Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game My British Columbia Moose Hunt/Adventure.

Let me start with saying Thanks for reading.

A little back story before I start. As many on here know back in March of 2015 I made a decision to lose weight and get in better shape. I lost at one point 140 lbs but have settled into the 110-120 lbs lost. I was walking 20-30 miles a week.

I decided last fall to reward myself by going to Canada on a Moose Hunting trip. I researched and settled on Copper River Outfitters out of Smithers British Columbia. Made my deposit and started planning.

Fast forward to March 2016 I went in for a physical it was discovered that I had Colon Cancer. I had the Cancer removed on the 28th of March. Doctor was 99 percent sure I was cancer free as none was found in lymph nodes or other organs. They performed a genetic test on the tumor and decided that I should have 24 light chemo treatments per the gene test on tumor. Through all of this I never wavered on going on my hunt. In fact I am sure it is one of the reason I have done so well with chemo treatments. I went back to work after 6 weeks of healing and never missed another day until my hunt vacation started.

My lovely wife Sondra decided she would ride with me to Montana and then fly back home. I arranged a extra day off and we made a mini vacation out of it by touring Glacier National Park.



We made a stop at the Chris Ledoux Memorial in Kaycee Wyoming. Chris was one of Sondra and I's favorite singers. Memorial is well done and we listened to Chris's CD's the rest of the day.



Made it to Glacier National Park and made the tour lots of pictures taken what a beautiful place.




To be continued

After touring Glacier we made tracks to Missoula. Stayed the night and then put Sondra on the plane Sunday morning. Missoula airport is really neat and hunters and sportsmen are made to feel welcome. Gun cases didn't seem to raise any eyebrows.

I left the airport and headed north through Kalispell to the Roosville port into Canada no issues with the border crossing filled out paperwork and was on my way in no time.

Made my way up 93 through Jasper Park and up to Hwy 16. British Columbia is amazing and words cannot describe Jasper Park. Pictures can't either.



Say this little fellow on the road I saw several bears in BC while traveling.



British Columbia is a beautiful place and there is a photo op at every turn. People were friendly and polite and seem to obey most every traffic law. Most people seemed to be fit and physical exercise seemed to be the norm as to all the people I saw walking, jogging and riding bikes.

To be continued

Arrived in Smithers and met the Outfitters and other hunters. Jim Lancaster and Bret Hall run a first class hunt. Nice cabins and great meals.
Heres a pic of the main cabin. I actually stayed with the guides in the guides cabin which was just as nice. I enjoyed the stories the guides told.



First night we went on a boat trip. Tried calling in bulls no luck.


One of the hunters arrived a day early and filled his tag on his first hunt. He killed a nice bull with weird antlers they looked more like a 3x3 elk than a Moose. Sorry but I dont have pics of it.

Hunting here is a matter of calling in clear cuts and lakes and walking, driving logging roads. Timber is very thick and once inside the timber you are lucky to see 10 yards. Hunting was tough and we say several cow calf pairs and a few bears none big enough though.



It usually rains a lot but we nice weather everyday. Frost in the mornings while warming to mid 40's during the day. Got to hear wolves howling by the lake on the first nights hunt that was neat.

To be continued.

My guide Gary was a great guy he guides from Spring bear hunts through the summer in the Northwest Territories for Sheep,Goats,AlaskaYukon Moose and Mountain Caribou. We wanted to hold out for a bigger bull but just weren't seeing any. We traveled a lot of miles on foot and in truck/atv glassing calling and looking for fresh sign.

We saw a lot of pretty country and saw a boat load of purple bear poop on the roads. It seems the logging roads are the preferred bathrooms for bears. Blueberries and Huckleberries were everywhere and we ate quite a few.

Finally on Sunday my guide said that if I got a chance at a small bull I better take it. We were hunting a logging road in a new area when this little bull appeared it ran into a little clearing in the timber. It was completely in cover other than its head. It was looking back at us over its right shoulder. At fifty yards I took the head shot and the Bull dropped in its tracks.

What constitutes a "trophy" is different to everyone depending on what they carry with them/where they are coming from... I'd say you got a trophy!

A heartfelt congrat's man...

I was using a Rem 700 6.5-06 in a Brown Precision stock with a 6x36 leupold shooting 127 gr Barnes LRX @2900 fps. Bullet entered under the right eye traveled thru the head neck and destroyed the spine were the neck meets the chest. Found the bullet against the hide on the left side in front of the shoulder found two of the petals there one of the other petals pierced the chest cavity and into the lung didnt find the other petal.


Here's the rifle at the time of this pic it had a 2.5-8x36 I hated that scope. I also changed to Talley LW's

Monday we slept in till daybreak then went to looks for wolves at the wolf bait. Found fresh tracks walking in shortly thereafter we could hear them howling and barking. Made a stalk to 250 yds out. Guide asked if I could make the shot I said if we could get to a stump I would kill him a wolf. We snuck in another 30 yds and found a stump I could shoot from. I made the shot on this black wolf but there were 3 other lighter colored wolves that took off at the shot.





This is the exit wound from the shot. Wolf was still alive and trying to escape when we got to it. I had to shoot him again to finish him off. Tough animal. Was a great hunt and though it's not a huge wolf it still a wolf and not many are lucky enough to get a chance to shoot one.

What didn't you like about the 2.5-8x36?

Congratulations on a great trip/hunt and beating cancer.

Congrats on the whole package. The weight loss, the moose and the wolf is a bonus you'll never forget. Beautiful country and some great people. Copper River is a first class operation.

All in all I had a great trip.I could of killed a bear on the next to the last day of the hunt but it was small. The guides and outfitters were great. Bret and Jim put on a first class operation. Gary and Riley are great guides and even better people. Had a lot of laughs and heard a lot of stories about hunters. My 6.5-06 performed well they said it was the smallest gun they had ever had at camp. The other hunters had .300 win mags the one that got a Moose shot his in the butt because his Swavorksi was on 18 power the other wounded a bull the day I left and they couldn't find it. I was pleased with my rifle and my shooting. I felt I handled the physical part well and I even carried out my own quarters albeit only about fifty yards or so. Im not good at watching others work so I pitched in and helped.

I left on the 5th and went home thru Kamloops and the Kootenai river country. Rode a couple of ferry boats and crossed into Idaho at Portville. Made it home Saturday night. I love the speed limits in Montana and Wyoming a guy can make up some time.

5500 miles on the odometer. Was a EPIC TRIP.

Thanks for reading

Charles Myers

Thank You Sir it is a great trophy. I also have over 1300 pictures for trophies as well. Trip of a lifetime that I hope to do again.

I thought I would love it but I didn't like the eye relief and it just didn't feel as user friendly as all my 6x's whether 6x36 or the 6x42's Ive used them for years so I am sure there is some 6x bias. No harm though I sold it and got the 6x36. Im just a simple man

Thank you sir I only have about 10 more chemo treatments to go. But I got her whipped.

I was a great trip and even Greater people. The wolf was definetly a bonus. Glad you had a great trip with them as well.

7mmMato;
Good evening to you sir, thanks for the hunts story and photos.

Congratulations on what I know is going to be a tasty bull and of course on the nice black phase wolf too.

If I had my way, every visiting hunter would leave BC with a black bear under each arm and several wolves in the back.

Kudos too for both choosing a sensible cartridge AND being able to use your rifle in a timely manner while under pressure. I know that having hunters be unable to do so is absolutely the biggest complaint/consternation that the guides and outfitters that I know have.

Lastly I'm heartened to read that my fellow BC residents treated you well. That's cool to read for sure.

Thanks again sir, all the best to you folks and good luck on your remaining hunts this fall.

Dwayne

Thanks Dwayne and Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.

Good report and great pictures. Thanks for sharing.

Congrats on an awesome adventure and thank you for sharing your story!!

Looks like you had a nice trip.

Congratulations.

Awesome hunt! Great pictures.

That's a hunt you won't forget in a long time.

I hope those treatments go well.

Great hunt and I hope you have many more.

You've had quite the journey since 2015!
Congrats on the well-deserved trophies and thanks for sharing your story.

Congrats on the entire journey! You're a blessed man!

Charles,

Great report! It sounds like a wonderful trip.

7mm, thanks for posting that fantastic story and pics. Congrats on a wonderful adventure. I need to add that one to my bucket list for sure. Congrats!

Thanks for sharing! Glad to read the cancer is under control basically too.

You could really ask no more from a trip like the above. And the 1300 pictures, is simply gravy, on top of a tender eating bull!

And a wolf. Wow. Been to AK many times. Hear them all the time up there. Have never seen one. Congrats.

Conglads on a great hunt. Hope you bought all that moose home, it's the best meat there is. Are you making a rug out of that wolf? Save the wolf skull, it makes a keep sake in the man cave.

I'm really happy you had a great trip. See you on the hog hunt. Bob

What a great hunt Charles!!

Glad to hear things are going as well as can be expected with the health issues....

Thank you for sharing your adventure...I really enjoyed the trip.

7mmMato, First congrats on overcoming the health issues. That requires a lot of diligence, and some help from above. The story and pictures were great. I really glad you had a successful hunt, especially on the wolf! memtb

Mater,

Heart felt congratulations to you Sir.

So glad you enjoyed the country we emigrated to. It's beautifully wild, once away from the cities.

&

That 1&1/2 year old bull will likely be the best wild game meat you will ever eat ! Trust me, I'm experienced !!

& did you get to see the Northern Lights ?

Been good shows here, at least twice a week, for the last 2 weeks.

Sound like a great trip Charles. Well deserved.

That wolf's a beauty. Congratulations on the hunt and the personal successes.

Charlie--great trip and great story, congrats on the moose.

Congrads! all the way around! After what you been thru, you needed the Hunt! Thanks for Shareing!

That sounds amazing,
congrats on the health challenges.
To score a bull moose is only a dream for many ,but top it off with a woof is remarkable.awesome

awesome hunt and stories, thanks for sharing

Great Trip and hunt. Thanks for sharing!

Thsnks everyone for the Congrats and well wishes.

The Wolf was the cherry on top. Was a great bonus.
I am having the wolf hide tanned when it gets here it had to go thru Cites. Am having the skull boiled.

I brought home all of the meat. 2 150 qt coolers full.

We did the gutless method on the bull and it is a much better way of doing it.

It was a trip of a lifetime and well needed for me.

Did not get to see the Northern Lights. I was usually asleep early. Gives me another reason to go back.

Thanks again.
Charles

Congratulations on beating your health concerns - nothing like a big game hunt to get you motivated.
Since I've had moose meat this year from my AK trip, its been a trifle better than last years cow elk. Your stash of meat should be wonderful on the plate!

Sounds like an excellent adventure, Charles. If anyone deserves it, it's you!

FWIW, yours is not the first anecdote I've heard about the least-assertive chambering in hunting camp, "gettin' 'er done" with zero drama.

FC

Good job on all fronts! Definitely a bucket list trip for me. I hope I do as well as you did. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks All.

ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!!!!! Charles, congratulations on all counts, and may God continue to bless and see you cancer free forever.

Congrats on the moose and wolf. It is especially good to see a wolf go down, there are still a few to many here.

Nice work.. Great hunt.. As Brad said, a trophy is in the eyes of the hunter.. Enjoy, I sure enjoyed your story!!

Very cool! Glad everything is goin good...

Looks like a fun trip......congrats on your accomplishments!

great thread glad you sucseeded with the moose and wolf ,, and beatting cancer ..

had a moose tag this year but could not get out , have an elk tag for dec and JaNUARY got to fill that one.

norm

I read this on our recent trip to Maine, "work fills your wallet adventure fills your soul".
Congratulations on beating cancer, the weight loss, and the successful hunt. Thanks for sharing.

Great report - congrats!

Charles, great story and I'm glad to see you're getting better. More power to ya. It's stuff like this hunting trip that keeps making me add to my bucket list.

I guess you were getting warmed up for that wolf with this yote last spring.

Fantastic. Good on you!

Just saw this. Great hunt and write-up. Mucho congrats!!!!

Thanks it was a adventure and a great reward. It has been a trying year but the hunt made it worth it.

Charles, congratulations on your accomplishments.
You are an inspiration for me, as I'm working on the same sort of thing.
Beating cancer? Check
Losing weight? I'm down 40 lbs. so far, but not as dramatic as your 120+ loss. Big congrats on that!
Working toward doing some bucket list activities? Check.
Getting more physically fit in order to do the things we love? Check.

Here's a tip of my coffee cup to you sir!

Mark

I am jealous.

I need a moose, and yours would be perfect. Young moose is the best meat on this continent, IMO.

I enjoyed your write up very much.

View property all the way! Nice write up and sounds like a good bunch to get out with.

Nearly ran over a black bear in Smithers last time the wife and I did an Alaska run. Would not have been much of a try out for my cow catcher bumper.

Congratulations on beating cancer, and for the great trip. I appreciate your story and pictures. I've got a couple of 60" racks on the walls but having moved to Idaho with the odds of not getting anymore, I can tell you I'd be thrilled with one just like you got that I can bring home and enjoy. The frosting sure enough was the wolf, good on you. Thanks for taking the time to share. Here's wishing good health to you.

Charles, that was a great read.

Congratulations, from the Kootenays up to Smithers, that is country I know well and love. Glad you were treated well and had fun up here.

Well done and well told! Congratulations on a great moose and a fantastic wolf! They are not easy to get.

I will continue my prayers for your complete recovery and going back for a second moose and more wolves.

Ed

Charles, first off, congrats on beating your bout with cancer!

Secondly, congrats on the bull. And lastly, and my no means least, congrats on the wolf. You had an adventure of a life-time. Good for you.

I just got back from my Alberta moose hunt last week. Saw a bull chasing a cow around for 5 min at 450+ yds. Then she lead him into the bush--and that was that. We got skunked 0 for 4.

Paul

Sorry to hear you got skunked. I am sure you had a good time though. Thanks for the kind comments it was a trip of a lifetime.

Congrats on the hunt,health and weight loss. Great write up and pics.

Wow man what an amazing experience; very glad you were able to reward and motivate yourself with this hunt. PMA makes all the difference in the world!

Thanks for sharing the pics and story. Very, very cool congrats!

Great story and adventure! Congrats on kicking the cancer. You sir are living proof that you should never give up. Enjoy that moose meat!

Just reread this post. All the well wishes and congrats made my eyes a little misty. Thanks for reading and Thanks for all the prayers. I suggest that everyone find a way to go on there dream hunt. It will cleanse the soul.

Someone posted this on here and I have taken it to heart.
"work fills your wallet adventure fills your soul"

No truer words spoken

My best to you all.

Congratulations on a successful hunt. Moose hunting is a hard slog a lot of the time. The moose you took down is in my opinion some of the best eating on the planet. It's young enough to be nice and tender. I'm salivating just thinking about it. Far better than a tough old bull with a huge trophy rack.

But most importantly, congratulations on your health. May you have a long and healthy life with many more adventures like this. I've never hunted the Smithers area, but I did tree plant up there about 25 years ago.

Thanks for the great story and pics.

I love stories like this one!

Great trip and hunt. Congratulations!

And congratulations on beating cancer!