Calgary Stampede Champion's First Moose

Straws Milan is a two-time CFR qualifier and the reigning Calgary Stampede Champion.   He has a great rodeo name.....Straws.   When we go to the rodeo we play this game where we come up with a neat rodeo name for each other.  Cam has a good one (Chains), Adam is Ace,  Jen as well (Jolene).   Mine is flattering...Tough.   Straws, well he already has his.

Straws grew up in Cochrane and was focused on hockey, not rodeo.  He was right between Cameron and Adam and often he would play on the same hockey teams.  He was a good player but it was his smile you noticed on and off the ice.  Cameron, Adam and Straws hung around the rink and at school, and although he didn't bowhunt then he was always interested in hearing their bowhunting stories.  When I arrived at the rink, Straws would always be getting ready for the game. He would flash that big smile and always say "Mr Foss what are you hunting now?."
  

We watched this big moose go into the thick bush.  It was mid morning and Cody felt for sure it would stay there for the day.  It was no surprise when Cameron and Cody decided to call Straws as they knew he only had one day left to hunt with his bow.  Everyone was so so happy to see Straws flinging arrows and we all hoped he would get a chance.    It was an anxious fifteen minutes while we waited but Straws finally found us with Cody's directions. 

 Cam is getting his game face on and chiding to Staws to get ready.  It was reminiscent of him telling Straws to hurry and get his skates tied as the game was just about to start.  They teased him about his choice of camo but told Straws to stay close and hide behind their Sitka camo pattern.  Effectively they would be creating a blind to hide him.













Calm as a cucumber,  I knew Cam was, but wasn't sure about Straws.  I whispered some last minute instructions to him and told him to just follow Cam's lead.  After all Cam had put me on so many animals and was a great and calming influence.

Cody is a great moose talker and caller.   With a moose scapula in one hand and a birch bark horn in the other he was off.   He is also just a great guy to hang around with.

We slipped into the grove of trees and Cody started towards the centre with Cam and Straws in tow.  The moose responded to his magic and got up and actually left the cow.   It took a while but the bull closed and then held up.   I was twenty yards behind the trio so I let out a soft grunt and he moved even closer.  A whine of a cow in heat had him right on top of the hunters.   At an almost uncomfortable distance of only a few yards Straws made the shot.   He was shaking like a leaf but managed to pick a spot.  The arrow did its magic and I heard high fives all around.

Here Straws shares that great smile as he poses with his first archery bull moose.


Straws gave me that big smile and said he was more nervous than he was when he won the Calgary Stampede.  Cam said he was almost as excited as Straws, and we were all so pleased for him.  What a great morning for a great guy.  Nice job Cody.  He has called in moose for many and done a lot of guiding but he said that getting this moose for such a good friend was very very rewarding. 
His Stampede Championship is by far his biggest rodeo accomplishment to date.  His fastest run is 3.0 seconds. Rodeo runs deep in Straws' family as both his brothers, Baillie and Tanner, are distinguished steer wrestlers as well.     I wonder if we can get them bowhunting. 

Black bear or Grizzly bear?

Had a trail camera out a little north of Calgary.  Considering we are a city of over one million people you wouldn't think there were be many bears around.   Alberta government claims there are between 500 and 700 grizzly bears so I wonder if this is one that is living within 40 minutes of downtown Calgary.

It has a hump, it could be a brown phase black bear.  Can't see if it has a dished face nor can we see its claws.  Let me know what you think?

Bear identy experts note the following:

Black Bear

• Color varies from blond to black.
• No distinctive shoulder hump.
• Rump is higher than front shoulders.
• Face profile is straight.
• Ears are taller and less rounded than grizzly ears.
• Front claws are 1-2 inches long and curved to facilitate climbing.

Grizzly Bear

• Color varies from blond to black.
• Distinctive shoulder hump.
• Rump is lower than shoulder hump.
• Face profile appears dished in.
• Ears are short and rounded.
• Front claws are 2-4 inches long, depending on the amount of digging the bear does, and are slightly curved. Claw marks are usually visible in tracks.

Color and size can be misleading and should not be used as identifying features.

Mystery Ranch Rant - These guys have it right

Just back from one of my best dall sheep hunts ever.  Went with  Chris and Sharon McKinnon of Bonnet Plume Outfitters.  They are right on the northeast border between the Yukon and the NWT.  Their area holds some of the biggest dall sheep and they did not disappoint.   When we made plans for the hunt, Chris immediately offered up Avery Sheppard, his keen bowhunting guide. 

Chris already had Avery in the field when he dropped me on the creek bed makeshift airstrip.  We split up our food stash set out to a distant valley within the hour.   This was to be a great test for my new Sitka gear and of course my old  Mystery Ranch 6500.   Its actually called the NICE 6500 and for good reason.

Of course the pack did not disappoint.   The critics say that the MR pack is too heavy.   I recall that when Mark Seacat of  Seacat Creative first fitted me for the pack he teased me and said "If you can't handle the few extra pounds then you shouldn't be in the mountains on an eight day sheep backpack hunt."  Even an old guy like me would appreciate the trade off between, functionality, durability and comfort.  I swore at him and said I didn't need a pack with a lifetime warranty, nor a pack that could haul 200 pounds as I wasn't man enough to shoulder it.  When he showed me how comfortable it was with a heavy load and how easily it would accommodate my bow, I was sold.

Back to the hunt, Avery and I were on a monster ram and had stalks six out of eight days.  Fickle winds and the fact that the big guy recruited no less than ten other scouts or guards to keep him safe was the only reason we didn't get him.   We saw some big caribou and hiked and laughed and hunted hard.  Never on any sheep hunt has a guide done more to get me a ram. We were up at 5:00 am every day, despite the fact that we didn't often get back to our tents much before midnight. (I was pleased for him and Junior to receive an email from Sharon McKinnon telling me that Avery got his next client a great ram.  She was a little sad to share that they shot it with a rifle at no less than sixty steps, Oh well that's hunting, being in the right place at the right time.)

Great hunt, great guys and huge Yukon rams. I will be back.

As far as the pack goes, comfort and quality and the 65 pounds I carried seemed like a dream.   I used the neat little backpack that is incorporated in the top lid.  Great as it carried my rain gear, gloves, water bottle and some protein bars on each stalk. 

My only complaint is the direction of these snaps on the chest harness.   Not sure why, but in my opinion the slots are cut on the wrong side.    If you use the system I use, be careful as you could lose the strap or the chest strap if you are not careful. 

 

 I had written to Dana Gleason, the inventor of these packs, to point out this issue and was surprised to find out when I was in Bozeman last week that all the new packs had a great improvement on them.  I spent an hour with MR pack expert Erik Engellant.  He is one of the top employees at Mystery Ranch and he set me up with some replacement straps.   I am pleased with the change and glad to see they are always looking to improve their product.   I won't ever have to worry about losing a chest strap again.

This is the new and improved clasp.  NO way it can come off.  Thanks for listening Mystery Ranch

The Sitka   Traverse Hoody  was  awesome.  I wore only two of the  Merino Zip T wool undershirts and as always, smelled pretty decent the whole time. Well the new light  Sitka Dewpoint rain gear was awesome.  Almost have the weight of the previous system and kept me dry for sure.  It was light and pretty tough.  A must on any backpack hunt.  Weight and bulk savings for sure.  

We left a huge ram on the mountain but I know where he is.  We have nine days into that ram.   He will be even bigger when we return.  He was lucky once, twice well actually six times.  His buddies, the wind and the terrain saved him this time, next time luck might be on my side. 

The last rant, why doesn't Mystery Ranch provide one of these with the sale of each one of their packs.  I know the critics will really whine and whimper as it will add sixty pounds but it’s a weight well worth it.  Avery's seven year old packer, Junior was an absolute delight.  He made the hunt even more special as he reminded me so much like my Kenzie back at home.  Same beautiful and sweet disposition.  He could carry thirty to forty pounds in his backpack and never slowed down the whole trip.  He chased gophers when we were hiking back to camp but was at Avery's heel when we were on sheep.  Avery could have him lay down when we were glassing and he wouldn't move a muscle.  Some times watching him we found sheep and of course he knew the caribou were close before we could see them pushing their way through the willows.

I think every MR pack should come with a Junior, a little extra weight but well worth it.    The dang rats ate some of our yummy Mountain House, I think they may have done us a favor.  As we neared the tents Junior set out in hot pursuit.   I said to Avery, "look at him go, at the end of the day and with a heavy load".   He paid the ultimate compliment when he said "Junior is wearing the Mystery Ranch of dog packs".    See The Wilderness Wander system to put your dog to work.

No doubt Avery was the hardest working guide I have ever had the pleasure to hunt with.  We were up at 5:00 am, even when many nights we did not hit the sleeping bags till well after midnight.  Junior worked just as hard.

 

A man and his dog.   No doubt about who is man's best friend.  I was honored to have shared Junior for my hunt.   In Alberta using a pack dog to hunt is illegal.  A friend of mine is working to change that.  I hope he has success.  What a great way to spend more time with your best friend.

Junior just loved to cool down on the creek crossings.  He showed off his waterproof wading system constantly.

Wire, rebar and squares.

 Lots of straight lines, every square was "square".  Mike nailed the layout.   The clubhouse is coming along nicely.  


Some guys are go-geters.  Nothing like applying the pressure as they ordered the cement for this coming week so they had to have the pad prepared.   This crew was hard at work and the results were fantastic.  We needed to get cement around the skirting and under the carport.  Every time the dogs come running in, feet full of the clay, I swore as soon as the monsoon rains stopped that the last big thing at the barn was going to be completed.

Jeff was checking and double checking to make sure everything was square.

Kaiser was checking and double checking to make sure everything was up to his standards

A little adhesive

 

 Kenzie was literally being shadowed by Mike's dog Diesel.  They had a great time playing together all day long.  They both slept like logs after a busy and long but enjoyable day.

Old Kaiser just chilling

Kais getting a little more chill.  Notice that look he gives you.  Is that contempt, suspicion or is he thinking "snack, snack, I wonder whether I should eat you or not"

 

Kaiser is super chilled and ready for a nap.  Next week he will make a permanent mark in life as he stamps his paw into cement.