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Pam & I in Alberta harvesting a moose.
Pam and I harvesting an Idaho Elk
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Funky Scores Again
Opening day of the 2022 turkey season in Iowa, I confidently purchased the initial season. This is a risk as it only lasts three days, but my confidence was high. I am the only hunter allowed on this ground other than the land owner and it is a general meat market.
There is my man “Funky.” He is doing his thing standing like a statue waiting for some big tom to come and beat him up. He has a defender, however sitting back to the one side of the tree, and if a tom gets close, he goes to the oven.
An old turkey hunter told me that most big toms are harvested between and 8 AM and 1 PM. Over the years, I have found this to be true and no longer get up before it is daylight to be on a spot before they come off the roost.
On the farm just before 8 AM, I was set up by 08:30. It is mid April in SW Iowa and there is little cover as the cold has lasted later than normal. What is really interesting is we only had one snow storm, otherwise there was no moisture. If you are farming this is not good.
The Wolf That Got Away
Canis lupus
Canada supports the second largest gray wolf population in the world, after Russia. Wolf habitat is diverse in this large country where, historically, wolves ranged in most areas. Currently, wolves in Canada occupy approximately 90 percent of their historic range. The 10 percent of Canada without wolves is primarily near the southern border, except near Lake Superior where wolves still live.
This is the second half of the combo hunt. I had already harvested the moose in short order and now it was the wolf hunt. I was teamed up with a gentleman and his wife and their goal was a mule deer. The area abounds with mule deer and the biggest whitetail deer I have ever seen. The deer hunter was after a trophy. The plan was for me to hunt moose early, and then ride along with the deer hunter while we looked for deer. Later in the day toward evening, we would head back into the scrub, wooded areas, canola fields and areas where the oil people had equipment. Then it was moose time. This was the plan until I bagged a moose. Then, I would be hunting wolf the rest of the time.
On the third morning I bagged my moose and so from now on, it would be wolf time.
Not a big moose, but the smaller ones have not had years of testosterone running through their veins. We have already had some, and it is outstanding. Absolutely no game taste to it at all. Almost like eating premium beef.
Alberta Moose Hunt
Beautiful Alberta
With my vaccination record and a Covid test prior to reaching the border, it was off to the Spirit River area in Alberta Canada. Over 2,200 miles one way, it took a mere three days of driving. The drive was enjoyable and seeing all the country we rarely hear about added pleasant memories to the trip. Crossing the border at Sweetgrass/Coutts got me into Canada. At the kiosk on first entry, my passport, proof of at least two vaccinations for Covid, and the completed test for the virus at least 72 hours before crossing was required. Then they asked me where I was going, what I was going to do, and when I would arrive there.
Next step was to go into the administration building where my contract with the outfitter was examined and my paperwork to bring a firearm into Canada was examined. The final step was to pay my fee to bring in the firearm and off I went. Total time was about 30 minutes.
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