Dream hunt-would you shoot?
01-12-2020, 12:11 PM
#1
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Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Trumbull County, Ohio
Posts: 9,520
Dream hunt-would you shoot?
I recently talked to a fella who told me a story about a moose he had on his wall.
It was interesting. He said he'd dreamed of a Backcountry moose hunt and saved up his money. Read all the magazine articles and talked to people and guides who had hunted them. Bought a model 70 .338 and worked up a load for it. Used it to take whitetail for a few years practicing. Got in great shape, and finally went on his dream hunt.
He said he'd pictured it like the magazine stories. 8-10 hard days in bad weather under a heavy back pack while putting miles on his boots and hours behind the binoculars.
Flying in to their Backcountry camp there was a good moose in the area. But they weren't hunting that day. The next morning the moose was 500 yards from camp. At the guides insistence that it was a shooter, he walked out 250 yards from camp and dropped the moose that first morning.
Spent the rest of that day getting it back to camp. The next two days doing some fishing then flew out.
He said he was thankful and happy to take the moose. But was disappointed that his hunt wasn't harder and more like what the magazines had him expecting. He actually said that he wished he'd passed on that moose, even if it meant going home at the end of the week with an unfilled tag.
So- dream hunt, what would you do? Take that first morning easy opportunity? He said he realized he was more interested in the adventure than just putting a tag on a bull.
-Jake
It was interesting. He said he'd dreamed of a Backcountry moose hunt and saved up his money. Read all the magazine articles and talked to people and guides who had hunted them. Bought a model 70 .338 and worked up a load for it. Used it to take whitetail for a few years practicing. Got in great shape, and finally went on his dream hunt.
He said he'd pictured it like the magazine stories. 8-10 hard days in bad weather under a heavy back pack while putting miles on his boots and hours behind the binoculars.
Flying in to their Backcountry camp there was a good moose in the area. But they weren't hunting that day. The next morning the moose was 500 yards from camp. At the guides insistence that it was a shooter, he walked out 250 yards from camp and dropped the moose that first morning.
Spent the rest of that day getting it back to camp. The next two days doing some fishing then flew out.
He said he was thankful and happy to take the moose. But was disappointed that his hunt wasn't harder and more like what the magazines had him expecting. He actually said that he wished he'd passed on that moose, even if it meant going home at the end of the week with an unfilled tag.
So- dream hunt, what would you do? Take that first morning easy opportunity? He said he realized he was more interested in the adventure than just putting a tag on a bull.
-Jake
01-12-2020, 12:15 PM
#2
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Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Trumbull County, Ohio
Posts: 9,520
I've passed on many whitetail cause I wasn't ready to be done hunting yet and wanted to still have a tag in my pocket.
But a moose would be a different story probably. It would be hard to pass a good moose because it was "too easy" although this guy didn't pass- he certainly seemed to regret it.
My antelope hunt was somewhat similar this year. After several years of applying, researching, calling and talking to people, studying maps, etc..... when it came down to it- it was pretty easy. Four of us got our bucks that first day. Even though we mostly did it from our feet, not road hunting like allot of people do.
I don't regret that the hunt was "easy" but I also wouldn't have minded having to work a little harder for it. And next time I go I'll be looking for a better, bigger buck.
-Jake
But a moose would be a different story probably. It would be hard to pass a good moose because it was "too easy" although this guy didn't pass- he certainly seemed to regret it.
My antelope hunt was somewhat similar this year. After several years of applying, researching, calling and talking to people, studying maps, etc..... when it came down to it- it was pretty easy. Four of us got our bucks that first day. Even though we mostly did it from our feet, not road hunting like allot of people do.
I don't regret that the hunt was "easy" but I also wouldn't have minded having to work a little harder for it. And next time I go I'll be looking for a better, bigger buck.
-Jake
01-12-2020, 12:45 PM
#3
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: south eastern PA
Posts: 15,436
Hunting moose is a far cry from hunting whitetail deer, white tails are everywhere, moose are relegated to certain states and Canada in north America. You didn't say where this guy was hunting but I suspect it was a long drive or a long flight to where he took the plane into the back country and camp. The tag and outfitter i'm sure cost him a pretty penny, plus the tips for the help that retrieved and took care of his moose. Sometimes hunting can be hard and long to achieve your goal and sometimes, rarely, when the hunting Gods smile on us it can happen very quickly and I would rather have that than not to have an opportunity at all. Of course that is a personal choice, additionally he had the experience of working on his moose in the field and two days for him to get his prize back to camp which meant he spent at least 4 days in camp which was part of the experience. I don't know why he would be disappointed for being a successful hunter. As for me, since moose aren't running around in herds like in PA where we usually have more than one opportunity to harvest one, and the guide told me there was a good bull just outside of camp I would have tried to take it and had I been successful the last thing I would have been was disappointed, I would have been elated. I would have a lot of good eating and a prize to put on my wall and been happy that things worked out well, we all most likely have had hunts where they didn't. In addition, at my age, I will not complain if a hunt does not turn out to be a marathon. Last November when I got drawn for a PA elk cow tag after 17 years of applying for a tag, I hired and outfitter, my guide worked very hard for two days in the rain and wind and we put on a lot of miles trying to get an elk. On the third morning the weather was nice and at 7:26 am I have a very nice cow on the ground, that is hunting. I would not have been any less happy if I took my elk on the first day and like the guy you were talking to, I dreamed about getting drawn for a PA elk tag for a lot of years. I think it is a shame, the guy has less than good feelings about being successful on a hunt that most hunters will never get the opportunity to take simply because it was not a marathon hunt.
01-12-2020, 12:54 PM
#4
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I've not been on a guided hunt so I wonder how the guide would react if he passed?
Would it be a "I'm okay with you passing as long as we recognise this is a shot opportunity and you had a chance"
Or would the guide be upset they had to work harder when it could have been done easily that first day?
To be clear- he was happy and thankful for the opportunity to take the moose. It was more of a looking back thing, he still wished he had that "adventure" type hunt that he had dreamed of.
He even mentioned that he considered paying to go on a Backcountry trip but not hunting. But just had never done it. And time got away from him and he figures he's too old now.
-Jake
Would it be a "I'm okay with you passing as long as we recognise this is a shot opportunity and you had a chance"
Or would the guide be upset they had to work harder when it could have been done easily that first day?
To be clear- he was happy and thankful for the opportunity to take the moose. It was more of a looking back thing, he still wished he had that "adventure" type hunt that he had dreamed of.
He even mentioned that he considered paying to go on a Backcountry trip but not hunting. But just had never done it. And time got away from him and he figures he's too old now.
-Jake
01-12-2020, 01:36 PM
#6
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: On an Island in Vermont
Posts: 22,605
I have always been satisfied when the safety came off and I fired. Never killer remorse. Taken plenty of big game on both first and last day. It is all good and certainly better than tag soup.
01-12-2020, 01:52 PM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 2,743
well, I can see things many ways here , as I have been on many hunts all over, not many guided unless legally required, but a few to get the feel
a LOT comes down to the guide, as to how they would handle you passing on a easy kill so close to camp
guides (good one's) work HARD all season, so to them a easy close to camp kill is a bonus , less work, for them, and well like anyone on the JOB< no one wants to HAVE to work harder if they don;t have to
so some guides might find you passing up a easy deal, with some spite and not be so happy and I can see there point
no where in booked hunt does it state WHEN a kill can happen, first day, or last,
and to be honest MOST guides TRY there best to get you your game animal ASAP, as down time after that kill is again, less work for them, and they got paid the same!
NOW< what I DON"T get is this
even IF you tag out on the first day of say a 7 day hunt, NO one MAKES you go home, you paid for all 7 days, and you can certainly Stay as long as you want on them, MOST times, your STUCK there till your time is up
not many places will make a special flight in/out just cause you tagged out sooner !
just as many times, you can (mostly for a fee) work with an outfitter and if possible, BUY a tag for another species and hunt that the remainder of the time, most places wold tags can be had in the great up north and AK, which will allow you to hunt the rest of your time>
added costs for sure, but beats going home or just sitting at camp
and another option is, IF there are other hunters in camp still hunting, SOME will allow you to tag along(come sin handy when hauling meat if they ill LOL)
and there is always the passing on a animal, if one so wishes, but this is something that should be worked out with guide BEFORE the hunt, so they know what your standards are and what there policy is,
as if a there policy is, get you on a legal bull, and you pass, some will again get offended and well, could call it your hunt!
it comes down to what ever there rules are, and like all rules , the time to find out about them isn;t when ON THE SPOT
questions need to be asked and answered BEFORE a hunt is booked IMO!or that's what smarter more experienced hunters do., to make sure they get what they want!
a LOT comes down to the guide, as to how they would handle you passing on a easy kill so close to camp
guides (good one's) work HARD all season, so to them a easy close to camp kill is a bonus , less work, for them, and well like anyone on the JOB< no one wants to HAVE to work harder if they don;t have to
so some guides might find you passing up a easy deal, with some spite and not be so happy and I can see there point
no where in booked hunt does it state WHEN a kill can happen, first day, or last,
and to be honest MOST guides TRY there best to get you your game animal ASAP, as down time after that kill is again, less work for them, and they got paid the same!
NOW< what I DON"T get is this
even IF you tag out on the first day of say a 7 day hunt, NO one MAKES you go home, you paid for all 7 days, and you can certainly Stay as long as you want on them, MOST times, your STUCK there till your time is up
not many places will make a special flight in/out just cause you tagged out sooner !
just as many times, you can (mostly for a fee) work with an outfitter and if possible, BUY a tag for another species and hunt that the remainder of the time, most places wold tags can be had in the great up north and AK, which will allow you to hunt the rest of your time>
added costs for sure, but beats going home or just sitting at camp
and another option is, IF there are other hunters in camp still hunting, SOME will allow you to tag along(come sin handy when hauling meat if they ill LOL)
and there is always the passing on a animal, if one so wishes, but this is something that should be worked out with guide BEFORE the hunt, so they know what your standards are and what there policy is,
as if a there policy is, get you on a legal bull, and you pass, some will again get offended and well, could call it your hunt!
it comes down to what ever there rules are, and like all rules , the time to find out about them isn;t when ON THE SPOT
questions need to be asked and answered BEFORE a hunt is booked IMO!or that's what smarter more experienced hunters do., to make sure they get what they want!
01-12-2020, 02:00 PM
#8
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: On an Island in Vermont
Posts: 22,605
I hunted woodland caribou 3 years in a row in beautiful Newfoundland. It was a 5 day hunt and I normally filled my tag on an animal the guide knew would please me within a day or two. I spent the rest of the week going out with the guides on game retrieval. I got to see a lot of country, many animals and spent time with some interesting people.
