It's a 12 hour drive to where we're hunting and just the logistics of driving that far pulling trailers and arriving to go off road in the daylight required some planning. We're also leaving a day apart as I've got a clinic to complete before I can get away.
The dinner on this occasion was particularly tasty, but not harvested by any one personally. Dr. John had actually gone down to the store and bought it all himself demonstrating that he would survive independent of the planned harvest.
Luke was especially pleased as he'd fixed up his truck and cleaned his guns ready for the expedition. His friend Shawn was also in on the plan now that our friend Sonny had been prevailed upon by babies, his wife and father to stay at home and work. Maybe when the snow flies we'll be able to free Sonny from all his duties but meanwhile we 3 were sated with fine food and talking of previous hunts and looking over the maps to consider where best to make our base camp.
Tom was especially pleased with himself as he'd received his firearms license weeks before and since talking with us studied the CORE hunting regs one night and passed the exam in the morning. He was just bitching because now that he had his BC Hunter Number he had to put out money for an 'annual hunter licence' and species tags. The thought of parting with another $100 in total was making him look ill until we reminded him that we were going to be successful and we were all going to return with fresh meat for the winter. In addition we were going to have a great time.
Saturday I woke to the myriad of chores ahead of me. I had to empty more 'living' and 'city working' things from the trailer where I've been staying, turning the beast from a leisurely home to a 'hunter mobile' that would sleep the four of us and Gilbert the great hunting dog.
Next I had to load all the excess onto the truck and drive with Gilbert to the storage locker. There I found the goose side by side 12 gauge shot gun since Tom had decided he really wanted to eat a Canada goose. Luke had talked with folk who'd hunted our region and learned that boating down the river was a highly successful way of hunting in the morning.
So once the truck was unloaded and the long shot gun was on board I headed to the boat, the big boat. My little boat has been tied beside it. Before I could do anything I had to pump all the water out of it. It was so full I worried the batteries might be under. Fortunately not. The boat was ready.
I had the trailer stored at another storage facility so went there next.
The trailer has been sitting for a couple of years so it was a challenge to find the keys for locks and 1 7/8 inch ball. The turning light was flickering so I went to Canadian tire where I got a new one, installed that and went through the electrical till I found a short as well.
I took the truck and trailer to the Cates Park Boat Launch then called a taxi to take Gilbert and me back to the boat. With Gilbert navigating we drove the boat up the fjord to the boat launch. Gilbert jumped ashore and headed off to a group of dogs at a barbecue. I rounded him up then got the truck and trailer down to the water. When I pulled the boat out I had half the sea bottom of barnacles and weeds coming along. Some very smart person put a fresh water tap for hosing down boats at the top of the incline. This was great as I was able to clean out the crap in the boat as well as get rid of the biggest bits from the bottom.
I drove from north Vancouver over to Kits where Luke was working on installing at camper roof over the bed of his truck. Together we got the boat and trailer locked up in his dad's car park.
That was a day of more outfitting and driving around the city. I just had to get Gilbert and the guns back to Burnaby so I then could hop on my Harley and join Aim and Marc at Rogers Theater for the hilarious Russell Peters. A full day.
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