Fall 2002 Newsletter

Life’s great. I celebrated my 50th birthday this year and it wasn’t a disaster like my 40th . Some of you may remember '92, especially if you hunted with us. 

This year started out with potential disasters but all turned out fine.

Robert Callender was our lone spring bear hunter. We were again foiled in out attempt to get into Ceaser for the lodge wrecker but after spending a few days trying to get in we gave up and went to the Coal where Robert and Donn took a ancient sow. Haven’t got the age back yet but we’ve known her since 1991 when we saw her with a three year old cub. My math puts her at a minimum of 20 probably closer to 25 and her teeth wear puts her near 30. Donn did fly over Ceaser on the 24th and the 28th and the grizzly wrecked the lodge between those flights; the time we were trying to get there. Yes you can book to get this bear but must be able to hike in the low trail. 

Ruth and I then celebrated my 50th birthday with a hunt in Mongolia. This had been a dream of mine since 1975. I couldn’t afford the big Argali ram but could afford the Ibex. A wonderful time was had. JY and Linda Jones went with us. He took two nice Ibex and I took one. The people from Safari Outfitters to Mongolian Safaris to our guide Ericca were wonderful. 

While in Mongolia we heard that a forest fire had almost burned our lodge at Ceaser. It burned to the end of the lake but didn’t do any damage, in fact it will make for even better moose and bear hunting. 

We trailed in July 4. The best trail in I’ve had. Almost the entire trail had been burned so the willows were all gone, there were no mosquitoes plus no new blow downs. We will pay for it in the years to come but right now it is great. 

Joel made it back from New Zealand in time to help plus Chelsea got a couple days off her "wildlife interpretation" job in Whitehorse to help Floyd, Michael, Shawn and myself trail in. We sent Donn ahead by plane so that we arrived to a cleaned up camp and hot supper. 

The rest of July was spent cutting trail, fixing camps and breaking horses. The unusually wet July made life less fun but we got most everything done that was needed. Unfortunately a downdraft caught Donn without enough airspeed to clear the rise at the end of Dendale. Both Donn and Shawn walked away with no injuries except to pride and the airplane. We were back to outfitting like the old days without a plane.

The first hunt of the year was with Ralph Mersdorf and Paul Malesky. We had met in Fort Washington and traded a deer and antelope hunt for a goat hunt. They took two nice old goats and then Paul met a big grizzly which is also now in his trophy room. Ralph tried for sheep but was fogged out for the last three days. (Our end of the trade yielded a B&C Whitetail, an antelope and many great memories.) 

 Next up was Trevor McMahon who Donn and Floyd guided and Jordi Visent who accompanied Joel and Michael. Trevor took the best goat of the year as well as the largest spread moose. Jordi took a nice goat at 10 yards and then went home early. 

Steve Einhardt, Joel and Michael hunted the bad weather around the end of August taking a nice goat while Donn guided Kevin Pulvermacker to the biggest caribou of the year. Ken Eason and Floyd took a caribou and moose. 

Because our plane was down we had to change a few plans so I got to take Wayne Marley out during this time. We got up on a couple sheep the first day but the ram was small though old so we let him go. We then proceeded to check out every mountain but the sheep were not there. Finally we found 4 legal rams and next morning put a stalk on them. We couldn’t get any closer than 350 yards at which time a shot was tried but we had misestimated the drop an 06 with 180 grain bullets would have and the sheep walked away. We did see 6 big bull moose at various times but needed to have an argo to get them back to the lake. Will have one for next year. The hunt is still open so call if you are interested. 

David Reed and Perry Budreau were next after caribou. Donn and Floyd successfully guided them to two bulls though David got his the first day before the caribou left town. Donn and Perry worked their buts off taking a caribou on the last day. Mark Metzgar and Joel took a goat and then Mark went to the Coal for moose with Walter and took a 218 gross bull. 

Our season now hit full swing with the moose rut starting and guess what! A tragedy hit Watson with a young girl just 19 getting killed in a car accident. Robbie, Floyd and Michael are all close relatives so had to come in. Thank you David Allen, Tony Bartoni and John Johansson for giving up a day of your hunt so this could happen. I guess I could also thank Air Canada for losing Greg Williamson’s gear so he was a day late getting in. Joel took Tony out for one day and took a nice bull moose and then took Pete Page to the Coal River Cabin where he took a nice caribou with his bow, unfortunately wounded a big moose and then took a grizzly at Ceaser with Joel’s rifle. I guided David for a day after which Floyd and Michael took them to Ceaser where they took a caribou apiece. Donn and Greg took a big black bear and got messed up by fog on a huge bull moose. Greg had to leave early as his wife was having a baby. 

David Yap then flew in and took a nice caribou with Floyd and then went to the river for one night with Dave O’Farell looking for moose. Eugene Yap, David's father runs South Point Safaris in Hawaii where I took an Arminian and Mouflon sheep last Christmas. This was a great hunt plus Ruth enjoyed both the hunt and the beaches. We are going back this New Years with Joel and Chelsea as the hunters. 

The last horse hunt of the year had Brian McMahon and Donn taking a big old caribou and having the big bull moose disappear. Floyd and Michael had the same thing happen to them with Rick Davies. They had gone into a hot spot on Buttercup Creek only to not see any big bulls. Both these guys were then flown into Joel Creek for a couple days by boat but things were the same on the river. I did manage to get Rick up on a ruffed grouse which he beheaded with his bow and saw a grizzly and wolf but couldn’t get close enough to either. 

The boat moose hunts went well this year with everybody taking their moose. The first hunt had Hans Sauer with Dave O’Farell on the Hyland River, John Johansson and Mark Metzgar with Robbie and Walter on the Coal. Skipper Jones got his moose on the Beaver River with Ralph and Lawrence. 

Next up was Al Del Grego a bow hunter with Dave on the Hyland and Bill and Vance Mitchell with Robbie and Walter on the Coal. Al took a nice bull the first night but Dave had to track it all next day, finishing it of with a rifle a long ways from the boat. He then spent the whole next day packing meat. Robbie called in a 220 point bull which Vance arrowed and later his Dad took a 57 in bull. Vance’s moose was the biggest of the year plus was taken by bow. 

The last hunters were Horacio, Thomas and Antonio from Mexico and Lorenz Tilly from Montreal. Robbie got Lorenz a nice bull on the Coal while Walter, Joel and Dave guided the three bow hunters at Toobally. Joel and Antonio a long bow hunter took a 210 point bull the first morning as did Dave and Horacio. Walter and Thomas took a wolf the first day and then a moose on the third. Thus ending our 19 th year of outfitting. 

What's New and What's Hot for 2002

Winter Wolf, Lynx and Wolverine - We do have room for several winter wolf hunters and have a couple of new developments in this area. Our plan is to start the first hunt on the Rock River. This is on Joel and my trap line and is where there were lots of wolves last year. This is the best hunt to consider if you would also like a lynx and wolverine, as this area has them. I am hoping to get a trail into Lotz lake which will be a great area for wolves as will be the entire 100 mile of the Rock River. One of our later hunts will go into Toobally Lakes. This may be the best place to take a wolf as we will be baiting wolves on the ice. Dates are March 11th to 20th . Another hunt will be taken in the Upper Hyland Lake area. This is high open country so you can see wolves for a long way. The downside is you have to be able to ride a snowmobile well to enjoy this last hunt. The dates on this one are either March 2nd to 9th or 11th to 20th . This hunt also has some great ptarmigan hunting.

Spring Grizzly -  May 26th to June 4th or later. Get a grizzly with a reputation. The Lodge wrecking bear. You have to be in hiking shape. Other open dates to hunt the new burn are May 14th to 23rd.

Goat Caribou Combo -  July 31st to Aug 11th. Room for one or two into the new Luxury Camp area. Aug 13th to 24th . Check out the Hyland Lake south camp. Great goat, caribou and moose potential.

Boat Moose - We will be offering the first ever hunts on the Rock River as well as the Tamerack Lake-Whitefish river system. Get in on the first hunt Sept 15th to 21st for the best chance.

We will be attending the following shows this winter. We would love to see you there.