watch) It was much to dark for the camera and cutting it to close for my comfort. I watched the bears eat their way back into the woods. I'm certain this is the same boar and sow from the other night. I just hope they give me one more shot tomorrow as I'm back to work on Thursday.

Oh and on a side note all the fur is looking in great shape for this time of the year.

Matt

I love Mondays... in South Africa!

2011-06-07T12:50:00.002-06:00

Life has been at a whirlwind pace here on the Eastern Cape in South Africa. Guy and Clint have been the best hosts and PHs. We have hunted impala, warthog and Mountain reed buck in the last couple of days. Monday morning we started after Sandi's Burchell's Zebra. Zebra are one of Clint's favorites to hunt as there is no reason to rush out the door bright and early! Our trackers Twoboy and Sipiwe and Anton found us two old stallions on top of on of the ranch's mountains. It took us two hours to stalk in close and when we broke cover of the Acacia trees we were within 90 yards of the first. He never saw us but two warthogs in the tall grass bolted scarring a flock of birds into his partner and stampeding him, taking along the first, saving his bacon. We got several minutes of awesome footage while waiting for him to step forward and expose his chest.
Borne up by mixed feelings of a blown stalk yet high on the close encounter we returned to the truck where Anton had spotted another herd miles away in the valley bush veld. We made the trip over and nearly blew it when we popped up out of the valley to find the herd had moved while we traveled. A careful stalk got us into 184 yards of the old stud and Sandi made sure of her trophy with the RMR .338WM putting a 185 grain Hornady GMX into the chevrons on his shoulder.
This was the trophy Sandi traveled so far for and her definitive African trophy.
We have now moved to another concession where we are chasing bush buck and gemsbok. The weather has taken a turn for the worse with rain predicted for the next couple of days. Bad news for hunting in Africa. I'll keep you updated.
PS. We took the trophies into the taxidermist's and he scored my kudu bull. He will shrink some but right now he has monstrous 11" bases and 55 1/2" x 55 1/8" long deep curled horns. Wild Horizon is the place for top quality trophies and personal professional one on one hunting where you deal with the owners and aren't just a number in a high volume setup.

Northern Spot and Stalk

2011-06-07T10:02:00.003-06:00

Just to keep you guys updated with the bear situation.

Down South I had some major issues with bear baits with a late spring, lots of hunting pressure and how fast things greened up, my baits never got the bears they should have. One only had 3 different black bears all season and the other only 2 bears. So after 9 days and 8 nights of camping and hunting we had officially struck out on the baits. When I got home fellow pro staff Luke Viravec got ahold of me and said I better get up north for some spot and stalk. So after a 14 hour night shift dealing with a fuel spill a car crash and several drunks and one drug overdose. I filled the coffee cup to the brim and was making miles to my old stomping grounds. The first day I saw a total of 5 bears one was a good boar Luke and I figure he was close to 400 lb. Problem was we ended up right on top of him but the time we spotted him and he made his way off the pipe line by the time we had the camera set up.

Last night I tried a different area but things were even slower I had one small sow spotted at 2145 and then another juvenile boar right at last light.

I think tonight I will head back to the area where we had seen the larger boar and see if I cant spy him again and make true on my stalk. I have 2 more night to make it happen.

The bears don't seem to be moving till 2100 so I have been getting lots done at Mom and Dads while they are gone Including sighting in my 270wsm and leveling 2 coyotes in the yard!

Matt

2011-06-06T00:51:00.000-06:00

T.J. Schwanky Voted Best Outdoor Columnist in Canada
On June 4, 2011, author T.J. Schwanky received top honours from the Outdoor Writers of Canada for his Spike Camp Musings column, titled Pack Dogs, in Alberta Outdoorsmen. In addition to his win in the Magazine Column category, Schwanky also took home second place honours in the Ducks Unlimited Wetlands Appreciation Award for a feature that appeared in Alberta Outdoorsmen and third place for a photo titled Yukon Dreams that also appeared in Alberta Outdoorsmen.

The Outdoor Writers of Canada is Canada’s oldest professional writing organization and each year the group recognizes Canada’s top outdoor communicators through their National Communication Awards. Schwanky has taken home numerous awards for his writing and video work in the past but this is his first win in the Magazine Column category.

While you were sleeping!

2011-06-04T11:46:00.002-06:00

Yesterday we moved from the north to down about 4000 feet and 300 km to a new concession. Here we are hunting zebra, impala, warthog and kudu.
This morning we hit the thorn encrusted forests early and climbed to a high vantage point known as the pimple. I was struck at how hard it was to see animals in the thorn thickets. Great optics like our Zeiss binos are a huge asset and even at that I was amazed at the abilities of our PH's Guy Swart and Clint Gower and the trackers. With their patience and guidance the forest slowly gave up its secrets to our prying eyes. Kudu and eland were the first to show along with monkeys and warthogs. We made a stalk on two different bulls only to turn them down when we closed the distance. Teach me not to bring the Zeiss spotting scope! Finally we spotted one at a great distance that was the bull Clint was looking for. In his words "When you see a good one it blows your hair back!" Our stalk took us through the Acacias and at one point the impala were blowing like whitetail deer around us. Eventually we got the shot and I hammered my first kudu bull. At over 50" he is a spectacular example of a Eastern Cape Kudu with deeply corkscrewed horns.
We finished the day with a warthog stalk that was turned awry by a jackal.
God what a country and what a time we are having with Wild Horizon.
Tomorrow we chase Zebra and impala!

Day two

2011-06-02T05:44:00.000-06:00

The day started with us skirting the edge of the caprock high above the canyon walls as the first sunlight started burning the frost off the ground. Our target was Mountain Reedbuck. A loner animal they are sometimes found in small family groups of two or three. The trick is to see them before they see you. We weren't fast enough on the first one and were treated to his whitetail like flag streaking up the rocks above us and over the top. Several km later Anton the tracker spotted a good ram (crazy to call a Reed buck male a ram!). We worked our way into 200 yards and Sandi missed the shot at an extreme uphill angle, she overshot the diminutive creature. Our penance was several kilomteres more of rock scrambling and nearly getting pushed off the trail by a bluie wildebeast charge. Why they were stampedeing wasn't clear and the blue is on my list there just wasn't time to do anything. Wildest Africa, when a herd of theose critters stampedes past!
Later in the day bedraggled and headed back for a very late lunch we topped a canyon wall to look down on a unsuspecting heard of blue wildebeast. A huge bull was in the herd and Guy said he was a great trophy. We worked our way down into the rocks to with in 200 yards and I smashed a Hornady 185 grain GMX bullet in Superformance ammunition through his boiler room. To my complete amazement he beat the rest of the herd out of the trees and down the trail another 100 yards before staggering hard and going down. I walked down and gave him another from 40 yards to finish the job. When they call the blue the poor man's buff they aren't kidding that bull lived for the 15 minutes it took me to get to him all the while blowing bloody froth from his nose and mouth.
Anton found both the bullets and they performed perfectly. The 200 yard shot is a perfect mushroom and the other shed petals right at the hide on the farside after slamming through both shoulders. My RMR .338 WM claimed my first African animal. Sandi of course put the first notch on it yesterday with her black. Today we have been chasing Mountain Reed Buck again and haven't found a ram only ewes.

An Africa unlike any other you have seen!

2011-05-31T10:57:00.001-06:00

Our first day in Africa is finished and what a day it was! After 60 hours of traveling we met our PH Guy Swart of Wild Horizon at the East London airport just before noon on Monday right on the Indian Ocean on the Eastern Cape. By 4:00 pm we had wound our way inland and up to 5000 feet of elevation. In amongst cap rock and plunging straight walled gorges we made it to the ranch. The terrain and weather makes this part of Africa different, in the mornings there is frost and we had a rain storm turn to snow at one point today. Sandi was shaking her head and laughing at the parradox of traveling to Africa to get caught in a late May snow storm.
Sand had a lot of reasons to smile to today with her taking very fine springbok, blesbok and a remarkable black wilebeast with a great 300 yard shot from the top of a cliff.
Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and warm and we are chasing mountaiin reedbuck and blue wildebeast, but I'll gladly put up with more snow in Africa if we have such a succesful day of hunting again.

A couple more pics.

2011-05-30T09:01:00.002-06:00

Running with the Hounds

2011-05-30T08:56:00.002-06:00

Had a chance to slip over to BC on the weekend and follow along on a bear hound hunt with some buddies over there. Despite the weather we had an incredibly successful weekend. I think we ended up putting 6 bears up trees and had another 4 bay ups on the ground, including one in a cave that was pretty cool. Even though I was just following along withe camera, it was an amazing time. Thought I'd share a few pictures of the adventure.

Countdown to Africa!

2011-05-26T16:32:00.001-06:00

The ash plume form the Iceland volcano has subsided, the guns are shot in and the bags are packed. It looks like our Africa trip is a go!
Saturday Sandi and I head to the Eastern Cape of South Africa for a 10 day plains game hunt with Wild Horizon. Our PH for the hunt is Guy Swart and he tells us that the East Cape is very rugged and tree covered. We are hunting kudu, wildebeast, zebra, hartebeast, blebok and a couple of others. We are excited to say the least.
Stay tuned to the blog, Guy tells me that we can get a Internet connection to work at the top on one mountain. We will be updating here as often as possible.

First night on bear stand

2011-05-25T17:43:00.000-06:00

Just heard form Matt. I guess it is soggy and cloudy and nothing is moving. The biggest excitement was the pine marten stealing beaver parts and hiding then through out the woods.
They are setting a different bait tonight.

Africa or not?!?!?!

2011-05-24T12:33:00.000-06:00

Well things are pretty well packed and all is in order. The only fly in the ointment is the volcano that exploded in Iceland and the ash plume from it. We are scheduled to fly through Heathrow airport in London so now we are in a holding pattern and waiting to see if we will actually get off the ground on Saturday or not. Ah, the joys of traveling Rich and San style!
Stay tuned.

Bear Camp

2011-05-22T22:16:00.002-06:00

Well All the gear is ready to go, and the camper is full. Tomorrow as all the may long campers head home me and my buddy Mike will be headed to the bush for 7 days is the search for black bears. The baits have been up for over a month now an with the slow spring comes slow action on the baits. But the good news is the bears we have had have all been decent looking so hoping the weather holds it should be a great week. Hope to have some good pics when we return!

Matt

New RMR shooting Update

2011-05-12T12:02:00.000-06:00

Oh ya Baby! This is why there is no arguing with quality. The target below has 15 rounds in it. 14 of the 15 (1 flyer, my bad - its raining) go into .8". No secret on the ammo. I'm shooting the highly accurate .338 WM Hornady Superformance ammo in 185 grain GMX bullet. Rats, I can't even claim it was partly my superior skills at the reload bench that wrung this out of the gun. It is a testament to the work that Corlane does on rifles though. When you put skill and quality components together these are the results you expect.
The gun shoots like a dream, for under 8 pounds it lays there on the bags when the hammer drops. I don't have to worry about it bucking off the bag and trying to eat me.
One box down and now for the long range gongs.

New Rocky Mountain Rifle just in time for Africa!

2011-05-11T17:00:00.000-06:00

Just in time for Africa at the end of the month, my new ,338WM is done. I wasted no time in heading over to Corlane's picking it up and I'll have a new Zeiss scope on it tonight. Tomorrow I'll shoot it at the range, I have some Hornady 185 grain Superformance to try.
The rifle started life as a 300 wm, I had Greg and Rod put a 24"#5 spiral fluted Hart barrel on it and a beautiful McMillan classic stock. The custom color by Greg is called African Red Sand and I really like it. Sandi has a custom build in the works with Rod and Greg right now and is casting covetous eyes upon my color choice.
Topped with the Talleys the beauty tipped the scales 7 pounds 14 ounces, just under the 8 pounds I was hoping for.

Some Rain Today

2011-05-03T19:44:00.005-06:00

We've been blessed with some incredible weather here but today we had some rain but it didn't stop us from going on a tour to Mou Waho Island on Lake Wanaka. There is a population of the very rare buff weka there and we shared tea with a couple. We also planted a tree and went and explored an old homestead.

A Busy 24 Hours

2011-05-02T21:25:00.005-06:00

New Zealand never fails to satisfy and the past 24-hours have been no exception. Last night we went spot lighting and shot a dozen possums and some rabbits and hares. It was a blast. This morning we learned how to skin possums and then we head off turkey hunting. Vanessa shot two big toms which we are having for dinner tonight along with some hare...mmmmmm.

Gerald and Sue Telford run a great operation and it's one of the most fun hunts we've ever done. Sadly our hunt ends tomorrow. Now to figure out how to get back! Check out http://www.flyfishunt.nz.co/ for more info on hunting with the Telfords.

We just got the news about the Conservative majority at home. This day doesn't get any better!

Bunny Shooting

2011-05-01T21:29:00.002-06:00

We spent the day out doing some long-range rabbit shooting with Gerald today. It's unbelievable the number of rabbits there are and the incredible destruction they do. Some farms even have full-time rabbiters just to control populations. Now I know what I want to be when I grow up!

A relaxing day

2011-04-30T21:36:00.006-06:00

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.

Back from Tahr camp

2011-04-29T16:58:00.002-06:00

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

2011-04-29T00:02:00.003-06:00

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!

Finally a chamois down

2011-04-27T15:03:00.003-06:00

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.

Big Buck Down

2011-04-25T17:00:00.003-06:00

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

2011-04-25T02:58:00.002-06:00

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.

Big Stag Down

2011-04-24T03:33:00.002-06:00

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.

What a beatiful day

2011-04-22T22:10:00.002-06:00

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.

We made it to New Zealand

2011-04-21T21:35:00.002-06:00

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.

SCI April News letter

2011-04-20T14:55:00.001-06:00

Check it out here!

Bighorn Ram Mount

2011-04-16T13:12:00.005-06:00

Well To day is the day I received my 2010 bighorn ram back from Curtis at Silver Willow Taxidermy. I have to Say that Curtis did an outstanding job on the rocky mountain beauty. The ram looks spectacular in person.

Spring Bear season starter

2011-04-15T17:03:00.004-06:00

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

Devil's Tower Turkey!

2011-04-10T11:47:00.000-06:00

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

2011-04-10T11:39:00.002-06:00

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.

Pack Dog Backgrounder

2011-04-09T12:48:00.001-06:00

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

Wyoming Turkey Opener!

2011-04-09T10:41:00.000-06:00

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.

Clayton White on pack Dogs

2011-04-05T10:22:00.001-06:00

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

BC hunter/trapper weighs in

2011-04-02T18:43:00.000-06:00

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

More thought on pack dogs

2011-04-01T09:45:00.001-06:00

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.

Pack Dogs

2011-03-31T16:05:00.002-06:00

See what Tavis Molnar of Arctic Red River Outfitters has to say about using pack dogs.

Hi TJ,

We have used pack dogs routinely in the north Mackenzie Mountains, NWT for the past 20 years in the course of our backpack hunting operations. We've found a well trained dog to be invaluable for this type of hunting, as we do extended, self sufficient backpack trips of 10-16 days long, which involve many miles of travel. The use of pack dogs makes a big difference to many of our clients, who find carrying extremely heavy loads more than challenging. It also makes a big difference to our guides, as they put in a 90 day season, and often travel 500 miles or more on foot in that time. Particularly as you get older, reducing your pack load is imperative to preventing physical deterioration in the course of such an intense field season.
I truly believe that the use of pack dogs in many cases reduces the potential loss of game meat as well to scavengers, particularly on the larger animals (caribou, moose), as a large, strong dog can pack loads approaching 50 lbs of meat from a carcass, enabling the hunters to remove the edible meat from the site more expeditiously. As well, when the hunters are returning for subsequent loads of meat from the carcass, a dog is able to detect the presence of bears in the vicinity of the carcass, particularly in heavy bush where the hunters cannot see very far ahead of them. I have personally had my own pack dog warn me on several occasions when I have been about to stumble into a grizzly either on a carcass that I was purposefully approaching, or on bear kills that I was not aware of.
I have also had several cases where I have surprised or been surprised by a grizzly, and my dog has been able to run the bear off. In one case, myself, client and pack dog had stopped to rest in late afternoon near a riverbank after a long pack, and the hunter and I had dozed off in the shade. About 20 minutes later, my dog jumped up and started going nuts, and when I opened my eyes there was a large boar about 25m away. He had evidently either stumbled onto us, or had purposefully approached us while we slept. As soon as my dog charged the bear, he spun around and took off. It's difficult for me to say what would have happened had the dog not been there, but I'm sure that the bear would have ended up significantly closer before I would have detected him, and we may have either ended up in a serious way, or had to kill the bear to prevent possible injury.
Over the past 20 years, I have had to kill a number of grizzlies in self defense, and I can think of at least three of those that I'm sure could have been prevented had I had a pack dog with me at the time. It has in fact been pretty rare that any of our guides have had to kill a bear this way while using a dog, and I'm positive that there is a strong correlation, and not just coincidence. I know that personally ALL of my defense kills of bears came prior to my use of a pack dog, and that after I started using one I noticed my close and surprise encounters with bears declined sharply.
There also should be little concern with pack dogs harassing or chasing wildlife. Generally, anyone that I've known that uses a pack dog has invested a great deal of time in it's training, since it is not only a pet but a valuable working animal. They are usually selected for specific traits, including calm personalities, loyalty, and a desire to please. As well, even a young dog in the midst of his training finds that most of his desire to roam and/or chase wildlife goes right out of him when he's got a load on, or after a hard days pack. With all the various pack dogs we've had in our camp, of different ages and breeds, we've never encountered a problem with this.
Individual dogs also have their own unique abilities and traits that can provide additional safety benefits in the context of the close relationship between themselves and their owner, and which most owners of pack dogs would be able to relate. In my case, I can say that my dog is very good at detecting approaching thunderstorms (he's terrified of lightning). Over the years I've learned to listen to him when he's got that "lightning's coming, boss!" look on his face, and get myself and my client down from an exposed ridge or peak.
Anyone with young children that also uses a pack dog will also tell you that having the dog along improves your families ability to get out in the mountains greatly, not only for the weight that the dog will pack, but the peace of mind that comes knowing that the dog is looking out for the kids, and is always alert for bears. If I ever encountered a grizzly with my kids along, I'd feel good knowing that the bear will be distracted by the dog, and either think twice about the situation, or if nothing else be preoccupied long enough for me to insure my kid's safety.

Overall, my opinion is that it's completely nonsensical to disallow the use of pack dogs in the mountains, as there are numerous positive benefits to this activity, and to my mind no negative consequences.

Regards,

Tavis.

Tavis Molnar
Arctic Red River Outfitters Ltd
PH: (867) 633-4934
info@arcticred-nwt.com

New Broadcast Times!

2011-03-30T10:06:00.002-06:00

Outdoor Quest TV is excited to announce that we'll be moving to a new primetime on Wild TV this week. This move will make us available to more viewers and put us in good company with shows that share our love of high adventure hunts. Be sure to check us out at our new times.

Tuesday 2:00am CST
Wednesday 7:00pm CST
Thursday 12:30am CST
Friday 12:00 noon CST

Don't forget our drive for 1,000 members of our Facebook group too. Please encourage your fiends to join. .

Go Pro Cameras

2011-03-29T11:03:00.001-06:00

Check out some exciting new footage from our new POV cameras. http://www.youtube.com/user/OutdoorQuestTV?feature=mhum#p/a/u/0/ZTNVCZT88pM

SCI Northern Alberta Chapter Banquet

2011-03-28T12:44:00.000-06:00

Had a great time at the SCI banquet. Check out some of the action! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHdwQWLUxu4&feature=autofb

A few pictures from the Edmonton show

2011-03-25T12:14:00.003-06:00

Help us reach 1,000

2011-03-24T13:15:00.001-06:00

‎49 more members to go to reach 1,000! Please help us spread the word and get your friends to join the Outdoor Quest TV group. We are offering a nifty prize for the person that recommends the 1,000th member!

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=82815497938