I take a Texan floatin.........

Stid2677

WKR
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Sep 13, 2012
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My brother-in-law ask me to take his best friend on a moose hunt. Shawn and I chat and I ask about budget and how he wants to hunt. We decide that a float hunt for a bull he might have a chance at with his bow was the best fit. I have a tag in my pocket too, but mainly we are going to try to call in a bull for Shawn. Hurricane Irma blows into his home town of Houston delaying our departure, he head out 5 days later than we had hoped for, but the day we start floating is clear and warm.

The raft is the same one I bought from Larry B way back,, still hauling gear and meat.

Levitator with oar saddles and camp gear.

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We float down to a spot I had in mind and do some glassing before we make camp.

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Okay,, we can stay here a bit.

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Lets dig in....

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Stid2677

Stid2677

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Called in a Porky,, Shawn sure wanted to eat it,, in the end we both just could not bring ourselves to kill the little guy.

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Beautiful watching the leaves change color while calling and glassing.

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Called this horny swayback into camp,, TWICE,, just could not talk Shawn into making some meat. I could taste him just looking at him. He walked away and I called him back trying to get Shawn to let an arrow fly, but after seeing heavy head he was holding out.

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Chooooooot em,, he is almost in the raft.......

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a quote from another forum, "I know squat about hunting porcupines, but I do know not to eat one a$$ first....."

My Dad always told me not to shoot a porcupine, as it was bad luck. They were survival food only.

Looking forward to the rest of the report!
 
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Stid2677

Stid2677

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I had a cozy spot to watch him hunt from.

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5x7 over 60

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Should have got a bou tag. :)

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Top147

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Apr 1, 2013
Messages
150
Oh man, a cozy looking spot indeed. A packrafting trip would just seem like its a hoot! What are the logistics? Are you flying in or maybe another vehicle downriver?
 

Grumman

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Jan 30, 2016
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Kentucky
Dang Stid you frequent some beautiful places. Thanks for sharing these awesome hunts.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Daniel_M

WKR
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Jan 17, 2013
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1,430
Location
Wasilla, Alaska
The fun zone. Had my heart broken on that river before with giant unicorns. Well done bro. :cool:
 

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Stid2677

Stid2677

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So some numbers for the logistic geeks,,,, the total kit with us, weighed about 850lbs,, this is a drop off, plane pick up hunt, so 750 lbs per load on the way out. So 2 loads, or I could do it sheep hunt style and get out in one load if we don't kill a moose. But,, if we pack heavy and cozy, we still can get out in 2 load WITH a moose, 2 Moose,, 3 loads...

So, on this hunt, I packed some good food and a beer or 2.

With the warm weather, full moon and early season, all working against us,, we could do nothing as we watched ole heavy follow a cow up the valley. After a few days Shawn was ready to see some new ground.

Get it all loaded up...

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Do some fishing.... I think he won. :)

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Shawn bags a grouse as we unload for camp 2.

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Cooked it up for him,, 2 arrows with broadheads,, yea about 38 bucks a taco.

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Boreal

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Anchorage, AK
This is great, looking forward to reading more.

I have to admit I thought your thread title was your euphemism for "morning constitutional".
 
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Stid2677

Stid2677

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This is great, looking forward to reading more.

I have to admit I thought your thread title was your euphemism for "morning constitutional".

Shawn is a good working class guy,, with the oil industry in the tank and the flood, he has not been working much, but he really wanted to make this work as a true once in a lifetime hunt. I admit that I knew we would be lucky to put that 1k tag on a bull on this river, he was going to have to hunt hard.

My 2nd camp was beautiful as always,, but not a moose to be found in 3 days of hunting.

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Stid2677

Stid2677

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Time to bounce to camp 3.

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Do some more fishing.

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He tried his hand on the sticks...

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Haaaaaay.

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Camp and call. call and camp repeat....

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Stid2677

Stid2677

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As we floated down to camp 3 I wanted to hunt another spot, but as we rounded the bend upriver I smelled a campfire so I knew someone was already in the spot. It was a large camp with 8 folks, I saw they were climbing after a bull as we floated by. I made sure to float several more miles down to give us both space.

I mention the above,, because they would haunt us one more time....

About midday half the large group floats by... The evening was perfect,, the sun had come out after 2 days of fog and rain. About an hour before dark the rest of the large group floats by and tell us they just flushed a mid 50s bull off the bar 200 yards upriver from us... Ugggggggg

We try to get on him, but he saw them and buggered off, again we tried early in the morning but no bull. So we get at it early and hope to float one up.

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We float and call,, call and float.....

yea,, that cold...

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Stid2677

Stid2677

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We floated all day and into the evening, about an hour prior to dark I found a good looking spot with lots of sign. We throw up camp and I get to making some dinner. I tell Shawn to go call and hunt as it was the best time of day. I started cooking dinner,, I had the propane stove blasting when I hear the strangest sound. What in the world is that??? I hear this realtree Michael Wadell deer bleat... meeeant,,, MEEEENT. Then I hear Shawn yell in a hushed voice "CALL HIM"

I turn off the stove and look out and see a bull in the river walking across,, I grunt a few times and he stops. I look at Shawn and he is hopping around like a 3 year old that has to take a piss. While I work the bull he is running around looking for all his stuff, then it was my turn trying to get the raft ready to row across. We make it across and ease up, the bull is in the willows and Shawn gets a shot in him and he lays down, I watch him fall over and one more in the neck and he was done. Shawn had killed his first bull, so we went back to camp for a quick meal, then to work.....

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I used a vibratory saw for the first time to cut the rib bones,, worked very good. Much safer than a sawzall.

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EZ pack

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On the pole.

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Camp time now!!!

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Stid2677

Stid2677

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We float on down to the take out,, never fails there was party after party all stacked close to the takeout, so we just floated all the way to prevent making noise and ruining their hunt.

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Was nice to dry gear and chat with other hunter only one other bull killed, but he very unique.

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Da plane...

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AKHUNTER

Lil-Rokslider
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Sep 30, 2013
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Interior Alaska
Nice work fellas and thanks for sharing the story! What are the details (make/model) on that screened kitchen tent - it looks like it made for a nice easy kitchen cook area?
 
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Stid2677

Stid2677

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Nice work fellas and thanks for sharing the story! What are the details (make/model) on that screened kitchen tent - it looks like it made for a nice easy kitchen cook area?

Cheap Sam's club buy years ago. Bit on the heavy side, but not that hard to set up and makes a nice place out of the bugs.
 
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