Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Canada Under 3 weeks - Northern BC Moose/Caribou, possible grizz

Morning of Sept 12th, I will be leaving Boise, headed north to the Liard River Hotsprings area to hunt with Gunson Outfitters for Moose and Caribou. Excited is an understatement - other than the 31 hour drive...lol This is a remote horseback hunt near the Yukon border. Will focus on a big Trophy moose, but also have wolf and caribou tags. Been tweaking my gear list and since I am driving will have the flexibility to leave extra/non needed stuff in my truck at camp once we head out. But for now, Here is my updated Gear List:

CLOTHES
KUIU 130 ZIP – 1
UA Sliding shorts – 3
Teton short sleeve base – 1
UA Heat Gear Base – 2
Teton Pants – 1
Phantom Attack Pants – 1
Peloton Zip – 1
Teton Shell Coat – 1
Super Down Puffy Coat – 1
Teton Rain gear Set – 1
Kuiu guide beanie - 1
Kuiu Gators – 1
Killik Gloves – 1
KUIU/UA Socks - 4
Boots – All Leather Danner Pronghorns
Leather belt
Hounds Camp Shoes

Rifle – Weatherby VG DGR – 375 H&H Mag, Neoprene Sling
Scope – Leupold VXR 2-7X33, Warne Steel Rings/Mounts, allen key for just in case
Ammo – 260 Nosler Partition Handloads – 2880 FPS
Binoculars – Leica Geovid HD – 10X42
Ltwt vanguard tripod and BOG gear binocular mount
GPS – Garmin 650
Pack – KUIU 3200
KUIU Pack Rain fly
Knife – Havalon + Benchmade fixed blade
Gerber Saw Kit (Wyoming saw knockoff)
Camera – Samsung Digital
Water Bottle – Life Straw and Camelback Groove Filtered Bottle
Head Lamp – Petzl – rechargeable as well as battery operated
Sleeping Bag – Outdoor Vitals – o degree
Pad – Big Agnes
Mos. Repellent
Personals – (tooth brush, deodorant, Monkey Butt Powder, ect.)
Costco Baby Wipes
Moleskin
Sat Phone – renting one
First Aid Kit
Pack Snacks – Protien Bars, candy bars, crystal light packets, jerky
8x10 tarp
Game Bags – 4 ltwt elk quarter mesh bags
Paracord – 100 feet
Remington Gun Wipes packs
Book to read

Chest Freezer in back of truck with Honda 2000 generator to bring meat back home.

What am I missing? What else do I need...lol

Gun paperwork is filled out and NOT signed, yes?

Good luck on your dream hunt!

And make sure to take a dipp in the Liard hot springs.
Good luck and straight shooting

No rubber boots? Awful wet in that country this year. Im heading down there ( Yukon side) tomorrow to guide 4 hunts. I do take hiking boots, but seldom use them.Our side is always wet, but this year has been one for the records books as far as rain is concerned.

Gotta hand it to KUIU their marketing strategy is working! Good luck!

All paperwork and passports done (gun lisc. not signed). I asked the guide about rubber boots and he said don't bother - so Im not sure on that. May throw a pair in the truck just in case.

I have used KUIU gear for 4 years now and love it...Until it fails on me, they got my business.

Good deal Hiaring8 you're going to have a great hunt, can't wait to see the pictures and hear the story! Look for a blue ago to the north!

I really have never hunted in rubber boots (other than waterfowl) so not really sure what I should be looking at? I know its late in the game, but I am heading to cabelas today to see what they have so at the very least I will have a pair in my truck. What do you all recommend? I assume they make a decent rubber boot for when you need to hike a ways?

Assuming no insulation, either the Muck Wetland or LaCrosse Alphaburly are great for walking.

Extratuffs. You can roll them down ankle high for camp shoes too.
In SE AK some folks almost never their extratuffs off.
BTW I noticed you started with a .338 then upgraded to a .375 While some will dis-agree at least with similar bullets...a 338 is not in the same class as a .375.
Best Wishes on a grand adventure!

Stay away from Muck boots...they don't hold up. The neoprene "grabs" stuff and most of the guys Ive had in camp that brought them had wet feet after 2-3 days. I wear plain old black rubber boots, non insulated. We call them Canadian guide boots! The green ankle fit Lacrosse are good too.

Heres a question, since this hunt is Sept15-24, I assume the moose will be in the middle of the rut. Will that ruin the meat? I know this is a trophy hunt, but I am also looking forward to bringing home 5-600 pounds of good meat.

PM sent

Good luck on your hunt. Look forward to seeing the results. As far as meat quality, I've never had any bad moose. Caribou on the other hand, is wonderful before the rut, but barely dog food during.

I'll be arriving in BC Sept 19th for my 10th BC hunt. This one is for moose and mnt goat. Haven't started preparing for it at all, but plan to work up some loads next week in my new Kimber 280AI.

if you have a good chance on a grizzly do not let it go the opportunity may be gone for good.

that is correct do not sign your firearms form before the officer sees it.

rut not ruin the meat for sure, the way they handle or process it may ...

4 game bags? what're you going to do with the rest of the critter/s? Or can the outfitter provide you with additional bags if necessary?

The moose mostly are in pre-rut, but will come to calling. Active rut starts last few days of September, runs into Nov sometimes with second estrus cows Meat should be good, but exceptions can occur, especially if you kill one that has been fighting, is gored up and infected. I prefer Sept 20 as cut-off date, but the 24th is pretty safe. Past the 25th is chancy, at best- I shot one on the 29th that was right rank, and he hadn't been fighting. I would not shoot a bull before November 10 now, either. That one I killed on Nov 1( first day of after-rut bull season) was out of rut, but still had a smidge of rut not out of him. I won't shoot a November bull before the 10th now. If ever. Cows are in (hunting) season then....

You need 10 heavy duty game bags. More if you want to change some out due to wet, blood, or tears.

Your 0 degree bag may require wearing several layers of clothes to bed. I was out last weekend with a 0 degree bag and maybe 28 degree night under a tarp (frost on vegetation, very light skim ice on small, shallow puddles between tussocks) , with a light wind. (inside a tent will add a few degrees- especially if a heated wall tent) Always figure 10 to 15 degrees "rated to" below your expected low night temperature - and even then you might need some clothes in bed. Their ratings will keep you alive, but probably not sleeping comfortably. You can always open it some if too warm.

Often, I prefer taking extra clothes and only a "marginal" bag, for the above reason - I can change out of wet ones, and wear dry ones to bed. And dry one set while wearing the other. Another trick is to wear head covering, ski mask and or neck covering to bed. 75% of your lost body heat is lost through the head and neck area. I like dry socks in bed too- it feels so decadent...

Should have brought my -15 bag last weekend, but a light jacket over my regular clothes inside the bag, and my breathable rain coat over the bag took care of that. Exposure to that light 5mph wind didn't help! .

Caribou should be good thru your time frame. They have about the same rut schedule as moose. You definitely do not want a magnificent, white-maned, "stink-bull"s in their rut. Gag a maggot!

Samsung Digital. I am not familiar with that. If it is DSL, no prob.

If that is a cell-phone camera, which is fine for short range, and kill-site photos, you may wish you had a better camera. There is nothing better than a DSL with up to 300mm telephoto zoom lens for more distant wildlife. Your BOG can double as a tripod for steadier shots at the upper end, but the 300 setting can still be hand held if careful, or a rest is handy. The lowest setting on mine starts where my smaller image -stabalized lens leaves off, but the larger lens is not stabalized. One can get them in image-stabalized for an extra $300 or so. I've a Canon Rebel "kit" from CostCo- about $500 for camera body and the two zoom lenses... You should also buy a couple relatively cheap protective lenses for the front of the zoons.- I bought one plain one and one Polarizing- makes clouds etc. stand out better. The two protective lenses interchange on the smaller and larger lenses, and are cheap insurance against damaging the zoom lenses..

The Canon takes noticably better pictures than my iphone5. Out hunting, I generally carry it with just the larger zoom length on it, leaving everything else either at home or in camp.

Oh yeah, HAVE A GREAT HUNT!

Well, how'd it go??

How'd your hunt go?
It was a bit warm in the Kootenays for my hunt and the bulls weren't rutting during the day. Still saw 6 bulls, but saw the largest on day 2 and 3 and turned them down. Ended up shooting a nice meat bull on day 8 after the weather turned warm and foggy.