Most enjoyable would probably be a float trip in Alberta for moose. It was enjoyable because it was relaxing, the scenery was breathtaking and me and my buddy both got a moose. Mine being a 51". Very peaceful and relaxing floating on river in a canoe taking in all that God has created.
Most rewarding would be with my dad and nephew. Me and my dad have gone to the mountains (Allegheny National Forest) together since I was 10. He's my best hunting buddy. We go to the mountains for the first week of deer season and camp in a camper. It was 2010, my nephew was 12 so I took him with me for the first day. We posted together. Around 8:30 he shot a small 3 point. His first deer. While dragging that deer out, we picked up my dad and took some pictures. Then started off together all 3 of us. On the way out I saw a small 5 point and shot it while we were all together. I hadn't shot a deer while my dad was with me for years, so that was pretty cool. So 1:00 on the first day and 2 deer down. All of us together. That means that I was the dog for the rest of the week. Doing as many 1 man deer pushes as I could, working my butt off to get my dad a deer. My nephew mostly stood with my dad as his little legs weren't up for the walking I usually do. Tues and Wed produced nothing... Thursday we were in a place I know well and now we had about 2" of snow. It is a big valley with hemlocks in the bottom along the creek. I posted my dad on one side of the valley maybe 100 yards out of the creek bottom and just where the hemlocks start to thin out into small beech. I went up the mountain and around the valley to the opposite side from my dad and started down over the side. moving slow so I don't push anything too hard. I just want to move them.... as I start over the edge I saw a doe standing downhill maybe 100 yards and as I moved around to see if there were any more, I saw a nice buck laying. Looked like about 15" wide.... Eventually they saw me and ran down the valley, lower in the valley than my dad. I followed their tracks slowly and ended up following them up the valley and passing my dad by about 150 yards. It is thick in the small beech and he never saw them. Friday, we did the same thing except I moved my dad and put him right on the deers tracks. Off I went, made my same loop. It takes about 2-3 hrs. Started over the same edge and bingo, same deer but this time they were already on their feet and moving. Instead of following, I cut straight across the valley and to my dad. We were all standing there together when I noticed the buck coming up the bottom right at us. He would walk 10 - 15 yards , stop and look back. The way we were positioned I was standing on the high side of the tree and dad was on the low side of the tree, so I saw him first. I watched him for 40 yards before my dad saw him. I coached my dad through it the way he coached me when I was young. I could see the deer so I told him when to move and when not to. Got him ready and when he saw the deer, he said "are you sure it's legal?" I replied, "no doubt in my mind, he's plenty legal". Then he said, "as long as he's coming, I'll just let him come". So for the next 2-3 minutes we watched the deer walk, stop and look back, repeatedly until he was 40 yards away and up against a blow down. His next move was to duck under the blow down and when he did he stopped again to look back down the hill and my dad had a perfect broadside shot at about 35 yards. The 8 point never knew what hit him. He never took another step. I literally jumped with joy! It all came together in the last 2 hours of the trip.That was the last deer my dad shot and probably his last deer period. My dad hasn't hunted for a couple of years now, but I was blessed to have my dad with me when I shot my deer that year and I was further blessed to be with him when he shot his! It all took me back to when I was a kid and he coached me through my first deer. That's my best hunt ever!
