Hunting Season Begins
October 9, 2006-Jessica Bjorkman
Poor Bjorn could not be here this year for the start of hunting season (he is taking a compound joinery course). The last 2 years I hunted the opener with Bjorn. It just wouldn't do to miss this year, so I assured him I would go for him. I don't think that was any condolence for his hunting fever.
On Friday, a family friend from Windsor was visiting and agreed to target practice with me. (Dad thanked him later.) After firing 15 shots, the last round of five were accurate enough to hit a moose. It was a 308 bolt action rifle and by the end my shoulder was pretty sore.
Saturday, I could only look for moose on the side of the road while driving to work. Throughout the day we heard muffled shots as some happy hunter met with success. The area we are working in is near two major logging roads, so there's a fair amount of hunting traffic. There are several camps set up and many hunters driving the roads. This is a frustrating time of year for anyone working on the logging roads. Whenever, you get behind a slow hunter, he won't let you pass being competitive and worried you will shoot the next moose.
Sunday (today), was the first day of real hunting. I planned on getting up at 4:45a.m., but my alarm clock failed. Instead I was in the middle of a dream where first a cow moose was walking up to me and then a calf moose, when I woke up to realize it was 5:15a.m. I threw together a lunch and began the 50 minute drive to the hunting area. The full moon was beautiful. Ten minutes before legal hunting (half an hour before sunrise), I nearly drove into two bucks.
I continued on to the area where I knew there was a cow and calf. I quaded in an old road, looking for tracks along the way and holding the gun ready on my lap. There was fresh cow and calf tracks at the end of the road. It was a strong south wind and I made the mistake of walking into it behind the moose, instead of intercepting them. Dad said with the wind today I could've walked right up to them.
After walking around for a few hours, I drove back out on the quad. Sure enough, they had circled around back on the quad trail and headed out. So had Bjorn been with me, we probably would've got the calf as one of us would've started walking the road while the other quaded. Still, I wouldn't have learned anything either if Bjorn was there.
I've seen lots of moose while staking, but until I see a moose while hunting, it seems so unreal that I could actually find them. Even when I see tracks, I think they can't really be out here. Dad says when you do finally see them, they are so surreal. Just like anything in the bush, experience is the best teacher.
Well, Bjorn, at least I tried.
October 9, 2006-Jessica Bjorkman
Poor Bjorn could not be here this year for the start of hunting season (he is taking a compound joinery course). The last 2 years I hunted the opener with Bjorn. It just wouldn't do to miss this year, so I assured him I would go for him. I don't think that was any condolence for his hunting fever.
On Friday, a family friend from Windsor was visiting and agreed to target practice with me. (Dad thanked him later.) After firing 15 shots, the last round of five were accurate enough to hit a moose. It was a 308 bolt action rifle and by the end my shoulder was pretty sore.
Saturday, I could only look for moose on the side of the road while driving to work. Throughout the day we heard muffled shots as some happy hunter met with success. The area we are working in is near two major logging roads, so there's a fair amount of hunting traffic. There are several camps set up and many hunters driving the roads. This is a frustrating time of year for anyone working on the logging roads. Whenever, you get behind a slow hunter, he won't let you pass being competitive and worried you will shoot the next moose.
Sunday (today), was the first day of real hunting. I planned on getting up at 4:45a.m., but my alarm clock failed. Instead I was in the middle of a dream where first a cow moose was walking up to me and then a calf moose, when I woke up to realize it was 5:15a.m. I threw together a lunch and began the 50 minute drive to the hunting area. The full moon was beautiful. Ten minutes before legal hunting (half an hour before sunrise), I nearly drove into two bucks.
I continued on to the area where I knew there was a cow and calf. I quaded in an old road, looking for tracks along the way and holding the gun ready on my lap. There was fresh cow and calf tracks at the end of the road. It was a strong south wind and I made the mistake of walking into it behind the moose, instead of intercepting them. Dad said with the wind today I could've walked right up to them.
After walking around for a few hours, I drove back out on the quad. Sure enough, they had circled around back on the quad trail and headed out. So had Bjorn been with me, we probably would've got the calf as one of us would've started walking the road while the other quaded. Still, I wouldn't have learned anything either if Bjorn was there.
I've seen lots of moose while staking, but until I see a moose while hunting, it seems so unreal that I could actually find them. Even when I see tracks, I think they can't really be out here. Dad says when you do finally see them, they are so surreal. Just like anything in the bush, experience is the best teacher.
Well, Bjorn, at least I tried.
