Getting Around in the Remote Moose Country of British Columbia
Moose hunting is not the easiest endeavor you will ever tackle. But like sheep hunting, and most other mountain hunts, that’s why we love it!
Despite their big stature, moose can often be difficult to find and approach. They tend to occupy a large range, and it pays to know how and where they travel. In remote backcountry areas, your guide provides a serious advantage. But even when you know where to be and when, getting there is more than half the battle.
We have designed our moose hunting program to maximize the hunter’s abilities in remote environments. The biggest hurdle to hunting the remote moose country of northern British Columbia is simply getting around. Spruce thickets, swamps, rivers, lakes and and burns littered with downed timber all make travel challenging on foot.
Horses and boats are by far the best means of backcountry travel on moose hunts. Most of our moose hunts rely on horses to hunt remote mountain drainages. But we also use boats to cover the expansive lakes in this area. On both horseback hunts and lake unts, we are able to cover more ground with less effort. This means more opportunities, and a greater chance of locating the biggest bulls in the area.
Horseback Hunts
Some of the biggest bulls make their homes in the high country and it’s no accident that we take most of our bulls in steep, remote drainages. These locations would be flat-out difficult to reach on foot, but we have excellent mountain horses to handle the heavy workload. Horses allow us to get up into these drainages for glassing and stalking. And in most situations, horses don’t spook moose or other wildlife. Best of all, our stock makes it possible to carry a giant bull moose back down off the mountain.
Horses handle the most difficult climbs with ease and they pack our gear. However, you should still prepare physically for this hunt. Once a bull is spotted, we may have to scramble into position, or make a long, careful stalk. Enjoy the ride, and be ready to jump off when we cross paths with a monster bull in the backcountry.
Hunting Moose From Boats
Boats are the ultimate tool for convenience. You can cover ground, glass from the water and locate moose in some of their most frequented habitat. We can cover miles of water, using the boats to access glassing points along the lake. When we need a higher vantage point, or when we spot moose, we’ll jump out of the boat and continue on foot. The boat is perfect for packing gear and for packing out an animal post harvest. Hunting a big lake shoreline from a boat is flat out fun, and it’s perfect for those with physical limitations.
If you’d like to learn more about moose hunts in northern British Columbia with Kawdy Outfitters, please take a look at our moose hunting page. For details or specific availability, please do not hesitate to contact us. We’d love to help you plan an unforgettable hunting adventure!
Written by Zach Lazzari
Zach is an outdoor writer, fly fishing guide and hunting enthusiast. Follow Zach at bustedoarlock.com.