Late last week I returned from my 8-day moose hunt in British Columbia. I had booked this hunt almost 18 months ago with Big Country Outfitters in BC. My buddy, Bret Shaw, and I stayed in a little cabin with two guides on Margaret Lake which is about 70 miles northwest of Prince George, BC. At least one of us saw a moose every day but we were never able to stretch the string on a bull. For some reason the bulls didn’t appear to be rutting in the area so that made calling them in difficult. We had a couple of days of crappy weather which didn’t help either. Another big problem we faced was the fact that neither one of our guides knew the first thing about bow hunting. One of the guides had never even been in the area before we pulled up in front the cabin with our gear. I wish I had a nickel for every time I heard one of the guides say, "If we were rifle hunting, we would..." To say the outfitter totally dropped the ball on this hunt is an understatement! It was what it was, though, so Bret and I made the best of it. It was great to spend time with him again and we got to see some beautiful country. We also got plenty of exercise and ate very well. Here are a few photos from the trip.

We drove 90 minutes from Prince George to a place where we left the trucks. Then we rode quads back into the bush at least another hour to reach the cabin. One of the quads never would start and the guides, Shawn and Tom, spent over an hour trying to get it to run. That pretty much set the tone for our hunt.

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Margaret Lake

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Home sweet home for the next 8 days

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Roughing it

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The closest I got to a moose

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A typical day of hunting for me went like this: Shawn and I would get dropped off at the east end of Margaret Lake just after daylight and we would walk out to one of the cut blocks of timber. From there, we would glass, call, and walk back to camp sometime around noon. That was usually a 6 or 7 mile loop. That afternoon, we would drive the quads back out to the cut blocks and do the same thing only from the back of the bikes. Shawn was big on road hunting. Setting up a bowhunting ambush was not in his toolkit.

Bret Shaw ready to hunt

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A typical day for Bret and Tom went like this: They would motor around the lake trying to spot a moose feeding. If they saw nothing then they would park on the shore and bust brush all morning trying to find a moose. They would repeat the procedure in the afternoon. I guess the guide, Tom, thought they would somehow miraculously sneak up on a bull within bow range while doing this. Oddly enough, they did come the closest. They saw two immature bulls; one at 75 yards and one at 40 yards. Tom was upset that Bret didn't borrow Tom's rifle to seal the deal.

My guide, Shawn.

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One evening, Shawn and I actually had a real moose hunt just like you see on TV. It was almost dark and we were walking back to the quads to go back to camp. A cow was standing near the bikes so we stopped and Shawn called. A bull immediately answered about 100 yards away and started coming in. We had about 15 minutes of shooting light left and I told Shawn that the bull was going to have to be close. The bull was still out there but it got too dark to shoot. The cow had left so we walked down to the bikes. Shawn started calling to the bull again. I thought this was foolish because it would make the bull call shy and I told him so. He said he wanted to see what the bull looked like and continued calling. The bull came in, tearing up brush and grunting. He stopped about 50 yards away. Through the binoculars we could see he was a monster. He finally turned and went back the way he had come. We never heard or saw him again.

Scenery

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The silver haired hunter

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Last day at camp

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Darren

On the plus side, you were able to hunt moose in British Columbia, at a beautiful place where there was moose sign. ;) I would say you are fortunate indeed and it looked like a very good time. Just let the guide at the cabin to cook next time, and go out and about by you-self. ))

Moose hunting isn't as easy as a lot of folks might think. Wherever they live there is often a lot of space between them. I wish moose were as plentiful as deer are in many states, but that's not the case. And they hear ATV and boat motors from a very long way off and will disappear as quick as a ghost. After so many decades of hunting moose I really think the best way is to float a wilderness river, do a lot of cow calling, and move camp often. I never loosed an arrow this year at a moose as well, although I did nock an arrow twice and got within 65 yards of a really big bull in the Brooks Range of Alaska, and within 50 yards of a smaller bull around home in Fairbanks. But pesky cows ruined my chances both times. Very sorry you folks had no luck.

Hunting is just that. I have a freind that went four times for grizzly before he say one he wanted. It was a 10 foot bear though.

Nice pics & sorry it didn’t go well.

Rough year for sure. It was too warm in the Fairbanks area too. Bulls didnt really start rutting till last week in Sept. It was a hike and glass a lot year. And if you saw a moose it was spot and stalk type situation. The bulls didnt respond to calling at all. Still got one but it was more luck than skill lol.

I've been on a lot of moose hunts and I can honestly say they are one of the most FRUSTRATING animals on earth to hunt...and probably the one in which weather plays such a huge role in your success. Just once I want to be that guy that steps out of the tent to take a leak and spots one on the edge of camp...or calls one in while chopping wood. Old timers call 'em swamp donkeys like they're big dumb creatures that rush right into the call and give up the farm...NEVER has it been that easy for me!

Anyway, thanks for the report and hope the next hunt goes better!

A lot of pictures with out any Moose in them, Anyhoo hope you had a great adventure.

Dang it, unscrupulous guides and outfiiters everywhere, it seems.

A friend of mine finally drew a muzzleloader bull elk tag for the Book Cliiffs. The guides he hired were pretty useless--mainly horse wranglers. After finding and shooting, and field dressing his little bull by himself, with his old style 50 cal Hawken replica, he returned to camp for help in skinning, quartering, and packing out the meat. The two guides didn't even have a hunting knife between them.

Years ago went on a caribou hunt with a outfitter

that night a big name hunter came in with his crew (was doing a magazine article)next morning they float planed him out first with his crew

then took the group I was in next and dropped us off in a spot where the caribou had already migrated through tracks and old dung (might as well as hunted the moon)

He was taken to where we were supposed to go and they planned to move us there after he killed his bou and got pictures for the article; but the weather turned bad and couldn't fly so we never got moved

when we got back to the base he said he went to x-lake (where we were told we were going before he arrived)

one of the guys with me figured it all out and raised cane with the outfitter and he admitted it (wanting the publicity in the article) and promised us a free hunt the next year

I couldn't make the next year date

was my last outfiter hunt-soured my stomach for them-content hunting my area and mountains in state

Sad but true...and all the more reason to do your research before plopping down your deposit. Some guys have real pretty pictured brocures and not much else, sadly..

Next hunt you book ask the outfitter how much they pay the guides. Pretty sure it will be less than you would do it for.

The outfitter I guided for, a friend for over 25 years, even has a reputation for not paying guides at all.

It is for that reason I will never guide again.

Darren I've been on a couple of moose hunts and they are a hit or miss deal. The first time was in Ontario many years ago hunting with a flintlock rifle. I was very lucky to get my chance the firt day and bagged a nice bull. My 2nd hunt was a bow hunt on Jay Massey's Moose John float hunt in Alaska. We floated over 100 miles in a 10 day period. I saw a total of two bulls, both way out of range

The good part is we saw some beautiful country in a pristeen wilderness. It was a trip I'll never forget

Was your hunt disapointing because you didn't get a moose? That's not untypical for a moose hunt. You saw moose and the cabin where you stayed is very cool, not unlikew a cabin Fred Bear stayed in on his wilderness hunts.

I actually envy your experience.

I can speak to a BC guiding situation I know of that might also put things in perspective.

A guide friends brother successfully guided one of his hunters to a Stones ram. After they reached the dead ram the hunter pulled 5000usd out of his pocket and handed it to the guide.

b.c. means bring cash.went goat hunting there a disaster!

I'm sorry to hear it. Rifle hunting is a totally different game, shame the guide wasn't prepared.

On the bright side I bet you had a hell of a lot more fun than I did the last 8 days of work.

May cost ya a bit to get your bull but if you're lucky it could be 1 and done. I don't have luck. Even if I go with a top outfitter I don't have luck and paying for the set up.

I have over $26,000.00 trying to get an Elk on 6 hunts. Been with a couple top outfitters. I didn't want a small bull so I was limited.

I wanted P and Y or none. My sites were set very high and although came close but no shots. On one of the bulls the outfitter screwed me up as I was about to draw and shoot. I was laying flat on my back and was contemplating sitting up and drawing on him as he was about to walk over me.LOL

He came within 40 yards and then he put the breaks on and spoked. I herd my name and looked back and saw the outfitter looking for me. I separated myself from him and told him to stay behind and keep calling to don't worry about me. My plan almost worked but thanks to him. He didn't do all that I asked he said he was worried when he couldn't see me. I said the bull didn't either till you alerted him.

Oh well shot beautiful deer on several of those trips and did some bird hunting and it was big time experiences.

Keep doing if while you can and have the means to do it and hopefully next time you connect.

All trips are an experience the good and then bad and the indifferent it seems.

Your approach to moose hunting is all wrong - first, go out there without a tag or your bow. Second, don't where any camo, just where bright colors and pastels. Dress like Santa Claus. Make a lot of noise. Guaranteed you'll be up to your eyeballs in moose.... all record-book.

I don't think i'd ever book an expensive hunt without a personal reference... lots of good guides out there, but lots of shysters too, or otherwise good guides for rifle hunters but not that great at getting CLOSE.

Darren did you contact the owner and express your frustration

Thanks for sharing the unvarnished story. Economic pressures sometimes make hunting guides out of unemployed ( or unemployable) folks who are, at best, occasional gun hunters. I've had one occasion to tell the guide to stay in camp , others where dedicated guides worked their tail off to overcome bad weather , illness,etc., to give me a possibility. Not surprisingly, the latter class of guides tend to put you in situations that make for great memories even if you never get a shot.

Sorry it didn't go that well for you Darren. SOunds like you got hooked up with some duds. It's pretty up there- at least you got to see that.

Thanks, all!

I do want to be clear that I did have a great time on my hunt, mainly because I got to spend time with a good friend that I have not been able to hunt with in a few years. We were also in some beautiful country and what we were doing sure beat the hell out of being at work! I never go on a hunt expecting to kill something so coming home empty handed was not a shocker. The guides we had did the best they could to get us a bull, they just were not prepared for bowhunters because they did not bowhunt themselves.

All the disappointment I have about this hunt falls squarely on the shoulders of Mike Hawkridge, the owner of Big Country Outfitters. He knew what weapons we were bringing to hunt with, told us that he would take care of us, and then did not deliver. I believe that he honestly thinks that the only difference between hunting with a rifle and hunting with a bow is that you have to be closer to your target when using the latter. Did that play a big part in us not getting a shot opportunity. Who knows? You all are well aware that there are lots of variables at play when hunting our way. The disappointment I have is mainly because I feel duped and betrayed. I am a man of my word and I expect others the be that way as well. I don't think that Mr. Hawkridge held up his end of the bargain.

Darren

Been in your boots, which is why these days I like to find outfitters that simply provide a place to stay, access to the country, and possibly help packing...which pretty much confines my moose hunting to Ontario, which I'm ok with. I actually feel burdended by having a guide and hate the feelings you so accurately described if the guide doesn't "meet my expectations". There's a huge amount of freedom in being your own guide, and great satisfaction in creating the type hunt you dream of instead of trailing along behind some guy you don't know on an atv that barely runs. Much easier driving home empty handed knowing YOU were in control of the outcome. Still not to say you couldn't go home empty handed, but at least that would be your only regret.

I know a guy that just returned from a Yukon moose hunt (gun) 10 days $25,000 didn't see a legal bull.Took 3 weeks off work.Wow.

That's too bad, you spent a lot of money for a quality hunt. I also had a much different picture of BC in my head...mountainous. Never saw country like that in the part of BC I was in...looks more like Ontario.

The only outfitted elk hunt I ever went on was 8 days up in Specimen Ridge, 11 miles in. No one in camp got a bull. Outfitters brother had a guy flying around locating bulls and radioing the info. back to him. His group of 8 all got good bulls, but totally cheated doing it. Our outfitters own brother no less. We still had a great time, but no elk were taken for 7 guys. Had a griz in camp one night, fresh tracks in the snow encircled our tent. I never woke up. Griz chased the mules out of camp and they trotted 7 miles back toward the rigs, and the wranglers had to go round them up.

Spent a little bit of time in Prince George and it is in my bucket list to go back to BC.

As far as the guides that should have been taken care of by the outfitter that you booked a bow hunt and not a rifle hunt, different mind sets in the guides. But have to enjoy the area and that is the big part of the hunt, memories cannot be taken away.

My first moose hunt in northern Ontario was in 1979. We didn't have a guide, my partner knew the area and had hunted there for many years. We drove as far north as we could then put in two canoes with motors in a rivewr running north to James Bay. We went 40 miles as the crow flys to our hunting area and set up camp.

On the first day out I fgot very lucky and killed a good bull with my .62 cal flintlock rifle. It took the two of us two days to pack out the meat to the canoeas in cloth grain bags, then after breaking camp it took two days to moter back upstream to our truck.

I think we had an advantage knowing so we didn't need a guide or outfitter. It was a tough hunt, I was a lot younger then I couldn't do it today.

The buckskins I wore back then have long since been retired

to book a hunt with guides who have no bow hunting experience, shameful. That outfitter is a corrupt individual in my opinion, they should know there is a difference between trad archery and rifle tactics. Also, to place a guide who doesn't know the area is ridiculous. You could have seen the country for a lot less money than what you probably paid, sorry you had a bad experience, certainly things like outfitters selling the sizzle happens to often nowadys.

Absolute worst hunts I have ever been on were guided hunts. It`s a crap shoot at best. The $$$$ cost always skews the experience.

Too bad your outfitter and guides were so unprepared. I’d much rather have an archery guide take me on a gun hunt than vice versa. In most cases I’d say your $$ would be better spent on a drop camp and supplies and leave the guide out.

It’s tough to draw a tag in the states but I’ve been in bow range of a bull moose almost every year when elk hunting, maybe the moose in Canada are more weary, skidish, idk, never hunted there.

Hopefully you’ll get another chance to hunt moose in the future.

Great pictures, btw, and your accommodations looked pretty nice.

Ok this is MY take on HUNTINg or fishing . YOU got to go! The hunting /fishing is always Good(it's the catching that sometimes not to hot)

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