The Year of El Niñyo - 1998

1998 probably was the nicest year, weather wise that I've ever had in the Yukon. El Niñyo kept us warm and dry. If this is what the greenhouse effect is going to be like, I am going to idle my truck, burn a lot of bush and feed my horses more green grass to hurry things up. January started at -40 and went down to -50F and then -60F and then warmed up and stayed mild. The summer was gorgeous, not really hot but dry. My rain gear is still like new, good enough for another season.

Stein Haugen and Oivind Tidemandsen arrived Feb.12th for the first wolf and lynx trip. Robbie and I had the honor of guiding these two. First day out, Robbie and Oivind picked up a big tom in one of my traps. Another lynx raided a set but didn't get caught. I rebaited the set, it again took the bait so I made a double set which ended his career. On day four we were all returning from the Rock River when a big black wolf showed up on Octopus Lake but got into the timber before we could shoot. Next day Stein and I caught the rascal in front of the cabin. He took off as we were getting the guns ready. I took off hoping to beat him to the bush and make him turn back on the lake but just didn't quite have the speed. He hit the deep snow on the lake shore when I was about 15 yards from him. I stopped, expecting Stein to be right behind but his skidoo had sputtered and stalled when he cracked it open so was a couple hundred yards behind. By the time he got up the wolf was moving through the trees and he couldn't get a shot. Next day Robbie went back down the trail to where I'd set off a beaver carcass. The wolf had eaten it and was on the trail so they took off.  Three times they caught up and Oivind would miss. Oivind then got stuck, got going again and got a last shot just as the wolf made the trees. Robbie snowshoed in, found blood and finished the wolf off. They went home with two lynx, two marten, a beaver and a wolf.

The next hunter was Arvid Svartness. First day out we got a wolverine, then a couple martin, beaver and a small lynx. We also found a moose that broke through the ice. It took a couple hours but we did get it out of the river but no wolves came back to  it. We did find where they killed another moose. We also found a wolf skull there, probably got hurt during the fight so the wolves ate it.

The last hunt (March 2 - 10) had repeat client David Brown come. We had wolves all around us but were always too late or too early. David is returning this winter for another chance.

The next big journey was into Taffie Creek to pick up the boat that got froze in. I was checking out our new Summit 500 on this trip. At the end of the main trail, we hit waist deep snow with 10 inches of powder covering a heavy crust covering 20 inches of sugar. Without the Summit, I probably would have turned around but I could pack a trail for 30 feet to get up and then go a 1/2 mile or more until the next hill. We managed to get to the River where conditions were good. I broke trail, Donn came next with Ceaser and a light load and then Robbie with the Skandic and a big load. About 15 miles down I caught up to a big wolf. I tried to get him to run back to Donn who had the gun but he wouldn't turn. I stayed about 10 feet to one side and just ahead of him for about a mile. He finally spotted easy going, literally jumped over the back of the skidoo and headed for the bush. I spun around and tried to get between him and the bank but he beat me, his tail disappeared into the trees just as Donn and Robbie came into sight. The boat rescue was a piece of cake. I could do 60 k.p.h. towing the boat and wasn't even full throttle.

For spring break, Chelsea, Joel and I snowmobiled into Wolf Den. Ruth and Donn flew in so we where able to get a lot of work done. We built another cabin, put the roof on Mosquito camp and fixed up the Homestead. The clutch jammed on the Summit so for the trip out I couldn't stop.  I could idle along at 4 m.p.h. Chelsea or Joel would trade machines with me if I needed to stop. We made it out in record time. (The complete story of this adventure is published in the Indiana and Ohio SnowRider magazines.) It includes some open water running and other adventures.

We didn't take any spring bear hunters this year as I was working on my Hoover craft. The Hover Craft is still unfinished and the big Lowel Creek bear, Joel Creek bear, plus the ones on the Coal are all waiting for you.

I returned to the Yukon in mid June, did some trail cutting and then flew into Lotz Lake to check out the moose hunting there. In three days, I saw 12 bulls so decided to try a hunt there in the fall. I spent a day trying to cut out the creek so we could get up to the moose pond but was unable to get it done. Am planning to cut it out this winter and then again in the summer. It will be great for moose.

Joel, Ryan ( a new wrangler) and I then went up to Lowel Creek and discovered a grizzly had destroyed the contents of the cabin and the door. We cleaned this up and cut out the trail to Huckleberry camp and fixed a loading corral at the bridge. We then checked out the Rock River which is another great moose area but we need the Hover Craft to hunt it.

Many of you will be pleased to know that Robbie and Liz were married on July 1st. Walter and his wife traveled all the way from Grande Prairie to make sure the knot was tight. A good time was had by all.

The horses were rounded up and trailed in July 6th and 7th. After 5 years of good luck we again had a bear break into the lodge and do some serious decorating. He didn't like the windows so we had to replace them. Most of the other stuff in the cabin he just piled up on the floor: dishes, soap, coffee, candles, books, magazines. Most of the dishes were salvageable, the rest all got burned.  He also found some red paint, of course rolled in it and then painted various parts of the lodge, a couple chairs and fortunately the outside of my old binoculars. He may be the same bear as the one at Lowell Creek but I don't think so. I've got enough points so if you want one of these guys, give me a call.

After the horses were shod, we went to Wolf Dens to finish the cabins, fix up the strip and cut some trails. Cody, the son of old friends of ours flew in for 10 days to see what life in the bush was like. (He really enjoyed it and talked about coming as a wrangler next year) We then trailed back to Ceaser. Donn, Joel and Cody then went to Sheep Camp to scout and cut trail while Chelsea, Ryan and I went to Dolly Camp to do the same. While in Dolly camp, we had two different grizzly come into camp to check us out. After posing for us, they both left peaceably.

The first hunter this fall was Phil Bertolloti. We spend the first couple days at Huckleberry camp but were unable to find a big billy, just nannies and kids. We then moved to South Camp and first day out found many nannies, then a billy that changed into a nanny after we had climbed 2,000 feet. Joel, then spotted a keeper caribou which Phil and I went after but got delayed by a huge billy. I played decoy while Phil moved in for the kill. At 46 yards a rock slipped from Phil's feet alerting the old monarch who stood, ran up and lay down 50 - 60 yards from Phil, watching him. No chance for a bow shot. It was now getting dark so we spent the night out, sleeping under a tree but the goat left the country. The next outing, Phil and I climbed a mountain through very rough going so decided to take one of my short cuts home. It was only maybe 1,000 vertical feet, under a mile of walking but the worst going I've run into in 25 years of guiding. On the way back to Ceaser, Joel spotted a grizzly so we went to look at it. We just had Joel's 7 mm 08 so were not willing to try a shot over 60 yards. It was a nice bear but not trophy size for a gun and Phil's bow was packed on the horses.

Next up was Dennis Wheeler and Fransico Rosich (We will be hunting with him in Spain this Christmas). Donn and Dennis scored first with a nice billy. Fransico, Merlayn, Joel and I turned down a couple caribou and then took a nice billy which managed to break the tips of his horns on the way down.

Rolf Rupf and Otto Winter next accompanied Donn and Floyd Frank (Robbies cousin) to Goat's Bluff for two goats while Tony Gahwiler and Robbie took a caribou and wounded a big bull moose. Hans Hug and I took a moose and caribou from the Homestead.

The seven day special had Richie Swhenky and Donn trying for a big billy which managed to elude them but they did take a nice caribou. Jim Diamond and Floyd chased a big billy for a day and then went up and took a nice caribou.

Herbert Hein and Maurico Vesques were the last horse hunters. Herbert and Donn took a huge 63 inch bull while Maurice and Floyd took a moose and caribou. Herbert is coming back next year for his caribou. Floyd and Ryan escorted the horses to the road and I had them in winter pasture on the 28th. 

Our first moose hunt is scheduled for Sept. 12. Mark Heinzelman was already on his way home with a 58" moose from Lotz Lake on the 10th. He and his son had arrived early and I was able to put Robbie and him at Lotz. It took one evening and the next morning to get a big bull.

Todd Reid and Jeff Sickafoose were next, flying into the Beaver River on the 13th. They had to cut the last days of the hunt off as Jeff's crops needed harvesting. This gave them 2 1/2 days to hunt. Ralph and Lawrence did well getting Jeff a heavy 51 inch bull but Todd was unlucky. As I was taking them out to fly home, Todd asked what I was doing to which I replied nothing to which he asked if I could guide him. My response was sure, so while he debated whether he should stay or not, I tried to think what I would screw up by going. By the time we got to the airport about 10 minutes, we had all the plans worked out. Todd called in to rechange his tickets and tell his business that he wouldn't be back at work on Monday. Jeff got on the plane and Todd and I went to the Coal River. Walter and Ritchie were already hunting there with my jon boat so I had to use the Misty River. Walter's motor had broke down so he had taken my handle and fuel tank. When I got to the boat, I had no fuel tank. I just filled a quart oil container with gas, took a fuel line off, shoved it in the container and drove down to pick up Todd. Then I discovered I could only idle as the throttle connection was busted so I gave Todd the job of holding the gas while I ran the throttle by hand. We made it 1/2 mile up the river, 200 yards from the cabin. Next morning after hunting, Todd and I fixed up a string and stick which controlled the throttle and we got our fuel tank back. In the afternoon, we went up to Phylis' cabin, off loaded the grub and went hunting. That evening we got a 52" moose which was lying in the water, just its head and antlers sticking out trying to cool off. We shot it at about 20 feet.

On the next change Joe Arrain went into Toobally with Dave and took a nice bull. John Natoli flew into Wolf Dens with Robbie and took a caribou,then to the Coal river with Walter for his moose. Jim Peters and Bob Archer hunted the Beaver with Ralph and Lawrence taking two moose.

Don Simons arrived two days early on Sept. 27. I had originally planned to have Don fly into Toobally but didn't think his Titanium knees would allow him to back down the small ladder on the otter. Anyway Robbie got Don his moose on the lake two days before his hunt actually started.

The last moose hunt of the year had Fred Gimbel, our first long bow hunter, and Donn go into Toobally and Ken Valentine and Melvin Allscheild to the Beaver. These people were lucky and got to fly in the afternoon they arrived. Dennis Heniser and Rick Garretson were to fly into Joel and Lotz lakes but it started to snow and didn't let up for six days so I put them with Floyd and Robbie on the Coal. Robbie and Rick didn't even get to the river before they took a real nice bull and then later a wolf. Floyd and Dennis weren't as lucky. We all saw a 43 inch bull on Pike Lake the first day but it wasn't big enough. They did find one other big bull but Dennis to his credit wouldn't shoot through the willows and chance wounding an animal so went home empty. Ken and Mel both took moose with Ralph and Lawrence. Donn and Fred missed one, hit a branch on another and then couldn't get close enough on the third.

The late caribou hunts started out great. Barry fink and I saw 15 mature bulls and about 80 other caribou on day 1. The bad part is that the warm weather and rain had them on the mountain tops. We stalked one good bull but couldn't get up on him because of the wind. We never saw them again. On day two, we saw a similar number of animals and then had a group of 10 bulls and 5 cows disappear into the fog never to be seen again. We could have taken many 300 to 340 point bulls but weren't interested the first days. The caribou then disappeared, leaving us looking at 300 points or less bulls so Barry went home         empty.

Donn and Larry Bennett arrived just as we were leaving and spotted a 380 point caribou that afternoon. It was the first bull they saw but I had told Donn that the caribou seemed to be leaving so they took it. It was the right decision and they were the third party to fill out before their hunt started.

I then arrived a couple days later with Mattias Kirst. We spotted a crippled bull the first mourning and decided to take it. It was on a mountain we normally would not have hunted but decided to save it from the wolves. After a two hour climb we got caught in the open two hundred yards away. Mat shot it off hand. I was impressed. We did learn that you shouldn't shoot a sick caribou, late in the season in the neck as the shock will cause the antlers to be shed. We looked around for a couple days, hoping for a wolf or wolverine but only saw 10 others bulls, a couple of which were as nice as the one we saved, one was a beauty on top but shy in the bez. Mat was pleased with his rescue and has rescheduled for a big bull next year and then plans to spend a few days with me setting traps.

That wraps up 98. Looking ahead to 99, we have made a few changes to make booking and travel easier for you and added a couple of new hunts that should interest you.

For our U.S. clients we are now booking in US dollars. This will make comparison easier plus save you some hassle. We are also going to be taking your trophies across the border which will save you money and hassle. Our European clients can still book in Canadian dollars which is often easier for them.

The enclosed hunting schedule gives you a complete listing of all the hunts we offer. New for this year is the back pack sheep hunt Aug 13th to 24th, a 7 day Oct 1st to 7th horseback moose hunt, a Oct 20th to 19th post rut moose and or caribou hunt and a May 17th to 23rd spring bear hunt. These are described briefly in the schedule. Please call if you have any questions.

At present we are only planning to attend the Safari Club Convention in Reno Jan 20th to 24th. Our booth number is 766. We hope to see you there. It is a great hunter convention. We look forward to hearing from you.

Terry and Ruth