Clearwater, BC -Hunting with Luke, Tom and Gilbert

Up at 6 am. Porridge and coffee. Trucks packed the night before. Driving up logging roads at dawn. Luke had his Rhino GPS and was taking us to Grizzly Lake where he'd been once before. He was in his truck with Gilbert and the Honda Big Ruckus on the back. Tom and I were in the my truck.
They were in front and stopped as a moose ran in front of him. He was getting his rifle out while Gilbert was ran after it up the hill. Tom and I joined up but the moose was long gone.
We left Tom and Gilbert to fish at a lake further past Grizzly. Luke went off in his truck. I took the Big Ruckus, 250 cc, up the mountain seeing lots of bear sign and moose sign but none of the animals that made them.
Back at the lake Tom hadn't caught any fish but I'd shot one grouse and Luke a couple. Gilbert was ecstatic we were all together. He found a grouse head from where Luke had cleaned the bird and brought this to us to play a grissly game of 'ball'. I would like him to 'fetch' the grouse not just find them so we played 'fetch' with the grouse head for a while.
A couple of other hunters on quads came by. We chatted a bit. We'd meet a couple more people and one dog that had Gilbert really excited at as social opportunity.
We ate lunch, the hard boiled eggs Laura had made with trail snacks, cheese, kippers, chocolates and apples. It was a glorious sunny fall day and life was good.
After lunch we headed round the mountain to a clearing where we target practiced for a bit before heading back to the moosey area. I shot another couple of grouse and Luke shot 2 more as well, he having shot 4 to my 3 for the day. We chided Tom for not catching any trout but he was there to drive the truck and prepared to help haul moose, complaining that we hadn't given him employment hauling moose.
At night we loaded up and drove the 20 minutes back to Dutch Lake Resort where Luke built a fire then cleaned the last of the grouse. Laura had warmed up the rabbit stew I'd made and we had that with Caesar Salads.
Then we planned the morning hunt.

Clearwater, BC - Hunting

Well, it's been spectacular weather for autumn. Normally it's much colder but this year I'm wearing shorts and t-shirt all day. I threw a flannel shirt over the t shirt at 6 am this morning and wore long pants till around 10 am. By then I'd shot a grouse and missed another. Mostly though I was driving around the logging roads scouting out the moosie bits. Luke and Tom are joining me tomorrow for the opening of immature bull moose. Right now 4 point mule deer, black bear, grouse, ducks and geese are already open. All I've seen in the grouse here but there's lots of black bear around.

We have the RV in the Dutch Lake Resort and RV Park. Laura loves it here. With Dad having a turn for the worse and Laura's latest grandchild due we thought it best to stay on the grid. I've seen lots of fantastic Wells Grays Wilderness sites. Another time we'd park the RV here. The tenting spots in the summer for fishing on the lakes are everywhere. This really is a wilderness paradise. Don't know if Tom and Luke will stay here with us or choose to camp where the moose hunting is, about 30 km outside Clearwater on logging roads. I've driven around the whole area mostly and that's where it looks most moosie but they could be anywhere. All I've seen crossing roads driving have been three mule deer does but I've not been up early when the game are out when the weather is this good.

I don't know what I would have done with a deer or bear if I'd shot one. It's so hot I'd have had to drive back to Kamloops to find a butcher or a freezer. The 3 grouse I've shot are in our RV freezer.

Gilbert is having the time of his life. He's running a million miles to my one. We've been hiking a few hours each day and when we get back he sleeps. He's going to be all muscle.

I've loved taking pictures of the area. It really is truly beautiful part of British Columbia Canada.