Page 14 - May2011-Finall

DAY 23

Today we get up an hour before the usual time, go out with four horses--two to ride and two to carry our load. As we arrive at the border of a forest of pines, I see a moose that has reached the river bed, more than 300 meters distant. The vegetation hides his antlers, but the guide makes an evaluation and says that it is small although legal. In only a few seconds I dismount and decide to make the shot. The guide insists that we should look for a larger specimen, but I say to him that we have been seven days without seeing anything, and I like this one. The license is already paid, and I do not trust that in the one remaining day we will see another. The guide holds the reins of our four horses to avoid a stampede at the sound of the shot. I find a rest in the crotch of one of the pines and before pulling the trigger I look again with my binoculars. I could not believe it! Another much bigger moose has risen from his bed, and he is beautiful! Without further thought, I shoot; he staggers but does not fall down. I shoot again, and a third time, and a fourth…and this time he collapses at the impact of the Barnes TSX of 220 grains!

The other animal runs and the guide insists that I shoot, but I calm him and reassure him that I have made good shots. At our arrival, we have an enormous animal of beautiful horns and silky hair!. At 8 a.m. the hunt is complete. We take photos and undertake the huge job of carefully taking all the meat, which it is necessary to harvest completely. The government requires the extraction of all the valued meat as a responsibility of the hunter’s guide. At 6 p.m. we finish the task and load the horses with the huge trophy. At our arrival at base camp, congratulations for the event are extreme!

On the following morning our light aircraft comes at noon. We say goodbye to the hunting crew, load all of our gear, and set course for Smithers. A strong thunderstorm staggers the twin-engine plane and forces it to fly just above the river bed…even touching the soft tops of the pines; only that low is the wind tolerable. After three hours we reach our destination--the official office for registration of our animal. Then on to the hotel and anxious to depart for Spain on the following day.